I MET THE LITTLE VERMIN a short time after returning from USA through a newspaper add,for a landscape position in his two men operation. The meeting took place in the parking lot of a mall in Guaynabo City. I still remember the Ford 150, with 190,000 miles, falling in pieces, the lawnmower as old as bell bottoms, trimmers and blowers in similar shape.
He thought of himself as a big shot because he lived in a high income neighborhood when he started doing yards when he was fifteen, in Alto Apolo and Bucare. His clients were from that economic segment, middle high and high income.
He knew about the commercial aspect of billing high which seems to be the rule in Puerto Rico. But without landscape credentials or any technical training in terms of planting, diseases, correct and adequate pruning. Never bothered to keep the tools in good shape
or giving maintenance to the machines as necessary.
In terms of aesthetics, whatever that is for you, for yours truly it implies choosing plants, trees, climbers, ground covers, bushes that not only will enhance your property, but will require
minimum maintenance regarding pruning, irrigation, or the use of gasoline/oil operating
machines. Thus avoiding noise, water, air and soil pollution.
David Ramirez, a blond blue eyes fellow with certain similarity with toothy crooner Luis Miguel, was truly a scam artist, typical of some Puertorican landscape workers/enterprises.
One example shall suffice. One hot summer morning in Alto Apolo, while planting that repugnant over used, always infested with white flies, IXORAS, I noticed the named infestation and notified this blond/blue eyes peckerhead.
With a grimace from the criticism, his response was that it did not matter. To plant them anyway since later, when the customer noticed and tell him... He would come and spray, billing him 3 times for the cost of the gallon of insecticide. Another classical trick, almost
the norm here, it to place "top soil" without preparing the surface in which it will be placed.
If one does not get rid of the weeds putting top soil on the ground will help healthy
quickly growing weeds among your garden selection. Solution? Call the installer to weed and
spray herbicide without killing the ornamentals, more easy to say than done.
In brief. It is almost impossible to find landscape maintenance people to do the work correctly. There are no ethics, no government control, no agencies to enforce the few laws
regarding noise, pollution and many scams taking place in the local industry. Most laborers
are paid fifty bucks a day. No vacation, no holidays, no Social Security or Medicaid is paid
by these ripoff artists. David Ramirez for example would make us work for ten hours and
paying for eight, throwing a beer here and there to clean his snort polluted conscience.
Almost forgot. Too often Mr. Ramirez would leave the premises, whenever, while we were
planting or whatever one does, returning later all smiles and singing. While we were sweating and hot.. Looking for an answer to this odd behavior, I discovered observing carefully that that he had the courtesy of picking up one employee every morning far away from his house. The hick from Cupey, was his contact to buy cocaine in safe fashion. The problem was many trimmers died on the hands of the cocaine connection.
There you have it. The ethics picture with a beautiful tropical frame. Not imagined, but real.
The aesthetics? There is nothing. Period. But If I am mistaken, any one would have sent
a picture, or an address to prove me wrong. Believe me. Afters six years in Puerto Rico, with
the lost hopes many times expressed here, nothing would make me more happy than someone proving me wrong at least on the AESTHETICS issue.
Regarding the three pillars of critical frame: NO PALMS, TURF, HEDGES. Any one
defending these will have a difficult time. Palms are a hazard in an urban context, seeds, fronds, or fruit falling on pavement, cars, people. Even worse less than twenty five feet from buildings and walls/roofs.
Hedges, unless for privacy, noise reduction, preferably in a formal installation or to frame
when necessary, pruned thin on top. They create too much organic waste. Noise and too much
energy spent when using manual tools. Avoid hedges.
Same or worse with turf. Unless there is no choice for playing grounds. Ground covers, Meadows, prairies
can be developed along. Turf requires insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, noise and pollution.
Eliminate turf or use a pushing mower. If you use machines with gas and or electricity, irrigation, fine. Just do not think of yourself as an environmentalist. Or if you can think
theorize better, good luck.
Thanks to ALL visitors. Until then...
sábado, 28 de febrero de 2009
jueves, 26 de febrero de 2009
GARDENING ACTIVITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
ONCE UPON A TIME, I was living in Northampton, MA, during the seventies. I got the chance to play pro bono percussion with THE SAILCATS for a brief season. Timmy Griffin, had the courtesy of responding after I made attempts to contact this witty, smooth, wise drummer some months ago and finally exchanged a couple of sentences; something rare from my many futile attempts to connect with people from
a distant past.
On the dirt, gardening front, while I was sweeping, pruning the wild flowers, bushes in my ADOPTED HOUSE, (see Guerrilla Gardening here), Leticia, sister of a neighbor four houses down my street, came to inquire about the status of this abandoned,
charming house. I informed her that for many years it has been deteriorating since
the heirs to the property seem unable to reach an agreement. Something not unusual. When people are selfish and antagonistic, they prefer to let something become ruins, rather than solve their differences.
Moments later it was Arlene, a somewhat beautiful woman who is also interested in
the house. All this while I was almost finished with the pruning. By the way, this house is residence of some of Farrukito's stray cats. I took most of the branches and
put them on those bare spaces where the cats have been digging to use the water closet, that in turns fertilizes, but also destroys some of the mostly wild vegetation I try to preserve.
Other changes in the garden scene I have noticed. The amount of stray cats, continue growing, it is like a homeless drop by center. If you ever passed by one, in your neighborhood, you know what I mean. On the other hand, the four urban prone bird
species that used to visit yours truly, no longer do.
When I was almost finished, another beautiful, sophisticated neighbor came to join
our house chat, with similar interests. This one perhaps the other one out of the three with the metallic to buy. Sorry I forgot her name, but it is always nice to have this
little brief dialogues while I enjoy myself with phylanthopic shores.
Bonus:
Four new plants, or better names found recently of old acquaintances, Capsicum annun, Osimun basilicum, Citrus Auratifolia and Aloe barbadiensis an old time favorite in mother/grandmothers circles.
Time to go but before... I appreciate readers that check my profile to see where the hell all this come from. Those who take the time to leave some useful, useless, meaningful and meaningless comments are also welcome. If you do not see your
comment, it is not necessarily censorship. All those with profiles and blogs will
certainly have theirs on. However, some have been erased intentionally or by accident.
Continue reading, express yourself. But the better thing to do would be to create your own blog. This allows to create your own world, with rules, concepts, principles, prejudices, virtues, values and defects, without any other ruler than you.
Having your own voice will certainly helps. Otherwise your blog will be as fun
as a traveling guide, to please everyone!
which is nice.
a distant past.
