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.

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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?

Produce

Generally I'm a dry season kind of person. January is our spring. The air is crisp and the sky has a particular blueness that is good for the soul. By the end of December I am usually drowning in humidity and gasping for the dry season. So much so that I forget the richness of our rain. The big fat heavy drops and the rolls of thunder rumbling down the Northern Range. I am glad to see the rain this year. I woke to heavy rain this morning and the murmurs of a satisfied garden. June is the time of mangoes and with the cocoa tree still bearing, I am feeling rather estate-ish. Below is a picture of cocoa as it is off the tree. The creamy sap that cloaks each pod is sweet and mild and rolls around the mouth comfortably. The actual cocoa bean is quite bitter and almost purple in colour. As teenagers we would grate the cocoa pod (i.e. the nubbly skin) put the slimy product in our hair and leave it in all afternoon believing it to be the best conditioner in the world.
With the mangoes turning ripe faster than we can eat them, it is time to make chutney. We will spend most of tomorrow peeling green mangoes and preparing the bottles. It is somehow fitting that the first recipe post that I make should be mango chutney. I use my mother's recipe and it is an old local one that is lovely. Mango Vert generally makes the best chutney but I have Julies which are unbeatable for fresh eating but (according to my mother) are not the first choice for chutney. I made a batch last year and was very happy with the results so we will see what happens this year.

The reason that the cocoa often goes unused is that it is so beautiful on the tree. I leave them so long that the squirrels eventually get to them and enjoy them more than we do.