Cacti in My Chacala Backyard

This morning I transplanted a new plant Sheri brought me at the nursery in La Penita yesterday. It's a form of portulaca and I love it. She is going to show me how to make cuttings later today.And I set out some more cuttings from some other succulent piece s I had left out overnight so their raw cuts would dry out some.I have been interested in the Nopal plant that grows all over Chacala. One of the hundred's of varieties of Nopal is supposed to be helpful for diabetes, but I don't know which one, and neither does anyone else around here. As far as I know.
Then I started searching around the back of the house, hoping to find a piece of piece to use askind of a curtian rod. The area behind the house is about 50 fifty wide and maybe 80 feet deep and is very overgrown and has alot of junk lying around.I hadn't walked to the back of the lot before, mostly because I am afraid I will step on something unfriendly. But this morning my curiosity overcame my fear, and I walked to the stone fence at the back of the property. There was a large Nopal back there covered with blossomed. I think it's the first time of have seen these blossoms, and I love them. I tiptoed back through the leaves and branches and got my camera. I still have figured out how to take close-ups of the blossoms. But tonight I am going to read the manual again, so we'll see. Maybe I will figure it out.

I brought Sheri over to look at the cacti, and she pointed out all the pieces which had fallen to the ground seemed to have rooted themselves. I am going back out there later with my trowel to dig some up and transplant them out in front of the house.

Back into the Gardening Groove, in Chacala

I think I am back into gardening mode again, finally. I have been keeping things alive, but doing only a few gardening tasks, ever since I moved back here to Dona Lupe's in early November. My level of enthusiasm for gardening has been pretty low. Don't know why.But the last few days I am getting back in the gardening groove. It’s partly because of Sheri, a landscape gardener and small nursery owner is here, at Aurora’s. Looking at the photos of her garden got me back in the mood. Very inspiring. And now her lovely son is here too. He propagaes succulents (among other things) at the families nursery/landscaping business. So I have a chance to learn alot.I have just started doing lots of leaf and stem cuttings. Of succulents mostly. I am going to ask Fred for a critique of my sloppy propagating method tomorrow.This morning I did some gardenia cuttings. They are blooming now. I think there are about fifty blossoming getting ready to bloom now. They smell so wonderful.Actually, I don’t think they are really gardenias. I think they are Mock Gardenias, (Tabernaemontana divarticata). The roots are supposed to be poisonous, which I will keep in mind, just in case I have some poisoning to do.And I tried doing some cutting of Plumbago (Plumbago capensis) , which have blue flowers, and seem to bloom almost continuously around here. I grew plants from cuttings from this plast last year, and they did okay, so I will see.I am doing some dividing too, the Sanservieria (Sanservieria trifasciata) really grows quickly here, and sends up shoots quickly too. I am imagining I will put them all along the walkway up to the house here. Right now I only have three plants, but I will have more soon.

My Chacala Secret Garden

I have a short-cut from one part of Chacala to another. It goes thru a little wooded area. I think of it as my secret garden. But, really, it's not a secret garden, since there is a clear path thru it.
This morning some plants had just recently blossomed, and I took some photos.
I love this little area, when though there is some trash here.

My Trip to the Veggie Stand

I know that there are mostly the same vegetables and fruits in Chacala and Las Varas as in most places in the U.S. Well, the fruit are often different but most of vegetables are the same. Plus jicama and more peppers. I love looking at the fruit and vegetable displays at the local markets and tianguis. Everything looks so delcious. I had a great time this morning at the street market in Las Varas. I went there to get some more cheap maset/pots for plants, but looked at everything else too. The plant lady had some nice single eccheverria plants but she wanted 30 pesos, almost $3US for them, which is kind of high for Me














And this is Terry, my little buddy. His name is pronounced with a verrrry rrrrrolled R. I see every week or two, and he always jumps up for a pet from me. We have been friends for almost three years. He sits with his elderly owner on the same corner of the main street, watching the world go by.