On the dirt, gardening front, while I was sweeping, pruning the wild flowers, bushes in my ADOPTED HOUSE, (see Guerrilla Gardening here), Leticia, sister of a neighbor four houses down my street, came to inquire about the status of this abandoned,
charming house. I informed her that for many years it has been deteriorating since
the heirs to the property seem unable to reach an agreement. Something not unusual. When people are selfish and antagonistic, they prefer to let something become ruins, rather than solve their differences.
Moments later it was Arlene, a somewhat beautiful woman who is also interested in
the house. All this while I was almost finished with the pruning. By the way, this house is residence of some of Farrukito's stray cats. I took most of the branches and
put them on those bare spaces where the cats have been digging to use the water closet, that in turns fertilizes, but also destroys some of the mostly wild vegetation I try to preserve.
Other changes in the garden scene I have noticed. The amount of stray cats, continue growing, it is like a homeless drop by center. If you ever passed by one, in your neighborhood, you know what I mean. On the other hand, the four urban prone bird
species that used to visit yours truly, no longer do.
When I was almost finished, another beautiful, sophisticated neighbor came to join
our house chat, with similar interests. This one perhaps the other one out of the three with the metallic to buy. Sorry I forgot her name, but it is always nice to have this
little brief dialogues while I enjoy myself with phylanthopic shores.
Bonus:
Four new plants, or better names found recently of old acquaintances, Capsicum annun, Osimun basilicum, Citrus Auratifolia and Aloe barbadiensis an old time favorite in mother/grandmothers circles.
Time to go but before... I appreciate readers that check my profile to see where the hell all this come from. Those who take the time to leave some useful, useless, meaningful and meaningless comments are also welcome. If you do not see your
comment, it is not necessarily censorship. All those with profiles and blogs will
certainly have theirs on. However, some have been erased intentionally or by accident.
Continue reading, express yourself. But the better thing to do would be to create your own blog. This allows to create your own world, with rules, concepts, principles, prejudices, virtues, values and defects, without any other ruler than you.
Having your own voice will certainly helps. Otherwise your blog will be as fun
as a traveling guide, to please everyone!
which is nice.
lunes, 23 de febrero de 2009
HORTICULTURAL CRITERIA NATURE AND ECOLOGY
WOKE UP this morning with something in mind that bothers me once in a while. What relevance is there in plain aesthetics, if plants in nature exist beyond our values, mostly subjective and selfish. The issue is pertinent because in most blogs the perception expressed rarely is offered in the context of ecology.
Even though one may believe the type of gardening being practiced is superior to others in terms of not polluting, wasting water, planting those species that will enhance the environment , the others, flora/fauna keeping up with their conditions
to work as their needs require, so we can survive along with them.
It amazes me how often, (for people immersed in their own troubles/subjective/arbitrary aesthetics), horticulture becomes a superficial therapy not thought/focused adequately in terms of essential matters, the others, flora/fauna. Dirt, insects, living creatures do not exist, but the I, always the I.
We could/can not survive thinking just in our needs, subjective or else. I find more and more difficult the reading about gardening since the abundance of gardeners thinking,
writing, about the practice as something celestial, when it is not. In gardening, protecting our surroundings goes our
life and the rest of creatures.
There is nothing more abominable than those (big as many populated islands) farms of Jathropa to manufacture bio-fuels. The same goes with palm oil, bananas or you name it, except when it is done scientifically in nurseries as it is done in Spain, measuring, controlling the irrigation, fertilizing with Integrated Pest Management.
The destruction of the ecology, the soil structure, to plant whatever without any long range planning ends in destruction for profit, making the individual effort meaningless. Particularly, when our governments/private sectors, destroy in massive scale. Later when damage is irreversible, developing television propaganda to save energy with light bulbs, or recycling paper, at the same time forests, air, water, soil, are being destroyed constantly, every day, week, month.
Even though one may believe the type of gardening being practiced is superior to others in terms of not polluting, wasting water, planting those species that will enhance the environment , the others, flora/fauna keeping up with their conditions
to work as their needs require, so we can survive along with them.
It amazes me how often, (for people immersed in their own troubles/subjective/arbitrary aesthetics), horticulture becomes a superficial therapy not thought/focused adequately in terms of essential matters, the others, flora/fauna. Dirt, insects, living creatures do not exist, but the I, always the I.
We could/can not survive thinking just in our needs, subjective or else. I find more and more difficult the reading about gardening since the abundance of gardeners thinking,
writing, about the practice as something celestial, when it is not. In gardening, protecting our surroundings goes our
life and the rest of creatures.
There is nothing more abominable than those (big as many populated islands) farms of Jathropa to manufacture bio-fuels. The same goes with palm oil, bananas or you name it, except when it is done scientifically in nurseries as it is done in Spain, measuring, controlling the irrigation, fertilizing with Integrated Pest Management.
The destruction of the ecology, the soil structure, to plant whatever without any long range planning ends in destruction for profit, making the individual effort meaningless. Particularly, when our governments/private sectors, destroy in massive scale. Later when damage is irreversible, developing television propaganda to save energy with light bulbs, or recycling paper, at the same time forests, air, water, soil, are being destroyed constantly, every day, week, month.
domingo, 22 de febrero de 2009
A GARDENING OF THE MIND
OFTEN while traveling in the blogosphere, mostly in gardening depots, I find some with excellent pictures, good information, botanical names and excessive literate inclinations. As if gardening or the aesthetics of it, belonged in some ultranatural, subjective, psychodelic, innerscape of ecstasy for the self. A total immersion of
some metaphysical trip that many seem to enjoy and relish.
This brought me back to what seems real. The first notions of nature, plants took place in elementary school. Some vine out of Mexico with the last name, leptopus, is one vivid picture. It climbed the fence with nice pink flowers, behind that school, now without a single space not covered by cement. Then, it was just one building with metal roof and space to run/play things children do.
Others in that category of memories, Pothos. Apparently, every housewife had one in
a glass jar with water, at least eight out of ten. Other familiar common places were
Diffenbachias, Alocasias, Anthuriums, Hibiscus, Allamandas and Acaliphas. I would
like to remind the virtual reader: I write from a tropical islander in the city, an urban gardener focus.
It seems that there was less money, no nurseries, television programs, or computers to learn
anything, to buy anything regarding plants. The few plants people had were important, not as it happens now. People hire some jerk to install a garden, later
to contaminate air, water and soil to give it maintenance without any second thoughts
about the lack of wisdom in the whole process.
The first two things I planted from seed were Bauhinias, white and purple, and Cannavis sativa a natural herb that many people got to embrace in the sixities.
Unfortunately for yours truly, there was a neighbor, Carmen la Ronca, who apparently knew what it was, telling my mother. One day after returning from my basketball
matches, they had dissappeared.
