Solitude Rising

First water garden... 5 months later

2012-02-21T14:29:00.005-07:00

It's been over five months since the first water garden was constructed. Let's see how it's doing now.

From the looks of it, the aquatic plants are loving their new home. Much of the water surface is now covered with foliage. In a few areas not covered with leaves you will catch a glimpse of the fishes swimming. The adult Tilapias have been removed from the pond. They found their new home too cozy for reproduction that they started to make baby Tilapias. Now only Kois and Tilapia fingerlings inhabit the pond.

Hold the torch

2012-02-16T17:17:00.011-07:00

I hold the torch for a certain ginger-head. I showered her with care, tender touch and kindness. But alas, the attentions I gave were all left unrequited.

But years of persistent waiting, though truly exasperating, has finally bore its fruit. Our Torch Ginger (Etlingera elatior) has blossomed!

Just like the Bird of Paradise, this plant has kept me waiting for so many years to see it bloom. Last year, after three years plus of waiting, the former granted my wish. With that, I thought the latter's turn will come very soon.

With almost four years of no luck I was inclined to conclude I'm waiting for a flower to sprout from the wrong plant. Whenever I see posts of the Torch Ginger from other bloggers I can't help myself but be envious. One blogger friend, Africanaussie, suggested I send her pictures of our ginger so she can help verify if it is really a Torch Ginger. Immediately I asked my mother to take a picture of the said plant, but since we now have different species of gingers in the garden, she's already confused as to which plant is which.

Then one January morning, as mother was going around the garden to check on the plants, lo and behold, two Torch Gingers are in bloom. They may only have one flower each but that is more than enough for me, I'm happy!

Annual visit

2012-02-13T17:07:00.000-07:00

I really do wish I could make annual visits to the farm. Although this is something that I could not do yearly, I found out just a year ago that we do have annual visitors.

About this same time last year I noticed these white birds flying in and out of the farm, mingling with the grazing sheep. I think they are egrets. I inquired about this from my father and he said they come during the early part of the year and stay for a few weeks. Cool! The farm gets some wildlife visitors annually.

What other wildlife visit the farm?

Years ago I also learned that fruit bats roost under the canopy of the four mature Royal Palms. This may be the reason why we don't see any fruits from these palm trees. There are also undesirable guests like snakes and monitor lizards that make their presence known from time to time.

Picture perfect

2012-02-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

Seldom do I get a picture of the farm and/or garden that leaves a lasting, positive impression on me.

And on those days when I begin to question myself why I should continue with this farm and garden improvement project, such a picture helps uplift my sagging spirit
and gives me a validation that there is a reason to push on.

A shepherd rises

2012-01-27T17:00:00.017-07:00

(conclusion of A shepherd's journey)

After taking a well-deserved rest from carrying the heavy statue of the Good Shepherd to its destined location, the task of erecting it came next. They had to act fast to take advantage of a break from days of continuous downpour.

Even though the sun was out that day, it was veiled behind thick and dark clouds. But that was good enough to finish the job. It appears like Mother Nature was bestowing her blessing on this project. Thus, the statue was erected without a single hitch.

I decided against the idea of painting the statue as had been previously suggested. I think it would look better in its natural color of concrete. I'm afraid it might look cartoonish if different colors are applied to it.

The open field in front of the 'Good Shepherd' is where the small flock of sheep usually graze.

The surrounding area needs a good landscaping to better highlight the image of the Good Shepherd.

The corn stalks will all be cut down as soon as the ears are harvested and there will be no more corny jokes in the future. In fact a gradual landscaping has begun with whatever plants are still available in the nursery. There are so many more landscaping addition I can think of (e.g.: falls/stream, fishpond, sitting areas, spot lights), but these will have to be implemented in small stages as budget permits.

With the statue of the Good Shepherd looking over much of the farm and garden, may it always remind those who sees it of the higher power that never fails to guide and shepherd His flock.

Postscript: The first time I saw the finished statue I was very disappointed. I know I will never be satisfied with the craftsmanship. The most important instruction I gave was not followed, the face of the image does not resemble the picture that I provided. If I were to decide now, I would rather have this entire project redone, start from scratch and look for another artist. But there are other factors that must be considered especially the monetary part.

I could have injected my inputs had the artist given updates during the construction process. After all this was what we agreed to. I was completely surprised when the only update I received was a message saying the work is done.

Originally, I was planning on having our local parish priest come to bless the statue after it is installed but I'm postponing this until I personally inspect it and then decide whether it can stay or build a new one.

Once again I was hit hard with the realization that it is so difficult and frustrating to work on a project that is thousands of miles away and you can't be there to personally see the progress. If only I can be in two places at the same time. Beam me up, Scotty!

A royal treatment

2012-01-18T17:00:00.003-07:00

The seven new Royal palms.

Whenever I go to the farm, two things never escape my notice: that I always sleep in my brother's bedroom and those four imposing palm trees across our house.

On my every visit I temporarily use my brother's vacant room. That's because I have no room of my own; it has long been converted into a storage room...sigh! Somehow I understand how the "Holy Family" felt when they were told "there's no room in the inn." Maybe next time I'll bunk with the goats, or better yet, with the sheep. Talk about royal treatment!

Now when it comes to royal, those four imposing palm trees across the house aptly fit the title. I was told they are called Cuban Royal palms, Florida Royal palms or simply Royal palms (Roystonea regia). Although it's now a very common landscaping plant, I never really cared until I saw them in our own place. They are impressive in size, height and stature, fitting to be called 'royals.'

The trunks of the original four Royal palms. Picture taken on my visit last February, 2011

Since we only have four Cuban Royals in the farm, I thought of getting some more and randomly plant them in the 'upper' garden. In the future as they grow tall, these should help this struggling garden look more like a true garden and not just an open field with scattered plants here and there.

With the money left from the botched purchase of bamboo seedlings and the purchase of two Labrador puppies they were able to buy seven Royal palms. The palms they bought aren't very tall yet. That's fine since the really tall ones with visible trunks I'm pretty sure would cost thousands and thousands of pesos, if not more.

Except for the second picture, the rest were taken on a very dreary day. It has been raining almost daily for the past three months. Taking advantage of those hours without rain they immediately planted the Royal palms in random locations.

Seven is still not enough. There should be more of them in the farm. But with no budget yet, the rest would have to wait... until I win big in the lotto.

A shepherd's journey

2012-01-10T17:00:00.005-07:00

(continuation of I am the Good Shepherd...)

Last November, when Mom and Dad traveled to the capital city from the farm, their purpose was not only to buy bamboo seedlings but to fetch the finished statue of the Good Shepherd as well.

This endeavor requires that they have to take the van so they can bring the huge and heavy statue back to the farm. The journey takes more than 300 kilometers each way and because father was not in a good physical condition to drive the van we had to hire a driver. This is still way cheaper than having the statue delivered to the farm. Our concern was this van is very old and it might not take the weight of the load. Well, it did.

A truck delivers the Good Shepherd to our house in the suburb of Metro Manila.

After an overnight journey the statue arrived and unloaded at the farm.

Because of the unrelenting rain that poured down in our area last November and December, they could not install the statue at its designated place. Thus it remained in the front porch while they waited for at least a couple of days of no rain before its foundation could be constructed.

Waiting in the front porch while the foundation is being constructed.

