BOTANICAL INVENTORY REVISITED 2012

MY views on the necessity and benefits to keep a strict botanical inventory are part of my training and practice. However, I understand many gardeners do not give a flying fart about botanical names.  

Lately, I use a new method to simplify the issues...if you do not know the botanical, go to search: botanical name for: orange. That will do in most cases. Except when a fruit, for example, in your own country has 3 common names...

Finally, I reiterate, with these names you can solve any problem regarding planting, propagating, diseases, insect pests, conditions for adequate growth and else, without the need to ask foolish questions in public or the web. 

It is not only copy an paste Allamanda was in 2010 so with Chamamansa, one is gone the second has returned. in 2012.

Allium

Alocasia cucullata

Aglaonema Commutatum

Arashis hypogea

Amarilys

Anthurium

Asparagus sprengeri/meyeri

Aloe vera

Alternatera brasiliana

Asystacia gangetica

Andropogon citratum

Antigonon leptopus

Bryophylum pinnatum

Bauhinia monandra

Brunfelsia pausiflora

Barleria repens

Bouganvillea buttiana

Bixa orellana

Cestrum diurnum

Calathea loeseneri

Calledium hortulanum

Capsicum florescens

Carica papaya
Chayamansa

Citrus sinensis

Citrus aurantifolia

Clitoria ternatea

Costus malortanus

Chrysothemis pulchella

Coccoloba uvifera
Clerodendrum quadriculare ***
Clorophytum comosum ***

Clorophytum diurnum

Calliandra haemathocephala

Catharantus roseus

Cosmos sulphureous

Commelina elegans

Cuphea hyssopifolia

Crinum asiaticum

Centrosema pubescens

Datura stramonium
Dipteracanthus prostratus **

Dracaena marginata

Diffenbachia amoena

Daylilly
Duranta repens

Eucharis amazonica

Euphorbia tirucallis/pulcherrima

Epiphylum oxypetalum

Gardenia augusta

Guaicum officinale

Gloriosa rothschildiana

Hibiscus cannabinus

Hemerocallis

Hippobroma longiflora

Ixora

Ipomoea aegiptia/quamoclit

Jasminum undulatum

Lipia micromera
Hippeastrum reticulatum
Manihot esculenta
Merremia quinquefolia
Merremia umbelata
Murraya paniculata
Mirabilis siciliana
Malpighia glabra/coccigera
Myosotis
Neomarica caerulea
Nephrolepsis
Ochna thomasiana
Oxalis
Origanum vulgare
Phalaenopsis
Passiflora foetida/pallida l./edulis
Peperomia pellucida
Petroselinum crispum
Pandanus utilis
Pereskia bleo
Proiphys amboinensis
Pithelobium dulce
Pseuderantemum reticulatum
Pleomeles reflexa
Polyscia balfouriana/fruticosa
Plectantrus amboinicus
Pedilanthus thithymaloides/tuberose
Plumeria rubra/alba

Rosmarinus officinale
Ruellia officinale/brittoniana/
tuberosa
Sanseveria trifasciata/cylindrica
Scadoxus
Syngonium
Serpol tuymusser pyllum
Solanum lycopersicum 
Stigmaphyllon floribundum
Thilandsia
Thumbergia alata/erecta
Trimezia martinisencis
Tulbagia violacea


Turnera ulmifolia/diffusa/subulata
Tradescantia pallida/zebrina
Urena lobata
Wedelia trilobata
Zephirantes nelsoni/citrina/grandiflora
Zingiber officinalis
Zammia






 

To be continued...

** Rediscovered on 02/02/2011
*** Added on 03/16/2011

TWO MALPIGHIAS

MALPIGHIA is a genus of 25 to 40 shrubs and tree species found from the southwestern United States to Peru, some cultivated for their edible fruits (acerola, M. glabra Linnaeus, for example) and some as ornamentals.

The two Malpighias featured are not common at all in the urban context. I have seen them rarely in  Puerto Rico, country side or the dominant concrete/asphalt.  You may have your own criteria to determine rarity, uniqueness. Mine is simple.

The story is short. The fruit of Malpighia glabra is  tangy, nice looking fruit, almost fire engine red.  Most people brag about the amount of vitamin C and many cliches they hear and repeat through their life as if it is a big deal.

Never mind about that. I think it is attractive with dropping branches and small leaves.  This shrub belongs to the less than ten plants club, in the over 100 collection, bought in a nursery.

The other, Malpighia coccigera, is an exchange. I noticed it two houses down, in Blondie's front yard.  I talked to Myrta, a nice lady and maid. The deal was done with a Gardenia.  Besides this house in restoration almost as long as the Gaudi cathedral, to become a bed and breakfast,  I have seen it just 
once after that, in Ponce de Leon avenue.  

that is that

SOMEWHAT AT RANDOM POST

WHEN I look at the local scene, trees wise, it seems four out of five are foreigners, at least in  the Santurce area where i operate.  Asia and the South Pacific neck of the woods dominate in edibles and not.

Altocarpus altilis, Mangifera indica, Tamarindus indicus, Calliandra haemathophalla, the Ficus pest, and our hero Pterocarpus indicus are just a few.

The latter grows a huge canopy, with lots of organic waste, mostly seeds. But it has charm. The yellow 'flowers'
brighten our days, in the third person, not only with their color, but their fragrance. Just, like most flowers for a short period and unlike my favorite, Plumerias, for a longer one.


At any rate, most Pterocarpus in this concrete and asphalt isle,  are planted in the wrong context, as those presented here. Such trees should always be in the front lines, not the rearguard of any installation. Lucky me.

The sweet, subtle fragrance reminds your humble servant of that of Cananga odorata, certainly and ugly name. This tree is one of the ugliest I have observed, I do not care about its looks, in any way, shape or form, to use a cliche. Many people love that overwhelming, tilted towards vanilla, fragrance of Canangas.. Pterocarpus is nice, but not superior in my subjective smell perception than either Gardenia augusta, Plumeria or  Poliantes tuberosa, in my collection, not necessarily in that order.


If it seems that I have a tendency to constantly evaluate the individuals in the garden by this or that, you are correct. Gardening should be an activity full of pleasure, after the constant effort and sweat of the chores. More pleasure with less sweat implies more time to enjoy the fruit of the work, by yourself or in the company of other flora and fauna making it possible for all.


 

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