GOOD NEWS CLOSE TO HOME AND BAD NEWS FOR THE WORLD

THE GARDEN is hot with flowers:Hibiscus cannabinus, scarlet, Cavalina maritima pink, Bouganvillea pink, Ixora red, Turnera subulata white, ulmiforme, yellow, Cosmos yellow/orange, Thunbergia pauciflora/alata purples, Hibiscus red/pink, Merremia quinquefolia, white, Ipomea quamoclit, red, Tradescantias, pink, Calliandra, red, Antigonon lectopus, pink and Cestrum diurnum, white.


In addition, the Christmas season guest stars: Poinsettias, red, white and pink.
As stated before, these are hybrids brought home by the other significant one. Created by lame nurseries, designed to last tree months at the most. A real pleasure to enjoy all these flowers. Early in the morning, going out and see this rainbow of white, red, yellow, orange, pink, in the garden four cardinal points.... Plus the bonus of the hummingbirds, Spindalis, black beetles and bees making their daily visits for nectar.

But the environment is not just what I have around, close by in Puerto Rico,
the concrete asphalt isle. The problem of lack of safe water is creating great health problems in many places. Meanwhile "saving the environment for future generations" that mantra repeated over and over by environmentalists in our backyard, should be put in perspective. It makes less and less sense when puting the picture in focus. There is a need for adequate water, sanitation and hygiene in many places of the world. The information is from the New York Times, 10 November 2009, page A19. Visit, www. wateradvocates.org

They aren't the only ones who don't get safe water
Thyphoid Fever
200,000 deaths

Campylobacter
100 million cases annually

Cholera
3 million cases annually
120,000 deaths

Rotavirus
2 million hospitalized annually
500, 000 deaths

Trachoma
80 million active cases
6 million people blinded

Hepatitis A
1 million infections annually

Bacillary disentery
165 million cases anually
600, 000 deaths

Amoebic Dysentery
50 million infections annually
100,000 deaths

Enterotoxigenic E Coli Strains
200 million cases anually
170,000 deaths

The last one on this list, affects Puerto Rico directly since the AAA, the government agency in charge of water treatment, has maintained a policy of discharging raw sewage, and used water to the ocean, estuaries and streams along the island for decades. In consequence, saving the trees, forests or whatever comes to mind, or being more realistic, marching
and signing petitions for one thing, putting aside the other, is a waste
of energy and effort. This problem besides an environmental issue is also
a matter of public health.

Next time you enjoy your complacent trip, ecotourist adventure, be aware
of the amplitude of what saving the environment really means. Cut the mantra, get some focus. Time to go...

SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS?

THOSE readers who have visited this certainly humble blog, may have noticed that as
an horticultural creative critic, plant collector/propagator I cover the full court and beyond, not for elusive recognition or money. I do enjoy vegetation, nature, my garden, but not for the original reasons.

Then, I was into having the greatest collection, identified with their botanical names,
that differentiates an aficionado from a pro. Aesthetics were of great importance, due to the lame, ridiculous combinations of turf, plants, hedges, palm trees,
trees and bushes, for the last 15 years, used in this god forsaken island in private/public gardens/parks.

The culprits of the absurdity in garden installations are two kinds of jerks predominantly: agronomists and landscape architects. The first group seems incapable
of planting anything except as in edible garden rows. The second does not know a flying fart about plant behavior, growth habits, soil needs, irrigation and surely, aesthetics, as their headquarters in Del Parque St., in Santurce shows. they
just pick them plants up and stick them on the ground. And that's that.

I am moving now into more relevant things beyond this dull isle in this regard
and many others.. On this occasion let me make fun of the imbeciles into the environmental band wagon and their maximum cliche: Lets save the environment for
future generations...I have only scorn for blanket statements such as this, and it
seems that everyone is prone to repeat it like a parrot at every chance or a simultaneous interpeter.

In endemismo, population growth has been mentioned regarding the urgent need
to save the environment/ecology. From my stance, screw FUTURE GENERATIONS, I want to save it for me NOW, for those close to me, even if I disagree with the wordy tribes of the environmental scenario down here, despite their action/inaction, the blindfolds, and obvious lack of VISION.

POPULATION GROWTH

If the average population growth at 1.17%
continues, the population of the earth will
double in 70 years.

