PARTY IS OVER FOR THE OLD LETS WELCOME THE NEW ONE

WHAT BETTER way to end the horticultural adventure of planting, than updating the collection inventory. Some in the original inventory are RIP. There are many new ones, some in this list were identified recently thanks to a previously mentioned author.

I dedicate this effort to those who came, visited, wrote or not a comment, leaving with some curiosity or the usual indifference towards nature dominating our culture, the wild world.

If interested, plant/seed exchanges will be considered, be serious, provide your list of plants, botanical names preferred.

INVENTORY FOR 2008

Allium, Aji, Albaca, Agavaceas (3), Alocasia cucculata, Aglaomena, Antigonum leptopus,
Allamanda, Arashis hypogea, Amarylis, Bauhinia, Brumfelsia pauciflora, Burleria repens,
Bouganvillea, Chinese violet, Cajanus cajan, Croton (3), Chicharo, Clitoria terratea, Costus
graptophylum, Cuphea hissofilia, Carica papaya, Coccoloba uvifera, Clorophytum comosum,
Crinum, Chinas, Cestrum diurnum, Calliandra aemathocephala, Cathartus roseus.

NOT finished, half way... Dracena, Diffenbachia, Daylily, Eucare, Gardenia (2), Guayacan,
Helechos (2), Hibiscus (3), Ipomoea (3), Ixora (2), Jasminun multiflorum, Insulina, Limon,
Lipia micromera, Mirabilis siciliana, Mango, Momordica Charantia, Ochna mossabicensis,
Pandanus, Oxalis, Plumeria, Pedilanthus euphorbiaceae, Pereskia corrugata, Pithecellobium
dulce, Proiphys amboinensis, Pseuderantemun reticulatum, Pleomeles (2), Pereskia bleo,
Romero, Rhipsalis, Ruelia brittoniana, Sanseveria(3), Turnera (2), Scadoxus, Syngonium,
Sanguinaria, Tradescantia (4), Tulbaghia violacea, Thevetia peruviana, Tumbergia, Tecoma
stans, Yuca, Zamia and Zephyrantes grandiflora.

THOSE numbers in parenthesis are varieties. No, is not strict alphabetical order and yes, the
possibility of spelling mistakes is present. However, when going to search or your favorite
way to do it, the right spelling will be suggested.

Final words. I want to thank everyone who dropped by. Those with suggestions, criticism,
questions and support. Any other not falling in any of the above, thanks also. Planting, writing about these matters are great to keep mental sanity. A serious tool not to be wasted around ego trips or the I, the world spinning around the self. To all people in the blogosphere good luck
in future projects for 2009.

Be consistent with your stance. The environment should not
be a pet/security blanket with writing block attacks. Or filling to be used any time the tree hunting(any second) season in Puerto Rico, to make pretend. Plant something today or tomorrow. Tell us what you have in your yard, put some pictures. Credibility rules!
Thanks. See you lator alligators.

ENDEMICAL CRETINISM and THE ESSENCE OF THE BEAN

THERE ARE ten, probably hundreds of blogs regarding our subject in the wild net world. However, very few go further than
reproducing technical objective information. It seems that everyone is fairly objective, as if not to offend, ruffle any feathers in any $egment of the economy/politics. That is what keep us away from going around the bushes, or scratching anyone's back.

Here a token of what this blog has been writing about from the first chance. An excerpt with a lost reference but meaningful

as you will see.

CLIMATE AND ECOSYSTEMS

"Amid the cataclysms that changed the surface of our planet so profoundly during past geological eras, both land movements and climatic changes, the plant world went on gradually adapting itself to the new systems, dividing and subdividing itself over millions and millions of years, adapting to the new conditions and creating systems of mutual adjustment which we call ecosystems.

Ecosystems ( a word coined by Tansley in 1923) are biological communities of species which are found together in more than one place, dependent on the physical environment of which they form part and often forming and indivisible whole with that environment.
Every ecosystem is strictly bound up, not only with climate and other environmental factors, but
with every form of life that develops within it, animal as well as vegetable, in an interdepedence which cannot be changed without completely upsetting the whole equilibrium."

How then can we talk about saving endemics, or such and such in danger of extintion? For example, planting trees from sandy, well drained soils with 30 inches of rain anually in a place like Trujillo Alto, with 2,3, times that amount of rain, in a caliche soil, hard as cement and taking
weeks to absorb rain?

In addition, destroying as stated before, the whole ecosystem, the shitty soil from the start, no plant, tree, bush, native grasses, ground covers, flora/fauna, were left. Unfortunately, the many self proclaimed environmentalists, Sierra, lespierian followers,
the Verdes Tribe, Fideicomiso, Parques Nacionales, the whole bunch continue with the same stance: each one with their self interest and protagonic desire. But they are not the only ones, this group is much greater.
Covering water (fresh, salty and mixed), air and soil.

Changing subject, but not by much.. I wrote about planting and cooking recently. An article found in, 'SAVEUR', a probably defunct gastronomy magazine from the nineties may help with the intention.

ESSENCE OF THE BEAN
By
ALLISON ENGEL

"Vanilla is an ancient flavoring, used by the Aztecs in Mexico hundreds of years before Hernando
Cortes arrived in 1519 and took samples back to Spain. European nobles went wild over the beans, believing them to be an aphrodisiac. Today one of our best loved and most versatile flavorings, vanilla is essential to many kinds of puddings icings, fillings, cookies and of course
ice cream. It's particularly useful in baking because it neutralizes the flavor of egg yolks; it employed by contemporary chefs (even with lobster) and is prized in candles and perfumes for its seductive fragance". Nov/Dec 1996

I will not get into the year season's foods/dessert bag since everyone else is doing it. Some
spend life moving, writing as if life was/is a traveling magazine. Farewell and keep a clear focus..

WHILE STROLLING BY THE MUNHOZ RIVERA PARK

I WAS pondering how we have lost somehow the connection with nature. The only way nature can be saved, helped, appreciated is while observing it, from different perspectives.
Studying it with some rigor. But not the rigormortis found in
academia, where you write a thesis based on the interests of your
mentor to advance his/her career; with extreme care with
quotations and form.

Some rigor is necessary to balance the huge amount of charlatans in this wide field. Visit any nursery in Puerto Rico. Ask the owner or employees the amount of species they sell, find out by yourself.
My multiple responses have been: "Un monton". A lot.

Send an electronic mail to someone (lets take a wild pick), Los Verdes, a self help edible garden group. Propose an exchange
of plants/seeds among gardening fans, as yours truly. The response: Oh blah, blah, there is this group in USA, it costs
thirty dollars, with the site address and that was that.

This is the not so bright attitude of many people dealing with
what we write about in endemismo. Another anecdote I would
mention is some group Cultura Profetica life style types, into edible gardening in Patillas, Puerto Rico. They have a blog in which plant/seeds exchanges are mentioned. You write inquiring about their list of botanical names to exchange and the puercos sordos remain mute/deaf/blind.

But all is NOT LOST. Yesterday, during the stroll I noticed
that this park somewhat abandoned, has what it takes to be
enjoyed as A GARDEN, even with all the list of flaws to be
mentioned in the future. The fountains are nice, in working order, there is depth, movement in the installations.

From there I crossed the over pass to the former Sixto Escobar
Stadium and got seeds. They are Thespesia populnea, Emajaguilla, and Canavalia Maritima, a tree and ground cover
respectively.

Almost forgot. In the morning stroll, Eduardo Conde Ave, I found Antigonon leptopus seeds. These ones are climbers. One of the first plants I remember appreciating during elementary school. I took me tree decades to find out the name and the seeds. Originally from Mexico, there are white/pink varieties, both attracting bees. On a positive mood, we say farewell. Until next.

PREACHING AND PRACTICING ESSENTIAL MATTERS

PERHAPS YOU wonder, what can I do besides writing, speculating, debating what is wrong with the practices, tendencies, traditions, regarding gardening, the environment/ecology/nature? One thing I do is to propagate,
observe what does not work and share it with the willing and
unwilling. There is nothing one can do beyond that. Even if
once in a while your risk sounding as a preacher. Those who
day after day, week, month, year repeat what is already written
in a thick book. Just bring the horse to the water, if he refuses to drink, do no shoot him, give him some affection.

I have reiterated my dislike of turf/grass/lawns. I will not discuss now why. But one thing one can do, to improve the environment is not to pollute with lawnmowers, blowers, air
water, soil and the quietness with the irritating noise.

