Early Sunday morning on the rooftop terrace…
Night blooming cereus against the blue wall. By 9:00 AM, its twelve hours of beauty was gone.
Archive for the ‘Flora’ Category
Cereusly azul
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged blue wall, Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD), flowers, Mexico, Night Blooming Cereus, Oaxaca, photos, rooftop garden on May 29, 2023| 2 Comments »
Peaceable kingdom calls for help
Posted in Animals, Creativity, Culture, Environment, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged carved animals, Heriberto Castro López, Indian Laurel tree, Llano Park, Mexico, Nahuatl language, Oaxaca, Parque Juarez El Llano, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, tree sculptures, tree trunk art, urban art, wood carving on May 23, 2023| 9 Comments »
The violent storms Oaxaca experienced in mid April brought down 30+ trees in the city, including one of her beloved old Indian laurels in Llano Park. And, when a tree falls in Oaxaca…
Talented artist, Heriberto Castro López, grabbed his chainsaw and chisel and, with the blessings of the powers that be, turned the fallen tree into a public work of art, a language lesson, and a plea for help.
A monkey, a jaguar, an eagle, a rabbit, an iguana, and there’s a snake in there somewhere — all animals iconic to Oaxaca — emerged.
The animals seem appropriate, as Parque el Llano (aka, Paseo Juárez, El Llano de Guadalupe, and Alameda de Nezahualcoyotl) housed a zoo from 1945 to 1971 (dates not verified) — hence the gold painted lions at the four main entrances to the park.
However, this time the animals aren’t confined to cages — they are free and calling on us to save this planet we all call home before it’s too late.
Many thanks to Heriberto Castro López for his “Llamado de Auxilio” gift to Oaxaca.
What’s the story, morning glory?
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged Bye Bye Birdie, Cee's Flower of the Day (FOTD) challenge, flowers, Mexico, Morning glory flowers, Oaxaca, photos, rooftop garden, The Telephone Hour (song) on May 16, 2023| 8 Comments »
What can I say? The last few mornings, as I checked on my rooftop garden, I started singing, The Telephone Hour song from 1960s musical, Bye Bye Birdie.
What’s the story, morning glory?
What’s the word, hummingbird?
Yes, I’m that old!
Spring flowers
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged bougainvillea, Cee's Flower of the Day (FOTD) challenge, Epiphyllum Argus, Epiphyllum hookeri, flowers, frangipani, Mexico, Oaxaca, Pachypodium lamerei, photos, popular travel destinations, rooftop garden, spring flowers on April 26, 2023| 2 Comments »
And now the April “showers” have brought spring flowers to Casita Colibrí.
Ch-ch-ch-Chia
Posted in Celebrations, Creativity, Culture, Flora, Religion, Travel & Tourism, tagged altars, Chia Pet advertisement, Chia Pets, Good Friday, Holy Week, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, religious traditions, Salvia hispanica, Semana Santa, Viernes Santo on April 13, 2023| 4 Comments »
As Semana Santa approached, Oaxaca’s annual invasion of the Chia Pets began. On altars in churches, homes, and businesses, terracotta animals sprouting Chia appeared.
Before you lament commercialized products from the USA intruding on the sanctity of Holy Week, I can happily report Salvia Hispanica (aka, chia) filled clay animals were symbols of the season long before Joe Pedott ever set foot in Oaxaca in the late 1970s and “discovered” them.
According to an article in MexConnect, “Growing greens remind the viewer of the resurrection and renewal of life.”
Native to Mexico, Salvia hispanica was the third most important food (after corn and beans) of the Aztecs as chia seeds are high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. By the way, the name of the Mexican state of Chiapas comes from Chiapan, an ancient city whose name in Náhuatl means, “the place where the chia sage grows.”
(ps) Sorry about the Chia Pet advertisement ear worm!
Getting reacquainted
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged cactus flowers, caterpillars, garden surprises, lizards, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations on January 19, 2023| 10 Comments »
While I was in el norte, I had no worries about my plants, as I knew my neighbors A&P would take good care of them. It has taken me a week to unpack, put things away, clean (oh, the dust!), and get reacquainted with my garden’s flora and fauna.
I was surprised and delighted this tiny cactus welcomed me with one of its flowers.
Another delight was the presence of Eddie Lizard still hanging out on the outer side of the screen between the atrium and my office. He’s been here a month and a half!