That is how it started. Four decades ago, to be exact went by until I decided to get serious about my vocation. I registered in the New York Botanical Gardens and got a certificate
in Commercial Horticulture Landscape Management. I thought then of the possibility of starting some type of landscape installation/maintenance enterprise.
However, soon after returning to this god forsaken isle, I encountered that most people paying peanuts for the hard/dirty work. Both, those customers calling to have
their garden done, and the illiterate, poorly educated, without landscaping credentials or education, laborers/ owners of companies looking for hire. That is the picture down here.
Even agronomists and landscape architects lack the rudiments about plants, trees,
bushes, climbers, palms (their favorite), except for digging the hole. Their skills are
"free estimates" and billing to the max.
I believe that writing a blog requires to kick the ego in the butt. Not everything
I think/write is necessarily the way I perceive it. However, any one can go out of
their house and observe that here, Palms of any kind are planted up to one feet
from a building or a wall, too often, and no one seems to care about the problems
or the aesthetics of such stupidity.
That is why this blog is about full court press. There is room for the esoteric/mystic/hollistic focus once in a while, but the daily destruction of nature requires some mentioning of it. Considering that too many gardeners have lost focus, preferring
to get stuck within the inner self with blinders on top.
some metaphysical trip that many seem to enjoy and relish.
This brought me back to what seems real. The first notions of nature, plants took place in elementary school. Some vine out of Mexico with the last name, leptopus, is one vivid picture. It climbed the fence with nice pink flowers, behind that school, now without a single space not covered by cement. Then, it was just one building with metal roof and space to run/play things children do.
Others in that category of memories, Pothos. Apparently, every housewife had one in
a glass jar with water, at least eight out of ten. Other familiar common places were
Diffenbachias, Alocasias, Anthuriums, Hibiscus, Allamandas and Acaliphas. I would
like to remind the virtual reader: I write from a tropical islander in the city, an urban gardener focus.
It seems that there was less money, no nurseries, television programs, or computers to learn
anything, to buy anything regarding plants. The few plants people had were important, not as it happens now. People hire some jerk to install a garden, later
to contaminate air, water and soil to give it maintenance without any second thoughts
about the lack of wisdom in the whole process.
The first two things I planted from seed were Bauhinias, white and purple, and Cannavis sativa a natural herb that many people got to embrace in the sixities.
Unfortunately for yours truly, there was a neighbor, Carmen la Ronca, who apparently knew what it was, telling my mother. One day after returning from my basketball
matches, they had dissappeared.
That is how it started. Four decades ago, to be exact went by until I decided to get serious about my vocation. I registered in the New York Botanical Gardens and got a certificate
in Commercial Horticulture Landscape Management. I thought then of the possibility of starting some type of landscape installation/maintenance enterprise.
However, soon after returning to this god forsaken isle, I encountered that most people paying peanuts for the hard/dirty work. Both, those customers calling to have
their garden done, and the illiterate, poorly educated, without landscaping credentials or education, laborers/ owners of companies looking for hire. That is the picture down here.
Even agronomists and landscape architects lack the rudiments about plants, trees,
bushes, climbers, palms (their favorite), except for digging the hole. Their skills are
"free estimates" and billing to the max.
I believe that writing a blog requires to kick the ego in the butt. Not everything
I think/write is necessarily the way I perceive it. However, any one can go out of
their house and observe that here, Palms of any kind are planted up to one feet
from a building or a wall, too often, and no one seems to care about the problems
or the aesthetics of such stupidity.
That is why this blog is about full court press. There is room for the esoteric/mystic/hollistic focus once in a while, but the daily destruction of nature requires some mentioning of it. Considering that too many gardeners have lost focus, preferring
to get stuck within the inner self with blinders on top.
viernes, 20 de febrero de 2009
PLANT MIGRATION IN THE GARDEN FROM POT TO SOIL AND VICEVERSA
COLLECTING plants often requires moving them as they grow, since you never know the growing habits of plants/seeds collected around the isle, from a rural environment to the urban context.
Some are moved to areas with less sun exposure, to shade and humid prone sides of the house. Or the opposite. This is true for plants that were planted on soil or those
in pots. The movement takes place after monthly observation to a best suitable surrounding.
Thus a succulent bought during our stay in Brooklyn, in 1990, kept inside apartments
for thirteen years, later in a fiberglass regtangular pot for five in our concrete/asphalt
isle, is now in the south side of the house beside a three feet high Oregano and a Turnera ulmifolia, one of my signature bushes. This plant is the only one that has survived from many cacti and others bought from catalogues or small nurseries in New York City.
Which reminds me of Mel Kurman, a hebrew accountant I met when working for the
NYS Comptrollers Office. This character, with a great sense of humor as many hebbes I met during my time in the Apple, gave me a Ficus pumila propagated from stems in water. I kept it in a pot for around five years until I started working as a groundskeeper in Trujillo Alto, with fraudulent people in the Luis Munhoz Marin Foundation. Alberto Areces Mallea, with more titles than the Duchess of Alba; (intellectual author of the operation) detested Ficus in particular, among fruit trees and other exotic plants.
Thanks to this jerk and wife the incredible stupidity and ignorance about propagating, planting, pruning, integrated pest control, I coined the concept ENDEMISMOTRASNOCHADO and they also helped with the other one PENDEJISMO PAISAJISTA. At any rate, I planted the
Mel Kurman Ficus about two hundred feet from the water well, built to irrigate the silly ill planned endemic tree park with a four hundred feet hose, (believe it or not) mentioned more than once in this humble blog.
One signficant bush, Brumfelsia pauciflora was moved from the east sunny side to the north. Soon after, the dry environment was changed to the shady one, this strange bush flowered and has kept a nice pace with it. Also known as Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, is not over used in the worn, lame, dull landscapes that overwhelm
Puerto Rico.
There are other plants with stories of migration for the future. Time to go.
Some are moved to areas with less sun exposure, to shade and humid prone sides of the house. Or the opposite. This is true for plants that were planted on soil or those
in pots. The movement takes place after monthly observation to a best suitable surrounding.
Thus a succulent bought during our stay in Brooklyn, in 1990, kept inside apartments
for thirteen years, later in a fiberglass regtangular pot for five in our concrete/asphalt
isle, is now in the south side of the house beside a three feet high Oregano and a Turnera ulmifolia, one of my signature bushes. This plant is the only one that has survived from many cacti and others bought from catalogues or small nurseries in New York City.
Which reminds me of Mel Kurman, a hebrew accountant I met when working for the
NYS Comptrollers Office. This character, with a great sense of humor as many hebbes I met during my time in the Apple, gave me a Ficus pumila propagated from stems in water. I kept it in a pot for around five years until I started working as a groundskeeper in Trujillo Alto, with fraudulent people in the Luis Munhoz Marin Foundation. Alberto Areces Mallea, with more titles than the Duchess of Alba; (intellectual author of the operation) detested Ficus in particular, among fruit trees and other exotic plants.