Here is a list of ground covers recommended by our 007 agency,
with license to kill trees, used to stop erosion within the sand
dunes context. Some are really wonderful, could be propagated
from seeds or division. Sorry I do not think you could find them
at your favorite nursery. Search the internet. You never know.

Sporobolus virginicus

Fimbristylis cymosa
Spartina patens
Canavalia maritima
Lippia nodiflora
Ipomoea pes caprae
Tephrosia cinerea
Ipomoea stolonifera
Stachytarpheta jamaicencis
Sanseveria guianensis
Vigna luterola
Ramirea maritima
Chamaesyce buxifolia
Boerhavia diffusa
Senegalia westiana
Wedelia Trilobata
Pectis humifusa
Cissus sicyoides
Bidens pilosa

Another thing to improve your environmental surroundings is to visit other places. Gardening sites particularly. Dave's Garden. com,is a wide in scope stop to share what you think, and learn from others. Another must is jardinactual.com, for those demanding more than common place design/plant selection. USA and SPAIN. So there. Practice and preach. Two worlds do
not just stick with the second, please.

HOUSING DEVELOPERS VS THE ENVIRONMENT

THE humanitarian reaction in a minuscule segment of the Puerto Rico population, is an example of similar situations in the past. It demonstrated that when someone throws pets from
a bridge, one should complaint and rant. This is no different. The isle counts with bohemian-academic-do gooders, environmental crusaders.

We just dissent on the focus.

Instead of aiming at the constant perpetrators of crimes against nature: HOUSING DEVELOPERS, the issue was the permit/no permit Catch 22
debate. Bohemian, because is nice in certain Institutes of Culture,
to write poems, songs, essays, research, about the environment.
To sing about, paint and sculpture nature.

UNFORTUNATELY the isle environment is looking more and more as Oscar de la Hoya in his most recent money making adventure. Unable to stand up. While some debate and debate, develop theoretical frames, the gigantic tractors used by the already mentioned to destroy everything in their path without any type of inventory of flora and fauna continue getting rid of the ecological balance that
allows everything that surround us to interact and survive.

The destruction takes place not only in Puerto Rico, (endemismo goes global) but all over the world with the same desire to MAKE PROFITS. In our isle, with
the certified approval of Department of Natural Resources 007.
They are close partners on this mission; making Puerto Rico
appear as a concrete/asphalt enormous parking lot.

All the blame about climatic change is carried by emissions of all types. However, where does the water that was previously absorbed by soil, ground all over the earth flows now? In our case, there are floods in many areas after a thirty minutes rain in highways, cities and towns.

NO one seems to make the connection. If you stop the earth from doing what is its nature there are going to be more and more floods and dry spells for the same exact reason. No water
to absorb, convert in vapor. Meanwhile, all the excitement about the brief hot pet project died; the interest turned toward more mundane matters.

Not here. Endemismotrasnochado is not about following herds,
but to set trends. We can, like the proverbial water hit the stone to create the legendary hole, or hit like a sledgehammer kindly. With words only, of course.

Lets get the Housing Developers stop and to pay for the constant destruction. Their accomplices, banks, mortgage originators, island municipalities,
construction and landscaping companies, are all into
the scam. Making profits while destroying all that makes life
bearable. It is very easy to attack a bunch of inept, powerless
agency, but something very different to aim at developers and else. What have you planted today?

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN GASTRONOMY AND HORTICULTURE

EVEN THOUGH the fellow bloguers hooked on RECIPES
and else from this region and the continental ones have
not shown any courtesy answering the simple question:
What do you cultivate in your edible garden to enhance
your recipes? I will not hold this against them. I have noticed a great level to ignore others generally. But now, these block and the others will see it is not a prank out of boredom.

Gardening as cooking require planning, organization.
In terms of tools, bowls, pans, knives, scissors, trimmers, blowers to name a few. Measuring is also part of both trades, with different intentions. However, in both activities too much/too little of some
ingredient/chemical substance will certainly ruin, change the result at the end.

BEFORE we continue it is necessary keeping in mind that both activities
cooking and gardening require ability for observation and above all, patience. Things can not be rushed.

As gardening intelligently requires contrast of colors,
textures, aromas, proportions, so does the cooking with recipes. When I surveyed at least 10/15 bloguers about that
simple question on top, none had the manners to respond.

NOW that I think of it, perhaps in their culinary, recipe minds they have never made the connection between these two intertwined activities. For them I suggest a book "Food in History" One should not be out of the blue practicing such interesting activities without being
aware of the relevance of the other. Particularly when
one considers certain attitudes of having the pan grabbed by the handle in all matters not only in that,
but other circles.

By the way, my cooking trend, is that one practiced in EL BULLI, and my gardening school is the one I have been working on while practicing, reading, researching, for 3 decades. One thing gardening has over cooking haute cuisine or tripes, is that the pleasure from a garden last longer, and one does not have to do the dishes. And to start all over again with
the next dish. Until then...

COMPARATIVE HORTICULTURE

I WENT ON A far away trip, to Lanzarote. I visited virtually the
Cesar Manrique Cabrera Foundation. The site, viewAt.org, has
the panoramics of Ricardo Cambon, photographer. It is rare to
find in the wild web, something this impressive. I knew about
this landscape designer from my usual roams through out
the web to escape the dull, boring, repetitious, nauseating, predictable, landscape installations on this Caribbean isle.

I remind all readers that I receive/expect no fees for mentioning anything here, something perceived in other circles as an opportunity.

My vocation is to criticize, my mission, to offer some examples/views that those interested in making a buck, or those
with protagonist urges will not bother to mention, carrying blinders usually. In brief, I prefer to argue than to agree, with
respect and intelligence.
On one hand, on the other, everyone should be able to judge,
question on theses matters, it affects your pocket and the environment. I am not interested in having groupies, something stimulating to some; but to make readers willing to inquire, demand, observe with new eyes, the environment surrounding them, the natural, and the installed.

From Lanzarote, I moved to the commercial garden design scene in Florida and else. You will find this one under Raymond Jungles.com.
TO JUDGE this type of installations, you need time and patience. There are more than ten examples, with at least five pictures each of works on this portfolio. All of them, start with
a plan that looks pretty much as chinese to the lay man/feminist. Do not bother.

SOME of the examples are cold, sterile, impersonal. Mostly because of the architectural style of the buildings. Be aware, if you design a concrete box/regtangle with a lot of glass and metal you will need a miracle to create some warmth with the plants installation. In my already known humble opinion.

My favorite, for the imaginative use of concrete treated with acid to give it a greenish color is the Montifiore Garden. Just one little part of a pond, the path over it, in cement. There is abuse of palms, grass and other plants. However, I can not say it is the kind we have in Puerto Rico, even if the same exact plants/palms are over used, there
is evidence of perspective, focus, movement, symmetry and
asymmetry here. I am not fond of water, fountains, ponds, fire pits or barbecues, unless necessary. Anything that complicates life in a garden I can do without, except in rare occasions. All water features require electricity, some chemicals.

IF YOU noticed I did not say much about Manrique Cabrera. There is a Confucian simplicity in his work. A bending, yielding
with nature in the building, with the installation. Total harmony with the surroundings, without any arbitrary or out of place imposition. Such is comparative horticulture. One is left with a powerful sensation that is lasting and pleasurable, at least from this side of the garden.

PRACTICE, THEORY AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL BANDWAGON

IT IS SOMEWHAT amazing. The amount of tree/environmental issues lovers, preachers, fire eaters, and the rest get lost in a maze of their own creation.

What can you do personally to improve the conditions of your environment surroundings?

Eliminating palm trees. The amount of organic waste, leaves and seeds from palm trees are unsightly. Unless you eat the coconuts.
The exagerated palm use in our urban context is ridiculous. In the Baldorioty de Castro Avenue, $2,000,000, have been wasted planting them in the median, with oceans of red acaliphas and worn out variegated chefferas left and right.

If you love the environment, but have a lawn, use a lawn mower, blower, trimmer, fertilizer, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides,
or if you support golf then, you have a problem already discussed in the bible dealing with white sepulchers.

If one occasionally claims authority to protect the environment
when the customary island tree hunt (Rio Piedras, Ponce) hit the news stands, what to do when the uproar (as it always does) dissipates? What do you plant in your yard? Your apartment? Do you visit any local gardens? Have you noticed/commented on the millions of
mutilated trees in every street, public/private place in the isle?
How many could you identify? What have you planted lately?

