More Swamp Boat Ride Remarks

I had been hearing about the Tovara boat ride for four years, and somehow it never seemed like something I particularly wanted to do. But I'm really glad I went. We drove north about an hour and a half, and stopped at Matanchen, a famous surfing, and where the Boat ride starts.But lately someone mentioned the birds, turtles, and flowers along the bank of the "swamp" or whatever it was. So when my nice neighbors invited me along, I went with then, and it turned out to be a great day.These photos are some of the things I saw. The weather was perfect.The sun was blocked by the trees most of the time. Good thing, because my umbrella didn't appreciate the breezy ride. It turned inside out, and finally semi-disinegrated. The boat ride was worth it though.

We saw three or four crocodiles sunbathing in the water as we headed for the Crocodile Center (or whatever it's called). Then there were lots more at the center, all sizes and ages. It was kind of sad, really.There were epiphytes in lots of the trees.And Criniums growing in the dirt and directly in a water almost the whole trip.And lots of big turtlesAnd birdsEven the banos had nice landscaping, and were clean, with a very nice attendant selling toilet paper and candy.

Little Green Fruits, in Chacala

There’s a little path between my place and my favorite neighbor’s house, here in Chacala. It saves me walking down a flight of stairs to the road, and thqat up a small hill going up to her house, so I use it a lot.

I though I usually noticed every little thing that grows along that path. And I prune the green stuff back regularly. But today, all of a sudden, this tree I thought was dead, is now covered with little green fruits. Almost overnight. Hardly any leaves, but lots of fruits. I am going to ask somebody what they are later today.

I guess I see or learn something new every single day in Chacala. Today it was the green apples, I mean fruit. Plus some neighbors down the hill are adding on a nice sized bathroom to their house. They were digging the hole for the dirty water/septic this morning. I was amazed to see how much space there is back there. Everything is done by hand. With two guys with some handtools.There is a second papaya tree growing up thru between the plumbago and gardenia in the front of the house. I can’t believe how quickly it’s growing. Maybe a foot a week right now. With blossoms.

A few days ago the government guys who come around every week showed up really early in the morning. If I hear them I run down to protect my plant babies from their spray stuff. The workers are part of a huge effort to control a “plagua” that is attacking the hibiscicus in the states of Nayarit and Jalisco.

The inspectors seem to have tried to identify every hibiscus in either state (I think). And if they find the white foamy stuff they spray. And spray, and spray. And if there are still problems, they hack the plant down to nubbins and haul away the remains.The other day they removed the second hibiscus from the front of the house. There’s a empty space where it was. But I know it will grow back quickly.

I don’t know what’s in the spray, but the workers don’t wear any protection. They have a big tank full of spray on the back of a pickup, with a generator to run the sprayer, and about 100 feet of hose. I hate it. I try to get my pots out of the way, but they don’t pay any attention to where their hose goes. They always leave a mess. Oh well.

Garden Garden

I purchased this oleander at the vivero about a month ago. It didn't seem to like being transplanted. Or maybe it didn't like the spot I picked for it, near the papaya tree. It lost all it's blossoms quickly, and I thought it might be dying. But it suddenly perked up a few days ago, and burst into bloom. With two lovely blossoms. We had a big oleander bush at the house I grew up in the Los Angeles, and seeing one always reminds me of playing in the yard of our home.

This lovely vine is called Copa de Ora according to Chacaleans ,and Allamande(sp?) according to my PV plant book. It's located right below my patio, where I throw my non-soapy dish and clothes washing water. I aim for the vine and it's growing like crazy. Last week I buried six of the stems in the dirt, without separating them from the plant. I am hoping they will root and that I will be able to transplant them.


This is one of the buried stems. Above.
I love the plant. I make cuttings all the time, and end up giving them away about as fast I grow them. They really catch people's eye.
There of three of the scrubby looking trees right around the house. This one is to the south of my patio. This photo is taken from on my patio. There is another one of the west, ocean, side, and one around the back. Or two maybe. I think the blossoms have a very nice fragrance, but they are all too far away to smell. Esparanza, my beach lady, has one of these trees at the entrance to her pay toilets/showers, and it smells wonderful.

Blossoms in Las Varas, Near Chacala

This morning I took my bag of laundry (sheets, towels, and pillowcases) into the laundry in Las Varas. It was 6.5 kilos and it cost 75pesos (about $7US). I mostly do my laundry at home, but it's hard to wash sheets and towels by hand. So I do a big laundry every three or four weeks. Luckily I now have four complete sets of sheets, plus four extra sheets for bedspread. I got a ride right to the laundry, but had to walk the six blocks or back to the bank and computer place.
I took some photos from around town, but these blossoms were my favorites. The first four photos are, I think Poinciana blossoms. It has just started blooming again around here.

And the Flame Vine, (Physostegia (?), is right below. This vine finished blooming about six weeks ago in Chacala. It seems to blossom for about three months at a time. I don't know why it's still going in Las Varas. it looks like the same plant, but who knows?

Puttering Around in My Chacala Garden

Chacala: My landlady came up to the house yesterday morning. She was on her way back from visiting a friend who is very ill, and who lives up the road from here. We talked a little about what a good present might be, for our mutual friend. It sounds like cash for medicine and water and so on is the best bet. I guess the average old people pension around here is somewhere between $600 and $1000 pesos. About $50/90US$. So money can get pretty tight if you are sick.

