I'm Off to St Kitts

And this is the family that I am leaving behind and whom I will miss terribly. Here they are in random order.

Katie; yes, she does have this much personality. I inherited her because, I suspect, she can be a bit noisy. (She howls). But even that is part of her charm I think.Smalta and Ross

Hayley
Smalta; this dog is so smart, the only thing he does not do is answer the phone!

Susie is quite mad and as you can see, literally long in the tooth. As I write this, she is in her customary spot on top of my scanner keeping company as I write.
I'm off for a week to do some work in St Kitts. I'm going to try and blog from there but don't know the set up yet.

It's all in the Details

Cat's Whiskers come from the botanical family Labiatae and are native to SouthEast Asia. I also have a purple one which is far more rowdy and difficult to control. With its dark leaves and striking white flowers , it brightens up most beds and once pruned into a compact bushy shape, it behaves itself. Everyone knows that gardens are expensive places to run. They require copious amounts of feeding, supplemental planting, and manuring just to get them up and running. That's one of the reasons I particularly love this little plant. It "catches" in the blink of an eye and once it enjoys enough sunshine, it will be perpetually covered in flowers. There are certain plants that are repeated ad nauseum in my garden and, you guessed it, they are the ones that I "catch" myself. Other faves are oxalis, crotons, begonias and mundo grass.

These two belong together. Yes they do. And no, they are not ferns. I do know that they are all feathery and frondy but are, apparently, members of the carrot family and this is the flower. Nature never fails to surprise.Lantana is one of those plants that does well in everyone else's garden and hates the sight of me. I am trying again. This time, I am prepared. I have fed, mulched and made sure that there is enough direct sun and dry soil to keep any self respecting Lantana happy. We shall see. I am persisting because when Lantana thrives, it is gorgeous. Beautiful in the detail and in the whole. In fact my Tropical Garden book describes it as a "sometimes invasive shrub". Hah.

Nostalgic for Mayaro

I'm going down a different road today . All day I've been nostalgic. Must be something about the humidity in the air that made me yearn for Mayaro and its long , wide expanse of sand. I spent hours on this beach as a child , digging for chipchip and soaking in the small pools at the surf's edge. Two weeks over August holidays would soon slip into the familiar routine of waking up, running out to get your coconut off the tree, drinking the water straight out of the feshly beheaded nut before the nut was split so we could scoop out the slippery jelly. These pictures are from my mother's childhood. They would be dated around the mid 1940s. She talks of her parents packing up the car complete with the cat, the dog and the pet squirrel.
The beach is still the same today. Yes, there has been a fair amount of development but by and large, it is the same. Certainly no full scale tourism or large projects. The full moon still rises over the Atlantic ocean much in the same way that it has done for infinity.


The pictures below are my Mum at about five. It's obvious where my love of animals comes from as they have been part of my life from my earliest memories. It's so hard to believe that these are from a life over a half century ago. Some things change but so many remain the same.
Here she is again with a baby donkey. The baby deer below was orphaned and belonged to her friend and Mayaro neighbour Marlene. He was bottle fed and and the centre of much attention.
The poses of childhood are universal and timeless.My Mum has been battling breast cancer for 12 years now. She is a survivor who has fought her battle with dignity and humour all the way.

My New Lens!

Well guess who got a new lens today? I am so thrilled with it. It is a Canon 50mm, F2.5 and there is a huge difference between this and the Rebel XT's Kit lens. Thank you , Mark!This is my honeysuckle vine which smells as delicious as you think honeysuckle should. The very sound of the name is divine- honeysuckle.
My firework burst of lantana.
The Sexy Red with its powdery leaves.
Remember the baby pink bananas from last week. Here they are all grown up.
A new coleus to my garden. My first one with pinks and greens and I've placed it next to the pink calladiums.

Thank you Rain.