Where are the environmentalists, ask the good samaritans. I tell you where they are... They are not too concerned about much work, too many nature causes as some speculate... They are avoiding getting in
the public eye protecting their federal/state funds from the proposals they are constantly writing. And the probable, ruffling
of feathers, conflicts of interest evident in this intense quietude regarding the permits/destruction of trees. That I reiterate, is a storm in a glass. Trees are destroyed with impunity daily, all over Puerto Rico. Mostly by housing developers, landscape maintenance individuals/companies and municipalities.

The focus then should be on these perpetrators. Not on the intellectual criminals, in my humble opinion. Focus anyone?

Leaving that.. there..for todays meditation. New subject.

A list of ground covers, plants, bushes, climbers, trees that may improve your garden with a sort of signature if you may. The garden, yours, mine, should not look like every other garden. At least that is my stance.

Bouganvilleas, Frangipani, Turneras, Wedelias,Chinese violets,
Hibiscus, Pereskia corrugata, Zephyrantes grandiflora, Gloriosa
rothshildiana, Mirabilis siciliana, Murraya paniculata, Ipomoeas, Ochna Mossabisensis, Momordica Charantia, Costus
speciosus and Cestrum diurnum.

The above placed correctly will make your garden stand out and with a bonus, rarely will they be diseased. Now imagine that poem...Por un sendero de mayas arropas de Momordica Charantia... cundeamores. Until then.

STATISTICS GARDENING AND ELSE

IT IS TIME TO COUNT. After the 100 post mark the need to measure the effort was necessary. 118 comments, (a half perhaps, my own) and 710 profile views. One thing is clear, people down here, blogospherewise are not planting or interested at all. A couple of specific
questions regarding Ivies, some four or five bushes were named
in reaction to some articles but in essence, gardening is something distant and meaningless for most people judging
from what SEMANTICS usualy tell behind the surface.

That explains the change of language venue. In other circles
where gardening is taken seriously, the percentage of responses
expressed in Dave's Garden.com, were greater and to the point.
Most strange is the affection and interest to many of our plants,
bushes, demonstrated in many blogs in that site in a template country. Plants for which I have no interest because of their excesive usage in most installations.

BACK TO THE DIRT. During these days some changes worth mentioning. The three year oregano bush went directly to the
ground after a stay in a metal pot. A little pruning for cooking and aesthetics. The endemic Zamia went the other way, ground to
pot. Some plants require constant observation to avoid problems, in this case the growth rate was rather slow. To make sure everything is fine, pull out whatever, check the roots, plant
and watch for a couple of months. Or leave in a pot. One thing you must understand, if you insist in keeping indoors a plant like this, you will have scales for ever. An insect almost impossible to destroy in the adult stage.

Other relevant stats. In the last 7 month period 300 plants, 80 identified species, some are DK, plants, bushes, trees, ground covers, succulents, plants, climbers, have been planted in our
residence in Santurce, Puerto Rico, the inventory is already in older posts. Next year it will be updated.

Some were not so lucky. Ixoras, Crotons, Colocassias, Tuna,
Aloe Vera, Dracenas were exiled for their position violating
perspective, disease after years of improper machete pruning,
or being simply odd looking with what is planted now. There
has to be some symmetry or asymmetry in leave, texture, shape, size and height among all the plants installed. Otherwise you get the sensation of tightness, wildness, a result of what agronomists down here believe a garden should
be. A bunch of anything planted left and right without any thought, but making a buck.

EXCERPTS OF FORESTRY FROM ANCIENT PHOTOCOPIES

THE AUTHOR of the book is Charles Lathrop Pack, it covers a lot of ground. Mexico, Venezuela Colombia, Haiti, Porto Rico, Dominican Republic, British Honduras and Costa Rica.. The information is so
impressive that I will not comment on current events regarding environmental issues. In this regard what happened 500/300 years ago saeems more interesting than current
events. Here it goes...excerpts from TROPICAL FORESTS...pages 63/65.

"MAHOGANY, an early favorite, was first brought to the attention of Europe by the ship's carpenter of Sir Walter Raleigh, who, in 1695, made use of this species in minor repairs to one of his vesels. Before the middle of the sixteenth century Spaniards were employing mahogany for shipbuilding. As a later period buccaneers frequently landed parties to obtain supplies of mahogany, and down through the centuries this highly prized timber has been the cause of many
international incidents and not a few bloody contests. In 1743 Mark Catesby wrote: " The excellency of this wood for all domestic purposes is now sufficiently known in England. And at the Bahama Islands, and other countries, where it grows naturally, it is no less esteemed for shipbuilding, having properties-vis., durableness, resisting gunshots, and burying the shot without splintering." And it was in the eighteenth century that mahogany came into universal
favor as a wood well adapted for furniture and for cabinet work.

The early history of logwood had a great deal in common with that of mahogany, its trade rising
about the time when peace was declared between England and the Spanish. The abundance of this two wood species is, in fact, the reason for England's still retaining that little wedge of land in Central America known as British Honduras.

Lignumvitae-tree of life-has also had an interesting career. In early colonial times it gained wide renown as a specific for venereal diseases, and for a time sold for more than its weight in
silver. This curative reputation became so well established that it endured for centuries, although modern medicine recognizes no peculiar healing virtues in the wood. Today its value
rests in its extreme hardness and unique self-lubricating qualities. During the World War
lignumvitae was widely sought for propeller bearing of ships. It also finds a use as castors for furniture, mallets, bowling balls, pulleys, and numerous turned articles. Because lignumvitae
grows in semi-arid sites, its rate of growth is slow and reproduction establishes itself with difficulty, factors which make precarious the future abundance of this wood."

REPORTING FROM A SOMEWHAT KNOWN BOOKSTORE EN LA 'ISLA DEL ENCANTO'

WELL, WELL, my fellow Americans after that marvelous forestry token, it is time to come back to this biting reality as usual. While

I tried to look at some pictures, read some gardening articles on some ten magazines which names will not be mentioned to avoid the suspicion of being stuck and stiff in some islander circles.

ABRUPT INTERRUPTION: The neighbor with the pigsty garden/house, has
left after putting some NUEVO FLAMENCO on the shitty boom box in the computer room! And somehow, the word niggardly
comes to mind. In mainland USA, as fellow islanders refer with Roman Apostolic, deference to that "great" nation...Some poor cracker lost his job after a big bruhaja (bilingual) for using such word, (check the dictionary)
if you may, we are on another path at the moment......referring to a member of an ethnic group with an epithet of similar morphology......

As I was. Watching pictures, reading. IN the bookstore, a live concert, with a huge tv screen with some thirty something guys/gals singing duets with acoustic guitars. To my surprise, the fans between eighteen and thirty were singing along. Moments later the whole band started, the pain was unbearable,
I got up to see who the hell was playing.. It is Robby Draco, ladies and gentlemen, unbearable, even though his previous musical work is pretty listenable. The sound now, reminds me of
Fiel a la Vega.....ufff... will not get into that.......

On top of all the above, the music system let us enjoy the new recording by ATABAL a probably, communist/socialist group as the above mentioned. But in this Caribbean island, such a stigma is nice in some circles. I know because I have a carpet, not a rug, but a file, from the police from my student days and former member of a party with green on the logo.

ATABAL IS BETTER without the burned out Andy Montanhez, but even with this master of vibrato, this communist/socialist group, a hundred times better than Robby Draco.....at any rate..

ONE THING made me wonder. Why in USA, a cold, template country so much relevance is given to ZUMBADORES, COLIBRIES, when down here no one thinks of them when
selecting what to plant in the garden/installation?

IN MORE than one, of the ten magazines this subject was mentioned. To my pleasure, as a humble propagator, IPOMOEA
QUAMOCLIT, was mentioned as one of their favorites.

These magazines gave me good ideas to improve my eighty species garden, take that in your cutis Bauza, that I will put into practice soon...

LITTLE BITS OF FORESTRY FROM ANCIENT PHOTOCOPIES

I HAVE KEPT these copies from a whole impressive book, written in the thirties. In Puerto Rico, woods of native/endemic nature, are always mentioned around the theme of musical instruments or handcrafted souvenirs only. When I find the reference I will mention it. This may be of interest to some readers...

PORTO RICO AND HAITI
THE INFLUENCE OF
THE UNITED
STATES

THE TWO Caribbean islands of Porto Rico and Haiti will never be destined to play an important
role as timber producing countries. So far as forest exports go, both countries are negligible, but
they do possess importance as constituting in Caribbean countries the sole examples of forestry
carried on by the United States foresters. Probably Porto Rico has received the most direct influence from forestry thought and practice in the United States, since foresters for that island have all been men whose early training lay on the National Forests of the United States. The present Forester, in addition to his duties as Insular Forester, is supervisor over a tract of federal
land which is one of the chain of National Forests, and as such is a member of the United States Forest Service.