The lowest population growth are in
the Pitcairn Isles 0.00
Cuba -0.01

The highest
Liberia 4.50
Maldives 5.57

I do not see how futile attempts to save the environment out of context, will
be of any benefit, except appearing in television interviews, conferences with
government officials who do not give a suck about it, marches and signing
petitions to be brought to the environment EXECUTIONERS.

To finish let
me quote from
Oneworld.net

"The optimum strategy for restraining future population
growth is to provide universal access to sexual and reproductive
health services.

Its importance stems as much from
recognition of women rights as concern about
environmental limits.

Indeed, fulfillment of this goal will do
nothing to alleviate contemporary
habits of excessive consumption."

In my own words, people have to stop
screwing for impregnation accidental or otherwise.
There are too many people on the average on earth,
particularly in the most poor regions, where procreation
is similar to that of rabbits. Lets start having
recreational sex with protection or have no sex
be pure, the environment will appreciate it. Time to go...

FAMILY REPUTATIONS IN NATURE

WHEN ONE thinks of it, many people will hang themselves, or kill you if they feel their
reputation has suffered or has being injured by words or actions. Some finish with their lives after a fight with their wife, boss, financial woes or pride. I knew one of those men one meets during a life span and leave a deep trace, even when we only had a chance to talk a couple of times.

He worked with the IRS in San Patricio, a vicinity of Guaynabo City. Luis was
a tall, elegant, vibrant voice, nice smile on the arrogant side, gentleman, who fell into

a trap set by some co-workers Ponzi scheme speculators, with accomplices into banking/real estate scams. His pride was intense. On the same day he accepted the charges in court, hung himself while everyone else was asleep. A rare case indeed.

WICKED PLANTS
BY
AMY STEWART

Some time ago I recommended this
book, buy it used if you can, from
Barnes & Noble.

NIGHTSHADE FAMILY
Solanaceae

Nightshades represent some of the best and worst plants human has ever encountered. Potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes and peppers are among the most
respectable members of this family. However, when Europeans settlers first encountered tomatoes, in the New World, they believe them to be poisonous
like the other nightshades they knew. Tomatoes, after all, bear a familial resemblance to their cousin, deadly nightshade, and other dangerous nefarious relatives like the
narcotic mandrake, the evil weed tobacco, and the poisonous and intoxicating henbane, belladona, and datura.

Nightshades have long been viewed with suspicion and distrust. John Smith, a
seventeenth-century philosopher, compared the " congealing vapour that ariseth from sin and vice" to the evil powers of that venemous deadly nightshade, which drives its
cold poison into the understanding of men". In fact, many nightshades contain tropane alkaloids that cause hallucinations, seizures, and deadly comas.

The petunia is also a nightshade, in fact knowing what a petunia flower looks like might just provide a clue for recognizing some other members of this family. Otherwise, an unfamiliar plant that produces small round fruit, and has the general
growth habit of a tomato or eggplant should be viewed with some caution.

FROM HERE TO HOLLYWOOD?

WRITING the blog has brought great pleasures. Keeping mental sanity in the foolish, dull, society one has to maneuver daily is not easy. Perhaps the anecdote to
follow is idiotic and meaningless but it offers some hope. IDIOTS without vision are in
every continent. However these ones are in USA. www.hometownseeds.com to be more exact.

These mentally challenged individuals stated that: "We enjoy your blog and the information you have in it. We would like to link our site to your blog to increase our traffic. This would help tremendously". The offer? $19.98 worth of seeds, for your intercontinental, humble servant.

I know about seeds. I bought twenty four species, a wild flower mix, from a company
in California, not long ago, mentioned here. The result? Only 3 species germinated after following the instructions. Seeds for template countries do not do well in the tropics. It is a matter of genetics, temperature, length of day light and so on. I told my
friends in hometownseeds, that I would expect twenty fours species, instead of their
offer and ONLY if fifty percent of those seeds germinate, the deal will be on for ninety days.

Their response?" We are sorry. We are a small company, we can not send twenty four species". My reaction? You will remain a small company. Why should I put my reputation endorsing with a link, an unknown enterprise? What is the cost of an
ad in your neck of the woods, local newspaper? Do not waste my time and so long.

A NEW TREND FOR THE HOLIDAYS
THIS POST IS DEDICATED
TO OUR READERS IN

BOLLULLOS DE LA MITACIN
SAGUNTO
GLIDA

IN SPAIN

BARRANCA BERMEJA
CARTAGENA
CALI
MEDELLIN

IN COLOMBIA

TIME TO GO..

