White fly--and this ain't no April fools joke

White fly has been out of control for several years now in the area. It wiped out a good deal of ficus in the first year or two. The local human population began spraying. White fly are becoming resistant to the usual pesticides, and, unfortunately, this winter was too warm to put a dent in the population. Now that it's getting warm and humid -- the world is their oyster..

Some of the plants respond well to a protective systemic douche. Plumeria does and once treated stays that way for a good long while. (Plumeria leaves will begin to curl when irritated, a healthy plumeria leaf is a glossy, with slight waves along the edge). Systemic poison does nothing to protect the wiry duranta. An important and obvious gardening axiom --  a healthy plant is always able to defend itself against insects more successfully than one that's stressed. I have begun to pay more attention to the watering and feeding of the duranta and it no longer snows when I rustle its branches.

The Vietnamese gardenia has had intermittent issues with new growth being sucked dry by the flies. Right now, it's leaves are as glossy as I've ever seen a gardenia and it has had a good bloom period. I noticed today one spot of new growth covered in the fat little suckers. I had the great pleasure of smearing them between my fingers. It was very satisfying- and I'm not one to take pleasure in gratuitous violence toward insects. I wonder if feeding the shrub a mixture of Superthrive, fish/guano emulsion and soil acidifier (iron + minerals)  might not be to the insects liking so much.

The potato tree has been dropping leaves, I can't tell whether it's a fungus or white fly. White fly can pass disease..  I don't think it a fungus due to over-watering as the transpiration of the colossal leaves on this thing must drink up a good deal on a sunny day, which we've been having regularly now for 3 months. Keeping it well groomed seems to make a big difference with this big boy. It's looking perky now after a good watering in.

What to do during a plague? Don't grow susceptible plants. Gardenia, jasmine, bleeding heart, plumeria at times, are all targets. Interestingly, bower vine doesn't seem to be bothered by any insect so far (having said that, a swarm of flying piranhas will probably come strip it clean).  So.. grow bower vine, plumeria, bromeliad, begonias. I have never had trouble with white fly and the big, juicy leaves of my begonias. The thick leaves of the bird-of-paradise host white fly seemingly without consequence. So, banana and heliconia would probably be safe as well.

Feeding day. Mix used: guano/fish, soil acidifier / iron, and SuperThrive, who knows what if anything Superthrive does, but I love all of the hyperbolic claims on the retro lable.

The croton and gardenia are responding very well to the light dash of acidifier in their tea. The leaves are deep and glossy- as pretty as any flower.

Still in high spring bloom. I am happy with the variety of colors now. Yellow, coral, purple, magenta, white, pale blue and the pink of the begonias- still in bloom.

 Food+water+sun+love = happy plumeria! 

Miniature bracts tightly massed along branch
White bleeding heart right background.

It's been sunny for the past 5 or so days. A good watering in was due to all.

We sustained the first thunderstorm of the 2012 season. The scent of fish was washed away.

let's get cereus!

Just about to hit the ceiling of the terrace roof, this night blooming cereus looks odd growing in solitary strands up the masonry. It clings tightly and I'm very interested to see what happens when it's nose hits the ceiling. It has to hang over to bloom, not sure if that will happen- though I might be able to rig some support for it at the top to keep it secure.

Cereus climbing quickly upward. Severely pruned plumeria to the right (growing in quickly!)

Clinging roots add interest to an otherwise blank wall. 

Bromo-pics

I am really coming to love bromeliads; wind-resistant, easy care, beautiful habit, etc. 

Bromeliad Aechmea 'Dean' with chair for scale. 

Aechmea 'Zebrina Surprise' maybe too much sun in this spot. I'll try the potted pup inside.

Something's fishy

Early spring

I have been slaphappy with the fish / guano fertilizer (which smells like rotting fish and excrement)  using more than the 1/2 oz per gal. every 14 day application recommendation on the bottle. It's  9-6-2 and an organic liquid feed so it hasn't burned anything yet-- still don't want to injure roots or cause irregular growth which overfeeding will do.

Having said that, the food, spring sun and regular watering are making everybody happy as there are blooms all around; 4 colors of bougainvillea are flowering, yellow, coral, magenta and purple; as is jasmine, gardenia, bower, begonia (still), the plumeria, though not blooming after it's severe prune isn't blooming, is starting to green out in an increasingly robust manner.