The Republic of Haiti, on the other hand, not being a possession of the United States, has no direct official connection through its forestry channels with the central United States Forest Service, but foresters of Haiti have been United States foresters, trained and experienced in United States methods.

But there exists between these countries and the United States, and between the countries themselves, no such unifying influence as exists between the British possessions and the mother country.

Porto Rico today is almost entirely an agricultural country, and as a result of past widespread
devastation to her tropical forests she has forced to import practically all the lumber consumed.
During 1927 alone she imported from the United States logs and timber valued at over $135,000,
and other forms of wood and furniture valued at an additional $2,000,000. Each year the island
consumes more than five times as much wood as her forests produce, although the average consumption of solid wood in Porto Rico for purely domestic purposes is only about ten cubic
feet per person.

When first discovered by the Spaniards Porto Rico was probably densely covered with forest
growth from coast to coast to mountain top. It was a forest rich in species and high in content of
precious woods. But the history of the island is a repetition of the forest history of every country
covered by dense populations over a long period of time. Three hundred years of practically unrestricted exploitation have reduced the forest area of Porto Rico to a small remmant of what
it once was and profoundly changed the character and composition of its forests. Its valuable spercies have been culled from the more accesible areas and only the more useless timber is allowed to remain and to reproduce. As consequence of all this, Porto Rico suffers the most acute wood famine ever experienced by any country in this hemisphere. Lumbering and the many woodworking industries deriving their raw materials from the forest have disappeared from the economic life of the country. The island is now almost entirely dependent upon importations of lumber, construction timbers, and other forest products.

Probably fifty percent of Porto Rico or 1,000,000 acres, may be classified as true forest soil,
fut of all this only 110,000 acres still remain uncut. Eighty percent has been devastated.

Along her coasts Porto Rico has a tidewater forest fringe composed of three species of mangrove.
The Insular Government has acquired 25,000 acres of this mangrove forest which, under
management on a sustained yield basis, yields a yearly income of eight to ten thousand dollars from sales.

Mangrove is a rapid grower, and reaches its financial maturity in about ten years, when it averages about forty to fifty cords to the acre. The present method is to clear cut about one tenth of the area annually, thus dividing the forest into ten cutting compartments, each to be exploited once in a decade. From the standpoint of financial returns the mangrove area is probably the most important on the island.

This as a tribute of
affection to

ROBERTO SERRANO SELVA
CASTORA LOZANO Y BERRUEZO
JOSE GONZALEZ BARJA
JOSE LUIS GONZALEZ
HECTOR TATO DAVILA
HUMBERTO LOPEZ MORALES
GARY BOUDRAU
FELIX CORDOVA DIAZ

TEACHERS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

IT IS TIME TO JUMP ON THE PUERTO RICAN ENVIRONMENTAL BANDWAGON... AGAIN

BEFORE WE get into our subject, it is time to thank those who have given us some feedback to continue this
blog.

Ulises Blogia.com from Spain, was the first person to let us know what if, anything important was being written in this virtual space reproducing one of our articles and picture from Guanica. 26 September 2007.

Amilcar Garcia, elartededesaparecer.blogspot, was the second one, reporting from Savarona, a barrio from the hilariously baptized "Pais de Caguas".

Later, it was Alberto Paco, variedadplus.blogspot, a great informative blog from Venezuela. To all these bloggers my thanks from the
asphalt/cement, Isla del Encanto. Un abrazo
franco.

There are other people who have written comments often agreeing in most, some or ignoring, what I write about with
abrasive, sarcastic, humorous, blunt force. To the one
and only abusing the hospitality provided in the blogosphere, to express opinions, we reiterate: start
your own. It costs nothing.

It is not wise to write a criticism longer than the issue being criticized. It irritates the hell out of me. I have been censored by more than one people who have written in my blog. But that is their right, their judgement.

NOW what I was afraid it all will come to. The recent
sensational news that Recursos Naturales would expedite the right to destroy trees quickly as 'fast' as
a window fast food take out.

The tittle on todays subjet, refers to the theoretical, destruction/mutilation of some virtual trees that will
certainly be killed with/without permits allowing perpetrators to do so within the law. Departamento
de Recursos Naturales is the agency blamed for offering
these permits with ease.

From the start, endemismo trasnochado, first issue on 26 November 2007, has denounced, expressed willingness to go to any forum with evidence, of the destruction of hundreds of
trees, bushes, groundcovers, birds, animals, reptiles,
insects, soil structure in Parque Donha Ines, 12 acres of land.

In adition,the daily, constant mutilation/eventual destruction of trees by the AEE, individuals, agencies, private companies doing landscaping maintenance.

The noise, pollution in soil, air, water, by the same above, particularly in golf courses, any place where there is grass. The water waste with irrigation systems
installed for the hell of it.

Unfortunately Recursos Naturales is not chopping down the trees. The greatest destroyers of the world
environment are construction companies, Puerto Rico is no exception. Desarrolladores de Vivienda, Autoridad de Carreteras,
Municipalities without educated/trained staff to prune/trim properly. PARA muestra un boton.

If we continue, now with a new segment the Blogosphere Caretakers, Air, Wind, Soil, Sweet
water tribes/chiefs, along with
los puercos sordos del Sierra Club, Fideicomiso, Estuario, Buzos Caninos,Los Verdes, Punto Verde, Aula Verde,
Oro Verde, hollering WOLF.. I see nothing changed,
words in the wind, water and salt... Until those with
a humility, sensibility to unite make it possible to congregate to pull in the same direction. Otherwise,
be real, protagonism, scratching each other backs will hit the road... Hard. Until next.

HORTICULTURA VA DE CAZA AGRONOMICA

POR SI ACASO, el titulo es pura guasa. La intencion es esgrimir
el argumento como marron, mallete, soplete de acetileno para ir
moldeando la idea, esperando que la progresion sea mas divertida que decirlo en tres palabras, como prefeririamos.

La caza por lo general es de pluma o pelo. En nuestro caso pretendemos/pretendo en tercera y primera intentar aclarar si
se quiere, un gran e inexplicable misterio respecto a la Horticultura Ornamental en la insula de asfalto/concreto, conocida antiguamente como Isla del Encanto en sectores boricuazos ya definidos en al articulo sobre LA FINCA, anterior a este.

POR QUE NO EXISTE, (parque lineal le llamo una simpatica lectora) un parque/jardin aparte del aun llamativo Munhoz Rivera que valga la pena visitarse en Puerto Rico? La respuesta vendra en breve, pero hay que esgrimir algo, para que el golpe no deje dudas.

A continuacion enumerare una lista de titulos de folletines publicados por Servicio de Extension Agricola de Mayaguez,
capital de lo agricola/agronomico en Puerto Rico. La intencion sera evidente.
Para continuar.. Asuntos hidroponicos, propagacion asexual,
como sembrar un arbol, (Proyecto mascota por excelencia del
Fideicomiso) bosques
urbanos, composta, huerto familiar, manejo abonamiento para
jardin/cafe y murcielagos en ese renglon.

En el proximo: Alheli, Aleli extranjero, Begonias, Rosas, Jengibres, Pimientos, Ajies, Guineos, Orquideas, Frutas,Trinitarias, Pascuas, Apio, Platano etcetera.

Lo unico que falta es ESTETICA, como/donde sembrar cada cosa para crear una instalacion/composicion que deje evidente contrastes
de textura, colores, formas, tamanhos, aromas. Sumele usted
algun otro elemento.

Por eso. Por esto. Los agronomos solo saben, de acuerdo a esta muestra, por mis observaciones, sembrar en hileras nhame, malanga, guineo, yautia. Al igual
que los maestros(pollitos chicken) que no pueden congeniar objetivos y destrezas, confirmando al final de la clase si fue alcanzado. Eso no se ensenha en pedagogia, como tampoco en colegios de agronomia. Se aprende, se tiene o no el talento de colocar las plantas, arboles, arbustos, verjas de metal, rocas, pavimento para que se vean como
estas fotitos que aparecen a la derecha de esto que lee.

No hay que ir a Harvard, MIT o el CAAM, aqui hay arboles, arbustos, rocas, gravilla, cubre suelos, hierro, y suelo. Hay ademas en la misma embarcacion, cobrando mas por su servicio e iguales resultados, arquitectos "paisajistas". Entonces, si los elementos existen claramente en estas fotos, por que en Puerto Rico no hay un espacio similar? Por que la ESTETICA no se
respeta, no se considera, no hay interes en dejar una huella. Todo es a lo rabo de vaca, sacando la mayor cantidad de dinero
posible al cliente... Con los consabidos servicios de mantenimiento de areas verdes per secula seculorum.