This is what my plants seem to be saying. Everything has greened up nicely and my maidenhair which can be fussy is thriving. I did 108 sun salutations in yoga this morning to work towards a more green Trinidad and Tobago. We are industrializing at such a frightening pace that I wonder where we will be in 20 years. The beauty of these two islands is so amazing that I really believe that Trinbagonians feel deep down that nothing bad can really happen to us. We assume that what we have now will always be here. Not so if we continue along this vein. I take my hat off to all the people who have been protesting the building of not just one smelter, but two, in South Trinidad. They have worked tirelessly to keep this issue in the forefront of national consciousness. I support them but am ashamed to say that I haven't put my money where my mouth is and have not been out to march or protest. Someone in the government remind me why we need smelters on our tiny little island jewels?

The red veins on this acalypha complement the tan and green background and with its serrated edges it is a complete interior design palette.
A perfect slide for an idle lizard.

Hello, hello rain. We have missed you.By noon, this cheerful bloom has packed up show for the day. But don't miss a group of them at 8.00am when they are in full swing.

The Changing Face of my Garden

This is the side view of my garden. The Double Chaconia really outdid itself this year and produced huge crimson blooms. It is amazing how quickly the landscape changes. The sun moves constantly during the year with certain areas moving quite dramatically from full shade to full sun. My ferns often get unruly and begin leaping from spot to spot (quite literally!) and it is quite a job to keep them in line. When I first started gardening this space, I was more lenient but as the plants and I have grown together I realize that I must be the alpha and show them who's boss! As is often the case with people, they tend to really thrive with a little reining in.
My brand new arbour was set up to showcase my odontodenia. I had to dramatically prune the vine after the old arbour collapsed (right before a bumper crop of flowers). Thankfully this all took place at the end of the dry season and not at the beginning. This photo was taken about one month ago and since then the flamboyant above has come into full bloom. With the transition of dry into wet, my lawn is suffering and like the rest of Trinidad, I am being attacked by cinch bug but I've decided that I am not going to spray this year. I'm going to ride it out and see what happens.
This is our Texas smoker! It was custom built on one of the rigs by an old Texan friend. We do use it regularly but I always feel a bit of a fraud when people assume that we know what we are doing and ask me pointed smoking questions. Our smoking experiments have not been terribly successful (yet). The last time we attempted some ribs, the house was fumigated and we all stank of apple chips for days.

I pass this odd tree every day as I drive past the President's grounds. For a long time I really thought that someone had tied these boomerang shapes onto the tree. And in that bizarre, abstract way of idle thoughts, this would cross my mind every time I passed by. This went on for a long time until I noticed that the hanging blooms changed over the months into small, ball like things. If anyone visiting this site has any idea what this tree might be, please post and let me know. I've never seen it anywhere else and I've become very attached to it and its strange offerings.
This little orchid just blooms and blooms and blooms. She is so cheerful and her resilience in rain or shine just seems so pioneer like to me.

Scented Flowers

Those of you that know me, have probably realized that this is my favourite plant.
It is the Odontodenia vine. Indigenous to South America, the delicately scented, salmony-yellow bells hang in clusters from a woody, vigourous vine that has leaves not unlike those of the cocoa tree. If you are lucky it will develop pods (which it did for me once) and you can plant the seeds. I have had no luck growing it by cuttings but we have succeeded by seed. I can take no credit for this as Sandy Gibson , whose forte is really orchids but also includes anything that grows, put his attention to this and figured out the ingenious solution. The seeds emerge from the pod with large airy filaments but the seeds appear too heavy to fly. Hmmmm. Sandy logically thought that they may have been designed to float down jungle rivers (like the Amazon). So the seeds were soaked for about a week (they became quite waterlogged and heavy) and then planted in sandy pro-mix. Bingo and Eureka!! Success. I recently did an article on the Fragant Garden and discovered when researching this plant, that it is showing promise as a potential cytotoxic agent in the fight against ovarian cancer. It is currently under research . Isn't that amazing?
Scented flowers are the magic of a garden. Whether subtle or overpowering they add character to our outdoor rooms . The Datura below is powerful and almost hypnotic . The trumpet shaped bells are so perfectly formed, you just know that they serve some crucial role in fairy land!White begonia or "bread and cheese" as it is ubiquitously known throughout the islands is also deliciously fragrant especially in the morning. The perfume is very delicate and clean smelling.

