Dream garden

 Cordyline pink flame very drought tolerant once established illuminated this area of the garden

 Yellow shrimp plant en mass was a delight to see.

 Alternathera  aka tea plants made a stunning border along this path.

 Succulents, cacti, portulaca, adeniums, kalanchoes made up this rockery.

Pink hibiscus, acalypha, clerondendron quadrilocure, crotons, cat whiskers and galphima glauca (thryallis)

 Kalanchoes surrounds sanserviera and adeniums

dendrobium aggregatum orchid growing on a palm tree, thanks to Sheri for correctly identifying it for me.

 Plumeria tree hosting this cattleya skinneri orchid my thanks again to Sheri

 Bougainvillea gone wild

Philodendron moonlight

Earlier this month the rustic Bajan gardener visited  one of her favorite gardens in the open garden program organized by the local horticultural society. The garden located in Gibbes St. Peter, is owned by a long time resident  by the name of Ole Dam Mikkelsen who hails from Denmark. If you haven't seen the previous posts on his garden a few years ago please click on the above link. Ole's garden is and if not is the most beautiful garden on the island. This five plus acre garden boasts of rare and exclusive exotic plants from around the world and a huge collection of orchids.  This garden is every gardener's dream and  will never disappoint you. Have a great weekend friends and enjoy!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

 Pommerac (malay apple) in bloom aka French Cashew and plumrose in some of the islands

 Pride of Dominica (sabinea carinalis)bloomed for the first time

 Cattleya  orchid

 Kalanchoes still blooming

Hello and welcome to Garden blogger bloom day where gardeners from around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens. We are into the dry season and haven't had rain for two months. The ground is cracking and I am hoping for a few rain showers to come soon.  

Work on the homestead is progressing , the ceilings are being installed and should be finished in a another day or two. To see more of what is blooming around the globe please go over to Carol at May dreams gardens whose idea it was to  start GBBD. Have a great weekend my friends!

Roof is on

Ceiling being torn down with decades of dust falling

The house is constructed of coral and limestone field stones (aka rubble stone) and was built before 1840

I guessed that the roof was around 65+ years old.

Hand forged nails that held the ceiling and rafters together.

Reinforced concrete ring beam installed with rafters, a continuous steel rod threads each rafter that is encased in the concrete to further strengthen the roof in the event of  a hurricane. These walls are 21 inches thick.

Stones that made up the ring beam, it seems like sacrilege to throw them out and replace them with concrete. I will keep them for garden projects.

 Hello friends phase one is over and I am now into phase two where ceilings are being installed by the carpenters. I have been sanding and painting primer on sheets of grooved ply (T111) before they are installed. The real painting will take place later. After that phase three will start where the walls will be peeled  and re plastered inside and outside. Then phase four will be the installation of windows and the sanding of the floors. The final phase will be the closets.  Whew,  I am still sleeping with the dogs and will be checking for fleas.

Garden Blogger's Bloom day Feburary 2013

 Hello and welcome to garden blogger's bloom day where gardeners around  the world show what is blooming in their gardens.

 I grew over four hundred red Kalanchoes from cuttings  and planted them along this bed and on another nearer the house.

  Starburst clerodendron (clerodendron quadriloculare) putting on an amazing show.

 These colourful graptophyllum pictum  awaiting a sunny spot.

Roof repairs are into week five and I am weary.

To see what is blooming in other gardens please go over to Carol at may dreams gardens. Wishing you all a great weekend and happy gardening!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day Jan 2013

 Magenta night blooming tropical water lily

 Vanda orchid blooming for the first time and took nearly 6 years to bloom!

 While this vanda blooms nonstop

 Garlic vine back in bloom (Pseudoclymma alliaceum)

 Bougainvillea pink ice 

 

 Back garden all cut and waiting for the workmen to wreck!

 Hello and welcome to garden blogger's bloom day where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming  in their gardens. The rustic Bajan gardener has been busy preparing the homestead for roof  repairs. The roof is being rebuilt and we have moved downstairs. Hubby and I are now camping in the TV room while daughter along the rest of stuff in the great room or the formal living room that had been empty for years. Yes I am sleeping with the dogs, not quite but they seem to think that.  The roof will take about  six weeks to complete (I hope).

I have taken back what I had said about our dry season starting in November. We have had rain almost every day so far this month. The night temperatures have been  hovering  between 20-24C while the day remains a constant 27-30C. The ground is saturated and everything is green and lush.  I am hoping that the dry season will kick in while the roof is being built. To see more of what is blooming in gardens around the world please visit Carol at may dreams gardens. 

Have a great week my friends!

A New Year a new garden

The back garden was a riot of colour with containers filled with blooming plants.

 

 A spectacular bloom of this phalenopsis orchid.

 I was in awe of these beautiful anthuriums.

Impatiens dotted this container garden

 Thunbergia grandiflora

 On Sunday the local Horticultural Society commenced their open garden program. Located in the parish of St. John the garden covered approximately 21/2 acres. The hub was at the back of the house where there was an explosion of colour.  It is still a young garden  with many of the trees still in their youth. There were stunning sights like the white petrea  cascading along a support and thunbergia grandiflora on the lawn.  

Next week the open garden will be in the Sandy Lane area.  Even though I had announced the beginning of our official dry season in my last blog or two, it has been a very wet January. It has rained every day so far. So please take what I say about the weather with a fistful of salt. 

Happy  gardening for 2013 and have a great week!