El espacio total de las fotos a la derecha no llega a 3,000 pies
cuadrados. En China Town y City Hall. Si se puede hacer por que nadie lo ha hecho? Si me equivoco, facilmente probara su
caso enviando fotos en evidencia......Nos fuimos hasta la proxima.

LA FINCA CRIOLLA Y LA PASION DEL AFUERA, SALIDAS DE LA CRITICA PUERTORRIQUENHA

JUAN DUCHESNE-WINTER, escribio el articulo que reproducimos parcialmente, en PLURALenLinea.blogspot.com, mayo/junio 2008.

"Las paginas de Plural han tenido el atino de presentar varios articulos polemicos sobre el estado de la literatura puertorriquenha actual. Los comentarios de Francisco Font Acevedo, Juan Carlos
Quintero Herencia y Eduardo Lalo ejercen una critica libre y desmelenada, sin pagar peaje a los nombres e instituciones con nimbo de autoridad.

Font les atribuye a Carmen Dolores Hernandez y Edgardo Rodriguez Julia, la resenhista oficial
de El Nuevo Dia, y el escritor mas cercano a dicho periodico, un terrible complejo de inferioridad compensado con la megalomania. No hay que estar de acuerdo con todo lo que dice
Font para apreciar no solo la pertinencia de algunos de sus argumentos sino el valiente hara kiri
que se practica al meterse con la unica publicacion de circulacion nacional, manejada por el emporio Ferre-Rangel, que registra que existe y que no debiera existir en la politica y cultura del
pais. Sabemos que a partir del momento de publicar tales expresiones, el interesante narrador de nuestro siglo XXl, Francisco Font, ha pasado a la dimension desconocida, o al menos ya no debiera existir segun El Nuevo Dia. Carlos Quintero es un punto menos directo que Font:
advierte que su voz es "una emanacion sin origen" y reclama hablar en nombre de ciertos entes
ficticios de su blog personal. Eso quiza le salve de la excomunicacion de El Nuevo Dia, pero lo cierto es que denuncia con claridad el caracter de "brochure" desabrido y previsible de las
resenhas firmadas por Carmen Dolores Hernandez. Eduardo Lalo, en comentarios de mayor
aliento y profundidad (fruto del contexto mas holgado y estimulante de una entrevista) se situa
mas alla de la expulsion de la hacienda Ferre-Rangel o de cualquier finca criolla, porque asume
la condicion de invisibilidad del acto mismo de escribir en ese margen del margen que es
Puerto Rico, y habilmente transforma esa invisibilidad en una fatalidad interesante.

En pais donde las relaciones humanas no cuentan con mayor asidero institucional, por lo que deben valerse de precarios rituales de reverencia y deferencia, cualquier comentario critico se magnifica como gran insulto imperdonable".

Lo dejamos ahi, invitando a quien le interese el tema visitar Plural. Esto es para compartir
una inquietud que yace desde un principio. Este blog es de critica y denuncia. No de activismo. Cuando el caciquismo medioambiental existente entre las tribus de aire/tierra/mar
y agua dulce lleguen a un acuerdo de tirar por el mismo lado, diariamente, no cuando
surge alguna crisis, como ocurre
actualmente, ahi estaremos. Mientras tanto, seguiremos criticando, denunciando o ninguna
de las anteriores.
Para criticar cine, literatura, no hay que haber filmado corto/largo metrajes,
ni haber escrito cuentos, libros. Eso si, aqui esta muy claro que aunque los lagartijos suban/trepen postes no son/seran electricistas.

BREVE HISTORIA DEL MAIZ

ON HIS EARLY visits to Cuba, Columbus noted that maize was "most tasty, boiled, roasted,
or ground into flour". When he returned to Spain, his most popular exhibits from the New
World proved to be a few specimen "Indians" and some handfuls of gold dust, but he seems
also to have taken maize seeds with him.

With the aid of the Venetians who carried it to the Near East, the Spaniards were instrumental
in distributing maize around the Mediterranean. Less directly, they also introduced it to Asia.
When Ferdinand Magellan set out in 1519 to make another attempt on Spain's behalf to reach
the Spice Islands, by a westward route, he probably took maize with him. It was known in the
Philippines soon after, and by 1555 was sufficiently important in parts of China to rate a mention
in a regional history of the inland province of Honan.

To Portugal, however, belongs the doubtful credit of having introduced maize to Africa, where it
was first grown to provide ships' stores for the slave trade. Among history's many ironies is the
fact that a food introduced to fuel the slaving ships should have led to a general population
increase in tropical Africa which ensured that those same ships would never sail empty of human
cargo.

MAIZE was accepted willingly in Africa because it grew so much more rapidly than other grains
and its cultivation was far less demanding. Although the large, specially bred plants of modern
times require a fertile soil and careful tending, this is because heavy crops are the aim, and the same land is worked year after year. IN sixteenth-century Africa, however, when one patch of soil became exhausted, the peasant cultivator merely moved on to another. A woman working
alone could plant maize, leave it to grow, and harvest it as and when she needed it, or in greater
quantity for storage. IT was subsistence, not commercial agriculture, but one woman, unaided,
could produce enough food to ensure that her family did not go hungry.

Tomado de "Food in History", Reay Tannahill, Stein and Day, Publishers, 1973

Esto me recuerda el monton de inversionistas que al momento del alto precio del petroleo decidieron poner todos los huevos en la canasta del bio combustible. La gran cantidad de agricultores que duplicaron las hectareas dedicadas al maiz, pensando en ganancias posibles que desafortunadamente no vendran.

Ahora el maiz necesariamente bajara de precio, otros cultivos para tales fines por igual. El bio
combustible sera otro suenho convertido en pesadilla, a menos que pueda producirse a un
costo menor, mucho menor que el del petroleo.

DESCUBRIMIENTOS, HERRAMIENTAS Y LO DEMAS

HACE 48 horas murio la regadera DRAMM que desde Bruklin estaba dando batalla. De dos litros, azul fue testigo de los inicios de nuestra aventura horticultural de interior, un viaje no muy grato
por la cantidad de enfermedades, insectos que atacan plantas de
todo tipo, no importa el cuidado que usted le ponga. Por tal razon no me interesa tener plantas de interior. Desde luego hay
algunas que sobreviven en espacios en donde no se supone esten al igual que los emigrantes de todo tipo que ya mencionamos.

Me causa/causaba cierta irritacion ver en USA, las plantas que aqui crecen donde sea en cuanta sala existe: Diffenbachia, Pothos,
Ficus, para mencionar tres. El peor es este ultimo pues luego de
un tiempo llega al techo, su amo/ama lo corta y se repite. Finalmente muchos terminan en la basura como los arboles de navidad.

OTRA herramienta es la tijera con pico de cotorra, hay pocoton de marcas, aqui usamos Corona. No tiene que ser de las
mas caras. Debe sentirse comoda en su mano, puede amolarse
cuando es necesario. La nuestra lleva una decada en la lucha.

Serruchos hay de dos tipos. El que corta al halar/jalar por aca, y los otros. No tiene que ser grande. Puede comprar el que venden
en la ferreteria mas cercana, prefiero los que cierran como navajas. He cortado troncos/ramas hasta de 10' de diametro
sin mucho esfuerzo. El machete es para cretinos. Hay que repetirlo, corte con serrucho/tijera para que la herida cicatrice como
es debido. Evitara hongos e insectos que acabaran con su
arbol, poco a poco.

Descubrimientos es un tema amplio. En esta insula si usted le
envia un correo electronico a cualquier semejante, particularmente agencias que solicitan servicio voluntario, personas que escriben en los periodicos, incluyendo el defensor
de la Patria, agencias de empleo, representantes de gobierno, recibira siempre el mismo trato. Ninguno. Aunque a veces cuando usted insiste en el tono frecuente en endemismo, entonces uno es descortes. Para que tienen direccion de correo?
Si no van a contestar no la pongan. Si contestan vaya al grano.

DURANTE estos meses descubrimos una gran cantidad de nombres de plantas que nos reservamos por ya haberlas mencionado.

En cuanto a lo demas...Hay que incluir a esas grandes personalidades televisivas, noticiarios que ponen su direccion
de correo... Cuando uno les cuestiona algo por ejemplo, vino
algun angel a informarle que el Padre Celestial le habia senhalado para humortivar, motivar, cochear, guardan silencio
como puercos sordos. Asi nos vamos, humortivando a lo endemismo.

