Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Last Days at my Summer Garden in Chacala

Today, Ginger's are my Numero Uno plant, since my true heart's delight, the Desert Roses, are just starting a new blossoming cycle, and aren't too earth-shattering at the moment.

A couple of the little local boys were walking along the paved road with me a few days ago.We were on the way to check out the new addition to their house. The homeowner has already moved into the new, left side, although the roof is off on the old side and not yet built on the right side. But people in Chacala are very flexible and tolerant of weather related changes. The new part is on the left, and the old part on the right. The lot is very narrow, about 18 meters maybe.
I had my camera, and was taking photos of the boys. Osvaldo ran over to this plant, and wanted me to take some photos of his precious little face, next to the blossoms. What an interesting mind that child has. Very original and dramatic. This was the plant, growing in the "yard " of a batchelor fisherman, who is also the town bellringer and fireworks display person on many occasions. Anyway, I had never noticed this plant before, even though it's only about five feet off the paved road.
He, Juan, came out to talk with us. He told me it wasn't planted there, next to the barbed wire fence. It has just grown wild there. He didn't have a name for it.

Later: Brenda (of the blog Brenda and Roy Going to Mexico) , and then Robert Brinkmann, identified the plant as a Plumeria rubra, aka frangiapani. Robert says I can grow my own by sticking cuttings in the ground. Which I intend to do.
Because of the lighting condition and my general photographic incompetence, the kid photos didn't turn out. These shots aren't so great either. I am hoping someone will tell me what the plant is.I will be moving away from this housesitting house in a couple of weeks. It's hard to leave the plants I have been taking care of, some of them for three long summers now.
So I have been been doing some weeding, and tidying up around the few domesticated plants that are growing the ground around this house: ginger, handkerchief. Saying goodbye for now I guess.
The gingers are especially appealing to me. They are a new plant for me. When I lived in the nasty world of Zone 5, i brough some starts back from Hawaii but there never did well. Probably
because it was often -10F at night, and cold in the house too. Maybe 45 degrees on a cold night. Anyway, I love the color of these blossoms. I tried taking a photo from above but it didn't turn out very well.The two Hibiscus plants that live in pots on the teraza here are both ill with a disease that has spread all over Jalsico and Nayarit states. But it's blossoming, and I want the landlady to make the decision about what to do with the plants. And to actually see the disease so she'll recognize it next time.
The portulaca is coming with me. I gave all the other portulaca's away, but this one is so lovely I had to keep it. I love the color. Actually, it looks different from most Portulacas so it might really be something else. Like a Lacaporta.

7 comments:

Brenda Maas said...

Hi, the plant you are wondering about is the same one that the man gave me a huge cutting of. Someone commented and told me it is a Plumeria rubra, aka frangiapani. If you want to have a look to compare the two, the photo of mine is on the post called, "A Walk Down the Street" and the "cutting photo is on the post "My Expanding Garden". Blogsite: http://brendandroygoingtomexico.blogspot.com/
Brenda

Brenda Maas said...

Forgot to mention that it smells wonderful.
Brenda

Robert Brinkmann said...

Sad to see you leave your garden!!

The unknown plant is a Plumeria I think (Hawaiian lei flower). They are very very easy to grow and propogate. You just take a stick of it and push it in the ground and it will grow. So, if the plant is big enough, and you like it, you can cut off a piece and start one somewhere.

Anonymous said...

Truly amazing blooms! Too bad you
cant find any plants with a little
color to them (lol) Bright oranges
and crimsons still hanging on in
the tree foliage here, but it will all be gone in another week or two,
and then we're REALLY going to
depend on you for our daily jolt of
color.

Hope the move goes OK. Sounds
like a fairly simple move, at least.

Ki said...

Really great to see, plumeria, hibiscus, ginger and bougainvilleas. You are so lucky to be able to easily grow these wonderful plants while we have to go through all kinds of torture to try to grow them in the states...well at least in the Northeast anyway. Thanks for the pictures.

Robert Brinkmann said...

Hi! I just saw this post on the Florida garden forum about plumeria...hope it helps!!
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/flgard/msg111332199008.html?2

Sue Swift said...

Hi Andee,

Happy New Year! I bet you're ticking off the days to when you can get back to the garden ...

We're now gearing up for round 2 of the Garden Bloggers' Carnival -a bit different this time, in that I'm asking people to nominate a post from another person's blog. Full details on my blog today (Jan 3rd). I hope you'll participate again, like you did last time. And of course, if anyone else reads this, please join in!

Sue