Saturday blues

petrea volubilis next to the gazebo was ablaze with blooms last week

thunbergia erecta

after a heavy downpour

I came across this field of ruellias or mexican petunias,  when I was out searching for Monarch caterpillars.

Hello folks, I have been busy,  doing very little around the garden  because it has been too wet. I am not complaining, just a bit perturbed and  alarmed at  the rate the weeds and grass is growing. I did manage to cut some of the grass on Friday just before a heavy downpour.  I still have lots more to do hoping that there will be a dry day or two. Today, I had my garden helper open some dry coconuts (24 of them) for me. I am in the process of making some coconut oil.  I will keep you updated on the results. I had seen the instructions on the island farm blog, so I decided to give it a try. I have been meaning to try this for about 10 years or so. As they say, better late than never!

dinner time

 For a quick dinner  tonight I made a pasta primavera with shrimp.  I used the following, please remember these are approximate quantities

2 cups of sliced broccoli 

2 cups of sliced carrots

3 cups  of cooked pasta (rotini or penne cooked al dente)

1 medium onion sliced and chopped

3-4 cloves of finely chopped  garlic

1 red sweet pepper sliced

3-4 stalks of chopped chives

4 sprigs of thyme

1/2 stalk of chopped celery

2 cups of peeled medium shrimps or substitute diced chicken

 1 can of cream of celery soup

1 soup can of water

pinch of salt and black pepper

3/4 cup of aged grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle shrimp with freshly ground black pepper and salt and let sit in the refrigerator in a covered container.  In a large open pan (I used a paella pan), over a medium high setting,  heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil, add onions, celery, garlic, chives and thyme. Stir fry until onions are cooked(translucent) then  add broccoli, carrots and sweet pepper.  Continue stir frying until veggies are partially cooked (about 8-10 minutes ).

 Remove shrimp from refrigerator  and add to the vegetables. Stir fry until shrimps turn pink, reduce heat, then add can of celery soup and a can of water using the soup can. 

Stir until vegetables and shrimp are coated then add cooked  pasta, toss pasta until fully coated, if mixture seems dry add more water, about 1/2 cup.  Finally sprinkle  3/4 cup of  aged grated Parmesan cheese  and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately !

Bon apetit!

Monarch SOS

Recently, I have noticed a decline of monarch butterflies in our garden. The milkweed plants grew and flowered, yet there was no activity on the plants. In prior years, there were always a flutter of monarchs (danaus plexipus) in our garden; then suddenly one day they were all gone! For two years, we waited, and waited, then today I spied a familiar face, gliding and floating lazily from flower to flower. Aha! They were back, at least one was. I screeched (bawled out) with excitement (more like a Chhaaaakk) and I quickly ran to the house to give Chuck the good news.

We later decided to go to a nearby field where we had previously seen many monarchs, to collect a few caterpillars to get the colony going. I was really disappointed with the scarcity of monarch larvae. The field had many of their larval food plants present, yet I spotted one lone monarch. What had happened? Could it be that the heavy and indiscriminate use of pesticides, had finally taken its toll on the population? Or, could it be due to some type of virus? Or had some predator developed an appetite for these bad tasting creatures? After carefully searching under the leaves of their larval host plant, (the giant milkweed) we found about six caterpillars varying in sizes, the largest measuring around 4cms.

We brought them home and they are now happily chomping away on the milkweeds in our garden.

The absence of these creatures is a strong indicator that all is not well in our environment. Without these delightful insects, our food supply will be affected as well as the survival of other important insects in the food chain. These insects are some of the pollinators necessary for food crop and fruit production. I feel a sense of urgency, that unless we do something immediately, we will be in very serious trouble. We have to act now to:

• drastically reduce the use of pesticides and herbicides
• preserve native species of plants that are used for nectar and larval food
  
• to encourage and educate homeowners on how to start butterfly gardens
  
• introduce butterfly gardens into schools where good habits for a healthy environment can be cultivated at an early age

I am presently in the process of planning butterfly gardening workshops here for children and adults.

Kitchen finale

The pantry cupboard panels are made from galvanized steel panels I salvaged from a dumpster. I punched the pattern with a nail and hammer, then gave it an acid wash to strip the finish and sprayed it a copper like colour.

Okay folks, I have finally posted the kitchen photos. Some things have to be tweaked, some to be redone, like the tiles on the back splash. The tiler did such an awful job that I can't live with it. I know that he won't be getting any more work from me nor any recommendations. Apart from that, I am quite pleased with the overall look.

the tea party

from left, Ann, Virginia and Dawn, some of my gardening buddies, taking time out to stroll the garden. These photos were taken by Juliette to whom I am very thankful.

my surprise guest was Nicole from a Caribbean Garden and her brother Rishi who were in town

The tea party was on Saturday. It was good to see old friends and meet new ones. Garden blogger Nicole from a Caribbean Garden, was in town on business and was able to be here. It was really nice to meet up with her again. We also had in spirit, garden bloggers Andrea, Autumn Belle, Kanak, JC, Lotusleaf, Shailaja, Stephanie and Bangchik.