THE TIME TO NAME DROP IS HERE

EN EL DE Samuel Clemens, existe una expresion maravillosa,
que desconozco en el de Garcia Marques. NAME DROPPING.
Es un habito fundamentalmente academico, desde mi experiencia, basado en expulsar nombres de pintores, escritores,
directores de cine, teatro, filosofos, musicos, compositores you name it, with the intention of sounding sophisticated, well traveled. En honor a esa tradicion, que ayuda o no respecto a que
opina el lector del autor del blog voy a jacer como los pajaros que alimentan a sus crias. Nombres por un tubo y siete llaves.
Espero su paciencia y tolerancia. Despues de todo no habra que ver el tema nuevamente en el perfil.

El name dropping de hoy es musical, no por genero, sino por artista. Ponga a usted a cada quien en el genero que musicalmente sea adecuado, segun sus criterios. Son discos de acetato, que aun
puedo escuchar en mi sistema, ya descrito previamente. Agarrate Tolentino aki bamos:

Buster Douglas, Charlie Parker, Dizzie Gillespie,
Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis, Gato Barbieri, Viroslav Vitous, Joni Mitchell, Jacob Magnusson, Jeff Lorber Fussion,
Blue Mitchell, Gerald Wilson, Passport, Benson & Farrell, Abdullah Ibrahim aka Dollar Brand, Astor Piazolla, Tommy
Dorsey, Robert Cray Band, Pee Wee Russell/Henry Red Allen,
Billie Holiday, John Mayall, Chick Corea, Ornette Coleman, y Art
Blakey, feo con velocidad a quien pude escuchar en concierto en Northampton, MA, y ver fugazmente en casa de Donald Abrams,
un trompetista de segunda, director del Valley Big Band.

Asi cumplimos parcialmente un deseo. Compartir sin protagonismo nuestra jumirde coleccion de musica en acetato
que aun puede escucharse luego de dos, tres decadas.
Volveremos por lo que falta antes que termine el 2008.

DESEA VER NIEVE TROPICAL? VENGA A PLAZA..

HOY MIENTRAS caminaba por el mencionado mol, llegue hasta un punto desde el cual provenia una griteria, chillidos de infantes con sus padres mientras disfrutaban del imaginario, gelido placer
de ver caer copos de nieve en la alfombra roja del lugar ya mentado.

Recuerdos, (de que tipo si no otros), del futuro, volaron como las
'hojas blancas siguen cayendo' del un tanto quemado Gran Combo. Especificamente nevadas historicas de los 90, cuando
vivia en la Gran Manzana, trabajando para el contralor del estado. En especifico una que llego a las 24 pulgadas. Caminamos sobre diez bloques, por las calles cubiertas de la mencionada, cual Siberia Neoyorquina por los bordes de la via, pues los pocos
atrevidos que manejaban dejaban plana la calle, pudiendo caminar, mientras gringos imaginativos viajaban sobre esquies.

Por suerte, el Metro funcionaba de Bruklin a Manjatan, llegando
desde la frontera de Court St. en el primero, a la oficina en el 270 de Broadway, en el segundo, que ya no existe como oficinas, sino otras cosas de mayor ingreso para el casero.
Del total de empleados, sobre 20, llegaron tres, uno era yo. Luego de un rato, pasadas las nueve, Bob Griffin, el contable jefe de auditores, indico que podria irme.. Luego de haber tardado casi dos horas en llegar. Pero en verdad no hubo tristeza. Imagine como seria ver cine en casa por las proximas
diez horas, del video de la esquina. Alli pude alquilar sobre 500 peliculas cada seis meses, particularmente del extranjero. Libando ocasionalmente de escoces, cebada, vino, vodka, con
alguna pizza italiana, con anchoas preferiblemente y albaca.

Si usted ha vivido en el extranjero gelido, con o sin nieve. Sabra
que el placer ese de ver, sentir la nieve, no es tan grato como muchos suenhan, imaginan, creen... Particularmente si tiene
que caminar a encontrar la parada del bus, tren, ferry... En la oscuridad de que mas..la noche...y esperar tiritando que acabe
de llegar... Sin olvidar que en la noche la historia se repite.

POR TANTO para terminar, no entiendo el fun de ver nieve
excepto desde casa o el cine. Hasta la proxima. Perdon, no tan rapido... En una epoca. en San Juan de Puerorico, Felisa Rincon
de Gautier, trajo nieve real, que al hacer contacto con nuestro
tropical ambiente se hizo agua. NO es cuento!

RECORDANDO EL FUTURO

EN ALGUNA PELICULA reciente un personaje mencionaba que el futuro es hoy. Todas las historias de nuestros padres, maestros, curas, mentores.. mentiras. Que si el manhana seria
mejor, que si somos honestos, que trabajaban mucho para darnos lo que no tenian/tuvieron.
El mundo sigue igual o peor que ayer. Pero no hay que tener ojos para verlo o sentirlo. Despues de todo hay/hubo visionarios ciegos.

Cambiando el tema rapidamente encontramos viejos papeles, treintones de edad. Son de epocas lejanas de cuando trabajaba en "La Semana", un shopper muy exitoso de la region de Caguas.. Humoristicamente grandes proceres actuales le denominaron el "Pais
de Caguas", lo cual recuerda la brillante idea, casi magica por lo absurda, de llamarle a cierta
region insular Porta del Sol, como si sonara/fuera ingenioso. Caguas fue una meca cafetalera,
tabaquera y productos menores/mayores. Un valle agricola, hermoso transformado en concreto y asfalto cuyos lindes antanho verdes, frondosos muestran hoy el resplandor del sol contra el
cemento.

Resulta que durante una temporada laboramos como redactor/traductor en el mentado semanario, lo cual como algunos habran notado, es evidente por aqui. En aquel entonces
los periodicos se montaban en dummies de carton colgando de un cordon como ropa en
cordel. Siempre se colocaban los anuncios en cada pagina de acuerdo al arte y tamanho.
Luego se acomodaba la noticia, nota, aviso o carta de acuerdo al espacio sobrante.Asi, se
hacia un periodico. En papel y carton, antes de la computadora y la cuestion digital.
Tan exitoso es el mencionado semanario que el Nuevo Dia, copio su mas reciente formato
del mencionado.

De aquella epoca quedan buenos recuerdos en cuanto a los colegas a continuacion: Ismael, Cesar Irizarry, Hector Rivera, otros que no recuerdo, alguno de Savarona,
con quienes jugamos al billar, libando como era menester. Uno que paso a mejor vida, Don Cucho, era un personaje muy peculiar, brillante, con un manejo del lenguaje extraordinario como su cubanisimo sentido del humor. Otro de El Verde, Don Victor, una Real Academia, nativo con su antena gigantesca parabolica, cuya casa vibraba cual terremoto al cambiarla de posicion, de acuerdo al hijo simpatico del antiguo director cuyo nombre no recuerdo.

Realmente queria escribir sobre relleno. Asi se denominaba cualquier parrafo, historia, anecdota
utilizada para eso, rellenar espacios para los cuales no habia nada en especifico. Asi que recordando el futuro con una muestra virtual tomada de algun folleto de Recursos Naturales,
que nacio/mal nacio en 1975. Una cantera de cerebros magistrales, cuyos vestigios la naturaleza muestra por doquier. De su punho y letra, unas lineas pajareras de la autoria de Feliz Inhigo. Pensandolo mejor. Visite la pagina de los pajareros insulares o Sociedad Ornitologica de Puerto Rico, omiten los urbanos en pos de los rurales pero es educativa. Salud y suerte.

Parque Donha Ines/ Fundacion Luis Munhoz Marin LOBOS CUIDANDO OVEJAS

LO QUE acontecio, aparentemente, busque el caso respecto a la
demanda que la plantacion, perdon fundacion presento contra los desarrollistas, es que se urdio la patranha que incluyo muestras falsas de suelo, recogidas en los terrenos de la FLMM, haciendolas pasar como del Parque, en la contrademanda que presentara Bosque Real o como se llame dicho complejo, por cierto, seran acomplejados los complejos de vivienda, la firma
de Pietrantoni y no se que cuyo resultado estara en los archivos
de la corte en internet.

Ademas un supuesto estudio tipo montaje para arguir que a consecuencia de las obras, construccion, el medioambiente
se habia afectado por razones que parecian serias por venir
del ph pero patranhas sacadas de la manga sin ninguna
metodologia cientifica como toda la destruccion que se llevo
a cabo dentro de la misma FLMM.

