Current affairs

strap and terete vandas and a thompsonia hanging in back. happy on a column of chicken wire. 

A snap of current east end of terrace; sea grape, gardenia, bougainvillea, large purple pot has Mexican heather and a 6' sea grape just regrowing it's leaves. I love the big leaves of sea grape..

This Parrot will bite

Pulled an ill deployed philodendron xanadu to house this Parrot Vine. Parrot Vine is an agressive grower, but regular trimming should keep it in it's place. Better have some serious gloves on your hands. The Floribunda Stephanotis on trellis is in bloom, it has a gorgeous fragrance. .  I think purging this beautiful cerulian blue ceramic pot, of the blood sucking xanadu will inspire the Bridal Wreath toward a more fuller self. The trellis should be covered with these two intertwining.

FYI, the heirloom (grafted for S FL) gardenia on the other side of terrace also putting out. The still air is perfumed

Gmelina philippensis, already putting out new growth. 

New blooms after a week. 

Not cheap, but a great value

$75 bougainvillea (red Pixie) Richard Lyons. Beautiful 16" x 6" heavy matte ceramic bonsai bowl from Tropical Plants, Tamarac FL. @ $125.

Clean at last, clean at last thank god all mighty.. clean at last

Once the home of a buddha

How do you get a potted bamboo out of a pot. Didn't think I was going to get this one clear of the steel rhizomes of a mature clump of buddha belly bamboo. I cut the culms down to the soil, and got up as much root as I could with the Sawzall.  Poured 'stump out' on the visible rhizomes. Covered the exposed roots with black trash bags. Repeated this about 2 months later. Two months later, I began working on the roots again. the main root ball just wasn't giving. It was still hard wood..But I began working around the edge of the pot and was able to loosen and begin removing roots (not rhizomes) and soil. I was able to clear soil from around the root ball, it began to give. No cutting necessary. Dig, dig, dig. I had about 10 garbage bags of soil and root by the time I was done. Need to clean it up some,

Somethings bear repeating

In my mind's eye, I have this form ready to be brought into the world! (photo: me, San Juan PR)

Snipping just so...

Let's get busy..

Coccoloba uvifera bonsai
or,
sea grape a utube

I'm going to borrow a picture so you can see what I'm thinking about:

I wanna bonsai my baby

Significant changes kicked off by complaints from below about excess watering pouring from drain spouts onto their terrace. Upon reflection (after knee-jerk ranting), I don't blame them. Then.. the poodles next door evidently eat bougainvillea bracts that blow over from my terrace. I was asked to trim the bougainvillea-- which I did. However, bougainvillea is WAY too important to my heart to even THINK of giving them up.

Ha ha ha, tee hee hee, bougainvillea I love thee

Culling the number of pots and messy plants has improved the cleanliness of the terrace floor. But removing the bamboo and palm have exposed the terrace to the ever increasing intensity of the sun as we approach the the vernal equinox (where as the year gone?).