A less welcome sight were these small caterpillars. Thankfully, P took on the task of picking them off with my garden tweezers. They have been munching on my Passion Flower leaves for months and I can’t figure out how to eradicate them. Any suggestions?
After being gone for a month, it’s good to be back home, be warm and dry, and enjoying my garden!
Shadows on blue wall
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged blue wall, cacti & succulents, light and shadows, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, rooftop garden on November 28, 2022| 3 Comments »
Autumn light catches plant shadow play against my garden’s new blue wall.
Blue makes for a far more dramatic scene than the former lifeless cream color.
Ready for their close-ups
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD), flowers, garden color, hibiscus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, rooftop garden on September 28, 2022| 8 Comments »
Several weeks ago, at the weekly Friday market on Calle del Refugio, I bought a hibiscus plant in a 6 inch pot. It had a single brilliant yellow with red highlights flower, but was filled with promise from multiple buds. I immediately transplanted it into a larger pot and it has proceeded to put on quite a show. As one flower folds up and falls off, another opens to take its place.
Each flower is unique and ready for its close-up!
Cactus and color inspiration
Posted in Creativity, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, organ cactus, Pachycerus Marginatus, photos, popular travel destinations on August 17, 2022| 2 Comments »
Sometimes, you just have to stop and marvel at the artistry of organ cactus planted against a wall.
The sculptural effects of organ cactus always seem to create a WOW factor.
Still lifes in Teotitlán del Valle
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged barro rojo, black beans, cactus, comal, metates, Mexico, molcajetes, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Teotitlán del Valle, Tierra Antigua on July 1, 2022| 6 Comments »
These are the scenes that soothe my soul…
A long weekend spent with my comadres and compadre at Tierra Antigua.
Day in the land of red clay
Posted in Creativity, Culture, Flora, Food, Gardens, People, Travel & Tourism, tagged barro rojo, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, red clay pottery, San Marcos Tlapazola, tlayudas, Valentina Cruz (potter) on June 24, 2022| 6 Comments »
A couple of weeks ago, my friend K and I spent the day in the land of red clay, San Marcos Tlapazola, at the home of potter, Valentina Cruz. I have accumulated quite a collection (though not nearly as much as K) of barro rojo and several of my favorite pieces are by Valentina.
Getting there was quite the adventure. Leaving from Teotitlán del Valle (where I was spending a long weekend), the journey entailed taking a 3-wheeled moto (aka, tuk-tuk) to the highway, catching a bus to Tlacolula de Matamoros, multiple times asking for directions re where to find transportation to take us to Tlapazola, a bit of wandering around, ten blocks of walking, followed by waiting and wondering if we were in the right place. After 1/2 hour, a combi (a glorified pickup truck with wooden benches in the truck bed) arrived and took us up towards the mountains. Needless to say, the bouncing caused by the dirt roads and potholes were felt! Unfortunately, because the back of the truck was covered, we couldn’t even enjoy the views — that had to wait until we finally arrived at Valentina’s home/workshop/store.
The red clay soil isn’t just good for making pottery. Agave, cactus, corn, and squash also seem to thrive under the tender loving care of Valentina and her husband, Don Luis.
When we arrived, Valentina was busy at the tortilla press and comal — making tlayudas (large crispy tortillas) to accompany the chicken soup prepared by her daughter. After we all finished eating comida, we watched as Valentina took out a smooth river rock and began to burnish several pieces. This extra step puts a lovely sheen on her pottery and is one of the things that makes her work stand out.
Of course, I couldn’t resist buying the two horn-playing rabbits (top photo) at the tienda in her home. They join the face with the lid (also in top photo), among my many utilitarian pieces expertly crafted by Valentina. She and her beautiful barro rojo pottery can also be found at the weekly Sunday market in Tlacolula. After this lovely, but long day, we opted for her to call us a taxi to drive back to Teotitlán.
Another Indian laurel falls
Posted in Environment, Flora, Gardens, Parks & Plazas, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged Francisco Verástegui, Indian Laurel tree, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, rain storms, trees, zócalo on June 8, 2022| 6 Comments »
We read the news today, oh boy. Early last night a violent thunderstorm brought gale force winds and torrential rain. It didn’t last long but it took its toll. The beloved giant Indian laurel that provided shade to the concerts, danzón, and other programs “bajo el laurel” on the zócalo toppled to the ground. Thankfully, no one was injured.
The iconic Indian laurels were planted on Oaxaca’s Zócalo and Alameda de León between 1870 and 1880. However, in the thirteen years that I have lived here, I’ve lost count of the number of laurels that have fallen.
