Posted in Agriculture, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Food, Gardens, tagged food, fruit, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, piña, pineapple on April 28, 2016| 2 Comments »
Remember the pineapple growing in my rooftop container garden? Upon returning from a week-long magical mystery trip (more about that to come) last night, I discovered mi piña was more than ready to harvest.
The fragrance beckons… breakfast tomorrow!!!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged cactus, flowers, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, opuntia microdasys, photographs, photos on April 17, 2016| 2 Comments »
How could I have missed three flowers on my night blooming cereus a few nights ago??? I don’t know, but I did. However, yesterday afternoon…
My opuntia microdasys surprised and delighted me!
Posted in Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged ceiba, flowers, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, shadows, trees on March 15, 2016| 4 Comments »
As I left my apartment Friday morning, the sky was blue, the air was brisk and shadows played tag with the ceiba.
Early mornings in March are magical.
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Celebrations, Culture, Exhibitions, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged African Tulip trees, Casa Colonial, cattle, Cochineal, flowers, globos, hot air balloons, MACO, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Police riot shields, Primavera, San Juan Guelavia, San Mateo Macuilxóchitl, water lilies on January 1, 2016| 16 Comments »
Muchisimas gracias to all my wonderful blog readers — for reading, for commenting, for sharing, for the opportunity to meet some of you, and for inspiring me to continue. A look back at Oaxaca scenes that never made it into the blog…
January – Although spring was a couple of months away, the Primavera (Tabebuia chrysotricha) was already in bloom.
February – Cattle car on the carretera outside Tlacolula de Matamoros on Sunday market day.
March – A quiet morning on Monte Albán.
April – Decorating with agave flowers on Easter Sunday in Mitla.
May – Police temporarily remove and replace Sección 22 on the zócalo.
June – Though we arrived hours early for a festival in San Juan Guelavía, the sacred and profane were already present.
July – A favorite view from my terrace, the African tulip trees in full bloom.
August – At Casa Colonial the water lilies and hyacinths were stunning.
September – Cochineal (the “perfect red” dye) exhibition at Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Oaxaca (MACO).
October – Returning from Teotitlán de Valle one morning, a globo was landing near San Mateo Macuilxochitl.
November – On the way to Mercado Hidalgo in Colonia Reforma to buy Thanksgiving groceries, Our Lady of the Wires (?).
December – Rooftop still life in El Centro.
A long, strange, and fascinating trip it continues to be. As another song says, Próspero año y felicidad!
Posted in Agriculture, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Food, Gardens, History, Travel & Tourism, tagged fruit, garden, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, piña, pineapple on November 26, 2015| 4 Comments »
A year and a half ago, I cut off the top of a pineapple (piña, en español), stuck it in a ten inch pot in full sun, watered it very occasionally during the dry season, and it actually began to grow. This member of the Bromeliaceae family is thought to have originated in the area between southern Brazil and Paraguay and spread throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Reaching Mexico, it was cultivated by the Mayas and Aztecs. Spanish, Dutch, and Portuguese conquerors took it across the pond, and the rest is history. No surprise, as the fruit (which resembles a pine cone — hence the name) is sweet, succulent, and ridiculously easy to grow!
A symbol of home: warmth, welcome, friendship and hospitality. — The Welcoming Pineapple
Grown in the Papaloapan region of Oaxaca, the pineapple has inspired elaborate embroidery designs and the crowd-pleasing Flor de Piña dance. What’s not to love?!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Flora, Holidays, Travel & Tourism, tagged cempasuchitl, Day of the Dead, Día de Muerto, flor de muertos, flowers, marigolds, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, veruche on October 30, 2015| 4 Comments »
Today I ventured down to Calle de Ignacio Rayón (the block between the Benito Juárez and 20 de Noviembre mercados) to purchase flowers for my Día de Muertos ofrenda (an altar of offerings). On the list was cockscomb (cresta de gallo or borla de Santa Teresa), marigolds (cempasúchitl), and veruche (also known as flor de muertos). I wasn’t alone, the sidewalks were crowded with other shoppers in search of the same traditional flowers, fruits, nuts, copal, and other items to place on their ofrendas.
Veruche is a tiny relative of the marigold that grows wild in the valley of Oaxaca at this time of year. Yellow was the color of death in southern Mexico, long before the Spanish set foot on the continent and, along with the scent of the flowers and smoke from the candles and copal, it is thought to attract the difuntos (spirits of the dead) to bring them to the ofrendas prepared for them.
Muchisimas gracias to Shawn D. Haley for his informative presentation at the Oaxaca Lending Library on the Zapotec celebration of Día de Muertos. Needless to say, I also purchased the book he coauthored with photographer Curt Fukuda, The Day of the Dead: When Two Worlds Meet in Oaxaca.
Posted in Agriculture, Culture, Flora, Travel & Tourism, tagged agave, Lapiztola, mescal, Mexico, mezcal, murals, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, street art, urban art, wall art on October 18, 2015| 3 Comments »
Before a “suspendida” order is slapped on this stunning piece by the Lapiztola collective celebrating the human face of agave cultivation, here is another moving work of art for the people, seen on Tinoco y Palacio on the wall of Piedra Lumbre, near the Sanchez Pascuas mercado. It tells a story…
The wisdom of cultivation handed down from generation to generation.
From the agave comes mezcal.