BUILDING BRIDGES WITH NATURE ONE AT A TIME

WHILE KNOCKING off walls built by the village idiots is the goal. I planted a few days
ago the Tamarindus indica, not far from the first tree shown at the right in the pictures
below. I recommend to take advantage of softer soil, easier digging a day or two after it has rained, if you decide to plant anything in the guerrilla gardening manner, as discussed here or in guerrillagardening.com from London.

The mentioned walls are the constant wordy bombardment about global warming, CO2, petitions, marches, conferences to gather and chat, talk and network, crocodile
tears. All this movement, may be fine in the first world, those countries in which democratic principles are respected. Countries where a real state of law exists in which the judicial branch respects and enforces the law. Sorry folks! What we got in Puerto Rico, USA, the isle of concrete asphalt is a is a caricature, a grotesque one, evident in their speeches, writing of laws for the hell of it. LAWS that no one will ever enforce.

That is why I refuse to follow the mass in the environmental talking, make believe, moving in a vacuum from the computer at home or in the office. I reiterate one thing: Education for children regarding the environment is a waste of money and effort since adults, the free enterprise destroys legally, or through bribes, everything that involves it in a short or long run, all Flora/Fauna, water and soil.

THANKSGIVING BONUS
from
Botany for Gardeners
by
Brian Capon

The progress of a plant's growth is a summation of its responses to separate, butinteracting components of the environment in which it is living. The plant may be favored with adequate water and optimum temperatures but be limited in its ability to photosynthesize by inadequate illumination, perhaps because of shading from taller plants or buildings. Another
plant may receive full sunlight, plentiful irrigation and sufficient fertilizer, but still not express
its growth potential because prevailing temperatures are too high or too low. Even if climatic
and soil conditions are ideal, stunting may occur because pathogenic fungi or predatory insects
have invaded the plant. Microorganisms and animals are, indeed environmental factors to be
reckoned with. Other life forms, being ordained components of habitats occupied by plants, exercise both beneficial and harmful effects, as do temperature, rainfall, sunlight, etc.

IT becomes obvious that, out of a host of interacting environmental factors, only one need challenge a plant's tolerances in order to limit its growth. The greater the number of unfavorable conditions, acting in concert, the more profound the effect. That is why, in nature where so many
variables are at work, plants rarely reach their full potential. Happily in a garden, one has the opportunity to improve on a few factors limiting plant development and , consequently, to cultivate larger, healthier specimens than casually occur in the wild.

Plants generally die when too many limiting factors overwhelm their physiological capabilities for survival. Or, on the other hand, they may simply succumb to "old age" processes, principally to a
genetically-programmed deterioration of cells and tissues, called senescence (Latin, "to grow old"). Once this process has been initiated, even the best care cannot save a plant. In annual species, senescence takes place within one year of growth; in biennials, in the second year. In perennial species, senescence of a localized nature occurs in older organs before they die and
are discarded; it takes many years before the process consumes the entire organism.

EDITORS NOTE

As an example, the GAIA guys/gals invited
me ten times to volunteer, for marches, to sign
petitions. I offered an exchange.
Provide me with two volunteers with hand pruners,
to prune correctly guerrilla fashion some trees of the hundreds
available in the Ponce de Leon Avenue.
You guessed right! No response, silence, water and salt.
Time to go.

GARDENING BY THE YARD

A NEW climate phenomenon is now with us, the COLD DROP. I have seen it before in SPAIN, but never here. It is an abrupt brutal rainstorm that could deliver 100 liters in
one square meter in minutes. It has been raining in the San Juan Metro Zone for the last 15 days on and off. Luckily the soil is mostly sand, otherwise it would be a Louisiana like swamp. Another variable is that we are supposed to have cool days/nights and it is not happening. The temperature for the month was broken
recently by five degrees. I imagine it is concrete/asphalt isle warming...

On the vegetation front, the grafted lemon tree is back with flowers. We had a great crop recently and the next already started. The five oranges are not ready yet
but getting there. Never thought of it in the past but lately I am making lemon tea, plus refreshing and easy to make lemon juice. Perhaps consequence of a mild cold thanks to
the rain.