As the late artist and heritage tree advocate Francisco Verástegui once explained to me, the trees suffered from damage caused by an aborted remodel of the Zócalo in 2005, along with improper pruning, inadequate irrigation, faulty drainage, and the use of unsterilized mulch leading to the growth of fungus and causing the roots to rot.
I wasn’t the only one to come to pay my respects to this magnificent tree. “Muy triste” (very sad) was the morning’s refrain, as people filed by shaking their heads and others stopped to watch as the body of the Indian laurel was prepared for it’s final resting place.
Leaves gone, time to bloom
Posted in Churches, Flora, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Jalatlaco, flowering trees, Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, Pseudobombax ellipticum, Shaving Brush Tree, Templo de San Matías Jalatlaco, trees on January 17, 2022| 2 Comments »
The 361 year old decidious Coquito de la Iglesia de Jalatlaco trees in the atrium of Templo de San Matías Jalatlaco are beginning to bloom.
El Coquito (aka, Pseudobombax ellipticum, Amapola, Xiloxochitl, Sospó, Clavellina, Shaving brush tree, Cabellos de Ángel, Angel hair) is one of my favorite trees in Oaxaca.
Day in the country, part 4
Posted in Animals, Beverages, Culture, Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged agave, cempasúchitl, cockscomb, flowers, grasshoppers, José Alberto Pablo, marigolds, Mexico, mezcal, mezcal palenque, Oaxaca, popular travel destinations, rusty mezcal, San Bernardo Mixtepec on November 11, 2021| 6 Comments »
Our Day in the country’s final destination was San Bernardo Mixtepec. The scenery was spectacular as we drove south from Zimatlán de Álvarez, through the valley, and northeast up into the mountains. It was mid October, nearing Día de Muertos and in the valley there were fields filled with cempasúchitl (marigolds) and cresta de gallo (cockscomb) waiting to be picked for altars. In the meantime, they were being enjoyed by a local grasshopper.
Navigating the narrow, winding, and steep roads, we eventually arrived at the palenque and family home of José Alberto Pablo and his father Mario. Perched on the side of a mountain, it offers stunning views.
Fermentation is done in clay pots in a specially built room, and clay pots are used for distillation. In an eco-friendly feature, he recirculates the condenser water rather than letting it drain into a stream.
At some point in the history of San Bernardo Mixtepec, a persuasive vendor must have introduced the palenqueros to enameled metal condensers. Over time they rust and deposit a small amount of rust into the mezcal — giving it a distinctive yellow-orange color. According to José Alberto, the villagers have become so accustomed to the color, they are reluctant to drink clear mezcal.
Yes, we bought! I came away with a lovely rusty tobalá. By the way, they also use stainless and copper condensers to make clear rust-less mezcal — for the less adventurous and to satisfy the mezcal regulatory board.
Day in the country, part 1
Posted in Churches, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged corn stalks, Cuilapam de Guerrero, Cuilapan de Guerrero, Day in the country, Mexico, Morning glory flowers, Oaxaca, Oh What a Beautiful Mornin' lyrics, photos, popular travel destinations, trees on October 17, 2021| 4 Comments »
Oaxaca-loving mezcal afficionado friends are in town and invited me to spend a day with them exploring pueblos and palenques. They hired a double vaccinated/mask wearing driver for the day, so I jumped at the opportunity escape from the city and hang out with them. First on the itinerary was the Mercado de Artesanías in Santa María Atzompa to peruse and purchase some of their green glazed pottery.
Next up was supposed to be Villa de Zaachila, but since they had never been to the Ex-Convento de Santiago in Cuilapan de Guerrero and even though it is currently closed due to Covid-19 precautions, we pulled into the mostly empty parking lot and gazed through the wrought iron fence at the unfinished basilica and monastery that was begun in 1535 and, due to skyrocketing costs, construction stopped in 1570.
We proceeded to walk almost all the way around the outer walls of this massive structure — enjoying views of the sides and back and the flora that surrounds it — something I previously had never done.
While we were definitely not in Oklahoma, the Rogers and Hammerstein song, “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'” came to mind.
There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow,
There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,
An’ it looks like its climbin’ clear up to the sky.
Alas, we got trapped on the far side of the ex-convento with no exit and had to retrace our steps back to the car where we turned onto the road and headed southeast to Villa de Zaachila. Stay tuned!
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- Honoring the mothers
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- Saturday is wedding day in Oaxaca
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