Eventually mother nature quieted the skies and let the sun shine for a couple of days, more than enough to clear the site and construct the concrete base where the statue will stand. After the concrete base hardened it is time to move the statue but the sky wailed again for several days. Taking advantage of one day without rain, even though the sun hid behind thick and ominous clouds, father gathered up nine men from the neighborhood to carry the heavy statue from the house to the installation site.

Some adjustments were made to carry the load safely.

Slowly navigating the sloped road down to the pond area.

A short rest after crossing the pond bridge and before the start of the uphill climb.

Another short rest.

And the march continues...

...and continues... almost halfway there ...

... until they reached the site.

The journey from the house to the site was not easy. I was told the statue weighs around one metric tonne (~1,000 kilogram). Every several meters the men had to stop and take a breather. The constant rain from the previous days made the dirt road very soft, muddy and slippery.

Finally the Good Shepherd arrived at his intended location, the slope of the highest part of the farm. Thanks to the will and determination of the men who carried the heavy statue to the place where it will command a view of the rest of the farm and garden.

to be continued... (click here for the conclusion)

Every dog has its day

2012-01-04T17:15:00.002-07:00

According to one online dictionary, "every dog has its day" is a proverb which means everyone gets a chance eventually. And that includes getting a chance to go to doggie heaven.

One of our two farm dogs died last October, 2011. One day our male dog's jaw suddenly swelled and the following day it died before it could be brought to the vet's office. He left behind a very lonely sister. Our dogs are not treated as house pets, they are never allowed to set foot inside the house once they grow up. They have the entire farm as their playground and the stars are their blanket at night. However they have the storehouse for shelter during inclement weathers.

Because our dogs serve as alarms with their incessant barking when someone enters the farm premises, the need to replace the deceased dog became a priority. Luckily there was more than enough left in the budget allotted for the purchase of bamboo seedlings since we did not get the number of seedlings we needed.

Meet our new Labrador dogs. They were 3 months old when they were bought last November. My eldest niece took the rights to name them and being a Korean movie, TV and music (K-pop or Korean pop) fan, she named them Leeteuk (black, male) and Sora (yellow, female). Because they're still puppies they sleep in the main house and are free to roam and play inside.

Four months old Leeteuk (left) and Sora (right)...

... temporarily resting inside their travel cage after a refreshing bath.

Yesterday Leeteuk and Sora received their third and last installment of vaccinations and their anti-rabies shot. In a few more months they'll be ready to help Tintin (the only adult dog left) guard the farm.

Congratulations Leeteuk and Sora! Welcome to our dysfunctional family!!!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T00:00:00.002-07:00

(Belated) Merry Christmas

2011-12-29T21:00:00.003-07:00

In the Catholic faith, the season of Christmas doesn't end until the feast of the Epiphany (January 6, which is celebrated on the first Sunday after the new year). So even if it's four days after Christmas, this post isn't really THAT late :)

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.
Luke 2 : 8 - 11

If only the shepherds knew that the infant they visited in the manger will someday be known as the Good Shepherd...

Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
Luke 2 : 20

A corny joke

2011-12-06T17:09:00.004-07:00

I haven't been posting much lately about the events in the farm and garden even if there are many to report. I've kinda lost interest lately. The truth is it's my fault.

The flow of resource for "Solitude Rising" has gone down to a trickle so some adjustments have to be made. I asked my dear parents if they could find a way to help make the farm-cum-garden a little bit more productive especially in these lean times. Well, they did find a way to help stretch the budget --- by planting corns in several open spaces. They said the yield, no matter how meager, will help augment the costly commercial feeds for the animals. At first I thought this was a great idea. But when I saw the result, let's just say I fell off my chair. See for yourself.

Had the bamboos been shorter they would have been completely hidden from view.

Some garden plants competing with the corn plants.

It's a jungle of corns up there and the garden plants are somewhere in there too.

A young Cigar plant (center, bottom of the picture) is almost unnoticeable amid the tall stalks of corns.

If this is a joke, I don't find it funny at all.

There are so many open spaces in the farm where they could stick these stalks without destroying the look of the still emerging and struggling garden. It would have been more aesthetically acceptable if they designated a spot exclusively for growing corns. That, I would have gladly acceded to. For now, I'm just taking it in stride.

The eternal struggle between the garden plants and Cogongrass in some areas of the farm has given way to the fight between the garden plants and the corn plants. At least corns have commercial value.

From the outside looking in

2011-11-16T17:00:00.013-07:00

"From the outside looking in, you can never understand it. From the inside looking out, you can never explain it."
unknown

If there is one very important feature that our farm lacks, that's privacy. Despite the high wall, neighbors on the other side of the street still have an unobstructed view of the goings-on inside the farm, as you can see from the picture below. This is because the ground on the other side of the street is elevated.

A man looking inside the farm while waiting for a public transportation to pass by.

There are a couple of viable options for this much sought for privacy:

Make the concrete wall taller. This would work but may pose danger to life, limb or property especially if the wall is toppled down by a strong storm. The wall is already 8-foot tall.
Plant more trees inside the property, parallel to the wall and the road. But it will take many years and maybe even decades before they grow past the height of the existing wall. They could also get knocked down by a powerful storm.

The second option is more feasible but instead of trees I chose bamboos because they are fast growers. My father computed that it would take around 150 clumps of bamboos, spaced 3 meters apart to provide a decent privacy screen.

First, I need a type of clumping bamboo that will grow tall, around 15 meters high. There are several options like the Giant Bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper), Java Black Bamboo (Gigantochloa atroviolacea), Columbian Thorny Bamboo (Guadua angustifolia [technically not a pure clumper]), etc. After studying all the options I chose Oldham Bamboo (Bambusa oldhamii) because of its erect culms and short branches, it looks neat, dignified and beautiful.

Oldham Bamboo seedlings purchased from the bamboo store.

Next, I need to find a reputable plant store that knows what it sells or else I might end up with the wrong plant again. The stores my parents inquired at didn't even know what "Oldham Bamboo" is. Finally I found a store that specializes in bamboos only and they have Oldham! All their plants are labeled to avoid confusion. You can even inspect the mother plants if you go to their farm. I suspect their plants would be expensive since they have a decent website, an office and a nursery in Makati, the country's premier business district.

My mother called their office and talked to the manager. For some reason she was told of the wrong price. Based on this incorrect information I computed the total amount needed for 150 seedlings and then funded this project. With my go-signal, my mother called the store to confirm an order of 150 seedlings of Oldham Bamboo.

A few days before the set pick-up date, we were informed that they gave us the wrong price and that the actual price was actually 60% more. Now this is a possible deal breaker. The total price went up to ₱60,000.00 (US$1,430.00)¹, way above the initial total amount. Then another surprise - currently they only have 20 seedlings of the bamboos we ordered. What the heck?!!

Columbian Thorny Bamboo (Guadua angustifolia) seedlings.

Anyway, since we can no longer afford to pay for the 150 seedlings and since they don't have that many either, we took the 20 they have, bought a couple of some other bamboo species and called it a day.

Just another quirky adventure on our quest for a little privacy.

P.S.:
I did not mention the name of the store since it may look like an endorsement. But if you need to know, just send an e-mail and I will gladly share their info.

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¹ Exchange rate: US$1.00 : PH₱42.00

Black beauty

2011-10-31T17:00:00.002-06:00

"Master said, God had given men reason, by which they could find out things for themselves..."
"Black Beauty"
by Anna Sewell

From red stem to black stem.