Anyway, she and I looked around at what I have been doing in her yard, and she picked out some baby plants to take down to the restaurant. She showed me the actual boundaries lines on each side of her property. Originally she told me the stone walls on either side were the actual property lines, but it turns out there is only about 12 feet on each side of the house. Instead of maybe 25 feet. Big difference. I am glad she told me sooner than later.
We walked around back and she pointed out a private place I could garden in pots. It’s about 20 by 15 feet. And surrounded by vegetation, with one cement block wall on the west side. I would have to garden in pots there. The ground seems to be solid rock. But there’s some shade in the morning from trees, and shade in the afternoon from the back wall of the bodega. I am sort of excited about that space because it’s shady. And it could be kind of private. I am picturing an arbor maybe, with vines. And a hammock. And pots. Maybe I will do some hypertufa style pots. I like the idea.

Things are growing well out front. I have four beds going, with another one started. I have to finish a bed on the rock wall, where I am going to plant bougainvillea.

Then I will work on the area to the left of the entry staircase. There are already some plants there, tree or shrub morning-glories, a jasmine plant, I am growing for my friends Bill and Mary, and a tree my landlady planted, and three plumbagos I started from cuttings.A woman who is building a house in Chacala, and planning to going back and forth to the US, is a garden enthusiast. She has only been here a few months, but she seems to have lots of energy. We have talked plants a little. She is interested in bamboo. I love bamboo, so that’s cool. Anyway, it’s fun to be able to talk plants with someone who speaks English. And even more fun to learn about plants and gardening in Mexico from someone who speaks Spanish only.
I was at the tianguis, the street market, at a nearby town this week. I got a Jasmine vine, for 30 pesos, ($2.70US) and visited with the nursery lady. I asked her where she got her plants, and she said she has a viviero/nursery in the next little town. And she invited me to visit, and gave me written dirctions.I am really escited to visit her and she how she gardens and what her place is like. I get to learn new things about gardening everyday. Of course, sometimes I misunderstand what people are saying to me. Oh well.

ALERT: Sidebar/Archives

I just realized that when this blog is viewed on Internet Explorer the sidebar with all the Archives, etc are dropped to the bottom of the bag.

Since I write this on a Mac I Book, I didn't realize what was happening, and haven't figured out how to fix it. But the archives ARE down at the bottom of the first page if you are viewing this thru Internet Explorer.

I will fix it as soon as I figure out how to do it.

Thanks, Andee

Updates on My New Chacala Flowerbeds

It is so satisfying to be garden here in Chacala, especially since I am now planting in the ground, rather than only in pots. I love having a real year-round growing season. But I am worrieda about the strength of the sun's rays here, and the intensity of the rainstorms during the rainy season.I have to remember, I am on the starting end of my learning curve here. I have been gardening for 3 and 1/2 years in Chacala now, but I still have alot to learn. I mostly watch what other people seem to be doing, and experiment with my own plants.Sometimes I am just amazed about how last things grow here. Especially the succulents. But almost everything grows very quickly now.I have to spray the dust off the leaves of all the plants everyday. The dust from the dirt trucks is pretty heavy. In my mind, i think the plants like having clean and shiny leaves, and clean and fresh blossoms. But who knows, maybe it's hard on them to be washed off. Or bad for them.
This is my newest little bed, which is only half planted. I don't know how I want to use this last bed. They are surrounded by rocks, and filled with about 10 inches of soil, over pickaxed clayish stuff. As the papaya tree grows it will offer less and less shade, and I don't know how fast the plumbago and bougainvilleas will grow. Quickly I hope.

The following two photos are of my first two beds at this house in Chacala. Things are growing very quickly, and I am getting ready to move things around. To plan different kinds of plants in each the four new beds. Based on their sun and water needs, and their tolerance for rain. I don't know how this will work yet, but things are looking pretty good so far.

Starting Plants in Chacala

I have a new routine for adding to my garden plant collection here in Chacala. I will start at least on bucket full of starts of some plant every week, and also, starting new vines by burying a section of a vine stem, at least once a week.Right now I have 34 buckets or plastic dishpans, all with holes in the bottom, with plant starts in them. Most are looking pretty good. I am kind of proud of myself for sticking to my schedule. It's much cheaper to grow my own plants, and I like doing it. I am having pretty good luck, and some failures.I have about 50-50 success with bougainvilleas. I haven't figured out why it's not so good. But I am working on it. My project for tomorrow is to make starts from three different colors of bougainvillea plants: violet, red, and orange. But in order to have room to start them, I will have to plant three buckets of plants. I haven't decided what to trying planting. So much of what I am doing here is guesswork and experimenting.But the climate is so nice for these plants: humid and warm. It's never been colder than about 62 degrees or hotter than about 95, so it's nice for the little ones. Of course, they are in the shade and don't have to deal with the direct sun rays on their tender little shoots and leaves.

I am doing pretty well with this money-saving effort. I am trying to keep myself out of the plant nurseries. My addiction was kind of getting out of control.
But I have gotten some good deals lately. At the vivero near the Pitital Soriana (superstore) in Puerto Vallarta I spent 80 pesos on plants last week. About $7.20US. I got one pot of this plant. It turned out I got 12 plants from that one pot (20 pesos/1.80US).

My favorite starts are the succulents, but almost all the plants here in Chacala seem to be ready and willing to offer me starts that what to grow.