La destruccion de las doce cuerdas fue igual o peor en su
magnitud a la llevada a cabo por la firma constructora. Es mas grave aun al considerar que no hay estudio de suelo o inventario
de flora y fauna, y en nombre del endemismo. Lo ironico es que la firma constructora, fue demandada, y debio pagar una cifra bastante seria.

Fueron destruidas miles de Bambuas, terminando tiradas en montanhas de materia organica que pudo haber sido reciclada,
con tierra y raices en los predios de la FLMM y Parque,
no lejos del estanque de aguas negras, con unas descomunales
Palmas de tallo rojizo, en lo que fuera la piscina del Vate.

LO MAS divertido eran los montajes durante aquel periodo.
Habia una descomunal maquina de triturar que era prestada
por el municipio o no se quien. Para justificar no pagar por el uso, habia que triturar arboles o ramas, hojas. Asi que cuando
los inspectores anunciaban su visita, el ph, ordenaba cortar cuanto arbol exotico saludable o no, estuviera al alcance de Juan
Nazario, el verdugo de turno, triturando durante el
dia para que se viera composta al siguiente. Asi era/es el mambo en esa maquina que traga millones, del PDI, avalados por Recursos Naturales y todos los demas que sin criterio creen
todos los cantos de sirena, expresados en el folleto informativo para pedir billete al pueblo, la banca.

Donde esta la cacareada, CATEDRAL DE CEIBAS? Por cierto
las fotos tomadas por un coterraneo del ph, no estan mal. La
ceiba que aparece prominentemente es de donde mas? Cuba.

ENDEMISMO DE VA DE HUERTO CASERO

AUNQUE PAREZCA INCREIBLE, por estos pagos nunca se escrito nada memorable, risa bilingue, sobre los colegas hortalizeros dedicados en cuerpo y alma a la siembra de cuestiones comestibles, algo de encomio, al compararlo con lo meramente hornamental/estetico.

A estos jamas se les ocurrira apoyar el pendejismo institucional
endemico pues seria contradictorio. Las especies, las plantas
medicinales vienen de distintos lugares nos curan, alivian de distintos males o convierten cualquier plato simplon en algo
de alta cocina como dice el chef mas reciente en la tv insular
que no se calla un minuto. Algo que se convierte en epidemia.
Gente que no se calla en grupos, mujeres y hombres en radio
y television leyendo de periodicos las mal escritas noticias con
comentarios de parroquia. En fin.

Volviendo. No habia escrito del tema, tal vez por no mostrar
mucha habilidad con ciertas siembras. Sin embargo Crispin,
el amigo desaparecido, indicaba en nuestras conversaciones
que podian ser las condiciones, Santurce y sembrado en tiestos.

Recuerdo que el exito en esto es porcentaje de sobrevivientes del
total sembrado. En cuanto a Romero, Albaca, Oregano,Calabaza,
Frijoles de varios tipos podria considerarme un titan del altiplano. Pero los huertos caseros requieren cuidado constante.
Hay que regar, desyerbar, usar fertilizante, observar para monitorear los insectos
dia tras dia. Esto requiere un compromiso tipo vocacion religiosa. Si no lo va a hacer no pierda su tiempo.

Para no alargar la historia, el desyerbo manual no solo requiere
paciencia infinita, mas grave aun , su cuerpo debe estar en forma para estar en posiciones que no son habituales para
empleados de oficina. Aun si utiliza una banqueta, rodilleras
luego de quince minutos en la tarea creame que su cuerpo
lo resentira. Asi que si va a montar su huerto casero, medite
para ver si realmente tiene el caracter, esfuerzo que requiere.

Hay dos escuelas de huerto casero los organistas y los otros.
A los primeros se les conoce por no utilizar ningun tipo de
liquidos que contaminen, sean manufacturados en laboratorios,
sino que fertilizantes, herbicidas y demas son productos naturales en armonia con la naturaleza. Alegria y felicidad
para nosotros, la flora y fauna.

Los huertos caseros serian una herramienta perfecta para la Terapia Horticultural. Cualquiera con algun tipo de minusvalidez podria disfrutar de la belleza o percibir
el aroma del Oregano,
Romero, Albaca o Lavanda, si es no vidente, para mencionar cuatro. O de saborear sus cualidades. Es cuestion de colocar los huertos
en mesas altas a una distancia por la cual quepan sillas de ruedas, y la superficie permita la traccion sin obstaculo.
Que yo sepa nadie lo hace, si lo hacen es un secreto. En mis
multiples intentos fallidos de hacer trabajo voluntario lo he
propuesto.

La estetica de estas plantas y arbustos permite hacer bordes,
que al caminar, al rozarlas percibira sus aromas, disfrutar de los
contrastes de forma, altura y flores. En nuestro caso, los Chicharos han formado una impresionante barrera para
privacidad por su caida, cada vez me parecen mas hermosos.
Si tiene vecinos colindantes podria ser un problema, pero menos
grave que sembrar las ridiculas arecas con toda su basura o peor
aun un Ficus salvaje que se quedara con su patio.

La lista de estas plantas y arbustos es larga. Hay otros que
conocen mas que yo, asi que busquelos, pregunte e investigue.
A disfrutar su huerto casero...

CUANDO NO ESTOY EN EL JARDIN

SI ES DOMINGO veo alguno de los siguientes: Gardening By The Yard, Curb Appeal, Landscaper's Challenge. El primero es el
mas completo en cuanto a la propagacion, enfermedades, tipos de plantas para distintas condiciones, como suelo, drenaje, sol, sombra, brisa salina en fin las condiciones que en cualquier lugar
hay que considerar al momento de sembrar con exito. En este renglon se mencionan curas caseras para insectos comunes sin
necesidad de usar insecticidas contaminantes.

Ademas presentan tipos de arboles fundamentalmente para paises templados, mostrando la forma correcta de cuidarlos,
podarlos, curarlos sin que aparezca machete alguno como en
nuestra querida isla. Los arboles de acuerdo a la forma de su
copa, crecimiento, y tamanho final puede hacer de su propiedad
algo realmente hermoso aumentando su valor. O lo que nos ocurre por aca arruinarlo con un monton de palmas a cinco pies de la pared y las hojas sobre el techo.

Curb Appeal es un programa muy completo en el cual se restauran propiedades de todo tipo considerando y enfocando
las areas verdes en su justa perspectiva. Si gusta de la carpinteria, herreria, pintura, en fin mantenimiento de exteriores, ademas de la jardineria podra disfrutarlo.

El ultimo es el menos agradable pues siempre son embelecos
tipo arquitecto paisajista. No puede haber un jardin sin que
tenga piscina, jaccuzzi, fuente, estanque o barbacoa mientras mas grande mejor. La estetica de muchos proyectos es dudosa, pero muestra algo evidente, mientras mas dinero tiene el cliente
para embelecos que realmente no son necesarios, mejor. Nunca
un contratista le dira, dejese de boberias, para que quiere un sistema de riego,( por ejemplo en Puerto Rico) si en la zona metro caen sobre 80 pulgadas de lluvia anualmente.

El programa mas completo lo fue City Gardener, desde Londres.
Sencillamente por que el moderador no hablaba tonterias. Eran espacios similares a los nuestros en su dimension, reducidos con muchas limitaciones, siempre logrando
buena perspectiva, uso de plantas, piedra, ladrillo, madera, arbustos, etcetera. Todos por HGTV, que tiene su web site.

Leia revistas del "Green Industry" como le llaman en USA, a todo lo que requiere siembra y mantenimiento. "Turf Magazine",
"Landscaping Magazine" y "Pro Magazine" todos en una u otra manera con la misma linea editorial: siembre grama, ponga sistemas de riego, piscinas, estanques etcetera. Ademas promueven el uso de herbicidas, insecticidas, fertilizantes y fungicidas sin ningun tipo de preocupacion por sus consecuencias. Conclui que no me resuelve nada aprender cosas inutiles. La grama, el riego atentan con los recursos naturales por todo lo que implica, de ninguna utilidad para la fauna.
Es preciso negarse a seguir la corriente, o lo contrario, seguir
como si nada, contaminando y desperdiciando el preciado, como
gustan de decir por aca. Y usted que hace?

CONTINUACION TRAYECTORIA ENDEMISMOTRASNOCHADO

DURANTE LOS meses siguientes comentamos sobre Rene La Chapuza, el jardinero, panita fuerte del presidente de la junta de propietarios. Este 'paisajista'
se autodenominaba el, era el vivo ejemplo de lo que por los ultimos 15 meses hemos discutido una y otra vez.