Admittedly, my knowledge of plants and their behaviors were very limited when we started collecting for the garden project. As I began to research on what to get, that's the only time I learned more about the different types of bamboos including those with black colored culms (stems).

From what I've seen in the internet, there are only a few species of what is called a "black bamboo", namely Phyllostachys nigra, Gigantochloa atroviolacea and Bambusa lako. Please let me know if there are others. Of the three, P. nigra is what I prefer most. But because it's a running type bamboo I thought best not to deal with the hassles and headaches of controlling its runaway shoots.

I don't know what Black Bamboos are available in the market in our corner of the world, so in 2009, when I asked Mom to buy some Black Bamboos I specifically said to look for those with a clumping behavior. When I saw pictures of the young bamboos my mother bought, their culms exhibited a deep black coloration, I thought we had it. But as the bamboos grew and matured, their black color seemed to be fading also. Have we been duped again?

Some of the supposedly "Black Bamboos" with varying culm shades from green to black.

Turning to the internet again I read that the culms of both Gigantochloa atroviolacea and Bambusa lako start out green and as they age they slowly turn to black, or at least dark to almost black. I have no idea what species of bamboos we got because they were bought from a garden store where the retailers are not familiar with the botanical names of the plants they sell.

The row of supposedly "Black Bamboos" greet guests as they approach the upper garden .

I'm a very skeptical person so I've lowered my expectation to the point that I believe these are not true Black Bamboos. Maybe these are hybrids? Black Bamboos or not these living things deserve a place under the sun, so even if I'm a bit disappointed, they are staying in their current location to live their long lives to the fullest.

Red Stem Thalia... revisited

2011-10-10T20:51:00.001-06:00

Since my last post was about a new water garden and a few pond plants, here's an update on another pond plant which I've already posted last year, the Red Stem Thalia (Thalia geniculata)

This is why it is called a 'Red Stem' Thalia. That glob attached to the stem are the eggs of an aquatic snail.

I ended my "Red Stemmed Thalia" post on a not so positive note. I wrote about how sickly and pitiful they looked after they have been divided, considering that they came to the farm looking very healthy and very proud.

A distressed bunch of Thalias after they've been divided last year.

The picture above shows how they look just days after they've been separated and relocated. The fishpond's water was so turbid because it was the height of a severe drought back then. Now the Thalias (a.k.a. "Water Cannas") are so robust. Below is a picture that shows how the they have grown one year after they have been "manhandled" and moved to their current location.

Unlike the terrestrial Canna, the Water Canna does not produce beautiful flowers. They are tiny and dangles at the end of a very long leafless stem. When they are all in bloom the bunch look unkempt. And the two plant species have nothing in common but the name "canna."

Thalias are not known for their flowers.

Thalias (both geniculata and dealbata) do not produce stunning flowers but for this particular type of Thalia one can certainly appreciate the foliage and the deep red stems. These are marginal or bog plants, meaning they grow well in wet soil or shallow waters. They are tall and elegant, a great plant for a significantly sized pond or water garden.

The Thalias on one corner of the fishpond...

...and on another.

Aquatic plants provide a beneficial function in balancing a pond ecosystem. They absorb nutrients in the water which may be harmful to the fishes. Also, they provide habitat for other creatures. In our fishpond, snails climb up their stems and deposit their eggs there. Except for the unsightly clusters of eggs, the snails do no other harm to the plants.

The Thalias are due for another division. This means they have to suffer stress once again. I know they will survive, still whenever I see any of our beloved plants looking distressed I can't help but worry. But they're in the capable hands of my mother so I know they will be okay.

Our first water garden

2011-09-29T18:37:00.002-06:00

Our tubs, buckets and pails of Lotus plants are getting to be like cry babies, always looking for attention. Not that they make shrieking noises when they need something, they just look sad and limp when they need more water.

Since their roots are confined to small and shallow containers, their water requirements need to be checked often especially during hot and sunny days. This situation was brought to my attention months ago and we had to come up with a quick solution if our Lotuses are to survive in the garden.

Ideally I would have opted for a ground level pond complete with water features and landscaping for a more natural look. Eventually this is what I'll shoot for, but for now the well-being of the Lotus plants must be addressed as soon as possible.

Thus, we decided to build a bigger container in the form of an above ground pond. This is cheaper, easier to build and easier to maintain than an elaborate, natural-looking pond. So, Dad and his crew went to work and built the pond adjacent to the "mother" garden.

The Lotuses are now happily residing in the pond. Since there are room for more aquatic plants, a Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) and another yet unidentified plant were added. There are also Duckweeds (Lemna minor) which hitchhiked with Lotuses and began to float only after the Lotus containers were submerged in the pond.

We have Umbrella Papyrus (Cyperus involucratus) growing in a place where they don't get any attention so I asked Mom to put some in the pond too, but that's after they've been quarantined to make sure they don't harbor snail eggs. Currently they're in isolation at the back porch. It will be a disaster if aquatic snails get into the pond as I mentioned in my older post "What lies beneath..."

To solve the potential problem of the pond becoming a breeding ground for blood-sucking, virus-carrying mosquitoes, we added some fishes as well. There are a few Tilapias, young Kois and Comets contently living in the pond.

To keep the color of the pond from turning completely green due to algal bloom and the water healthy for the fishes, fresh water is added daily delivered by a hose connected to a spring-fed source.

A pond can be classified as a fishpond, koi pond, wildlife pond or a water garden. So, is this structure a fishpond or a water garden? Definitely a water garden. Although fishes can be added in a water garden they are not the main attraction of the pond but rather the various species of aquatic plants. The plants take the center stage while the fishes are just extras.

Someday, if the forces from above are willing, there will be more ponds and water gardens in different parts of the farm.

I am the Good Shepherd...

2011-09-22T16:00:00.008-06:00

The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name.
Psalm 23 : 1 - 3
The New American Bible

(continuation of A 7-foot tall statue of me?)

Years ago my parents floated an idea of building a small private chapel in the future and I nodded in agreement since unbeknownst to them I have that plan in mind too. I am not a very spiritual/religious person (a big time sinner here) but, I do believe that blessings come from "Above" and I think it is proper to give thanks for even the tiniest blessing. And this, I thought, is my way of giving thanks, by building a small chapel sometime in the (distant) future.

That "distant" future is getting closer and closer. But the planned chapel evolved into something else. The walls disappeared and the ceiling --- well, the sky's the limit --- literally. The planned chapel will now be an open-air meditation garden dedicated to the Good Shepherd, surrounded by plants and most probably a band of grazing sheep too.

A sample picture of where the statue will be installed to help visualize how it will look.

The picture above is just an approximation of how and where the Good Shepherd image will be located. Once it's installed the surrounding area will be landscaped and recycled tree trunks will serve as stools to sit on. In the future (the Lord willing) it will be completed with a recirculating stream with mini waterfalls. Somehow the sound of flowing water has a calming effect.

A lump of clay meticulously transformed into a rough image of the Good Shepherd. The artist's face is blurred for privacy.

As I've mentioned in my "A 7-foot tall statue of me?" post, with the help of a friend, I've found a sculptor to design a 7-foot tall image of the Good Shepherd. Above are pictures of the current state of the clay model which will be used as a basis in the making of the actual statue. It is a custom-made piece based on a composite of two different images.