Thanks to this jerk and wife the incredible stupidity and ignorance about propagating, planting, pruning, integrated pest control, I coined the concept ENDEMISMOTRASNOCHADO and they also helped with the other one PENDEJISMO PAISAJISTA. At any rate, I planted the
Mel Kurman Ficus about two hundred feet from the water well, built to irrigate the silly ill planned endemic tree park with a four hundred feet hose, (believe it or not) mentioned more than once in this humble blog.
One signficant bush, Brumfelsia pauciflora was moved from the east sunny side to the north. Soon after, the dry environment was changed to the shady one, this strange bush flowered and has kept a nice pace with it. Also known as Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, is not over used in the worn, lame, dull landscapes that overwhelm
Puerto Rico.
There are other plants with stories of migration for the future. Time to go.
martes, 17 de febrero de 2009
ME GARDEN BOTANICAL INVENTORY
APPARENTLY, this blog is the only one with updates of what we plant and propagate in the blogosphere.
It is necessary and pragmatic. If I had to publish photos of the whole collection it will
a looong blog and not really wise, since words occupy much less space. For those interested in the subject, here it is.
Terminalia cattapa, Bauhinia, Frangipani acutifolia, lutea, rubra, Coccoloba uvifera, Carica papaya, Thespesia populnea, Cestrum diurnum, Mangera indica, Pandanus fascicularis, Pithelobium dulce, Tevhetia peruviana, Dipterancanthus prostratus, Brunfelsia pauciflora, Pseudoranthemum carruhtersii.
Calliandra
Murraya paniculata
Gardenia
Hibiscus
Ixora
Bouganvillea
Turnera, ulmifolia, diffusa, subulata
Cuphea hissofilia
Ruellia
Ochna mossabisensis
Pereskia corrugata
Pseuderanthemun reticulatum
Pedilanthus euphorbiaceae
Barleria repens
Pereskia bleo
Polyscia fruticosa, balfourniana
Dracena marginata, reflexa
Gardenia jasminoides
Hibiscus
Euphorbia pulcherrima
Bixa orellana
Roses
Tulbaghia violacea
Rosemary, Lipia micromera, Basil, Capsicum, Wild marjoram, Insulin
Cosmos sulpherous, Mirabilis siciliana, Hemerocallis, Oxalis, Portulaca, Allium,
Scadoxus, Cajanus cajan, Crinum, Sanseveria, Costus, Timelia caribea, Catharantus roseus,
Gloriosa rothschildiana, Portulacas, Chrysothemis pulchella, Proiphys amboinensis,
Sanseveria, Aglaomena, Diffembachia, Orchid, Alocasia macrorhiza, Datura stramonium, Nephrolepsis, Zamia and Eucare.
Dwarf ruellia, Asystacia gangetica, Tradescantia, Ipomea prescaprae,
quamoclit, Wedelia trilobata, Zephyrantes grandiflora, Jazminum multiflorum Passiflora, Clitorea terratea, Syngonium, Tulbaghia violacea, Rhoeo spathacea,
Allamanda cathartica.
Now, if you live in the concrete/asphalt isle, do not think for a moment of going to a nursery with botanical names since their owners are in for the money, with little or no
interest in our theme. Or get a picture. Even better search for your needs in the internet. The botanical name will suffice. With it you will find or you need to know about diseases, plant zone, sun/shade/soil/irrigation/propagation issues.
To leave in a critical mode.. I met this fellow from the Sierra Club, a "professor" of biology some time ago. I sent this link with some words about the island epidemic
of tree destruction/mutilation and a tour of mutilated trees I planned to do. The little one who changed his name to Spanish to
appear more chummy, responded: " Sure if it is not going to be just complaints".
I should tell you what my original thoughts were about this jester, blind to all the mutilated trees surrounding him at the University of Puerto Rico, where he 'teaches',
however, discrete, humble as I am, I keep it to myself. Until the next...
It is necessary and pragmatic. If I had to publish photos of the whole collection it will
a looong blog and not really wise, since words occupy much less space. For those interested in the subject, here it is.
Terminalia cattapa, Bauhinia, Frangipani acutifolia, lutea, rubra, Coccoloba uvifera, Carica papaya, Thespesia populnea, Cestrum diurnum, Mangera indica, Pandanus fascicularis, Pithelobium dulce, Tevhetia peruviana, Dipterancanthus prostratus, Brunfelsia pauciflora, Pseudoranthemum carruhtersii.
Calliandra
Murraya paniculata
Gardenia
Hibiscus
Ixora
Bouganvillea
Turnera, ulmifolia, diffusa, subulata
Cuphea hissofilia
Ruellia
Ochna mossabisensis
Pereskia corrugata
Pseuderanthemun reticulatum
Pedilanthus euphorbiaceae
Barleria repens
Pereskia bleo
Polyscia fruticosa, balfourniana
Dracena marginata, reflexa
Gardenia jasminoides
Hibiscus
Euphorbia pulcherrima
Bixa orellana
Roses
Tulbaghia violacea
Rosemary, Lipia micromera, Basil, Capsicum, Wild marjoram, Insulin
Cosmos sulpherous, Mirabilis siciliana, Hemerocallis, Oxalis, Portulaca, Allium,
Scadoxus, Cajanus cajan, Crinum, Sanseveria, Costus, Timelia caribea, Catharantus roseus,
Gloriosa rothschildiana, Portulacas, Chrysothemis pulchella, Proiphys amboinensis,
Sanseveria, Aglaomena, Diffembachia, Orchid, Alocasia macrorhiza, Datura stramonium, Nephrolepsis, Zamia and Eucare.
Dwarf ruellia, Asystacia gangetica, Tradescantia, Ipomea prescaprae,
quamoclit, Wedelia trilobata, Zephyrantes grandiflora, Jazminum multiflorum Passiflora, Clitorea terratea, Syngonium, Tulbaghia violacea, Rhoeo spathacea,
Allamanda cathartica.
Now, if you live in the concrete/asphalt isle, do not think for a moment of going to a nursery with botanical names since their owners are in for the money, with little or no
interest in our theme. Or get a picture. Even better search for your needs in the internet. The botanical name will suffice. With it you will find or you need to know about diseases, plant zone, sun/shade/soil/irrigation/propagation issues.
To leave in a critical mode.. I met this fellow from the Sierra Club, a "professor" of biology some time ago. I sent this link with some words about the island epidemic
of tree destruction/mutilation and a tour of mutilated trees I planned to do. The little one who changed his name to Spanish to
appear more chummy, responded: " Sure if it is not going to be just complaints".
