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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The cutting edge

A few months back, I read on Stephanie's blog that she had cut back her desert roses  severely because they had become long and lanky. Last Month,  I took the plunge and cut a few of mine back as well. Hubby complained that  I had cut too much off. Well  here it is now and flowering nicely too.

Two weeks ago, I had this Ficus tree at the front entrance trimmed after it was left ragged by Hurricane Tomas at the end of October.  I rented a cherry picker lift and hired two men with a truck to do the rest. It was not cheap but it had to be done.
On December 22nd  2010,  I was mowing the grass, it was wet and the chute was blocking up every now and again. I decided to give a helping hand. I disengaged the blade, raised the deck of the drive mower and got off to remove some grass. I lifted the cover and flicked some grass that was stuck on the corner of the deck with my finger. The blade had not come to a complete stop and it nearly took my finger off. I stared down at my bloody hand in disbelief, I said oh Sh!&%#. I turned off the mower and ran to the house where I shouted to Chuck that I had cut my finger with the mower and that I had to go to the emergency room. I rinsed my hand in cold water and wrapped it in some paper towels. I then went back to where I had left the mower( across the field) started it up and took it back into the shed where it was housed.  It was around  5.30pm when hubby drove me to the ER , it was the longest drive I had ever taken. Under normal circumstances it would have taken 15-20 minutes. Being Christmas the roads were jammed or there was some accident along the way. We had to take a detour and finally arrived at the ER around 6.30 pm.  The nail remains were removed after getting two stabs (between the middle finger) with a long needle  filled with  anesthetic to numb the area . It was awful to look at. Luckily the blade shaved the finger tip bone and missed the joint.  X-rays were taken and I got a few stitches. I was told to see the orthopedic surgeon the next day. He told me that it was an open fracture and that it will heal in about a month to six weeks. He said that the nail may grow back but it will not  be a smooth one because the nail bed was badly damaged. He said that I was very lucky. 
The dressing has to be changed every two days and luckily for me, my neighbour is a retired nurse and she has been doing that for me. I was told by a friend not use a lawn mower blade to cut my nails anymore. 
I am having an infestation of the frangipani moth caterpillars. They are devouring all the leaves of my frangipani trees and my allamandas. Many of my plants looks like they have been trimmed bare.



We have been having very heavy rain, very unusual since this is the start of our dry season. I had to cancel my Boxing day brunch due to heavy rainfall (and my finger). The day after my injury I was back on the mower finishing the job. This was a very painful lesson for me, I got too friendly with my mower, it is neither a friend nor a pet. I will respect it and fear it.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Seasons Greetings to All



Wishing all my friends and visitors from around the globe, a Happy and Joyous Christmas and a very Peaceful and Healthy 2011


Saturday, December 18, 2010

Exotic Gardens of the Eastern Caribbean



About two years ago I was asked by  a local Horticulturist John Webster,  if I were interested in having my garden photographed by Canada based author and photographer Derek Galon and Margaret Gajek for their up coming book Exotic Gardens of the Eastern Caribbean. I agreed, and Derek and Margaret came and spent some time with me in the garden. Today their beautiful book is now out and  being sold by many 
retailers including Amazon.com
The photography is amazing and  my garden is featured on pages 42 to 47. 

This book features gardens many of us hope to  visit some day,  many of them scattered throughout the Caribbean islands like Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenada.   Small  gardens as well as large ones are featured in this publication. This is a must for tropical garden enthusiasts and a great coffee table read. Included in the book is a delightful  CD of nature calls of  birds and crickets from the islands. For those of you living on the island you can contact me to purchase this book . 

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

GBBD December 2010

This beautiful butterfly topiary photo was taken at Busch Gardens in Tampa Fl. The flowers are dwarf  pink and white begonias.




Hello to all my gardening friends around the globe and a BIG welcome to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day where gardeners post what is blooming in their gardens. Today I decided to post what was blooming on my trip to Orlando earlier this month. My daughter and I visited some of the theme parks and of course I was more interested in their gardens than their roller coasters. I was able to visit Meems from Hoe and Shovel, we had a great time with her and in her garden with much laughter and smiles.  I also met her mom Iris who was also a bundle of fun. Nice to meet you Iris!

While in Tampa we visited Busch Gardens where some of the photos I have posted were taken. To see more of  GBBD please take a stroll over to May dreams garden to see what is happening around the globe.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Northern exposure

The tree lined streets gave a me sense of serenity  as I strolled.
  The view from my cousin's kitchen window made doing the dishes a treat!
 
 The colour of tree leaves was truly an amazing sight to behold this time of year.
 White camellias I spotted in someone's garden and couldn't resist shooting.
 Bright red berries just lit up the surroundings. I don't know the name but perhaps someone can help me.
Roses bloomed effortlessly
 


Lauren (right) with some of the cousins, Arlene,Judy and Mia left

I have been away the last two and a half  weeks visiting Florida and South Carolina. My daughter Lauren and I spent Thanksgiving with cousins in South Carolina. We drove up from South Florida on Tuesday Nov 23 with a layover in Jacksonville and arrived in SC on November 24th. We had a grand time catching up with everyone and meeting new friends. The weather was chilly but that was a welcome change from the island's heat we have been experiencing. With camera in hand I was out and about snapping shots of flowers and trees not minding the cool weather at all.  Stay tuned there is more to come.
To be continued............