At first I was very much concerned that the details of the clay image are not as sharp as those on the pictures I provided. I was assured that all the fine details and my specifications will be incorporated into the actual image once it is produced.

A closer look of the clay image still lacking fine details.

As explained by the artist: "The clay art only represents the concept of the final sculpture that's why it's rough. This is the comprehensive stage, a clay and reduced in size so it is generally rough. Definitely all the details will be on the bigger piece including all your inputs. Reduced clay studies are rough representations of the final piece. What it shows here is the general look of the image especially the resulting pose based on the combined posing of the two picture references you provided."

Amen...

to be continued... (click here for the continuation)

Big bird

2011-09-18T20:30:00.005-06:00

A real bird.

An imaginary bird (image from Wikipedia).

I knew Big Bird (right) since I was a small boy. Initially, I didn't know that his feathers were yellow, thanks to our first TV, a black and white Motorola (yes, Motorola used to make TVs).

And I have Sesame Street to thank for since that's where I learned my A,B,Cs and 1,2,3s. It's also the reason why I pronounce the letter Z as 'zee' and not 'zey' like 'hey' which was the way they taught in school back then, and I think they still do today. Sesame Street was a part of my life perhaps until college. And then one day I "grew up" and became a part of the working class.

Then there's another big bird that I thought would not do well in our country because of the year-round high humidity and a long wet season. That's what I thought until my father proposed that we try raising ostriches. This idea came about when he saw a booming ostrich farm in a neighboring province which led to his lofty idea of being the first in our province to have an ostrich farm. Since I could sense that he was dead serious, I reluctantly consented.

The remaining trio, the male is in the middle.

My father suggested that we start with seven chicks. But when I learned that one young chick costs almost US$200.00 I wanted to back out. That does not include the cost of feeds and supplements. Not to disappoint my father I just closed my eyes and prayed that these chicks better not go to ostrich heaven or else I'm gonna be a very, very unhappy man. It was a gamble.

How I wish this female was sitting on some eggs.

As the chicks grew and the years go by, the seven ostriches became six, then five, then four, then three --- their current number today. The six became five because, as it turned out, there was only one male in the flock. Like any other birds it is hard to determine ostrich sex while they are still young. The ostrich farm agreed to exchange one of their male ostriches for two of our females. Hmmm... sounds like an unfair deal.

As expected in animal husbandry, there will be mortality. The other ostriches succumbed to various ailments. Thank goodness there's still one male alive. But I'm beginning to think he's either sterile, gay or impotent. Eventually, one of the females managed to lay two eggs. We thought we'll be hearing the sound of chirping baby ostriches soon but both eggs were unfertilized. Since then they've never produced a single egg.

Near the shed which serves as their shelter at night and during bad weathers.

Even though my father's dream of an ostrich farm did not materialize I'm thinking of keeping at least 2 or 3 ostriches so that the presence of these big birds will not be missed. Sometimes visitors would come just to look at them and marvel at the sight of these oversized but graceful birds.

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BTW, if you did not see the post on how to show/hide contents of a blog please click here.

Vanishing contents --- tutorial

2011-09-18T19:20:00.002-06:00

My blogger friend Autumn Belle was also curious as to how I displayed and hid the tutorial in my Two in one post.

Here's how it's done and I assure you it's very easy. Click here to show or hide the code.

I hope this tutorial was able to help you.

Going bananas ... also

2011-09-02T20:15:00.004-06:00

I was in the middle of composing this entry when I read Angel's Going bananas post. Since I've already titled mine "Going bananas", I just added "... also."

Angel's bananas are different from mine. Her's are edible, mine are not (no double entendre intended). Anyway...

It all started when I asked Mom to look for a particular ornamental bananas. As always, mistakes were made and a different type of banana was bought. We've identified it later as the Blood banana (Musa acuminata 'Zebrina'). On the next trip to the garden store, another type ornamental banana was bought, the name of which I still do not know until now. As for the one I am looking for, well it's still out there waiting to be found.

Some of the Blood bananas in the upper garden. The one on the right have plenty of suckers, baby plants ready for transplant.

After these ornamental bananas have been transplanted to the upper garden they've adjusted and practically felt at home, growing and multiplying faster than their edible counterparts. Since they have plenty of room to grow, might as well let them grow in number for now.

The still unidentified ornamental banana in bloom and with pups and fruits.

From a couple of mother plants there are now several clumps of Blood bananas found in different parts of the upper garden. As for the other "unnamed" ornamental banana, it's just doing what bananas are suppose to do, silently multiplying. In no time it too will be scattered in the garden just like its "blood" relative.

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P.S.

Thanks to Angel and Autumn Belle for identifying the other "unnamed" ornamental banana. It is called Musa velutina. Its common names include "Pink Fruting Banana", "Purple Banana" and "Pink Velvet Banana" among others.

A 7-foot tall statue of me?

2011-08-29T14:26:00.003-06:00

friend: Are you serious, you really want a 7-foot statue of you?

me: I'm dead serious, standing with my right arm extended upward and my hand pointing to the sky and my left arm folded on my chest with a clenched fist, like a dictator in the middle of a pompous and lengthy speech.

friend: And where do you intend to put it?

me: At the highest point in the farm so everyone passing by can see it.

One day, while flipping through the pages of a magazine I received from the Columban Fathers I saw a picture of a statue of Christ the Good Shepherd. I was so enamored by the serenity and kindness of his face. From this encounter I had another aha moment --- since we have a small flock of grazing sheep why not build an open air chapel dedicated to the Good Shepherd near where they graze.

I thought a 7-foot tall cement statue standing on a 2-foot tall base would be tall enough. I mentioned this idea to my parents and they could not agree more. Without my knowledge, they erected a 9-foot wooden board where I said I plan to put the statue. They covered it with white sacks just to see how it will look from afar. Although thousands of miles away, I think I could feel their muted excitement.

The wooden plank around the area where a religious statue will stand as seen from afar.

And so the hunt was on to find a good sculptor who can create a custom-made image of the Good Shepherd based on a magazine picture. I asked some friends if they could recommend one. Then I enlisted the help of a good friend to do the legwork for me. He even went all the way to Paete, Laguna (known for its locals' great carving craftsmanship) in search of an artist to take on this project. But the project stalled for several months because my friend had to concentrate full time to some important family matters.

I thought maybe the time is not yet ripe for this project to commence.

The wooden plank still visible from the driveway near the entrance to the farm.

While this project was floating in limbo, another good friend was under the impression that my search for a sculptor was just a joke because when I was asking around, I jokingly said I would like to have a 7-foot statue of me. Eventually, when he learned of my true (and noble?) purpose he mentioned his colleague, a fellow art instructor at the University of Santo Tomas, College of Fine Arts and Design. He came highly recommended by my friend who is also a talented painter. Since I trust my friend, I commissioned his colleague to create an image of the Good Shepherd based on the picture that I saw in a magazine.

The scaled down clay model of the Good Shepherd in its early stage of carving.

After a brief chat with the artist over the phone, he accepted the project. The steps to take in making the concrete statue are as follows:

Create a scaled down model made of clay.
Upon my approval of the scaled down model, a 7-foot tall model will be created based on the smaller model.
The 7-foot tall model will be used to create a mold.
From the mold, a cast will take shape using wet cement reinforced with iron rods and chicken wires where needed.

