HORTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENTAL UPDATES

IT HAS been a while since I wrote about the garden. Here is a brief. Some of the old mutilated Ixoras and Crotons were removed, substituted with Murrayas and Frangipanis. That is
two of each in front of the house. Cosmos sulphureous are about
two feet tall, some of their seeds are coming up. These
flowers are bright orange and make a perfect contrast with the
green chartreuse of the garden Ipomoeas.

Other recent plantings...Four Poinsettias, you know those overused during Christmas, planted as a petition. If you noticed those you bought are dead within fortyfivedays, it is not your
fault. Propagators have created this kind, designed to be dead,
after a while. Next year you buy some, and so forth. Not
too happy with it, but what the heck.

Fourteen dwarf (little people) Ruellias were planted, among
8 Wedelias trilobatas to make difficult for the cats the habit
forming use of the garden as water toilet. Besides, a couple
of Bauhinias, the pink kind, have been relocated in a big plastic
pot, along one Tartago and 3 Turneras ulmiformes the most
abundant in our space.

Surprisingly, after many months after they were planted, two,
not so common species have come out of the blues..... Bixa Orellana, a bush, its seeds used for coloring and cooking and Passiflora Edulis, a climber, with one of the strangest flowers anywhere. Crispin, helped yours truly two identify the first, since
he was the one who gave me the seeds. Almost forgot, a couple of Carica papaya, have also become part of the family, now over
eighty. Perhaps I should mention that you need both male
and female trees to get the fruit, just in case.

OF the twenty four species of wild flowers claimed by the seed company, only six have shown up. Even after planting a bunch in a more adequate
sun exposed area, the result was the same. A rip off if you ask me.

THANKS to the local islanders environmental tribal leadership,
(now with an English consulate),congratulations; it has occurred to me, other requirements for self claimed environmentalists at
the keyboard.

One. An oath declaring firmly not to use in their property: blowers, lawn mowers, or trimmers for their polluting properties and noise making.

Two. A list of twenty botanical names of plants, trees, bushes, climbers, whatever that you can identify. This amount will
be extended in proportion to the extent of your fire eating, preaching to save the environment through the media, printed, or else.

Three. You will have to offer a demonstrative class of propagating from seeds or division. Explain the chemical
process of photosynthesis and the essence of ecology. Why
is it so important? And why you should start planting instead
of seeking for meaningless signatures and/or petitions.

NOW is time to go. Put aside your ego in a calcium shell,
plant something. Talk is cheap.