Which reminds me of Frangipanis. Ours are shedding their leaves. It is a little pain in
the neck for a short while, having to sweep them. However, the bright fellow I am noticed Frangipani caterpillars on a tree nearby yesterday on my daily stroll to the new oasis on San Agustin Street, a block from the evil, noisy and polluting Universidad
SAGRADO CORAZON, or sacred cardiovascular muscle. At any rate I secuestered one
of the caterpillars, placing it on the white Frangipani...Lets hope that he survives the rain that just started.. If he does I will get little pellets as manure, and no sweeping of
leaves!

On the garden real estate front, Sanseverias, Hibiscus, Rhoeos, Cacti, and others were
relocated to spaces with more light and or shade. In one hand, in the other plain aesthetics, survival possibilities as with a rare Basil that is now attacked by snails from
what I noticed today. What the heck, such is the interaction in the garden. I placed it
there because it needed more light and space... One Bauhinia, the blakeana type, was
relocated to a new rounded pot...Some Pseuderantemun reticulatum were put out of
commission. There were too many of them.

THE ENVIRONMENT REQUIRES PREACHING AND PRACTICING

HAVE MET quite a few characters in this journey, that began as a critical

view and practice against the fad for endemic flora species from certain
foreigners and natives looking to profit themselves with it. Wrapped in the
flag, as any other marketing campaign it lacked essence, depth and vision.

As I have written in this space, restoring a forest requires an inventory of
flora and fauna. A careful soil analysis. Only after you have completed this
elementary steps, you can state that you are saving this or that, including
the secretly determined extinction candidates, often covered in mysterious
prophesies, at least from my neck of my urban one hundred twenty species
garden surrounded by concrete.

One just have to wonder, who are these jerks counting whatever creature that only
they seem able to see and find in remote, isolated natural environments. What is the
formula? The contradiction is clear. Alberto Areces Mallea, Phd and Gabriela Ocampo came down here, destroyed twelve acres of soil with a huge tractor, without
those elementary steps, without any respect to nature, soil, flora, fauna, the environment or any previous experience in landscape management and installations.

They had as accomplices many island natives (mostly fools), who have never planted a bean in their lives. They believed Mr. Areces and Miss Ocampo, almost science fiction story of creating a park, for endemic species, that now has evolved in their scam artists dream to a "botanical garden" and seed bank or whatever like ideas come to this lunatic, from Cuba. However, what credibility should any one expect from someone guilty of destroying our patrimony, a perfect green space, with trees, bushes, grasses, ground covers, plants, vines, climbers endemic or not. Without inventory and soil analysis.

Why have you chosen this academician, with elephantine ego in an eggshell as scapegoat? You may wonder... The amount of money made among the two, in salaries is about a quarter of a million. Of the twelve acres, one third is covered in asphalt/concrete, with structures, buildings, roads. The paths, not in gravel as logic dictates, but in asphalt.

A hemorrhage of palms, and even worse, these fools planted Kentucky rye and Bermuda grass from seeds. It is a real trip to watch Jesus or David, two employees, in a tractor mowing these hills in 45 degrees. The vehicle sliding sideways, down the slope without traction, another stupidity from the Areces/Ocampo team. Planting turf in almost vertical hills like a sketch from the 3 stooges.

My permanent criticism to these pet symbols of ENVIRONMENTAL STUPIDITY AND IGNORANCE, is even worse, and deeper than what it seems. ANY forest, any
environment exists in a context, not a vacuum. These fools from the beginning have only mentioned TREES, endemic TREES or candidates for extinction. However, a forest is not only about trees. It has birds, insects, reptiles, mammals, birds, microbes, some one can see, others can only be found while looking for them. A forest has fungi, vines, weeds, NATIVE WEEDS, climbers, grass, plants, bushes, FRUIT TREES for birds, other animals. In brief a forest is not JUST TREES, idiots. It is an ecological system, where all kinds of creatures interact, making the environment viable. How could you destroy all that for your egotistical stupidity, ignorance? On top with
those college degrees and academic background Mr. Areces?

Almost finished. The RG Bank, has followed the steps of our eco-criminal
pet symbols. Planting trees left and right, in every imaginary context. I remind them
and every fool thinking the same way, trees in a vacuum do not solve any issues, except among the ignorant or for cosmetic fashion. Start planting trees in a context..

What other creatures are there to benefit from those trees for housing and food? The soil is not the only one benefiting from the trees. Start with the inventories, soil analysis. The environment will appreciate it.