From the steps I mentioned above, we're still in the first step, create a scaled model. I was told it will take a month to finish the project once I give my approval to the scaled model and pay the 50% down payment. Upon completion, the remainder of the balance must then be settled. The finished product will then be delivered to the farm, a travel by land of about 200+ miles.

A 7-foot tall statue of me? Nah, I'm much too insignificant to be glorified with a statue plus nowadays only martyrs deserve a statue and I don't intend to be one.

to be continued... (click here for the continuation)

Two in one

2011-08-25T13:57:00.019-06:00

Two focuses, one subject. Two pictures one frame.
Point your mouse on the picture to reveal the other.

I was just randomly taking close-up pictures of plants in the garden early morning after one rainy evening when I chanced upon this Zinnia plant with a new bud and a flower past its prime.

P.S.
Some of my blog friends asked if I can teach them how to do the 2-in-1 mouse trick. I'd be happy to. The procedure may look deceivingly complicated and lengthy for non-HTML coders but truth is it's short and easy once you get the hang of it.

So here's how I did it. Click here to show or hide the code.

The forbidden fruit

2011-08-15T20:41:00.000-06:00

The forbidden fruit is not exclusively found in the garden of Eden anymore, it is also found in our garden (and maybe in yours too).

Just outside our humble house in the farm, growing close to the patio are trees that bear a type of fruit that I so love to eat, the pomelo (Citrus maxima or Citrus grandis). And these particular trees produce an excellent quality of pomelos. But now this is a fruit that I could only touch but could no longer eat. How come?

My doctor cautioned me to refrain from consuming grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi) products (fruit, juice, etc.) because it may interact with my prescription medication to lower my blood cholesterol level. There's something in the chemical make up of this fruit that affects the metabolism of some medications rendering them dangerous. This culprit has not been pinpointed to a certainty yet but one suspect is the chemical furanocoumarins. And what has grapefruit got to do with pomelo?

The grapefruit is a hybrid which came into existence by crossing a pomelo with an orange. Since some chemical compounds in grapefruits like furanocoumarins are also found in high amounts in pomelos, it can be assumed that consuming pomelo is also a big NO, and this assumption is supported by some online literatures. So rather than second guess and endanger my earthly existence, I would rather err on the side of caution.

For several years now, every time I go on vacation to the farm our pomelo trees beckon me to come and partake of their fruits, especially those that are hanging low and at an arm's reach. Weak as I am, their seduction draws me to touch and admire their fruits only to turn back and slowly walk away from these luscious temptations.

Make it two

2011-08-12T15:11:00.000-06:00

NOTE This post is several days overdue. The truth is I could not decide whether I should publish it or not, and not for any major reason either. So finally, today, at this very minute, I pressed the 'PUBLISH POST' button.

July 31, 2011

Solitude Rising is officially two years old today.

Today marks the second year of my personal record of the development and progress of our little project. In fact, it's so personal that it's open to the public. It's so personal that I didn't even care when it turned one year old. Hmmm, how could have I missed that pivotal event?

So many events transpired during the past year, while time slowly turned this diary's page from one to two. Below are the highlights.

the goats got a new house
no new plants but the ones we have have been growing well and propagation are in full force
new garden spots established, old ones revisited and improved
the sheep have a new home too
road infrastructures within the farm were improved
plants blooming for the first time
the farm is now our farm (at least in theory)

There were also missteps and encountered some stumbling blocks

the farm was devastated by a super typhoon (category 5 hurricane)
the small mango orchard destroyed by the typhoon
a new structure recently build was demolished (just because I found it unappealing)
several animals died due to disease
the farm may be ours but not yet on paper
the source of financing for future projects has dried up, growth will drastically slow down

To the very few who have been peeking inside this private (yet very public) journal, I wish to convey my gratitude for all your comments, suggestions, or even your simple 'hi'. Some have come and immediately gone, even their short visits are much appreciated. I know so few have visited and followed religiously, and I understand why this is not a popular destination. After all, who would want to read about just one subject (that being the happenings inside one dusty, forlorn, off the beaten track farm in a similarly unknown town)?

To my target readers, I know you are all still very young (and some of you are not even born yet) to care. When your time has come to take up the reins, here you would know the history of it all, how it all began when Solitude was still rising.

Claw me, claw thee

2011-08-10T13:34:00.001-06:00

It's been over a year since I last gave an update on our Lobster Claw heliconias (Heliconia rostrata). Back then they were still growing in the nursery and have responded well to the extra attention they've received so much so that their area in the nursery looked more like a Lobster Claw plantation (Their claws are showing). So what has happened since then?

Weather permitting they were slowly transplanted in the upper/back garden. As expected they experienced transplant shock to varying degrees. Some seemed to have died completely but new growth appeared after a few weeks. Others only had minor shocks, losing several leaves.

Some of the Lobster Claw heliconias already established in their new home in the upper garden.

A solitary clump of young Lobster Claw begins to bloom. With surrounding weeds cleared it looked even more alone.

More Lobster Claws in the upper garden, some displaying new blooms.

These Lobster Claws are competing for attention amid thick, persistent weeds.

With all the weeds in the background, this heliconia is a sight for sore eyes.

What I love about Lobster Claws are their colorful flowers that look interestingly unusual and that they bloom year round at intermittent intervals. So you never know where in the garden the next blooms will appear and when. And even though this plant is now widely and sometimes over cultivated, to me its exotic appeal never diminishes. A proof to this is the existence of more of this plant all over the upper garden.

"Claw me, claw thee" is an old German/Dutch idiom which means "stand by me and I'll stand by you" or sometimes "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine".

The desert blooms

2011-08-04T23:14:00.002-06:00

All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today.
Swedish Proverb

You might be inclined to think that the Desert Roses (Adenium obesum) pictured below were store-bought, that one crazy day my mother went on a shopping spree and bought nothing but these plants alone. The truth is these plants came from just one source. And they are not from cuttings either, they were all grown from seeds.

The second generation of locally grown Desert Roses around the Cardboard Palm.

I know, some big trees come from teeny-weeny seeds so it should not be surprising to see where a Desert Rose begins. But I had no idea what the seed of a Desert Rose looks like. Heck, I didn't even know that it develops inside a seedpod and that there's plenty of seeds in one pod alone. So when Mom sent pictures of the seedpod and the seeds inside the pods I was amazed.

The seeds of a Desert Rose.

From the picture above, one can deduce that the seeds of this plant are dispersed by the wind. The light and delicate strands of silky hair attached on one end of the seed allows the seed to be picked up by even a slight breeze. This type of wind dispersal is called "parachute." For other ways on how seeds are dispersed by the wind, click here.

These are two of our Desert Roses with pods. On the left the pods are encased in plastic bags so that the seeds would not scatter when the pods burst open. The pods on the right are still immature.

In my older post A rose is a rose is a rose I mentioned that our first batch of baby Desert Roses came from a seedpod that was already developing in a plant when it was bought from a plant store. The second batch also came from one of the bought plants but the pods came months after it was bought, enough to say that they're already farm-grown just like the pods shown above.

These will be the next generation of Desert Roses in the garden, safely bagged for future use.

As long as our Desert Roses continue to produce fertile seeds it is safe to assume they won't go extinct in the garden. I can say the next generation of Desert Roses are "in the bag" ... literally.

