The complicated world of plants

The seeds of the heliconia are what ensures life. These brightly coloured pods that emerge from the flower bracts are irresistible to tanagers and hummingbirds. All heliconias have some sort of pod often in different colours depending on the type of heliconia. Usually they are a contrasting colour to the flower bract. My sexy orange bracts give forth an indigo seed. Like the bromeliads, the bracts often serve as breeding spots for mosquito colonies and it is a good idea to check for larvae every now and then.
I thought that this plant was a philodendron. However, on researching it, I'm pretty sure that it belongs to the genus Monstera (Monstera Deliciosa) which was, for a long time, considered part of the philodendron family. It is commonly known as "swiss cheese plant" . This is the first year that I have seen it produce this inflorescence. I'm not sure if this will develop into a leaf or a fruit. The leaves of the Monstera plant after an evening shower.
The lavender blooms of this lime green coleus are so beautiful that I can't beat to pinch them off. With coleus, I've always been told to remove the flowers to allow for longer life of the plant. Usually I do but with butterflies everywhere at this time of year, I can't bear to remove flowers from anything.

War in the Garden

This is my enemy. Mr Bachac.


Now that I know that the worker ant has big powerful jaws.

My poor vandas never stood a chance.

Fox among the Bromeliads

If you had asked me the least likely thing to make it onto my blog, I may have gotten to fox. But here he is in all his glory. Certainly not from Trinidad. He is courtesy my sister Jennifer's friend Stuart. Thank you Stuart. He is gorgeous. I didn't even know that they had foxes in Miami. Big city that it is, Miami never fails to amaze me with its wildlife. Jen, I'm really sorry that Mummy couldn't see this. I told her about it on the phone and she was really interested. A spark.

Unusual Colour Combinations

I have lots of cordylines in my garden. They are a great addition to any bed because the colours change depending on the amount of sun that they get. Nature does the most amazing colour pairing. Look closely at the pink edge of this foliage. Unusual combination of red and pink to say the least.
My miniature pineapple has a new one again. I just keep putting the tops back in the ground and am slowly building up a small collection. I've never tried to eat them. I'm sure they're just decorative.This I did eat and it was delicious. Remember we saw it as a flower?
I adore begonias. Unfortunately the feeling is not mutual. I have very clayey soil and the hybrid begonias are not as hardy as their common cousins like the bread and cheese. This particular one is quite hardy and I just love the dots on the leaves.

Chancy, please help. This is my new bed. I paired them for the colours but have no idea what either one is called. Aren't the colours lovely?

August Blooms

This dellicately coloured anthurium is one of the most popular in the cut flower market. It lasts for about three weeks in fresh water.
This little vine is the blue pea. I'm not sure of the real name but it is a cheerful addition to any porch as it is always in flower. It will grow easily from seeds that develop in the pods.

Dendrobiums are among the hardiest of the orchid family. The genera is ever increasing as breeders continue to develop hybrids.
More and more of my bromeliads are coming into bloom now. The only problem with bromeliads at this time of the year is that they collect water and can sometimes serve as reservoirs for breeding mosquito colonies. With dengue always a concern, it is a good idea to check bromeliads for mosquito larvae.

Hurricane Dean

Part of the first ever "family portrait" of the solar system taken by Voyager 1 in 1990, this image of Earth was captured from a distance of more than 4 billion miles. Pictured here as a dot only 0.12 pixels in size, the Earth is, as described by Voyager contributor Carl Sagan, "...a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish this pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/top10_views_of_earth-1.html

These pictures are part of the series of the top ten photos taken from outer space. I'm taking a slightly different slant tonight as Hurricane Dean bears down on our Caribbean neighbours. As I type this, it is roaring towards Jamaica. I can't help but think of all the people that will lose homes, security and everything familiar. But I also think of the trees that will be uprooted, the animals lost and the carefully tended gardens destroyed.
This picture is an earthrise taken from the moon. It really is a pretty small planet.
My point is that we are all sharing the same space. And while we can't stop the course of Mother Nature, we can all play a part in reducing global warming.


As I go to bed tonight, I will be thinking of all our Caricom neighbours who are not fortunate enough to live below 10 degrees north.

Shades of Red

Red is a strong colour in any landscape. Here in Trinidad, it is more common to see both flowers and foliage in bright, vivid colours. Something about the tropics doesn't lend itself to subtlety. Everything is larger than life and brighter than photoshop. Could it be that the warmth is so conducive to life that everything is more competitive?
The anthurium is about as in-your-face as you can get. As a child, I hated them because I found them so vulgar. However, they have grown on me and the sheer variety available is dizzying.



Gerberas are not indigenous to the region and, as much as I love them, they are very demanding. Almost the stereotype of the hothouse flower. They love cosseting and feeding and are vulnerable to many insects, fungi and root rot if they are kept wet. I always admire the people who grow both gerberas and roses in our tropical, humid climate. It shows an attention to detail and a nurturing that is all the more admirable because I am incapable of growing either one. Maybe I will try again.



Bromeliads belong to an enormous family of mostly epiphytic members. The most famous bromeliad in the family tree would have to be the pineapple which epitomizes the tropics. While most are indigenous to South America and the Caribbean, hybridization has created whole new generas. I think that the one above belongs to the Aechmea group which are characterized by broad fleshy leaves in a rosette and striking inflorescences that rise from the centre. If anyone knows the name please post and let me know. Propogated by means of offshoots that form from the base of the mother plant, the new babies are known as "pups". If you come by a bromeliad and treat it kindly , it will throw pups for you and enable the beginning of a collection.


This lovely vine is a member of the ipomoea family and is known locally as "red morning glory" or "princess vine". It was available for sale a few years ago and has since become very difficult to find. It is beautiful and not overpowering so it will do very well in a porch or on a small trellis. It seems to be fairly difficult to propagate. My sister-in-law Joy has had luck with seeds but has not been able to get a batch in some time. I had one at my town house before we moved to our house and it nearly broke my heart to leave it, but by that time it was well settled in the ground. I think the correct name may be I. Horsfalliae. If anyone can confirm this, please post.

Tobago

Sundown on Pigeon Point beach
The friend that I made on the beach. He came all the way down the beach with me to take pictures.
Calabash gourds are marvellous as bird feeders or as outdoor lanterns when used with tea lights. They are meticulously worked and carved into all types of unique shapes. They are useful for so many things.


We met these macaws on an afternoon drive through Bacolet one afternoon. They live at a lovely little boutique called the The Cotton House . Neither Macaw is indigenous to Tobago. The blue and gold was once quite prevalent in Trinidad but are now quite rare. Our Forestry division is currently reintroducing several back into the wild. The red macaws are not usually seen on the islands. They are indigenous to South America. I owned a blue and gold that I had from a completely featherless baby. His name was Zak and he was hand fed andI had no idea how loyal and intelligent they are until I owned one. I would not encourage the black market trade now but it is still painful to see the smuggled babies when they come through from the mainland. The Forestry division is very good now and have clamped down on the smuggling of these beautiful birds. Zak had free rein in our house and walked around terrorizing the other animals and destroying the furniture. When I began travelling for work, I gave him to a farm where there were lots of other macaws for him to bond with. He was very happy until all the birds caught a virus and died. I still feel guilty.This flower is Pride of Barbados. I'm not sure if it is related to the Flamboyant family as the buds and leaves are so similar. I will have to check.