ALMOST MANDATORY
EDITORS NOTE

You in far away parts of the world may have
similar problems or worst.
One thing is certain, it is time to put
the overpopulation growth in the effort
to save the environment. ZERO POPULATION GROWTH,
soon.

The global warming, the CO2, destruction of soil,
water, air in addition to people getting impregnated as rabbits particularly
in poor countries, will only add to the destruction.
It is time to discuss it seriously. I do not care for religion,
therefore if you do, start thinking about a solution.
Practice what you preach.
Not to grow and multiply,
there is no room.

IN THE YELLOW BIG BUS TO CAGUAS CONCRETE COUNTRY ZOO

ONE OF THOSE RARE days when almost everything is perfect deserves one of our
somewhat traditional mock interviews for your reading pleasure or otherwise.

Keyboard Interviewer:
Tell us you humble one what was so perfect, after all, you seem prone to criticise even
in your dreams.

Humble One: Well, that is true. But lets get to the story. I went to the horrendous court building, but not as ugly as the Criminal Court in Manhattan, in Hato Rey.
There I was informed that some documents required were not in their files or computer system. In case you do not know it, here the criminal and civil courts are not separated, just in case, you wonder about the nature of the documents.

KI; So?
HO: Well imagine if you lived in USA and got married in NY, and divorced
in MA, having to make a 100 mile trip to the latter to get a document with the sentence. I had to travel to the concrete country zoo in the tittle for that reason.

KI Are we missing something? What the hell is so perfect about that adventure?

HO: Are you rushing this people's person?

KI: That is a lame joke.

HO: At any rate. The perfection starts.. Leaving the court I walked the one hundred
meters to the train station. Missed it by one minute. Got the next one. Arriving in RIO, the ugly ghost town near by. As I was leaving the station in front of
the ugly church with the two trees tied up with wires to stop them from leaving the
premises, I see the YELLOW BIG BUS.

KI: I gather that is perfection in Puerto Rico.

HO: Damn right. But not finished yet. I arrived to CAGUAS CONCRETE COUNTRY ZOO, They all asked for you, at twenty to twelve. Four people were waiting, including
yours truly. In a situation of 100 possibilities, 99 would have required that our hero
returned after LUNCH, but I got that ONE possibility.

KI: Well know we are talking. NOT only in Puerto Rico, anywhere such luck is remarkable, then what?

HO: Ingrid, the friendly professional employee took care of yours truly in about five
minutes. Believe it or not. THE information required was found, it has only to be
pulled from the thirty years old files. Then I will be called to retrieve it in a lapse
of twenty business days. That is perfection.

KI: WOW, GUAU bilingual ones. YOU conform with little.
HO: Sure. Bureaucracy does not work in the percentages mentioned. To have the fortune of finding a professional courteous employee, anywhere is like the lotto.

KI: Are we there yet?
HO: NO. You fool. The picture is not complete. After the Ingrid affair, I left very happy and who did I find buying lottery tickets? BEBE SOSA, in capital letters.
This smart, educated, with a permanent smile, not seeing in over thirty years was
there. We had a rushed chat for 3 minutes. I still remember his moves while playing basketball in Villa Turabo moons ago.

KI: Then what?
HO: Had a beer with a chaser or otherwise, as you like. Left the premises in the Bus
Terminal, took a leak in the public restroom. Another marvel. It is the first time
in thirty on and off years that I use it finding it impeccable, not smelly of urea an clean.

KI: GUAU, WOW, inverted, you are frightening me now. All these simple events made your day?
HO: When you got the sight I got, these simple things create happiness. But the best
part is coming.

KI: More of the same?
HO: Yep. Human interactions. I took the yellow big bus soon after for the return trip to Santurce, Nueva Kisikeya. Memories of the past/future returned of the times I was a college student in RIO. The bus took off and
half way into it, I noticed this little fellow with a big nose, a pencil draw moustache, dyed black hair, talking to the ladies. I asked, and surely it was him. JULIO CESAR ANDALUZ. A local singer, impersonator, comedian from my old days working in
the now defunct LA SEMANA, a regional paper. We chat for a few...

KI: Can we kill this story, so unusual from your customary editorial stance?

HO: What is wrong with demonstrating that the misanthropy is not chronic, that there is still hope? Once Julius Cesar Walking Light as he reminded me his name
would be translated got off the bus... I noticed two other people engaged in a conversation six seats away from me.

