A RATHER SHORT POST

THE fun of gardening beyond the hole, digging and such is the research, finding what, why, how, at least in me neck of the concrete/asphalt woods.

This time is the nice looking white moth with pink spots found one early morning while sweeping the beautiful paper like Bouganvillea flowers in the west garden.

It was the first time in years I have seen it. Took the photos, went to the web and nothing...All the info was from people in cold climates. Nothing from my region. It seems down here bloggers mostly infatuated with: palms, turf, Ficus, Ixoras, orchids bromelias, heliconias and gingers do not research or investigate satisfied with their provincial installations watching from their rocking chairs.

The hell with that thought yours truly after 30 minutes of: white moth of Bouganvillea and nothing...Yet I found an ugly as hell moth I have never encountered down this sandy, salty ecoregion.

As a bonus, before and after. One of the corners in my garden.  When you live in a mostly concrete regtangle, corners become focal points and/or conversation pieces, at least in my imagination. 


You surely know  the name of the plants and will agree with me wife who had been requesting that I got rid of the certainly ugly succulent,  providing some contrast.

If interested..

.http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/7741396/5_gardening_blogs_you_should_read.html?cat=32


http://www.guiaverde.com/blog/destacadas/jardin-tropical-en-puerto-rico

MOST DOCUMENTED GARDEN IN THE CARIBBEAN II

TWO SUCCULENTS WITH HISTORY

DURING my last exile in USA, landing in  JFK 
on 7 June 1989, with me wife, we spend that week end at the Pickwick of Arms, a cute, small hotel on the west side of Manhattan,  on 59 street.

The following Monday, we took the subway 7th line, to explore Queens, between 62nd street and 82nd avenue.  This line is also known as the Orient Express, thanks to the scent of  curry and soy sauce predominant in some of its passengers, saturating the subway cars atmosphere.  On 82nd avenue, we   found a friendly real estate agent  from Uruguay,  kind enough to recommend us to a Romanian family renting their basement.

From dull, flat and ugly Queens, with excellent Colombian  pastry/coffee shops and restaurants, ethnically dominated by Mexico, Peru and Ecuador , we moved to Brooklyn.  This borough is  much more attractive in scenery, architecture, history and  more sophisticated in many ways.  In Brooklyn, ethnics groups and backgrounds were different. Soul brothers, too many from the Caribbean islands--requiring sub titles when they spoke English-- Puertoricans and Hebrews dominated the scene.

But this post is about succulents.  Living on  Wyckof, between Smith and Court street, I ordered the first  and  plant I ever bought from a catalogue.  It arrived  in good shape, bare rooted and still with your humble servant 17 years later is the senior in the whole garden.

The second, and  Agavaceae, ordered while living in Manhattan,  in 2000, is healthy and producing offspring contrary to the first, tall as hell.  


What else is new?  Not much. Perhaps the disappearance of snails, slugs and bees.  The first two, is significant since their numbers were impressive during my first four years here.  Now, there are none, even after it has rained as in the Amazon.


Gardening  with a rather wide scope, the damage some insects inflict to  plants, is normal and logical. But watching those creatures who kept us company, on a daily basis, gone, is not, natural. It can not be a good sign.


That is what taking place in the installation. At one point, I felt responsible, after washing the pavement with a mix of water/clorox.  I thought I was the culprit. The story has changed.  Their absence can not be explained only by my use of that mix.

That is that.

This post could have had an

 alternative tittle.

USA flora in Puerto Rico two cases.

Northridge Gardens
Successor To Singer's Growing Things
1995  Catalogue

9821 White Oak Avenue
Northridge, CA 91325

MONSTER FICUS IN RIO PIEDRAS

THE BOUGANVILLEA POST

These are probably the most attractive climbers in my collection and/or  the tropics.  I prefer those in the violet/pink spectrum, the darker the better.  Beside its beauty, when planted in the right context, with correct pruning, Bouganvilleas will provide privacy, shade, inexpensive and efficient security.

Do not plant close by pedestrian traffic, it is foolish, and you will spend the rest of your life in futile attempts to keep them from poking someone eyes or getting hurt with the nasty thorns.  If you like are into the  hedges fad,  good luck!  You will get lots of foliage with little flowering  left available after  every trim.