Flowers at Mirador, in Chacala

I was over at Mirador this morning. Mirador is a small rental with six units. It's owned by a local family that has been in Chacala for generations. There are six units, right at the ocean, and two of them have kitchens overlooking the ocean, one from the patio. And a big guest palapa, and lots of flowers, and a stone staircase down to the little dirt Malecon.I was showing John and Sandy, a nice couple from Oregon, one of the lovely rentals at Mirador, when we were stopped by these beautiful flowers. Isreal and Inez/Chata are both great gardeners and Mirador always looks nice, but these flowers are really showstoppers. I think I find new gardens and see new plants every single time I go out walking around town. I am so lucky.

Epiphytic Bromeliad (?) in a Tree in Chacala

Chacala has gotten a lot of rain this winter, which is very usual for this part of Mexico. But the plants are loving it. Everything is green and lush. Usually the dry season here runs from mid October thru mid-June, but we're getting a break this year. Or at least the plants are. Gringo visitors to Chacala aren't so happy with the rain. Oh well.
There is a plant with redflowers growing in the crotch of this huge Huanacaste tree. I Don't remember seeing blossoms up there before. They look lovely.
I don't know what they are called, but I assume there are from the family of plants hook themselves up to other plants. Epiphytes I am told. I can't remember what they are called and I am not near a book. I am sitting about twenty feet above the ocean, watching the waves and waiting for the sunset.

A Little Friend for La Gringo's Rooster

I have been following La Gringa's adventures with her chickens. I noticed her cocky little rooster wouldn't stand a chance against some of Chacala's roosters. Some of the roosters here are breed to be fighter's, for cock fights. And some are pretty big.But this guy is just one of the the neighborhood's loudest crowers. He's not so big, but I think he's really pretty.The dogs around Chacala are amazingly placid. I have seen a line of chicks run right over a dog lying on the dirt road. Sleeping in the sun. And cats like to perch on the big dogs as the are lying on the road.

I have the feeling that agressive dogs in Chacala are dealt with when they are young. There are dogs that bark in the night, watchdogs, but otherwise you rarely see an agressive dog around here. And if a dog annoys someone too much, poison seems to be the solution of choice. A big dog was recently poisoned here. No one seemed to be sad to see him go.

In Front on My Garden, in Chacala

This morning, I ran down to the one paved road in Chacala, to turn off the faucet that delivers town water to my home. This guy and his horse were going by. He takes care of the cattle up in the mountains behind Chacala. I think Saturday afternoon is the start of his weekend, because he rides by every Saturday. After I turned on the water I started back up the stairs to the house, and was amazed to see this flower. I am sure it wasn't blossoming yesterday. At least, I am pretty sure it wasn't blossoming in the morning yesterday. I don't know what it is but it's very beautiful.The plant has about seven shoots at its base. I am going to ask my landlady if I can try to dig up some cuttings after the blossom dies. It's a lovely blossom and it would be great for have some more plants. There are two of these plants here already, and I would like to have more. I don't know if they blossom more than once a year.

We just had rain two times over the past three weeks, which is very unusual here this time of year. I have noticed that a number of trees are blossoming right now, out of season. I am struggling with how to arrange my plants at this house. I am hoping my landlady, Dona Lupe and I can make a small plan. So I can have an area to myself, with no help from my landlady's husband. When he's drunk or feeling guilty for being drunk, he destroys whatever plants catch his eye, so I am wanting a separate place he won't fool with. I am pretty sure Dona Lupe and I can work out a plan.I have too many plant starts right now, and no place ready to plant them. I am feeling kind of anxious about not being able to come put with a vision for the space. Luckily, a garden designer, Sheri Merciaro, from Oakland CA is in Chacala right now. I am hoping she will help me figure out a scheme. She has wonderful photos of the work she has done, and it's very inspiring. And kind is discouraging. But, whatever.

When I get back to the house after interneting, I am going to separate some of the starts into little pots, and then plant Coleus seeds. They are considered kind of special in Chacala, and make nice presents.