New Plants in Chacala

Today I caught a ride down to the plant nurseries near La Penita, a small town about 15 miles south of here. I rode down with my friends Berta, the wonder-gardener, and Chicho, a taxi-driving, hog-farming, nightclub-owning, jack-of-a-trades. He had some business to take care of in La Penita, and I paid some gas money. And we had delicious lemonade from a stand.

Chicho drove Berta's nice 1986 Nissan crew-cab pickup and we headed out, looking for a couple of sacks of good potting soil and maybe some plants. At the first nursery, known among gringos in Chacala as the "fruit-stand nursery" (because of its location and lack of a formal name), I got a couple of sacks of dirt, some 12" desert roses for 10 pesos each (mainly as gifts, because they were so cheap and they are really popular in Chacala). And a large Bird of Paradise for 30 pesos/under $3 and a Copa de Ora in yellow. Big plant. 20 pesos (1.80US). And two succulent looking plants that I have to identify on the Web, and one echeveria (not spelled right) and some hens and chicks and, I think, an Autumn Joy plant. It was the first time I had seen any of either of them. 5 pesos each for big clumps.

I forgot I was going to get some large plastic pots, because Benjamin, the foreman wanted to close the gates for their two hour lunch break. He was polite about it, but it was clear he wanted lunch, and in the hurry I forgot about the pots. The 18" pots about about 35 pesos. Not very strong pots, but good enough. Oh well. I have a bunch of 10 pesos buckets still, so it'll be okay.

Got home and found some plastic things to make into little nursery beds for the cuttings from my new succulents. Heated up a fat nail on the gas stove and poked holes in the plastic bottoms for drainage. Then it started pouring and I quite for the day.
The sacks of dirt are still on the front patio, but I am too tired to worry about them right now.