Tenia una cortadora de grama marca diablos con una sola posicion, cuando quien conoce, sabe que la grama se corta de acuerdo a la altura
al momento de pasarla. Por ejemplo a tres pulgadas si esta a cuatro. Claro, si usted juega al golf en el patio de su casa cortela
a media pulgada como se hace regularmente, vea como se quema y espere tres semanas en lo que se recupera. Otro problema que
quienes se dedican a esto olvidan constantemente es afilar, balancear las cuchillas. Por eso la grama se observa con altos y bajos en lugares llanos.

Por cierto si desea a eliminar el ruido, la contaminacion, y hacer
ejercicio, ahora estan disponibles las cortadoras manuales de rodillo. Por $125.00 puede obtener una. El corte por rodillo
realmente es hermoso, parejo. Su patio tendra apariencia
de campo de golf. Pero hay un problema al usar maquinas como esta. Tendra que pasarla mas de una vez si espera que su grama
llegue a una altura mayor de dos pulgadas, bueno estar en forma, de lo contrario estara adolorido el proximo dia.

Volviendo al tema del titulo, en diciembre de aquel, escribi
unas lineas sobre lo que entonces me parecia el mundo blogosferico. Aquella vision ha cambiado bastante luego de haber compartido con personas que mantienen blogs sobre distintos temas, en la insula, peninsula y Venezuela.

Aparece ademas en aquellos dias el inventario de la coleccion de plantas que en su mayoria no pueden comprarse en viveros. Este fue revisado en 2008. Me sigue interesando el asunto de tener/propagar plantas que le sean utiles
a la fauna del entorno. Un asunto que pelagatos dedicados al mantenimiento/instalacion pasan por alto, pues no es rentable.
Por esos todos siembran lo mismo palmitas, liriopes, Cruz de Malta y para que seguir.... El ejemplo mas reciente de esto, el hotel
frente a Super Max, en Santurce, un fracatan de palmas de todo tipo a tres pies unas de otras, no hay que olvidar que a un ojo de la cara
se la cobran a sus clientes, ademas de todo lo demas que se
siembra. Por eso no hay espacios vacios como se observa en
un jardin chino japones donde la estetica, no el billete, determinan la composicion, simetria, contrastes de forma/textura y tamanho.

EN RESUMEN: TRAYECTORIA DE ENDEMISMOTRASNOCHADO 2007/08

ESTE PROYECTO COMENZO en agosto del 2007. Siempre ha estado clara la intencion de denunciar y criticar pero no por capricho. El primer articulo giro en torno al fraude millonario
en el Parque Donha Ines, en Trujillo Alto, ahora con infulas
de convertirse en "Jardin Botanico" remontese al pasado, mire
las atrocidades cometidas contra nuestro medioambiente por
quienes, con titulo de pehachede uno y la otra, alegada agronoma,
masacraron doce cuerdas de terreno destruyendo todo lo que
habia, a suelo raso, sin analisis de suelo o inventario de flora
y fauna, como exige el protocolo de restauracion de bosques. Como muestra, aparece aqui una foto inconfundible.
Visite las entradas antiguas, increible pero cierto! Y avalados
por el director, administrador, Junta de Directores de la Fundacion Luis Munhoz Marin, Recursos Naturales, la banca (Doral/Banco Popular), el municipio de Trujillo Alto, otros donantes particulares, y largos
millones de la administracion del gobernador saliente.
Visite y observe. Ahora hay 150 arbolitos, cemento, asfalto y
una ridiculas palmas mal ubicadas. Por unos alegados 3.7 millones (son mas) evidentemente malgastados, dado el resultado. Calcule el costo por arbolito. Por cierto en honor
a estos personajes creamos los conceptos: endemismotrasnochado/pendejismo paisajista.

EN agosto del mismo, contestamos la pregunta de una amable
lectora respecto a: Por que no hay parques lineales en Puerto
Rico? El concepto de parque/jardin no se entiende en la insula.
No hay quien sepa disenharlo, peor aun, no hay quien sepa dar
mantenimiento sistematico, eliminando la grama, la contaminacion de cortamatorrales, cortadoras de grama, corta setos y demas equipo motorizado. Ademas de contaminar aire,
suelo, agua con gasolina, aceite, el aire tambien se contamina, y
ni hablar del ruido. En adicion, fertilizantes, herbicidas, fungicidas que irremediablemente van al suelo y corrientes de agua. Todo esto se le aplica al golf. Como vera esto de respetar
el medioambiente no es coconut skin.

Le siguio en ese mes unas palabras en cuanto a la estafa a los consumidores de parte de las empresas e individuos que
venden
servicios de mantenimiento de areas verdes en la zona metro
de San Juan. Los empleados en su mayoria son analfabetos/iletrados sin ningun tipo de preparacion o credenciales para proteger la inversion: su jardin. No pueden
identificar la vegetacion, yerbas de plantas, utilizan machetes,
mutilando sus arboles y arbustos. Por otro lado cortan la grama
con cortamatorrales, la cortan muy bajita, o con cortadoras
sin afilar. Lo cual mutila la punta de la hoja, invitando enfermedades y bacterias. Al cortarla muy bajita la grama se
quema, algunas sobreviven. No pasan rastrillo, sino blowers
dejando residuos que eventualmente forman una capa de paja
que impide que el sol, el agua penetre sus raices. Destruyendo
por asfixia, compactacion, falta de oxigeno la hermosa pradera
o praderita verde frente a su casa.

Luego escribi sobre la necesidad de sustituir la grama por cubre suelos o lo que sea. Donde sea posible. Por ejemplo en un lugar
en el cual se practica deporte no seria factible, pero en cualquier
otro contexto si. Al hacer tal substitucion, evita todo lo mencionado en el parrafo anterior para beneplacito de sus vecinos, la flora y la fauna, ademas de su bolsillo. O sea todo el entorno!
Continuaremos...

GUERRILLA HORTICULTURAL

QUE PODEMOS HACER? Donde esta el municipio? Preguntan
teoricos en su habitacion con aire acondicionado, sentados frente al teclado de su computadora, sobre la proteccion de la naturaleza en el contexto urbano, ante la repetida observacion en cuanto a la mutilacion de arboles generalizada en toda la isla por individuos en sus residencias, agencias del gobierno y
la empresa privada, en particular las de mantenimiento de areas verdes.

DESCUBRO guerrillagardening.org buscando ideas originales y soluciones de blog en blog. Este grupo un tanto clandestino, se dedica a sembrar en lugares que presentan caracteristicas
de abandono en sus areas verdes, instalaciones o jardines, sin permiso.

Concentre mi lectura en el de Londres, pero existen grupos
similares en otros paises. Todo esta bien organizado al momento de decidir donde sembrar. Claro siempre habra que
recoger basura organica y no organica por lo que se requiere
llevar bolsas, herramientas, ir vestido adecuadamente. Hacen pensar en su metodologia, en los llamados artistas de graffitti.

En el caso de Londres, Richard, presenta una lista de doce consideraciones para llevar a cabo la tarea. Una o dos fundamentales, podra ver la lista en su portal, que el espacio
seleccionado quede cerca de su casa y que alguien sea responsable de regar las plantas en su proceso de crecimiento.

Observe que siendo pais templado, no hay mucha dificultad en la
tarea de la siembra, en este caso bulbos y semillas, aunque
han sembrado tambien arboles. Hay ejemplos de siembra
en divisiones verdes en carreteras , lo cual tiene su peligrosidad,
pero ademas hay un ejemplo de un condominio en el cual los
propietarios debian pagar 100 libras por el mantenimiento de
un jardin abandonado frente a su edificio.


Pense en Puerto Rico. Considerando el pocoton de condominios
con oceanos de grama, arboles y sobre todo palmas, unos guerrilleros con conocimiento podrian economizarle a sus propietarios cantidades significativas de dinero. Despues de todo las personas que trabajan en esto no pueden difenciar
un Liriope de alguna mala hierba que se le parezca.

En resumen, la solucion al cuestionamiento inicial esta ahi,
no cuesta mucho. Iniciativa y estamina. Respecto a conseguir plantas se pueden
solicitar en viveros, cada quien puede aportar, las herramientas,
son minimas para sembrar, las bolsas pueden usarse mas de una vez. Lo que desconcierta de este esfuerzo de Guerrilla Horticultural, es que solo les mueve la belleza y la naturaleza para
el beneficio de todos sin recibir/esperar, un centavo a cambio.

Solo el placer resultante de observar unas flores, arbustos,
donde antes habia basura y a nadie parecia incomodarle.