Chaya, got some? No, get some!

Through my misidentifying a neglected plant I have been introduced to a most fantastic herb. The chaya plant. Yall folks over there in Belize et.al. May know it as kikilchay or chaykeken since this plant is a Mayan staple. It is also known as spinach tree. here "snow coral" for the white flowers. This plant has so many health benefits it is amazing. besides tastes like and used like spinach. Probably put in many a calaloo dish here. Anyway can't wait to plant some and start adding it to the diet. Pictures soon come.
I thought the plant was a neglected papaya, similar leaves and stalk. Since on of the volunteers brought in leaves of each mature I could easily see the difference. One week at the gardens and my health is already improving.
Mango Melee this Sunday, hope they got a Mango bar! No Smoothies PleaSE!

Extra Time?

Last week I remembered that the good folks out at St. Georges Village Botanical Gardens had told me back in Jan. that they would need volunteer help come summer when all the "snow birds" were gone. so i stopped by for a look at their plant sale and they were sad. really needed water and some TLC. I asked the fellow in charge and he jumped at the offer of help. Now I am a full-time water boy at the SGVBG nursery. As with any volunteer group few want the mundane and tedious tasks when there are other more exciting tasks. So, no problem. Seems like I been watering plants all my life, and they reward me! Now I get a discount on plants, goodies at the gift shop and the "garden parties"! Oh how Cool! garden Parties. Just so happens this Sunday is the "Mango Malay" all things mango, the good, the bad and the ugly. Yes, there are ugly things about mangos, especially when they rot!

Contrast in houses

just a few houses on isle croix.

As the garden grows.

The banana that Susan planted has already sprouted pups at it's base so bloom soon come I hope. the garden is coming along slowly. the soil (clay) took forever to hydrate and loosen-up, then had to dry-out enough to be "worked", ha! not hardly. this stuff is an alkaline goo when wet, and a brick when dry. Yep, gonna be a challenge. So, for the time being I spread a thick line of gypsum, top that with composted manure from a bag (2 bags per row), top all that with bags of garden potting mix (2 bags per row), put down drip irrigation cover all that with with plastic mulch and that with cypress mulch. Them some pricey beds! But fresh veggies are pricey here. But it's still cheaper than a psychiatrist. Yep! even in Paradise you need therapy.

Looks like another tropical wave is headed our way with one following that. More rain. damn, need to get that cistern built or just go ahead and buy one and put a roof on it.
Man, have the mangos been fantastic. Made a new drink with over-ripe mango; a mango mojito. Forget the mint leaves and smash a bunch of real ripe mango in a glass, add dark rum and ice. Enjoy!! Use'm before they rot. they don't freeze well.

Cheers!

It's a bunch of Bull!

The air is still and humid, but still cooler than SC. They been having 90's and we in the mid 80's. And when the clouds come along it is quite pleasant. The plants are all doing well and the garden has begun fruiting, or vegging as it were. The iguanas (Larry's) have not been a problem since the mongooses are rampant. Still have not found a good receipt for mongoose and the Crucians look at me as if I were more daft than I am. I think any prep done for rabbit would work for mongoose. Like I'm really going to go out and catch one of the damn things. But if one were given to me, now that's another thing. I did find-out that some folk do raise rabbit on island and sell dressed and frozen ones. that is on the menu.

Posting has been frustrating lately, our wireless modem comes and goes. be online then off with no notice. Unplug the thing let it rest, plug back in and maybe a few minutes of access. so when I feel like sitting here it may not want to play. damn thing. going to the shop Monday. i see it flashing that weird flash now, may be gone? Yep, gone. Hope this saves. Yep it saved now gonna post.

Rain atlast!

It has been a long dry first part of the year. Good for tourism, what little of that there was. But rough on the farmers of the island and their livestock. Man, they grow alot of goats here. Eat alot too, I must say I enjoy stewed goat on rice a whole lot. The horses seem to just roam around and find grazing whereever it's available, shopping center parkink median, hospital grounds, apartment grounds, roadside, and ofcourse vacant lots. Susan noted that they keeps horses like we keep dogs on the continent. Difference is we fence our horses and dogs, here they only fence their dogs, to protect the house.

Anyway, we finally got some significant rain. A small tropical front meandered over us from the SW and just dumped on us. Hooray!! The trees we have been planting have begun to put-out new leaves and you can see them smiling. The pineapples are perking-up as are the peppers and tomatoes, fruit all of a sudden, Yes. The soil now loosened and Susan could put shovel into it. So, she planted an orange tree, bannana, and a frangapanni. Grow for it farmer Susan!

Mangos have been coming-in for a few weeks now and boy are they sweet. Not to big butn Sweet. So many falling along the roads the sweet smell can overwhelm as they rot. Yes, mangos rot.

Cheers!

Lot cleared, but not by me?

Last weekend Susan and I drove out to the lot and as we reached the end of the road to turn toward the sea I noticed some burned area. I commented that someone must be clearing their lot. Susan says, I told you last week there had been a brush fire out-West and she thought it was near our property. Me, "WTF?", no! i don't remember any such thing! Well, boy had there been a brush fire. About 20 acres! That's a lot on this island. So going on down toward the sea and our place there is nothing but burn on the right. Shit! Didn't cross the road so neighbours houses were OK. Then i say to Susan we just saved $350.00 not having to have it chopped. We lucked-out. I have been cutting down the Guinea grass cane that remained and then started planting trees; coconut, lime, avocado, and of course MANGO!