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Archive for the ‘Gardens’ Category

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.IMG_1815She 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.

IMG_1817Of 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.  P1130530Yikes, on the west wall, the culprit was exposed; the roots of one of my pitahaya had grown into the concrete!!!

IMG_1821Alas, 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.

P1130510All 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

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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.P1130505This 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.

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Late last night, twelve buds on my pitahaya burst open; my favorite the cluster of four at the top of the eight foot tall chain link fence.

P1130210cropB&WAlas, now, less than twenty hours after their night-blooming show began, they are no more.  Hopefully, the brilliant white flowers with their sweet scent attracted the desired pollinators, Dragon Fruit will begin forming at the base of the blossoms, the fruit will ripen to a blush red, and be ready to pick in 45 days (más o menos).

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Late yesterday afternoon, before the rains came, the African tulip tree in full blush against a sky drained of color…

African tulip tree in full bloom

Half and Half on Mother Nature’s easel in Oaxaca.

 

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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…

P1100246P1100241P1100252P1100298“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

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… 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.

Pitaya

Pitahaya

Cereus

Cereus

Azucenas

Azucenas

A fleeting gift for the senses, by morning they gone.

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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.

P1090783 copy

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!

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Yesterday, on the terrace of my neighbor, his Echinopsis eyriesii was putting on quite a show…

P1090361P1090362P1090360P1090359Listening 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!

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I came out one morning to find buds had appeared on my night-blooming cereus.

April 5, 2015

April 5, 2015

As the days and nights passed, the blossoms grew and swelled.

April 12, 2015

April 12, 2015

After only a week, flowers burst open for only a night.

April 13, 2015

April 13, 2015

Cereusly, I love my garden!

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Yesterday, I walked through an enchanted garden…

Along with about 25+ other people from the Oaxaca Garden Club, I made my way to an orchid garden in San Andrés Huayapam.

What a treasure the privately funded, Orquideario “La Encantada” is!  For owner/gardener/collector, Octavio Gabriel, it is a 40+ year old passion and labor of love — and it shows.

The earthen pathways lead one up and down, through dappled light, along the slopes of a babbling brook.  The orquideario is sanctuary to about 1,200 species of orchids, along with companion epiphytes, ferns, bromeliads, and even a bamboo forest.

Orquideario “La Encantada” is located at the end of a dirt road off to the right, about 1 km beyond the presas (reservoirs), towards the village of San Andrés Huayapam.

The 100 pesos admission fee helps finance the orquideario.  I plan to return!  Octavio Gabriel’s book, Algunas Orquideas de Oaxaca is available to purchase for 350 pesos.

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A gray, rainy day in Oaxaca has me returning to the beach in my dreams…

Pacific Ocean waves crashing onto the beach San Agustinillo, Oaxaca.

San Agustinillo, Oaxaca.

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.  ― Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca

San Agustinillo, Oaxaca

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore.  Dream.  Discover.  — Mark Twain

Coconut tree, Mazunte, Oaxaca

Mazunte, Oaxaca

Hold fast to dreams for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.  — Langston Hughes

Lifeguard tower, Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca

Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you’ve imagined.  —Thoreau

Estrella Fúgaz restaurant, Mazunte, Oaxaca

Estrella Fúgaz restaurant, Mazunte, Oaxaca

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night.  ― Edgar Allan Poe, Eleonora

Sunset in Mazunte, Oaxaca

Mazunte, Oaxaca

Dare to live the life you have dreamed for yourself.  Go forward and make your dreams come true.  ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

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From this morning’s walk in Teotitlán del Valle…

Blue flower surrounded by green leaves

White blossom

Yellow flowers

Pomegranate on branch

Splashes of color on a gray, rainy season, Sunday.

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Remember the night my Pitahaya (aka, Dragon fruit) blossom was ready for her close-up?  Three months later, here she is…

Pitahaya fruit

Though there is fruit, flowers continue to put on their bloomin’ after-dark show.

Pitahaya flower and fruit

Their beauty never ceases to enchant.

Pitahaya flower

From terrace to table…

2 halves of Pitahaya fruit

My version of “farm fresh.”

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This has been a good year for my stinky Stapelia gigantea.

Stapelia gigantea unopened blossom

Feather-light blossoms open to reveal zebra-striped, hairy flowers.  Apparently, to carrion eating insects, these tiny soft white hairs resemble mold growing on rotting meat — a disgusting thought!

Part of Stapelia gigantea hairy petal

And, to complete the putrid package, the flowers smell like rotten meat.

Stapelia gigantea open flower with 7 green bottle flies

An odious odor only a green bottle fly could love.

Save

Save

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The African Tulip Trees (Árbol del tulipán) are in full leaf and bloom, adding an explosion of greens and red-orange to the view from Casita Colibrí…

IMG_5752

… and providing the colibríes (hummingbirds), who give my apartment its name, a home, playground, and 4-star restaurant.

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