KI: Forgive me, but you have a reputation for being brief...Just in case..

HO: Fine, just for that. The two people engaged in conversation were GUILLERMO
VILLEGAS, another fellow I had not seen in three decades, from SAVARONA, that
former Puertorican barrio in CAGUAS, now a province from LA ESPANHOLA. He was chatting with a 75 year old lady, who had taught dance in the Cultural Center
in Caguas, when it was in Padial street, one of those nice rare long ones in that
Country Zoo. The all asked for you... The tigers ask, the buzzard ask, the dolphins asked.... They even enquire about you... We talked all the way back and went our ways as is all ways the case.
A rare, simple, joyful day down here.

EDITORS NOTE

Keeping with the essence... it is pertinent
mentioning a visit to our Lame Ducks Blogs Puerto Rican Guild
Something fishy like, worthy of mentioning takes
place among these scratch my back and I scratch yours
squad. They are all in the same editorial bag,
wrapped in the flag, giving each other PRIZES, such the
E one, as in excellent.

It is not out of jealousy or envy that I comment, but
what is the merit to offer prizes just to five guild
members
when there are tens, hundred of blogs that are really, original,
good, meaningful, with something to say/write. Endemismo is not worthy of
any prizes yet. When the Trujillo Alto Areces Mallea/Ocampo ecoenvironmental crime and destruction gets published
in paper, then, I will give myself a medal, trophy and certificate...

ENVIRONMENTAL AND GARDENING FOOLISHNESS A SKETCH

FOR QUITE some time I have declared my absolute opposition to hedges, turf and palms. It is not a problem of ignorance, since ALL botanical gardens, keep them. Not only that, they offer courses in TURF maintenance, as if the world really need to spend billions of dollars in research in places like RUTGERS University to develop TURF seeds for shade, sun, resistant to this or that. Oh, almost forgot no Dandy lions or any other wild/natural weeds need to apply.

I will be more specific and request
some patience, if you do not
plant anything and drop by for entertainment only.

Turf is selected according to the following: to play and heavy traffic,
maintenance and infrequent water, limited water availability, salt tolerant
light foot traffic, mixed seeds for sun/shade.

You have to prepare the soil accordingly, will need a rototiller, drop spreaders,
lawn rollers if planting seeds, and irrigate twice daily.

If you want, planting plugs is another option. These spread by runners and used
where grasses can not be started from seed.

Another way is laying sod, more expensive but quick if you have that great
urge to have a lawn. With this method one can walk in a few weeks on the
surface, contrary to the first two. There will be less weeding, but the soil has to
be prepared and irrigated in the same way.
Intelligent, educated people with or without money, with or without
the time, will consider the difficulty, waste of energy of all this adventure,
except Puertorican agronomists and landscape architects.
But we are just starting.

After this pain in the ass, absurd shore is done, MAINTENANCE follows. Each blade of grass is a food factory that needs to stand straight and tall in order to maintain itself and stay healthy. Tall grass cut at a uniform height will appear just as even as grass cut short.

There are at least 15 types of grasses used with the intentions mentioned above, but if you research, one finds over a hundred of varieties are offered with different qualities and resistance.

With the happy grass on, removing weeds will be part of the fun by pulling or with herbicide. Pre
emergent or post emergent herbicides. Thatch is also part of the picture. Dry leaves accumulate not allowing
oxygen/water to reach the grass roots. Soil compaction, low soil fertility, unbalanced pH and improper mowing will help to have all these problems in your turf.

I am bored to hell with this story. But lets finish for know. To all these silly, wasteful practices,
add the correct mowing. The blades should be balanced and sharpened, otherwise you get
the high and low look. Also a problem if the ground is not leveled.

If you cut with trimmer instead of a lawn mower the tip of the grass blades will be smashed, not
properly cut. They look like shit, to be honest. If you do not rake every once in a while, using a blower as 9 out of 10 weed whackers squads do, you will get thatch. If you cut when the grass when it is too tall, without mulching/raking you get thatch.

Add the C02, from trimmers, blowers, lawn mowers, irritating, disturbing noise, use of propane, the gas, oil, diesel spills polluting soil and water.

Still doubting? What about the wasteful irrigation? The other pollution with fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides. Going to all water streams eventually. Think of the greatest environmental criminals with such an innocent sport GOLF!