The beehive state

2011-07-24T12:00:00.004-06:00

Every state in the good ol' U.S. of A. has a nickname. For example the state of New York is called "The Empire State", California is also known as "The Golden State", Texas is "The Lone Star State", and so on. Utah, which celebrates its 115th year of statehood today, the 24th of July, is also called "The Beehive State."

Utah has been my "adopted" home for the past several years now, from the day I first set foot in America. Currenly I have no plans of moving to any other state as I've come to agree with Brigham Young¹ when he declared: "This is the place."

Happy birthday to the Beehive State!!!

Similarly, the state of our Beehive ginger (Zingiber spectabile) leaves nothing to be desired for now that I know it has adapted to its "adopted" home i.e., the farm.

Last February of 2010 I asked Mom and Dad to buy another Beehive ginger. There is already one in the farm which was purchased last December of 2009. However we were not sure if it's the real thing so the second purchase was just an insurance just in case it's not. This more recent purchase we're sure is a Beehive ginger because it had a flower when it was bought.

For over a year the gingers just grew but very slowly and did not produce any flowers. I was beginning to think that they may not be suited to our local climate or maybe they were planted in the wrong area. Maybe the soil is lacking in nutrient, perhaps they are not getting enough water and nourishment.

Then in May two small knobs began to appear at the base of the more recent Beehive. I was so excited when Mom mentioned this development during one of our long distance phone conversations. Finally it's doing something more than just converting carbon dioxide to oxygen.

It took more than two months before the knobs turned into what they are in the picture below. They are now past their prime and will very soon be a part of history. Hopefully this is the start of a new era for this species of plant in the farm.

I suspect one reason why our Beehive gingers are sluggish is due to deficiency in nutrients. The upper garden was once a cornfield and as such the soil was subjected to much stress in growing corns, amended with chemical fertilizers and lacking in organic nutrients. The soil needs to heal from decades of mismanagement which could easily be remedied by applying composts. But despite the availability of materials they are not utilizing this eco-friendly means of soil amendment. Yet there is a glimmer of hope, as exemplified by the emergence of these two Beehive ginger flowers.

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¹ Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) is the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly known as the Mormon Church) who led his flock's migration from Illinois to the current state of Utah.

Not my Iris

2011-07-18T14:22:00.001-06:00

I was told it's an Iris but it sure doesn't look like the Iris I had in mind.

The flowers of our Walking Irises (Neomarica gracilis).

It all started when I asked Mom a year or so ago to buy some Iris plants so we could start propagating them. My plan was to use these Irises as bog or marginal plants in the future Koi pond and water garden. That way when the pond and water garden are built there would be plenty of Irises ready to use without the need to buy more.

Our Walking Irises in bloom in the nursery.

So that's how these Irises came to exist in the farm. But the flowers don't resemble the ones I've seen in some online pictures growing near bodies of water so my only conclusion is that this is not the Iris I wanted. However, since they look good just the same they are a very welcome addition in the garden.

The flower of our Giant Apostle's Iris (Neomarica caerulea).

But once again I was at a loss as to what type of Iris these are. I've been wanting to write about them but I don't exactly know their actual names. But the wonders of the internet never cease to amaze. I wasn't even googling for this type of plant when lo and behold there it was staring at me on my monitor, a flower that looks exactly like the blooms of our no-name Irises.

Our Giant Apostle's Irises temporarily placed in front of the front porch of our humble house.

Now I know. Our mysterious Iris is called the "Walking Iris" or the "Apostle's Iris" from the genus Neomarica with sixteen different species. It is native to Central and South America as well as the tropical regions of western Africa. This plant belongs to the family Iridaceae so technically it's still an Iris but quite different from its true Iris cousin which is from the genus Iris. To be specific ours is the Neomarica gracilis and the other is the Neomarica caerulea.

More young Walking Irises in the nursery.

I could only blame myself for not getting the plant I was looking for. It could have helped a lot if I had been more specific when I asked Mom to buy some Irises. I should have said 'Water Iris', now that would have been clearer. The ones we have don't even like wet soil so they'll definitely feel miserable in the future Koi pond and water garden. Anyway, there are plenty of spaces waiting for them in the upper garden where they can thrive in peace and multiply as they desire.

And so the search for the Water Iris is still on. But wait! I have no budget left for more plants.....grrrr!

Milestone #3 - Bittersweet taste of ownership

2011-07-17T17:00:00.001-06:00

This journal entry is dedicated to my nephews, nieces and my future children (if I ever get blessed to have at least one).

May you learn to appreciate the sacrifices your elders are making so that you may have a better and brighter future.

Like a dark chocolate, one must endure the bitterness to enjoy this decadent treat.

First the sweet...

Woohooo!!! All debts have been settled with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), the government bank holding the encumbrances to the farm. We are another step closer towards complete ownership of our farm (and garden) !

Annotation at the last page of each of the title stating that the lot is encumbered in favor of the Land Bank of the Philippines, the owner.

Because this is a Land Reform issue, the bank had to sit and wait for the Supreme Court's ruling to determine the price for a hectare of reformed lot. And this is the year the ruling came out. With that, I asked my parents to immediately get in touch with the bank.

After long years of anxious waiting we have been presented with the bill that must be settled so the government bank could release all its claims to the farm. And contrary to some might think, we don't have "inside connections" so the bill we got was calculated based on what the highest court of the country has mandated. And that's the amount we paid, no more, no less :(

Our only consolation is the fact that we were told that with this particular land reform saga, we hold the record for being the first in our entire region to settle our debts...and voluntarily at that. The bank didn't even have to come after us, we went to them, we presented our papers and "begged" them to please, please compute the total amount of our debts. Now if only there's an award for that.

My gratitude also to the LBP officer and the Agrarian Reform officer who promptly looked into our case and did not give my parents the runaround that is usually encountered by ordinary individuals when dealing with government entities.

And now the bitter...

The budget meant for the farm's daily expenses had to be diverted to completely settle our bank debts. Because of that, the farm is ours (woohoo again!).

But not quite yet! Despite its minuscule size, the farm is an aggregate of 13 different titles under 13 different names, both current and previous owners. Lucky 13 indeed! The process it takes to transfer the titles under just one name will require more legwork and even more funds to pay for the taxes and other associated fees.

The top part of the first page of the Land Reform title. There are 13 of these titles that must be consolidated under one name

Unfortunately, the "bank" (guess who that is) that finances all expenses in the farm is already in the red and is at the point of insolvency. What does this mean? This means that all projects must be frozen, all non-essential expenses must be avoided, and no one is allowed to get sick until the financial institution (guess who that is) is again in the black. And that will take a very long time.

(Sigh) the hustle and bustle in the farm must momentarily grind to a halt. If only I could eat dirt and pretend it's a dark chocolate... LOL

Return to paradise

2011-07-13T12:01:00.004-06:00

Just a month after our first Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) graced our garden with its very first set of elegant blooms, it's our second Bird of Paradise's turn to shine. And it's also its first time to bloom so it's another memorable event for us.

When Mom spotted two developing pointed shoots, she already knew that these aren't ordinary shoots, they won't be turning into leaves but something else, something more interesting.

A couple of weeks of waiting and the first flower bud opened to reveal its awesome 'feathers'.

And several days later the second flower bud unveiled its colorful 'plumes'. Ah, the Bird of Paradise... definitely one of my most treasured tropical plant in the garden.