There are 199 “recognized” species of agave. How many can be used to make mezcal? The Mezcal PhD explores the answer. And, for an illustrated guide to many of the more popular varietals, click The Many Varieties of Mezcal.
Posted in Animals, Casita Colibrí, Flora, tagged Casita Colibrí, caterpillar, flowers, garden, hibiscus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on October 9, 2015| 11 Comments »
When I moved to the new and improved Casita Colibrí two and a half years ago, there was a sorry looking hibiscus in a huge green clay pot (probably from Atzompa) on the balcony. It was obvious the plant had been water deprived for quite some time. I made it my mission to bring it back to life and this year it has rewarded my efforts with a continuous procession of peachy pink flowers.
However, yesterday I noticed it was playing host to a caterpillar having comida.
I looked in the aforementioned, Butterflies and Moths book, but it doesn’t provide many caterpillar stage photos with which to identify this incredibly decorative guy/gal and, after a couple of pages of Google images, I gave up. However, I did learn enough to know those flower-like hairs ringing its body probably sting like nettles, so I’ve kept my distance. Anyone have any ideas as to my fuzzy friend’s identity?
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, Dragon fruit, flowers, fruit, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya on September 2, 2015| 6 Comments »
Opening the door onto my terrace this morning, I was greeted with more pitahaya flowers glowing in the morning light. In the background, rain drops glistened on unripened fruit, as their dry spent flowers continued to cling to the fruit of their late night labor.
Behind the chain link fence, one of my ripe Dragon Fruit is so close and yet so far.
However, there is more to come; blossoms preparing to burst open — for just one night.
From tenacious roots and branches of my previous post to fleeting flowers to long ripening fruit; such is the life of the pitahaya.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Science and Nature, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, flora, garden, Hylocereus undatus, J.R.R. Tolkien quote, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya, roots on August 29, 2015| 12 Comments »
One of the apartments in this higgledy piggledy complex is being readied for a new occupant. Opening the door to begin the job, Luci was greeted with an unexpected wall hanging.
She ran upstairs, laughing and calling me to come down and see what she had discovered. Hmmm… Rapunzel’s tresses? If so, like everyone else suffering Oaxaca’s hard water, she needs to start using a good hair-conditioner.
Of course, closer inspection revealed it to be the roots of something. A tree, perhaps? But, there are no trees in the vicinity and, in reality, it seemed to be coming from my terrace. I dashed upstairs, as Luci came outside to stand and point to where the fibrous cascade seemed to be coming from. 
Yikes, on the west wall, the culprit was exposed; the roots of one of my pitahaya had grown into the concrete!!!
Alas, the pitahaya’s tenacity could not be allowed to continue; the garden shears came out and the problem was nipped at its root. The same was done below, leaving golden tresses lying on the ground waiting to be swept away.
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
Posted in Buildings, Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, tagged Casita Colibrí, garden, Kalanchoe luciae, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, succulents on August 26, 2015| 10 Comments »
My friend G called this succulent, the Chrysler Building. Anyone who has seen the original, or photos of it, in New York City can understand why.
This Kalanchoe luciae is one of the great, great, great… grandchildren of the original plantlet G had given me six years ago when I first moved to Oaxaca.
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Science and Nature, tagged Flor de mayo, flowers, frangipani, garden, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, plumeria, popular travel destinations on July 1, 2015| 2 Comments »
The rainy season transforms the Plumeria (aka, Frangipani) in my rooftop garden. Large lush leaves sprout from naked stalks and flowers materialize, perfuming the terrace with the heady scent of the tropics. Ahhh…
“And all of us with our closed eyes smelled the frangipani blossoms in the big rectangles of open wall, flowers so sweet they conjure up sin or heaven, depending on which way you are headed.” — Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Flora, Gardens, Science & Nature, tagged Azucenas, Cereus, flowers, garden, Mexico, night blooming flowers, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya on June 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »
… of the night flowering variety. During the hours of darkness, they brighten the terrace with their brilliant white and perfume the air with their sweet scent.
Pitahaya
Cereus
Azucenas
A fleeting gift for the senses, by morning they gone.
Posted in Flora, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged Andrew Zimmern, Bizarre Foods, chicatanas, Night Blooming Cereus, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on June 12, 2015| 8 Comments »
I’m baack in home sweet home Oaxaca! Exciting flight — Andrew Zimmern and crew were on the little Embraer from Houston to Oaxaca. I see an episode from Oaxaca on Bizarre Foods in the future. Chicatanas, anyone?
Got home, turned on the lights — indoors and out, threw open the doors and windows, and found a couple of welcome home gifts from my night blooming cereus.
While I’ve been in el norte, Oaxaca’s rainy season has really kicked in. Thus, the garden is blooming, the hills are lush and green, and I had no hot water this morning. Ahhh… it’s good to be home!
Posted in Celebrations, Culture, Flora, Gardens, Holidays, tagged cactus, Día de la Madre, Echinopsis eyriesii, flowers, garden, Mexico, Mother's Day, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations on May 10, 2015| 5 Comments »
Yesterday, on the terrace of my neighbor, his Echinopsis eyriesii was putting on quite a show…
Listening to the Putamayo World Music Hour’s tribute to mothers and sending mothers everywhere wishes for peace, justice, love, and much joy.
And, the librarian in me can’t resist adding a couple of Mother’s Day reference sources:
¡Feliz día de la madre!
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 
