GARDEN UPDATES

THE A M LEONARD catalog arrived yesterday. It brought memories from the future. In 2002, after I returned from NY, I thought of doing landscaping maintenance work, but not as many people do, mostly as
a pawn for fifty dollars a day. Receiving orders from people who not only do not know
jack manure about soil composition, plants vascular system, monitoring for insects, propagation or safety rules.

Fortunately, within two years I grasped all that is wrong
with the futile attempts of saving the earth, the habitats., the environment, down these necks of the woods. If that interest you go back and check over one hundred and fifty articles here to get a really w i d e angle picture. The experience was the fundament of my vocation: Horticultural Critic. There are not many.

The catalog brings memories. The tools, information provided makes maintenance interesting and exciting.
Doing it intelligently with the right tools, avoiding the sun/heat. A hat for example,
not a baseball cap. Why do people, companies wear baseball caps? They do not protect your ears or neck. I never wear one, they are for dorks, hiding their boldness.

Collapsable bags. Instead of carrying around, like a fool a one hundred gallon plastic trash can, carry a lightweight bag. Throw the organic matter being pruned, raked, or
collected at the same time. When traveling around one observes all refuse thrown on the ground for hours, and then collected. It is a silly, expensive, wasteful manner of
maintenance.

Reel Mower. If you must have a lawn, it is not over two hundred square meters, and you are physically fit, you should give it a try. I hate lawns, but in the NY Botanical, I had to spend eighteen hours of Turf Maintenance to approve. I know about this, the beauty of a lawn is in in the clean even cut of the blades if sharpened correctly. There
is no cut like these cylindrical blades. This type is the one used in golf courses.

Stamina and shape. This is not in the catalog but should be mentioned. If you spend
everyday of the week sitting in an office, watching television on your spare time, gardening could cause some pain. Particularly when weeding, planting, or pruning with a two hand pruner.

If you are over fifty, with osteo arthritis as yours truly, you will not be able to weed or
plant for over fifteen minutes at a time. The knees will not stand it. Get a comfortable
seat, whatever you can afford. Or a cushion, and do not squat since the pain, tension will not allow you to stand up. Rotate the gardening shores moving against the sun. Plan your activities in such a way that most are done in the shade,
early morning or late afternoon. Keep the trash bag beside you. The standard, takes
a thirty five gallon bag, you can use it with/without a bag.

GARDEN ACTIVITIES UPDATES

Yesterday was raining most of the time. In betweenies a Carica papaya went from the pot to the ground. Three Polyscias and Hibiscus went from pot to soil. The two year old Basil, from a fiberglass rectangular pot to a round plastic one. It looks more attractive now, even though its weird to realize that
it has a woody trunk and branches. Only the leaves and flowers can tell. Three Turneras subulatas went from water rooting to soil and pots. One of
two Hedera helix discovered in Santurce, growing in cracks of a wall: one went to water rooting, the other to soil pot. This is the fun of propagating, horticulture. Trial an error. Constant learning.

Trellis. It was created using the T pipes, used in the past for clothes lines. Nylon cords were tied on the horizontal pipe eight/ten inches apart. At the bottom, they end in a metallic ring, kept safe on the soil with two aluminum hooks. And upside down triangle, looks really nice. It reminds one of a sail... A matter of waiting patiently now, imagine those climbers up the strings, with flowers...

In the fiberglass pot, base of the sail: seeds of Burleria repens, Clitoria ternata, Ipomoea batata, and some beans were planted.

The end is near. Conversations with our photographer accross the street will take
place soon to discuss the possibility of designing a calendar and tshirts to promote
a world wide puerorican enterprise. Pretty Grasses in Toa Alta. Jaha bilingual
laugh.. Until then. Keep planting and smile when necessary.