Fruitless

2011-07-06T22:18:00.000-06:00

This year our summer income generator failed to deliver. This is not a big surprise since what's left of our mango trees have not completely recovered from the severe damage brought by a devastating storm that passed through the farm late last year.

As I've mentioned before, our mango orchard is dwarf in size compared to commercial plantations. Despite that, if the conditions are right, the trees are able to produce plenty of fruits that come harvest time the income our small orchard generates is enough to sustain the farm's financial needs for a couple of months.

Some of our mango trees before the devastation.

This year not a single fruit was in sight from the trees that survived. The pictures below were taken when I was in the farm last February. Typically by that time the trees should be teeming with flowers and/or tiny fruits. But as you can see bare trunks are more prominent than leaves. As to how many more years before these trees become fruitful again is anybody's guess.

That is the thrill of living in a tropical country where on one day the weather is a friend and on another an enemy. It's how you deal with it that matters. And all those open spaces between the trees are saying that the time is ripe to plant new mango seedlings in preparation for the next generation.

Waiting for the Bamboo Orchids to grow

2011-06-29T14:14:00.003-06:00

The flower of a Bamboo Orchid. (image source: Wikipedia)

The spaces on both sides of the entrance to the farm is still sparsely planted. And I have not completely forgotten about it. From the very moment the first Triangle palm was installed, I have been thinking of what to put underneath and in between the rows of palms.

My blogger friend Africanaussie suggested that I use Ixora, a plant that doesn't mind aggressive trimming to keep it maintained. I so much appreciate the suggestion and I pondered about using it as well. My only problem with Ixora is that it's a very common plant in the country. Almost every garden, large or small has at least one to a point that almost nobody cares about it anymore.

Young Bamboo Orchids with other young plants in the nursery.

So I thought what else can I use? Then I remembered this one particular plant that happened to be blooming when I visited the farm last February. I was attracted by its unusual looks and the flowers resemble that of an orchid. But I didn't know its name then. It was only after reading Autumn Belle's entry that I got to know that plant.

The Bamboo Orchid (Arundina graminifolia) is not a native to the country. It was an introduced species and although it's quite popular it's not yet widely cultivated.

This ground orchid's reedy stems and grass-like leaves give its bamboo-like structure. It has a clumping habit so growing out of control or invading other spaces is not a big problem. The significant sized flowers develop at the top of the stem. This, I thought would be a good candidate plant to put in between the Triangle palms at the entrance to the farm.

More young Arundinas in the nursery.

Since we're on a very tight budget these days, buying is not a good option. So, I asked Mom if she could try to propagate them from our one and only clump of Bamboo Orchid. And off she went separating some of the offsets from the mother plant, individually putting each on separate black plastic bags. Those with significant roots she planted directly to the ground.

Mom thought these two are old enough to be planted to the ground.

The young plants shown on the three pictures above are either just two or three weeks old. And judging from their appearance they seem to be doing well. However, it might take several months (or years) before they grow to a significant height and volume and produce flowers. But as I have been slowly and painfully learning the hard way, all I can do (again) is wait. And waiting is torture to an impatient person like me.

Who owns the farm?

2011-06-22T14:30:00.002-06:00

Would you believe that this farm which I've been blogging and developing for several years now is not even ours?

Hacienda ha·ci·en·da (häs-nd, äs-)
n.
1. A large estate or plantation in Spanish-speaking countries.
2. The house of the owner of such an estate.
(source: www.thefreedictionary.com)

In the early history of the Philippines, during the long reign of the Spanish conquerors, a few wealthy, well-connected and influential people owned vast tracks of land called "haciendas". Each hacienda is so vast that only a few families owned one (or more) and any non-member of the family living in such places were mere tenants. The tenants and their families toil hard to earn money for their landlord. In return they are permitted to reside in his territory.

One such hacienda still existing today is the infamous Hacienda Luisita owned by the family of the current president of the country, Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III.

To improve the plight of the tenants previous governments implemented agrarian reform programs. One by one the haciendas were bought (sometimes forcefully) by the government, subdivided and distributed to the tenants in exchange for a supposedly "fair" price that each recipient are obligated pay to the government's designated bank. Unfortunately these transfers do not usually happen smoothly and usually end up in bloody feuds and/or lengthy court battles.

Satellite view of a portion of the former hacienda where the farm was once a part of. (image source: google maps)

Except for some small areas, our town was once a part of several big haciendas. Eventually, the land was subdivided and distributed to the townsfolk. However, the determination of "fair" compensation dragged on for years and decades until it landed on the lap of the Supreme Court. At long last, just recently the highest court released a final ruling and fixed the price per hectare based on what can grow on it.

Our small farm is situated within this one enormous former hacienda. When we bought it, it's not the actual land that we bought from the previous owners but just the rights to it. Technically the government through its bank still owns the entire farm and much of the other farms in that former hacienda.

We are now in negotiation with the bank to settle our financial obligations. Until we've paid the full amount I'd suppose we're still just tenants.

Not a calla nor a lily

2011-06-07T15:30:00.002-06:00

Boy, this plant has some serious identity problem.

The Calla lily is not a true calla and neither is a true lily. It is also commonly referred to as 'Arum' and yet is not a true arum either. So what is it?

Calla lilies belong to the genus Zantedeschia with several recognized species including aethiopica, elliottiana and rehmannii, the three most common. This plant is native to the southern region of Africa and was named after the Italian botanist Giovanni Zantedeschi. As beautiful as it is, this plant is poisonous when ingested raw due to the presence of calcium oxalate in all its parts.

Now that's my short introduction to this plant.

When it comes to plants, I've had many "love at first sight" moments. And this is definitely one of them. This is one of those "must haves" in my long list of plants. I just don't know if they will survive in our farm's local climate. I know they do in the cooler regions like Baguio.

Last February I went home with two packets of the yellow Calla lily, each packet contains two tubers. I gave one packet to my Aunt, who's now helping us propagate some plants in her own garden. And I must say she is having more luck than us. Anyway... The other packet is left in the farm for my Mom. Aside from the tubers we also visited the Manila Seedling Bank and bought several Calla plants.

Seven pots of Calla lilies we bought last February the day before I flew back to the U.S.

From what I've read the white Calla lily thrives in the sun and likes having wet feet. The colored species prefer the opposite, part shady and more dry soil. So I told Mom their contrasting behaviors so she can properly take care of them.

A few weeks after I returned to the U.S., I was informed that the colored ones rotted after they were left exposed to several days of continuous rain. Sigh... The white ones survived. Just this month I learned that of the four whites, only two are still alive. Sigh again...

Now these plants aren't in the farm yet. Currently they are in our small house in one suburb of Metro Manila which is several hundreds of kilometers away from the farm. My mother goes there only when she needs to. Since she cannot bring them all to the farm by herself, with a heavy heart she had to leave them there.

If you must know about our house near the capital, most of the time the house sits empty and in a dilapidated state. The plants there rely on mother nature for nourishment or the infrequent visit of a trusted neighbor to check the place. Just recently it has been burglarized three consecutive times. So now it looks more like a prison, with high walls ringed with rows of barbed wires and bars on all the windows.

So what happened to the two packets of Calla lily I gave to Mom and my aunt?

Last month, Mom said one of the two tubers she planted started to sprout. First a leaf came out (above, left) then a flower but it's not pure yellow though (above, right). Then the other tuber sprouted, flower first and this one's yellow. Those I gave to my aunt also sprouted flowers first and both are yellow.