Rangoon Creeper is a robust climber that often has white, pink and red blooms at the same time. When it is in full bloom, it tends to throw its perfume at dawn and dusk. This photo is not one of mine, it is taken by Michelle Jorsling.
I had to include Garlic Vine because it too is scented. Unfortunately, the unmistakeable smell is very garlic-y. Hence the name. It is Sooo pretty that it's easy to excuse the pungency.
Another beauty Cattleya Mari Song is not just exquisite looking, it is also delicately perfumed. This is another of Michelle's photos.

Here is the chutney mix before it goes into the pot. Most of it has been done in the food processor but there are some large chunks of mango in the mix.
I cooked the chutney this morning and it's really good.
The colour changes pretty quickly and that's why I like to leave the big chunks of fruit for a little variation. It will darken with age and the flavours will settle and mature. It's better this year than last year. I think it's the ginger. Here's the recipe again.

Mango Chutney
26 mangoes- julie, vert, or starch. Half ripe at most- Definitely not ripe! Peeled and sliced or minced
1/2 lb of raisins
1 lb of currants
1 lb of prune
1/2 lb of dates (optional)
4 ozs garlic
1/2 lb of fresh ginger
2 tsp salt
3lbs of brown sugar
1-2 hot peppers to taste
1-2 litres of vinegar (apple cider preferably)

Mix everything together (can use food processor) except sugar and marinate overnight at room temperature (not in fridge).
Next day add sugar and cook for one hour. Stir as needed until wooden spoon stands firm (not too stiff) and mixture starts to leave the sides of the pot. It will start to make hot puffs and bubble. Bottle into sterilized bottles. Label and give to friends.
Notes- The original recipe actually calls for 4 lbs of brown sugar. Last year I used 2 as an experiment. It was quite tart at the beginning but aged beautifully with the flavours really coming in after about six months. The happy medium for me seems to be 3 lbs. You can chunky chop your ingredients (which I do) because I like to see my mango. Many others prefer it minced. It's really your choice. This chutney is great with curry, in sandwiches, spread on top of philly cheese and served with crix for a nice dip.

Chutney and Pommerac (Malay Apple)

I have finally gotten around to making my chutney. True to form, I find it impossible to follow a recipe. This time I have doubled my ginger and garlic and done a combination of fine chopping and chunky whole pieces of fruit. It is soaking overnight in its apple cider vinegar bath and I will cook it tomorrow. The colour changes dramatically once cooked and as it ages it darkens even more.
Pommeracs are also in season right now and I have just completed an article on using them in the kitchen. They are surprisingly delicious cooked and make a great chutney with a flavour not unlike cranberry. Interesting. While some of the trees are in fruit, some are a little behind and are still flowering. If you had to describe the colour of a pommerac flower, it would be impossible. The shade of pink is seldom seen in nature and the carpet underneath the pyramid shaped tree is magical.

T
This sight always makes me happy. It is a kiki (baby shoot) coming off its mama and beginning a new life. In this case, this is the virgin orchid that I bought back from Tobago and have tied onto my palms. It's been dormant for sometime but is now on a growth spurt. We are not out of the woods yet, as I have learnt the hard way. Those lovely tender roots that give me so much joy are gourmet meals for slugs. And it could be over in a matter of days. These tender shoots are also susceptible to fungus and bacteria. If you are separating orchids, this is usually a good time to do it but always sterilize the shears before going from one plant to another so that no funguses or bacteria are spread. Another trick of the professionals that I've learnt is to use cinnamon powder which is a potent antifungal and does have some antibacterial properties. And there's no worry about chemicals. Just sprinkle gently over the roots of your plant.
My decorative purple banana is sandwiched between the sexy orange and pink. Unlike the miniature pink bananas, these purple simply do not know their place! They are walkers and are very leafy so I spend my life up on the bench trimming leaves so that we can see the bananas. One thing that I do love about them is the fact that the yellow orioles love this plant and the contrast of the bright yellow bird against the purple bananas is a treat everytime. Once I can save up for a zoom lens, I might be able to post some shots of this.
My Sexy Oranges are here. Every year I can time them almost to the day. These are my most striking hanging heliconias and my largest by far. Like all hanging heliconias, the secret to showcasing the flowers is to keep the leaves trimmed. It seems ruthless but it is essential so that your blooms don't clash with the leaves. I do this for all my heliconias, especially my rostrata.