If you still insist, then, forget about helping the environment unless you CHANGE,
the maintenance practices. If you have the time, money and energy to continue, you may check:
eartheasy.com/grow. Or going the ecologically correct way...However you may have to get goats,
sheep, or a push mower to reach that goal. Forgive me lord because, I have also sinned. Time to go...

DESIGNING WITH YOUR NOSE OR THE FRAGRANCE FACTOR IN THE INSTALLATION

IT DOES NOT MATTER, if you live in Reunion Island, the Canary or the British ones. If it is cold/hot, dry/wet or in betweenies. One can create a garden with future smells. It is a matter of real patience since it is one thing to see the flowers, another to have a chance to get close to them and enjoy that unique pleasure lasting for short periods of time.

In Puerto Rico this noisy, overcrowded, god forsaken island, where those working in the many areas discussed in this blog demonstrate permanent stupidity, little or no vision, no originality when
designing any garden/installation, due to mentally challenging issues, I add now, the lack of smelling. In this wide group, I will include scientists, entomologists, botanists,
biologists and environmental indoor/computer freaks, working with environmental issues in Federal and local spheres.

The most impressive sensation I have felt down in the concrete/asphalt hell, where
leveled, straight sidewalks/roads are a mirage, will last a long while. One early
morning, while on my ecotourist strolls in Santurce,( the wonderful little island with hidden alleyways), I received, the powerful, yet subtle fragrance of the Murraya paniculata, in one corner of the Ponce de Leon Avenue, where the First Bank branch stands.

There are two row of them, on this street instersecting the above mentioned, probably twenty years old. The wind brought that nostalgic fragrance from the past. These wonderful small trees were in fashion for focal points, planted in rows or used for hedges. They are not in demand now for their slow growth. Jerks in landscaping plant TREES, such as FICUS, to create unmanageable hedges. Believe it or not.

The past. What the hell is that you may wonder. In my case, times of little or no resources, money, jobs, electricity, water, highways: childhood, not necessarily
my own. However, children were creative. In their spare time, toys were created from scratch, every game required some exercise and imagination.

Now we got fat, lazy, good for nothing mostly, just like
their parents hooked to the playstation, computer, tv and cellular phone, anxiety ridden always wanting to be entertained.. In the sixties one had at least, if you could read, newspapers and books. Now every thing seems entertainment, useless, meaningless electronic games.

Having that cleared. Lets present the best plants, vines, herbs, bushes trees with fragrance as a bonus, a scarce quality in most gardens, or in nature, when you think of it.

BEST SELECTION FOR
FRAGRANCE IN YOUR GARDEN
ACCORDING TO yours truly
AND HIS TRADITIONAL HUMBLE OPINION

1. Orange/Lemon
2. Frangipani
3. Murraya paniculata
4. Gardenia
4. Mirabilis siciliana
5. Nerius oleander *
6. Ylan-Ylan *
7. Ipomoea alba
8. Rosemary
9. Oregano
10. Thyme
11. Basil

I am not using botanical names for a change. These are not written in stone. In first place there are two since I can not tell which one is more impressive.

In number two, I am totally prejudiced. In essence, everything in this short list is actually in my inventory, except those with the asterisk.

They will never be. On six, my dislike for the ugliness of its architecture, both 5 and 6 have
an overwhelming sweet vanilla like scent, not of my liking. However, many people think its great.

I will finish this post stating that even if you do not cook, the final four on the list, are elegant on their own, enhancing any garden. People who are into herbals and edible gardens certainly have their preferences regarding fragrance. On the other hand in cooking, flavor is another scheme of things. One thing is certain, a good gardener considering everything stated here, will take
a little time to consider fragrance, and planting where is adequate, by doors and windows, against the wind.

EDITORS NOTE

During the last tree years that I have kept this blog,
I have offered all the skills and information shared
with the reader with the Ajaime People, Fondita de Jesus,
Hogares Rafaela Ybarra, Peninsula de Cantera,
Comunidad G8, ENLACE and many others
public/private agencies.

But the people in charge, are all idiots with little brains and
big tittles, no imagination, no exceptions to the rule. NO skills, vision and
now I add, SMELL.

This aspect of gardening has to be put in perspective.
All people in bed unable to move, in wheel chairs, the blind or
visually impaired could have little sparks of motivation
with Horticultural Therapy. One does not need
a Harvard tittle to develop some skills and objectives with
this segment of the population, perhaps in your country
this modality is practiced. Here among the jackasses is not.