Orange sherbert, scarlet and gold

Spring action

The vines growing on the handrail have taken about a year to fill out. The cooler temperatures of the past 4 or 5 months, even watering and steady light feeding pay off with these two. Jasmine of course is always the star when in bloom. Sweet honey. The bower vine ( Bignoniaceae family, hardy only in zones 9b-11), is one of my favorites, the simple flowers would lend themselves nicely to the tropical cottage garden. It is a vigorous grower that will cover anything that will lend it a hand. Remember-- anyone and everyone needs extra food when their putting out the blossoms. This isn't official science mind you, just a guess of mine. 

Pandora jasminoides aka Bower Vine. Simple and beautiful flowers. A vigorous grower when you keep it fed.

Jasmine and purple bougainvillea look magic here. And when a gentle breeze blows, this jasmine tickles the nose with it's sweetness.

A bold move



Taking a big ole rhizomatous out of the nice humidity outside and bringing it in to test effect on leaf coloration and growth in the controled indoor environment. Watch over us father..



Jasmine amidst the bougainvillea on the handrail

Love at first site

A STEAL at $25, this is a beautiful bromeliade, with pups on the way. 

Le must du jardin

April 8, getting a solid covering of green

After a HARD pruning two weeks ago see green appearing on plumeria stalks. Sunshine and some yummy fish/guano tea make a happy pot full of this species 'plumeria pudica'.

Nice.. basal shoots at base of trunks these will produce a nice full head of hair (click on pics)

Notice green buds starting to appear from small nodes on stalks which continue
branching habit started by basal shoots at base

qu'est-ce? Le must du jardin? 

Whooo ... are ... you?

Pulled a number of these off of the orange tree, they were devouring leaves. Not the prettiest of catepillars.  I put them in the trash from which they kept crawling out. My feet came in contact with these ugly gummy bears several times. Not even the dog or cat would touch.

The jungle cram-- I've got to be careful to leave myself some room

Think about colors and textures and keep those pots overflowing!

Love in the garden



Pinquita Sanchez-Vacario-Jones and Dr. Einie Glasson were quietly married last week on St. Barth's. 

 

Pinquita bears a striking resemblence to her great-grandmother, Wallace Simpson, Duchess of Windsor



Food and drink

Up before 6. Coffee. Waning moon over head. By the time I was back with the dog, dawn was revealing a line of rain over ocean. Never made it to shore. It was a sunny, beautiful day. Watering everyone in by 7, following with fish and guano drench fairly soon after. It's been 2 weeks since everyone has been fed. I like the Fish Poop 9-6-2 fertilizer and so do the plants. It's gentle and it adds bacteria and organic matter to the soil rather than just jolting with some salts.

Sunny east wall. Loving the alocasia. Notice creeping fig upper left. Potato right (ish) corner showing a little purple/blue blossom

Sunny west. Notice jack fruit starting up wall next to newly started pot of plumeria (light blue pot lower right). The plumeria will grow 10' + . The bromeliade Achmea 'Dean' in front of bamboo is adding some real muscle to the scene. 

Chance of showers..

It's a front!

The green, green grass of home

Enjoyed the sea and the novels read, but I am happy to be back in the land of humid, shady hammocks.

A front has blown through today, bringing some cooler air and heavy, though brief, rain.  Terrace looks great thanks for a hard working friend who watered for me.

The spareness of the landscape in the near-equitorial islands of Aruba and Curacao is striking and makes one appreciate any vegetation there all the more. The bougainvillea was riotous-- this clime is perfect. Also saw a number of healthy, happy, plumeria trees, soaking up hot sun with very little rainfall to drink.

Too expensive to upload equatorial excursions on Curacao and Aruba while at sea. Our days on land were spent hiking in the Christoffel (Curacao)  and Arikok (Aruba) National Parks. Here are a few pics from Arikok.

Some sweet shade coming up on the trail

A border of blooming Aloe

The dry, exposed soil, highlights all color. Here, the chartreuse shrubbery provides some sweetness for the eye. 

Organ pipe cactus-- Chihuly in the wild