I should tell you what my original thoughts were about this jester, blind to all the mutilated trees surrounding him at the University of Puerto Rico, where he 'teaches',
however, discrete, humble as I am, I keep it to myself. Until the next...
domingo, 15 de febrero de 2009
GARDENING JOURNAL NEWS AND NOT SO..
THE truth is that after visiting tens, hundreds of blogs about our subject, a certain infatuation with the beauty of this or that, almost exclusively, has been discovered. In the comments always around the uh/ahs, most of the time as in a block of a cute thinking clan, as if gardening/horticulture is that in essence.
Others, horticultural fans, make futile attempts to create formal gardens in the tropics, with oceans of sterile turf, roses, hedges, and so on, worried about overwhelming weeds. Creating a garden prone to oppression instead of relaxation and wondering.
The gardening in template climates seem somehow more attractive to the
unexposed, in the tropics. It is consequence of the incredible amount of flowers, plants of all types growing in such latitudes. But I have found that with research, one can accomplish the same spectacular effects when looking for contrasts. Texture, height, size, color and shape. If you
rely only on your local nursery to create something worthy of admiration,
critical renown, sorry, you have to research.
Moving into other waters...I invite those with interest regarding what is going on far away from your neck of the woods... VERTICAL GARDENING.. Imagine creating a garden on a wall, interior/exterior without any soil...Patrick Blanc is the originator of such activity. If you
want to get out of the gardening doldrums of your vecinity visit: verticalgardening.com... There are imitators, varieties on the theme on the web. I am sure that your view on what a garden is/was/should be will certainly change.
In the British Isle there is GUERRILLA GARDENING... Licit and illicit ways to transform your surroundings...Tired of looking at the weedy, full of trash abandoned house, next to yours? Or a public/private park?
Learn how all started in 2004, how to organize, create seed bombs. In brief, doing something aesthetically/ecologically correct for the urban
context. Legally, or ilegally. In another blog I read the chewed and digested story, after having discovered it and mentioning it here. Go to the source and
make your own opinion without interference.
Finally there is COMPOST TEA.. Something really practical for any kind of gardening. If you search the web you will probably get scared as to the
many unnecessarily, technically complicated ways to do something that
chemically may/may not be your own result, but with the same effects on
plants/soil.
This tea will suppress foliar diseases, increase the amount of nutrients to the plant, speeds the breakdown of toxins. Apply it by foliar spray or soil drench..I make it simple.
Place the leaves, (dry/green) inside a burlap sack/pillow case in a five gallon recipient. Fill just a third of the sack and tightly tie the bottom with a string. Fill with water up to a couple of inches to the top. Let it steep in water for twenty four hours or less. The result is going to be a darkish smelly water that will
hit the plants vascular system quickly through the leaves, or slowly by drenching.
One thing to watch closely is the darkness/smell of the resulting steeping.
Dilute it or risk burning your plants. I could get up to fifteen gallons of
diluted compost tea from the original five. Better diluted than the opposite. At any rate, when you spray it with the bomb, many insects will fly away from your plants, often are damaging ones. This type of
sraying will not damage beneficial insects and other fauna.
Once you are done, let the contents in the sack dry, I use mine more often
until the steeping is rather light. When that happens, is time to add more
organic matter.. An on and on..
Bonus question: What is your religion doing specifically besides preaching to save your soul, or the environment? Deeds versus words?
Why the obsession with death, the after life, when the earth is being destroyed daily, minute by minute? If responding, only those within
the context of nature/ecology/ourblog, will see the light.
Others, horticultural fans, make futile attempts to create formal gardens in the tropics, with oceans of sterile turf, roses, hedges, and so on, worried about overwhelming weeds. Creating a garden prone to oppression instead of relaxation and wondering.
The gardening in template climates seem somehow more attractive to the
unexposed, in the tropics. It is consequence of the incredible amount of flowers, plants of all types growing in such latitudes. But I have found that with research, one can accomplish the same spectacular effects when looking for contrasts. Texture, height, size, color and shape. If you
rely only on your local nursery to create something worthy of admiration,
critical renown, sorry, you have to research.
Moving into other waters...I invite those with interest regarding what is going on far away from your neck of the woods... VERTICAL GARDENING.. Imagine creating a garden on a wall, interior/exterior without any soil...Patrick Blanc is the originator of such activity. If you
want to get out of the gardening doldrums of your vecinity visit: verticalgardening.com... There are imitators, varieties on the theme on the web. I am sure that your view on what a garden is/was/should be will certainly change.
In the British Isle there is GUERRILLA GARDENING... Licit and illicit ways to transform your surroundings...Tired of looking at the weedy, full of trash abandoned house, next to yours? Or a public/private park?
Learn how all started in 2004, how to organize, create seed bombs. In brief, doing something aesthetically/ecologically correct for the urban
context. Legally, or ilegally. In another blog I read the chewed and digested story, after having discovered it and mentioning it here. Go to the source and
make your own opinion without interference.
Finally there is COMPOST TEA.. Something really practical for any kind of gardening. If you search the web you will probably get scared as to the
many unnecessarily, technically complicated ways to do something that
chemically may/may not be your own result, but with the same effects on
plants/soil.
This tea will suppress foliar diseases, increase the amount of nutrients to the plant, speeds the breakdown of toxins. Apply it by foliar spray or soil drench..I make it simple.
Place the leaves, (dry/green) inside a burlap sack/pillow case in a five gallon recipient. Fill just a third of the sack and tightly tie the bottom with a string. Fill with water up to a couple of inches to the top. Let it steep in water for twenty four hours or less. The result is going to be a darkish smelly water that will
hit the plants vascular system quickly through the leaves, or slowly by drenching.
One thing to watch closely is the darkness/smell of the resulting steeping.
Dilute it or risk burning your plants. I could get up to fifteen gallons of
diluted compost tea from the original five. Better diluted than the opposite. At any rate, when you spray it with the bomb, many insects will fly away from your plants, often are damaging ones. This type of
sraying will not damage beneficial insects and other fauna.
Once you are done, let the contents in the sack dry, I use mine more often
until the steeping is rather light. When that happens, is time to add more
organic matter.. An on and on..
Bonus question: What is your religion doing specifically besides preaching to save your soul, or the environment? Deeds versus words?
Why the obsession with death, the after life, when the earth is being destroyed daily, minute by minute? If responding, only those within
the context of nature/ecology/ourblog, will see the light.
viernes, 13 de febrero de 2009
DON MIGUEL AND THE LONELY ORCHID
SOME TIME ago, Don Miguel, a tall, blue eyes, 84 years old neighbor, began a chatting routine mostly in the mornings while I was planting, watering, weeding or pruning some of my plants known to the habitual readers, in the already listed twice, inventory in front of the house. What a sentence!