Special thanks to Valerie (the fourth photo down searching her purse) who assisted me in the kitchen, slicing cake, frying the accras, (cod fish cakes) and flying fish fingers. Special thanks to my sister Sandra who helped preparing the fish and with the washing up. There was enough food to feed an army and everyone had some to take home. I am still enjoying the remaining iced tea this morning with the chicken salad on toast.

tropical fruity friday

delicious Erwin mango

Welcome to a tropical fruity Friday in Barbados. My mangoes are almost finished and my star fruit is coming in to season.

Tomorrow, I will be having some friends over to tea, to celebrate my birthday which happens to be today. If you recall, I had sent out invitations to many of you to attend this important event. Many of you have accepted, and I, will be placing your name cards with your blog addresses on my table. Many of my friends will get to meet you and I will have a surprise guest attending.

Tomorrow will also be the official opening of my new kitchen, so stay tuned.

Rambling update

queen of flowers, queen's crape myrtle or pride of India (lagerstromeia speciosa)

I have been watching this tree for several years, every year for flower buds.

Then suddenly one morning I spotted these buds. I was elated!


I have been reading about this tree on some of my gardening friends' blogs in India and Florida. I thought that might be the tree I bought many years ago (about 3 years). I waited impatiently every year to see buds. Hola! This year I am rewarded with some buds and blooms. Not many, just on what seems to be the older branches of the tree. The tree is still quite young and still has many years to grow into the magnificent specimen that it is meant to be . I have seen a few of these trees on the island, one is located in the car park of the Foundation school in Christ Church, and another from Caribbean Plants in Gibbes where this one was purchased.

My garden ramble, which was held over the weekend did not come off as I would have wanted it to. On Saturday, I was competing with the World cup and Wimbledon, and on Sunday it rained buckets. Some people came and bought some plants after the events . Next time, I will do a thorough check before confirming a date. I however, cannot control the weather.

Garden Ramble and plant sale

Hello Barbados,

you are invited to bring your family, friends, cameras and some moola to a Country garden ramble and plant sale on Saturday July 03rd and Sunday July 04th . The rainy season has started so now is the time to get your garden planted. Meet other gardeners and get some helpful tips on landscaping your garden. Let us talk dirty! Special on selected water lilies ! Sample and purchase pickles and chutneys you will never see on the supermarket shelves. A wide selection of plants, palms and trees will be on sale. It starts at 9.00am and finishes at 6.00pm both days. See you soon!

baobab in Barbados

flowers and fruit resemble decorative hanging ornaments

Baobab Tree (Adansonia digitata)

One of the two recorded mature trees in Barbados. This remarkable
tree with a girth of 44.5 ft (13.6m) is believed to have been brought from Guinea, Africa around 1738 making it over 250 years old. Its jug-shaped
trunk is ideally suited for storing water, an ideal adaption in the dry savannah regions of its native Africa.

This tree is located in Warrens St. Michael on the outside of a huge construction site. Local preservationists and historians made it clear that this tree was not to be touched. Just recently, another tree was destroyed by developers who just didn't care that there were fewer than four of these on the island. Its trunk has been used as a guest book for visitors wishing to leave their mark.

flower showers

a beautiful bridal bouquet

The rainbow shower tree (cassia x nealiae) above is a cross between the cassia javanica and the cassia fistula. I have been trying to get a plant for while and I am still looking. This tree is located on the edge of the Sandy Lane golf course. I can recall seeing a total of three of these trees around the island. Since they do not produce any seed pods they can only be propagated by hybridizing and grafting. Looks like I will have to attempt this if I want one. I wonder if they will air layer or grow by pieces? I will try to grow them that way to begin with.
P.S. I am noticing more of these trees as I drive around. There is also a very pale yellow with cream flowers as well.

showing off

Jamaican rain tree

For the past few days, I have been putting off cutting the grass because of the frequent rain showers and the hot sun (any excuse not to sweat and get wet). So this morning I decided to bite the bullet and get on with it. It was quite enjoyable zipping around on my mower. I happened to glance over towards the island beds and suddenly this bolt of yellow struck me. I exclaimed with a loud "WHOA" "OH MY GOD"! I had to go get my camera! My Jamaican rain tree was in her glory and so was my flamboyant . Anything for a break and a kodak moment. Well sadly the break is now over and I have to get back to work......... Tah dah until we meet again.