Chutney Recipe

Tomorrow is meant to be chutney day. Once everything is prepared, it's a very quick process. My chutney is different to many other Trinidadian recipes. The most commonly seen chutney in local recipe books is grated mango with chadon beni and garlic. This is the one that we make in our family:

Mango Chutney
26 mangoes- julie, vert, or starch. Half ripe at most- Definitely not ripe! Peeled and sliced or minced
1/2 lb of raisins
1 lb of currants
1 lb of prune
1/2 lb of dates (optional)
4 ozs garlic
1/2 lb of fresh ginger
2 tsp salt
3lbs of brown sugar
1-2 hot peppers to taste
1-2 litres of vinegar (apple cider preferably)

Mix everything together (can use food processor) except sugar and marinate overnight at room temperature (not in fridge).
Next day add sugar and cook for one hour. Stir as needed until wooden spoon stands firm (not too stiff) and mixture starts to leave the sides of the pot. It will start to make hot puffs and bubble. Bottle into sterilized bottles. Label and give to friends.
Notes- The original recipe actually calls for 4 lbs of brown sugar. Last year I used 2 as an experiment. It was quite tart at the beginning but aged beautifully with the flavours really coming in after about six months. The happy medium for me seems to be 3 lbs. You can chunky chop your ingredients (which I do) because I like to see my mango. Many others prefer it minced. It's really your choice. This chutney is great with curry, in sandwiches, spread on top of philly cheese and served with crix for a nice dip.
Enjoy

Fort George

The making of my mango chutney was put on the back burner on Friday as I went on a school outing with my daughter's class. It had been years since I visited Fort George and I enjoyed it so much , I had to post the pictures. The fort was built in 1804 by the British as part of a defence strategy to protect the island and main harbour. While the fort ceased to be a military outpost in 1846, it was converted to a signal station in 1902 and functioned as such until 1964. Located on a breezy picturesque mountaintop 1,000 feet above Port of Spain, it was built to provide impregnable fortification against hostile rival colonial powers.

Ross, my husband, grew up on a ridge just below the fort and spent many a summer holiday trekking up the hill with his brothers to look for grapeshot. Among other things, they unearthed a stash of grapeshot (large, rust-encrusted ball bearings used as ammunition), a sword handle and a metal plate. The canons, the dungeon (with its gun barrel bars) and the typical period architecture are well preserved reminders of a different world.

This moth landed on the balcony of the verandah and was quite oblivious to our presence. Look at his patterns. Isn't nature's symmetry beyond amazing? No doubt this is a sophisticated camouflage for a predator and serves our moth well , but that should not take away from the miracle of his design. My friend Geoffrey Gomes, a well known nature guide, once told me that he sometimes goes up to a forested bluff after nightfall, sets up a white sheet in front of a light, and sits back for the show. What comes out of the inky darkness can defy description. Odd things like blue cockroaches. Moths and others insects of all colours and shapes gravitate to the light and land, to be showcased, on the white sheet. At the end of the day, we sometimes forget how lucky we are to live in the rainforest.

This is the view of the mountainside, just beyond the giant mango tree. The abundance of bird and wildlife in these hills is remarkable, a constant reminder that we are really South American in our terrain rather than Caribbean. From the Western end of the fort, there is a clear view over the small island chain that dots its way to the Venezuelan mainland , a mere seven miles away.
TThe children were fascinated by this dungeon (I was a bit as well!). Look closely at the gun barrels that make up the bars. I wonder who made this decision? And how many lonely and frightened men slept here?