All this started in May 08, I got to visit his garden with similar lay out. Not much to mention
about his, other than I got to help him once pruning a bush showing signs of machete surgery and sprayed some herbicide on the cement cracks, some other time.
One morning in July, Don Miguel gave me an orchid, planted in a plastic butter cup. He was on his way down to visit his sister at the nursing home where she hangs out. This plant, not of my favorites, had a plastic shopping bag around. I was unable to figure out why, until I took it off.. When I did, there was a colony of fire ants, hundreds in the root system. Believe or not.
You may wonder if he was aware of this fact, was he bitten, did he see them at any time?
I have to say that at that age, the answer could be yes/no/maybe. The thing is that after
removing the bag, I spent about fifteen minutes or more, spraying the lonely orchid roots with
dish soap water to see If I could exterminate these creatures of God. Yes I was bitten and
irritated at the amount of time spent in the cleaning.
After removing the soapy water, the orchid appeared rather sad, burned out. I thought this
patient had a possibility of fifty fifty, considering that it had survived all those fire ants, and placed it with a string on a branch of a pink Frangipani. A couple of months later, I noticed the white roots grasping the branch with certain affection.
A couple of weeks ago I saw the flower stems coming out. A great feeling of pleasure
came over, something rare, considering that orchids are not my thing. However,since it was a present, with the conditions mentioned, it is really worthy of appreciation among
my growing collection.
BONUS I imagine that some serious gardeners share my intense dislike of gingers, heliconias, bromeliads and the top two: PALMS, LAWNS, or your own. The first, for the absurd over use in Puerto Rico. The questionable beauty.......and you better have a big yard with the first two. They will take it whole! Bromeliads are not easy to handle except with gloves and long sleeves, you can keep them and admire them all you want.
Palms...the beauty of a palm tree is only noticeable at a distance. In the mentioned island,
the mentally challenged plant them, any kind, beside a wall, five feet or less from a building,
or in silly arrangements in high ways, side walks. These people orphaned of ideas forget the eventual size of the palm, the fronds size, the hundred of seeds. Sure, you have guessed, there is no maintenance, the fronds hang out forever until falling, the seeds a mess...
Lawns are sterile. Please erase the tittle of environmentalist/ecologist believer from your curriculum vitae if you use: herbicides, pesticides,fungicides, fertilizer, oil and gasoline to maintain your lawn. Sorry, this applies to you, if you play/follow golf, since all the above applies. You are screwing up the air, water, soil with pollutants and disturbing the peace with
noise to our/yours flora/fauna. In addition wasting water with irrigation. Get a substitute, a meadow, or ground cover... There are tens of possibilties. Or cut the
lawn with a push lawn mower and get a nice work out.
You may disagree. Please do so with some criteria, express yourself. But make sure It goes
beyond silly selfish preferences or questionable aesthetics. Put the argument in context: people/earth/flora/fauna.
See you lator alligators........
All this started in May 08, I got to visit his garden with similar lay out. Not much to mention
about his, other than I got to help him once pruning a bush showing signs of machete surgery and sprayed some herbicide on the cement cracks, some other time.
One morning in July, Don Miguel gave me an orchid, planted in a plastic butter cup. He was on his way down to visit his sister at the nursing home where she hangs out. This plant, not of my favorites, had a plastic shopping bag around. I was unable to figure out why, until I took it off.. When I did, there was a colony of fire ants, hundreds in the root system. Believe or not.
You may wonder if he was aware of this fact, was he bitten, did he see them at any time?
I have to say that at that age, the answer could be yes/no/maybe. The thing is that after
removing the bag, I spent about fifteen minutes or more, spraying the lonely orchid roots with
dish soap water to see If I could exterminate these creatures of God. Yes I was bitten and
irritated at the amount of time spent in the cleaning.
After removing the soapy water, the orchid appeared rather sad, burned out. I thought this
patient had a possibility of fifty fifty, considering that it had survived all those fire ants, and placed it with a string on a branch of a pink Frangipani. A couple of months later, I noticed the white roots grasping the branch with certain affection.
A couple of weeks ago I saw the flower stems coming out. A great feeling of pleasure
came over, something rare, considering that orchids are not my thing. However,since it was a present, with the conditions mentioned, it is really worthy of appreciation among
my growing collection.
BONUS I imagine that some serious gardeners share my intense dislike of gingers, heliconias, bromeliads and the top two: PALMS, LAWNS, or your own. The first, for the absurd over use in Puerto Rico. The questionable beauty.......and you better have a big yard with the first two. They will take it whole! Bromeliads are not easy to handle except with gloves and long sleeves, you can keep them and admire them all you want.
Palms...the beauty of a palm tree is only noticeable at a distance. In the mentioned island,
the mentally challenged plant them, any kind, beside a wall, five feet or less from a building,
or in silly arrangements in high ways, side walks. These people orphaned of ideas forget the eventual size of the palm, the fronds size, the hundred of seeds. Sure, you have guessed, there is no maintenance, the fronds hang out forever until falling, the seeds a mess...
Lawns are sterile. Please erase the tittle of environmentalist/ecologist believer from your curriculum vitae if you use: herbicides, pesticides,fungicides, fertilizer, oil and gasoline to maintain your lawn. Sorry, this applies to you, if you play/follow golf, since all the above applies. You are screwing up the air, water, soil with pollutants and disturbing the peace with
noise to our/yours flora/fauna. In addition wasting water with irrigation. Get a substitute, a meadow, or ground cover... There are tens of possibilties. Or cut the
lawn with a push lawn mower and get a nice work out.
You may disagree. Please do so with some criteria, express yourself. But make sure It goes
beyond silly selfish preferences or questionable aesthetics. Put the argument in context: people/earth/flora/fauna.
See you lator alligators........
lunes, 9 de febrero de 2009
GONGORA'S VEGETATION INVENTORY IN "ROMANCES"
ONE of the amazing surprises while blog hunting/exploring is the amount of poetry.
There are as many as stars. Some shine brightly, most are dull, adolescent like. About love, sex, existencial crisis and loneliness, the real and the egomaniacal that seems to dominate.
I used to enjoy writing and reading it. However, it has
to be a vocation requiring study, reading, writing with
some care and curiosity. With poets with vocation
in mind, I decided to write this simple inventory without getting in the aesthetics of the poetry itself.
However, is worth mentioning that in ROMANCES one
could write an essay about ecology. LUIS DE GONGORA (Cordoba, Spain, 1561/1627), constantly shows awareness of nature and all living creatures, flora/fauna/water/minerals and its
products in his poetic fields. It is evident.