If you live in them template areas, you could keep them inside, but, the possibilities are that every imaginable disease may drop by.  If  I am mistaken, be kind, let me know.

that is that 

If I ever make my top twenty list in 

the collection, Bouganvilleas will be 

among the top ten.

They are not easy to propagate, even with rooting hormones, my record is not so hot.  Mine have demonstrated resistance to heat/drought and pests.The first Boganvillea planted in the corner of the west/south garden was a present from Suncha, it is 3 years old.  Thanks to careful pruning, the branches in the front of the house have  them weeping branches while those the back (south garden)
are almost flat resting on wires.

Now a few facts for the record 

Bouganvillea comprises 14 to18 tropical American shrubby, climbing

species, many cultivated for their inflorescences.  The genus is named after the French navigator and explorer Loius-Antoine de Bouganville,

1729-1811, who discovered the plants in Brazil during one of his voyages. There  is much hybridization in the genus, making the identification of some of the species and cultivars difficult.

W. Arthur Whistler

TROPICAL ORNAMENTALS

page 87

PLUMERIA POLYSCIA RELOCATION POST

THERE are hundreds  of gardening blogs.  However, about ball and burlap, not much is written, is not even mentioned.  You may find what it is all about, in youtube.  What has to be understood, is the principle,  since in our case, neither one is present.  The tools are in the photo.  The hole around the trunk has to be deep and wide enough to reach most roots without any hacking, that is why you need hand pruners. Broken ones need to be clean cut, as any branch. Be patient and take your time.

The relocated  yellow Plumeria was kept straight, with a wire for 2 years. It kept twisting looking for light as the shade culprit kept expanding its branches towards the victim.  I had two options,  pruning the responsible for the shade, a Bouganvillea, the rest of my life, or relocation. The Polyscia was removed to create more space for our hero.

The small root  system, neither wide, nor deep of each, made the task more simple than expected. The sandy soil was also helpful.
It took me less than one hour to do all the activity presented in the in the photos.

If you are curious ask...I would not try to relocate valuable vegetation, unless you have been exposed to some training, experience and the propler tools.  Thanks to me darling for helping with  the  planting of patient one in his new home.

If you do what you have to, without hurting the patient, success will be yours.  Happy relocations.  

BEHOLDERS BOTANICALS AND BEAUTY

TWO hours after Terrorist with a Trimmer, http://youtu.be/MTKfeW-_xK0, saw the light in feisbuk, out of the blue, a municipal policeman on a bike, appeared to take pictures and inquire about the abandoned,  house/garden featured.

It seems that pig headed Nuno, or whom ever was offended, wanted to ruffle me feathers. The officer stated that someone presented a complaint.  When I inquired regarding what, the vegetation on the photos is the culprit.

I have spent plenty of time pruning, trimming, cleaning on the premises during the last 44 months, them public servants assumed it was my property. When I informed the biked policeman the high yellows in laws of  Leo, are the owners, his smile disappeared and left.  


In Puerto Rico, almost everyjuan perceive any vegetation in general or vines as a hindrance, in particular those growing wild, spread by wind, birds or water.  This beholder declares vines are particularly attractive growing in any abandoned space
making difficult  the entering and exit to bums, providing
security If I may. 


In any fence, cyclone fences for example, vines hide the metal, dull ugliness, providing housing and nectar for birds and insects.  They reduce noise, heat with the added aesthetics of their flowers.  


I decided to post on these issues since vegetation is perceived as garbage, like any other garbage you could think of.  All this will be destroyed soon or later. I will keep you posted.  Meanwhile here is the inventory.

VINES

Vitis vinifera

Cannavalia maritima

Merremia aegyptiae

Passflora foetida/edulis

Clerodendrum thompsonae

Edibles

Cajanus Cajan

Trees

Acacia

Spathodea campanulata
Melicoccus bijugatus

Bushes

Tecoma stans

Gossypium herbaceum

Alternathera brasiliana

Ruellia britonniana

Ground covers

Syngonium

Pothos

The inventory does not include the vegetation shown  in the first photo.  However, some of the above, also hang out in this space..The last picture, is my favorite for the contrasts in light/shade, angles, textures and so on. If you want to 
check them with a better resolution, drop by flickr.

Words of wisdom

Beauty may be in the eyes of the
beholder, only if he/she
is not a blind, deaf, mute
hog, without any concept
of what beauty is or should be
in the urban context.
The concrete/asphalted one
surrounding, asphyxiating
your humble servant.

that is that