Posted in Casita Colibrí, Gardens, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, Dragon fruit, flowers, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya on July 30, 2015| 2 Comments »
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.
Alas, 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).
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!
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Food, Gardens, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged cactus, Dragon fruit, flowers, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya, succulents on September 4, 2014| 12 Comments »
Remember the night my Pitahaya (aka, Dragon fruit) blossom was ready for her close-up? Three months later, here she is…
Though there is fruit, flowers continue to put on their bloomin’ after-dark show.
Their beauty never ceases to enchant.
From terrace to table…
My version of “farm fresh.”
Posted in Agriculture, Casita Colibrí, Gardens, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged cactus, Dragon fruit, flowers, garden, Hylocereus undatus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Pitahaya, succulents on June 4, 2014| 16 Comments »
Several mornings ago, after a day and night of rain, I went out on the terrace to check on the garden and found…
Yikes, one of my Pitahaya (Hylocereus undatus – aka, Dragon fruit) had bloomed overnight! Must be a relative of my other Night Blooming Cereus.
Two years ago, the original cuttings had been laying in the campo of a friend in San Martín Tilcajete. When Chris (Oaxaca-The Year After) asked if we could have some, the answer was, “¡Por supuesto!” Loving the wall of Pitahaya at Centro Académico y Cultural San Pablo, six months later, with the original five cuttings becoming fifteen, I could use them to begin to screen the chain link fence at the new Casita Colibrí. I kept pruning and sticking them in the planter boxes.
June 2, 2014, 8:40 AM
And now, they have begun blooming. Having missed the “night-blooming” of my first flower, I was determined not to miss the unfolding of the second blossom, seen above near the top of the pole, providing the weather cooperated. It did!
June 2, 2014, 7:20 PM
June 2, 2014, 8:40 PM
June 2, 2014, 11:00 PM
By the next day, it had closed, never to reopen again.
June 2, 2014, 2:54 PM
However, there will be fruit…
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged architecture, cactus, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, shadows on May 16, 2014| 4 Comments »
Posted in Gardens, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, tagged Cabellos de Ángel, cactus, Flor de mayo, flowers, May Flower, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Primavera, Pseudobombax ellipticum, quotations, sea, Shaving Brush Tree, Spring, trees on March 20, 2014| 2 Comments »
You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming. –Pablo Neruda
Spring has returned. The Earth is like a child that knows poems. –Rainer Maria Rilke
Every spring is the only spring, a perpetual astonishment. –Ellis Peters
Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!‘ –Robin Williams
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Gardens, Health, tagged Austrocylindropuntia subulata ssp. exaltata, cactus, healthcare, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos on January 15, 2014| 13 Comments »
Reader alert: If you are squeamish, you might want to skip this post.
Yesterday, minding my own business, I was attacked by a killer cactus! Well, the cactus isn’t really a killer (at least, I don’t think it is) and I wasn’t really minding my own business — I was weeding in the vicinity of said cactus, which I think is an Austrocylindropuntia subulata ssp. exaltata. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time this particular cactus and I had had a run in.
Four years ago, concentrating on weeding around another plant, I momentarily forgot about the danger lurking in the neighboring pot and got stabbed in the upper arm. After more than momentary disbelief, I gathered my wits and called on my friend, neighbor, and fellow gardener G for help. He managed to pull the spine out with only a moderate amount of pain, cleansed the puncture site with alcohol (the rubbing kind), gave me alcohol (the drinking kind), and I was good to go.
After that encounter, I showed the Austrocylindropuntia the respect it so rightly deserves. I also admit to having had thoughts of abandoning it on my old apartment’s terrace when I moved last year. However, I was convinced by my moving crew that it should join the rest of my garden on the new big terraza. Though why they wanted to risk its espinas peligrosas, I don’t know. However, I do know, I would have much preferred bringing my beautiful Agave Americana to my new home, but they said it was too big and had to stay put.
That brings me to yesterday’s unfortunate incident. I remember thinking, as I reached in to pull a couple of weeds in the Austrocylindropuntia’s pot, “Go get the long garden tweezers.” But I didn’t, and got stabbed on the back of my right hand (between the knuckles of my index and middle finger) for the trouble. How stupid could I be??? Stunned, I again turned to neighbors — this time, David and Marilyn from Alaska. It was decided I needed professional help, so off to Hospital Molina we walked, me with a four-inch cactus spine sticking out of the top of my hand.
The doctor took me into an exam room immediately. He asked the important questions: “Name? Age? Address? Allergies? Where is the offending cactus located? Do you use pesticides in your garden?” I asked the question that was foremost on my mind, “Aren’t you going to use lidocaine?” “No,” he calmly replied. He then directed me to relax and look toward the window. He had such reassuring manner, I actually did as I was told. He gently felt around the protruding spine and then it was out — and, miracle of miracles, I didn’t feel a thing! He, too, cleansed the wound with alcohol, wrote prescriptions for an antibiotic and a mild pain reliever, told me to apply hot compresses twice a day, and collected 300 pesos ($23.00 US) for the visit. I collected my ever-so-kind neighbors and we went on our way. The phrase, “Do you have insurance?” was never uttered and I was not required to fill out ANY forms!
It’s thirty hours later and I am alive and well. Antibiotic is being taken every six hours, my hand is only slightly swollen, and there is only a little pain. I’m good to go. And I’m thinking, it’s time for the Austrocylindropuntia subulata ssp. exaltata to go. No use tempting fate a third time!
Posted in Culture, Environment, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged cactus, campo, climate, Cocijo, corn, corn stalks, El Picacho, fields, maguey, maize, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, Teotitlán del Valle on August 18, 2013| 10 Comments »
Friday, I went Teotitlán del Valle to visit a friend. N is living out in the campo and it was an adventure just getting there — necessitating a colectivo, bus, moto-taxi, and a fair amount of walking. However, it was well worth it! The conversation was non-stop, comida was delicious, and the setting is spectacular.
El Picacho from my friend’s rooftop terrace.
However, a major topic of conversation in the village is the lack of rain. Granted, I was grateful the creek the 3-wheel moto-taxi and I had to ford only had about six inches of water in it, but looking out from N’s terrace, it was evident the fields are suffering.
Maguey fields in Teotitlán del Valle.
Acres upon acres of parched earth, with rows upon rows of drooping and stunted corn — the lifeblood of this country. When the campo suffers, so too the people.
Rows of corn stalks.
Word has it that this is the driest rainy season anyone can remember. In a normal year, afternoon showers irrigate the fields and clean the city’s streets at least four to five times a week from June through September. This year, nada! I can probably count on two hands the number of times it’s rained. Your offerings and prayers to Cocijo would be much appreciated!
Update: Wow, I have some powerful blog readers — it rained last night!!! Mil gracias.
Posted in Buildings, Gardens, tagged buildings, cactus, Internet, Internet cafe, Inter_NetJoly, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, photos on September 20, 2012| 2 Comments »
Posted in Gardens, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, garden god, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, plants, succulents on August 27, 2011| 3 Comments »
Returned from the mercado this afternoon to find…
… a crack in the pot. Garden god bursting with pride???
Posted in Gardens, Weather, tagged cactus, Casita Colibrí, garden god, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, plants, succulents on August 26, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Torrential rain by night; brilliant blue sky by day…
This is the way the garden grows during the rainy season in Oaxaca.
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 