For those really interested in knowing the names of
the list in their native language get a dictionary.
Trees: Encina, Olmo, Laurel, Cipres, Alcornoque, Alamo, Almendros, Nogal, Pinos, Palmas, Fresno.
Plants/bushes and else: Clavel, Hiedra, Rosa, Jazmin,
Narciso, Sauco, Azucena, Violetas, Flor de lis, Alheli,
Lirios, Moras, Azahar, Algarroba, Romero, Perejil, Membrillo y Arrayan.
The second list is longer since in poetry, images of love,
ladies are much more frequent than strenght, size, height, character and moral values as represented by trees.
I suggest that you, virtual reader, find a book from your
favorite poet, writer, and see the connection between
the author and the environment/surroundings. My
archihumble opinion is that we must kick out the self,
to think of the other. People, if it is your liking, or flora/fauna, mine.
Until next.
There are as many as stars. Some shine brightly, most are dull, adolescent like. About love, sex, existencial crisis and loneliness, the real and the egomaniacal that seems to dominate.
I used to enjoy writing and reading it. However, it has
to be a vocation requiring study, reading, writing with
some care and curiosity. With poets with vocation
in mind, I decided to write this simple inventory without getting in the aesthetics of the poetry itself.
However, is worth mentioning that in ROMANCES one
could write an essay about ecology. LUIS DE GONGORA (Cordoba, Spain, 1561/1627), constantly shows awareness of nature and all living creatures, flora/fauna/water/minerals and its
products in his poetic fields. It is evident.
For those really interested in knowing the names of
the list in their native language get a dictionary.
Trees: Encina, Olmo, Laurel, Cipres, Alcornoque, Alamo, Almendros, Nogal, Pinos, Palmas, Fresno.
Plants/bushes and else: Clavel, Hiedra, Rosa, Jazmin,
Narciso, Sauco, Azucena, Violetas, Flor de lis, Alheli,
Lirios, Moras, Azahar, Algarroba, Romero, Perejil, Membrillo y Arrayan.
The second list is longer since in poetry, images of love,
ladies are much more frequent than strenght, size, height, character and moral values as represented by trees.
I suggest that you, virtual reader, find a book from your
favorite poet, writer, and see the connection between
the author and the environment/surroundings. My
archihumble opinion is that we must kick out the self,
to think of the other. People, if it is your liking, or flora/fauna, mine.
Until next.
sábado, 7 de febrero de 2009
COLLECTION OR GARDEN?
BELOW THERE is a list of plants/trees/ground covers/bushes, that some gardeners may have or not. If curious you will have to research to see what they look like.
During the time I have been visiting/reading/looking at blogs, seldom, the botanical name is offered. The most relevant information any serious gardener/student of gardening/horticulture need is that. With it you find in the internet information regarding diseases, planting, fertilizing, anything, period.
My favorite plants at this time, (it changes from time to time) are the following; for their beauty
in form, subtle fragrance, contrasts between each other:
Brumfelsia paucifora, Burleria repens, Clitorea terratea, Costus graptophylum, Crinum, Cestrum diurnum, Calliandra aemathocephala, Cathartus roseus, Guayacan, Gloriosa rothschildiana, Ipomoeas, Lipia micromera, Mirabilis
siciliana, Frangipani, Ochna mossabicensis, Pandanus, Pedilanthus euphorbiaceae, Pereskia corrugata, Pithelobium dulce, Turneras, Tulbaghia violacea, Tumbergia,
Zamia and Zephyrantes.
Now, without being humble as usual, I declare that these plants, bushes, ground covers, trees, are
the difference between a vulgar, common place without any conversation piece garden or the opposite. One that shows the dedication, study, care and research in your installation.
The line is hard to draw when one is constantly looking for the unusual. Until next...
During the time I have been visiting/reading/looking at blogs, seldom, the botanical name is offered. The most relevant information any serious gardener/student of gardening/horticulture need is that. With it you find in the internet information regarding diseases, planting, fertilizing, anything, period.
My favorite plants at this time, (it changes from time to time) are the following; for their beauty
in form, subtle fragrance, contrasts between each other:
Brumfelsia paucifora, Burleria repens, Clitorea terratea, Costus graptophylum, Crinum, Cestrum diurnum, Calliandra aemathocephala, Cathartus roseus, Guayacan, Gloriosa rothschildiana, Ipomoeas, Lipia micromera, Mirabilis
siciliana, Frangipani, Ochna mossabicensis, Pandanus, Pedilanthus euphorbiaceae, Pereskia corrugata, Pithelobium dulce, Turneras, Tulbaghia violacea, Tumbergia,
Zamia and Zephyrantes.
Now, without being humble as usual, I declare that these plants, bushes, ground covers, trees, are
the difference between a vulgar, common place without any conversation piece garden or the opposite. One that shows the dedication, study, care and research in your installation.
The line is hard to draw when one is constantly looking for the unusual. Until next...
WAR AGAINST NATURE
WATCHING SOME television documentary about grass, the great numbers of wild animals that are fed, protected, sheltered by it, in every climatic condition, the war against nature became clear.
Considering the western notion of Bible regulations, just one among the many, will suffice to explain the inevitable war that has taken place for centuries now. Multiply and grow. The contradiction is inherent. It is not a request of multiplying if the conditions are optimal in a short
or long range. It is. Therefore is not necessary to have college education to conclude that mother
earth is destined to be destroyed until ALL religions, dogmas agree on a moratorium of having
children, sex for impregnation.
In China, this has been attempted with the problem of too many men, parents very unhappy when
the only child was a girl, since that is the end of the family tree. GIRLS have always been unwanted in most cultures, primitive and civilized. For silly reasons, perceptions except on
matriarchal cultures, the few on record. Women are really the ones taking care of relevant
duties in any culture. Perhaps they are the ones responsible, directly involved with the destruction of mother earth.
Getting pregnant could be stopped by many ways. Unfortunately religion and cultural values
do not approve of this. The poorer the country, the highest amount of children per adult. The
destruction of the environment in turn is relative to this equation. Just one example. In Haiti,
there are very few trees left. They are used for charcoal, cooking and heating. You can guess
the results in short/long range. Incredible floods, erosion and finally, desertification.
The stupidity of those health, aid, hunger agency campaigns is that either the problem is resolved intelligently before hand or wait for some disaster to bring some food for a couple of
weeks until the news media forget the event. Real help could be provided with education. Considering that most of the population on earth is illiterate, forget about reading/writing, teach something relevant, allowing the survival of both people/flora/fauna. How to plant for food, orchards, raise animals, fishing, skills that will allow them to solve their own problems to the extent of the possibilities.
I know is just a dream. But juat the jeck. What about the grass? Well some may remember
that once there were sixty million buffaloes in North America. They had a lot of space to roam
migrating, moving up and down. Helping nature to renew itself with manure, seeds transported in their belly or the hair.The natives in turn hunted according to their needs, using every possible part from the animal to survive in a rough environment.
We know what happened when the western men arrived. Perhaps is not too late to discuss the issues, to start planting, to see the problem at the root. In every continent the conditions are different, so are the difficulties, there is only one solution. It is
time to stop seriously the increasing population and provide the skills for survival, respecting
our surroundings.
Considering the western notion of Bible regulations, just one among the many, will suffice to explain the inevitable war that has taken place for centuries now. Multiply and grow. The contradiction is inherent. It is not a request of multiplying if the conditions are optimal in a short
or long range. It is. Therefore is not necessary to have college education to conclude that mother
earth is destined to be destroyed until ALL religions, dogmas agree on a moratorium of having
children, sex for impregnation.
In China, this has been attempted with the problem of too many men, parents very unhappy when
the only child was a girl, since that is the end of the family tree. GIRLS have always been unwanted in most cultures, primitive and civilized. For silly reasons, perceptions except on
matriarchal cultures, the few on record. Women are really the ones taking care of relevant
duties in any culture. Perhaps they are the ones responsible, directly involved with the destruction of mother earth.
Getting pregnant could be stopped by many ways. Unfortunately religion and cultural values
do not approve of this. The poorer the country, the highest amount of children per adult. The
destruction of the environment in turn is relative to this equation. Just one example. In Haiti,
there are very few trees left. They are used for charcoal, cooking and heating. You can guess
the results in short/long range. Incredible floods, erosion and finally, desertification.
The stupidity of those health, aid, hunger agency campaigns is that either the problem is resolved intelligently before hand or wait for some disaster to bring some food for a couple of
weeks until the news media forget the event. Real help could be provided with education. Considering that most of the population on earth is illiterate, forget about reading/writing, teach something relevant, allowing the survival of both people/flora/fauna. How to plant for food, orchards, raise animals, fishing, skills that will allow them to solve their own problems to the extent of the possibilities.
I know is just a dream. But juat the jeck. What about the grass? Well some may remember
that once there were sixty million buffaloes in North America. They had a lot of space to roam
migrating, moving up and down. Helping nature to renew itself with manure, seeds transported in their belly or the hair.The natives in turn hunted according to their needs, using every possible part from the animal to survive in a rough environment.
We know what happened when the western men arrived. Perhaps is not too late to discuss the issues, to start planting, to see the problem at the root. In every continent the conditions are different, so are the difficulties, there is only one solution. It is
time to stop seriously the increasing population and provide the skills for survival, respecting
our surroundings.
lunes, 2 de febrero de 2009
CANNERY ROW, COD AND TUNA SALTY ENVIRONMENTS AND THE EARTH
WATCHING SOME television from Spain I started putting together some ideas that may or not
be relevant regarding our usual subject. It is a matter of consistency in thought/action.
The documentary was in essence about piracy in Somalia, beyond international waters. The life
of the fishermen, officials was explained with some detail. In brief, this crew fifty percent Spain
nationals and third world workers, spend eight months in those waters rich in nutrients for the capture of Tuna.
Now, you wonder where is the relation? Cannery Row is now an avenue in California, but was many decades ago a huge sardine canning industry. Made well known in many places by a couple
of films based on the wonderful novel by John Steinbeck. The sardines were over fished, exterminated, for commercial purposes.
The same luck waited for cod in the north east USA and Canada; there is no more commercial fishing since the 1990's.
While watching these fishermen, and noticing the vast amount of tuna being caught, I could not
help thinking about cod, sardines. These boats are as big as you can imagine, never leave
the fishing waters until there is no room for one more tuna in the freezing tanks. Later, the caught is brought to the Seychelles Islands, to be processed, and canned. And that is that fishing wise.
Horticulture and fishing have one thing in common. The earth, the waters offer their goods
without expecting anything in return. Avaricious men, thinking in the NOW, never in TOMORROW constantly rip off our resources for their profits until there is nothing left.
When I saw those incredibly big bunch of tunas, thought of mining, timber, whales, everything
is destroyed with the same intensity. When all is later in the brink of extinction.... the hollering starts. Lets save the trees, gorillas, rhinos, tigers, whatever. Even when the process of destruction may be slightly different depending on the environmental context and people interaction with it, the result is always the same.
Signing petitions would not do anything to save our ecology. The speed of destruction is too quick and too wide. I constantly laugh at those historians, preaching: History this and that, because when
you know your history you avoid past mistakes. Jaha bilingual laugh. If history had any value
there would have been no wars many moons ago; the destruction of our environment seriously
reduced/stopped. Until next
be relevant regarding our usual subject. It is a matter of consistency in thought/action.
The documentary was in essence about piracy in Somalia, beyond international waters. The life
of the fishermen, officials was explained with some detail. In brief, this crew fifty percent Spain
nationals and third world workers, spend eight months in those waters rich in nutrients for the capture of Tuna.
Now, you wonder where is the relation? Cannery Row is now an avenue in California, but was many decades ago a huge sardine canning industry. Made well known in many places by a couple
of films based on the wonderful novel by John Steinbeck. The sardines were over fished, exterminated, for commercial purposes.
The same luck waited for cod in the north east USA and Canada; there is no more commercial fishing since the 1990's.
While watching these fishermen, and noticing the vast amount of tuna being caught, I could not
help thinking about cod, sardines. These boats are as big as you can imagine, never leave
the fishing waters until there is no room for one more tuna in the freezing tanks. Later, the caught is brought to the Seychelles Islands, to be processed, and canned. And that is that fishing wise.
Horticulture and fishing have one thing in common. The earth, the waters offer their goods
without expecting anything in return. Avaricious men, thinking in the NOW, never in TOMORROW constantly rip off our resources for their profits until there is nothing left.
When I saw those incredibly big bunch of tunas, thought of mining, timber, whales, everything
is destroyed with the same intensity. When all is later in the brink of extinction.... the hollering starts. Lets save the trees, gorillas, rhinos, tigers, whatever. Even when the process of destruction may be slightly different depending on the environmental context and people interaction with it, the result is always the same.
Signing petitions would not do anything to save our ecology. The speed of destruction is too quick and too wide. I constantly laugh at those historians, preaching: History this and that, because when
you know your history you avoid past mistakes. Jaha bilingual laugh. If history had any value
there would have been no wars many moons ago; the destruction of our environment seriously
reduced/stopped. Until next
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