From these four mother plants, I hope Calla lilies will have a continued presence in the farm. Calla lilies can be propagated by dividing the tubers or by letting the flowers produce seeds. There is no guarantee that they will have the same color of flowers as the mother plant if they were grown from seeds.

A day will come when I'll be moving to the farm for good, if not, then more frequent and longer stays. And I will try my luck with the 'must have' plants that did not survive due to mismanagement or neglect. I hope my vision of a garden full of white and colored Calla lilies will come true someday.

Imported

2011-06-01T13:00:00.011-06:00

"Wow imported!" --- is a common exclamation we hear in the Philippines when we see something that is not locally produced. Somehow there is this deep-seated fixation for anything that comes from abroad. An exception to this would be any kind of pests or diseases :)

Even in gardening, some gardeners easily succumb to the desire of acquiring a newly introduced breed of plant. Having a little of such mentality myself, I thought I'd send some non-native vegetable and other garden seeds back home and see if they would successfully grow in our farm with this crazy idea that maybe we would be the first to produce these vegetables locally. Well not really, I just wanted to experiment and see which of these imported seeds would grow in our farm.

Below are a few of the seed samples I sent home that they tried growing in the farm.

Zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo). Some sprouted but some didn't. Those that grew rotted after a few days. Maybe they were sown during the wetter days. It's still worth another try although I've read that it's already commercially grown locally.

Packets of Zucchini squash seeds.

Birdhouse gourd (Lagenaria siceraria Birdhouse). I wasn't sure about the success of this plant because from what I read and seen on TV it needs the aid of certain night moths to pollinate the delicate flowers that open only at night and only for one night.

It grew! It climbed the trellis, flowers developed and produced young gourds. So there are night moths in the farm! Alas, the gourds did not mature, the plant rotted. Again I blame it on the rainy weather. But the fact that it produced fruits means that it can grow in our area, so it's also worth another try.

Young Birdhouse gourds hanging on a trellis.

Unlike the local vegetable "Upo" this gourd will produce a thick and hard shell, which can be fashioned into a birdhouse, a vessel to carry water and many other purposes. I was thinking if we succeed on this we could help our local community develop a backyard industry in producing handicrafts made of this gourd's tough shell.

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata). I love this squash. It has the same taste and texture as the squash I like back in the Philippines but it doesn't look like any of the locally grown squash.

A young Butternut squash.

And it also grew! They let it crawl on the ground which then produced several baby Butternuts. Most didn't mature though. Another victim of the wet days. Like the song of the late 80's duo Milli Vanili, I blame it on the rain.

But all was not lost. They were able to harvest one squash each from the two seeds they sowed. And the verdict? They like its unique look and most of all they loved the taste. Definitely worth another try!

We had a very short summer this year, around three months. Even in those supposedly 'dry' months rain would intermittently soak the ground. The growing season for these plants is definitely over this year. My eyes are already set for a more normal summer next year. For the mean time, I'm out scouring garden stores for more seeds for next year's garden experiment.

Up the garden path II

2011-05-24T15:00:00.001-06:00

Lately, it seems that I've been concentrating in featuring plants, structures and projects in the lower garden. What about the garden in the upper area of the farm, particularly the back side?

Although the upper garden plants have been sort of "neglected" they are doing just fine. For some reason they are more independent than their relatives in the lower garden. When it comes to nourishment, they are able to fend for themselves without much human help. This summer alone they have not received as much watering as one might expect they needed and yet they are thriving.

For the past several months we temporarily hired additional help to clean the garden area. As much as the plants are thriving well, so too are the weeds. In fact, the viny weeds have found good structural support from the taller plants almost to the point of taking over, threatening to choke them. So the task of the extra helpers were to clear the grass and weeds around and under the plants, remove dead leaves and trunks and other gardening stuff.

Much of the upper garden is the realm of the grazing animals particularly our small herd of sheep, a few cows and water buffalos. In the small areas where they are not allowed to roam are where the plants are growing.

In the places where the plants dominate, you will find different types of Heliconia, different palms (Foxtail, Manila, Fan, Traveler, Triangle, etc.), Norfolk Island Pines, Indian Masts ("Indian tree"), Plumerias, Ti plants, Alocasias, Cycads (Sago palm), ornamental bananas (Blood, Yellow, etc.), different ornamental gingers (Red, Red Torch, Shampoo, Beehive, etc.), Calatheas (Cigar, Rattlesnake), and somehow a lot of Crotons. Not to mention are some other plants, the names of some I do not know.

These are the plants that are currently there. The 'greening' of the garden isn't done yet. We will continue to add more plants whenever we could. As much as I'd like the garden to look like a jungle of tropical plants now, I'd have to be super patient since the plants with the capacity to grow tall are still relatively small.

If there is one particular thing that I am proud to say about these plants is that they look strong and healthy despite the fact that they are free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

I'm still passionately feeling blue...

2011-05-18T15:52:00.005-06:00

Oh, but this has nothing to do with that hideous monstrosity in my previous post. I haven't gotten over that yet but we need to move on.

The Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea) vines crawling up the four corners of the steel pergola are experiencing a growth spurt. There is an abundance of exotic flowers gracing the garden with an irresistable display of beauty.

The Blue Passion Flower vines are busy putting up a show.

And more are coming. In no time they too will unfurl their yet hidden beauties.

Aside from the flowers the vines too are creeping and crawling like crazy. And their spiraled tendrils are reaching out for the closest object to latch on to for support.

While they are busy flowering the vines are also busy filling in the spaces at the top of the pergola.

Soon the creeping vines will completely cover the top of the pergola. Eventually they will provide a completely shaded area underneath. This shady area will then be an ideal place to hang out at any time of the day, as long as it's not raining of course. This is what I'm aiming for, a cool place for an outdoor breakfast, lunch or dinner, a picnic area or just a place to relax and unwind.

Hideous monstrosity

2011-05-11T15:12:00.002-06:00

BE ADVISED This post may contain words that some may find too strong and harsh. Please bear with the author as, even after three agonizing days now, at the time of this writing he is still fuming.

Monsters are supposed to be hideous but the title of this post simply states in a superlative degree that it's very, very ugly and repulsive. To be blatant and direct, I really hate it.

The retaining wall is one urgent project that must be completed before the wet season begins. After funding the first part of this three part project the work began but curiously I was not informed of any developments. Then after leaving me in the dark, finally I received a text message saying that the first and second parts of the project are finished.

What?

This cold structure will greet anyone who follows the dirt path that leads to the 'upper garden'.

Before we started this project I made it clear to my father that I want the wall to follow the curvature of the road. If one follows this logic then it is clear that there will be no straight lines and no corners except where the upper and lower walls meet.

So imagine my anger and dismay when I received pictures of the project and looking at these straight and solid walls arrogantly staring at me with an 'in your face' look. Where is the soft and subtle curved wall that I was eagerly expecting to see?

Left view.

I let a day silently pass by without uttering a word because knowing myself I might spit expletives all over the place.

On my second day of silence I received a text message from my mother asking me how I felt about the outcome of the project. She then mentioned that she didn't like it and my niece who was there on vacation finds it an eye sore. With that single text message, mother unwittingly opened Pandora's box.

As seen from the right side.

A long-distance phone call is once again made. Suffice to say that words not meant to be said were spoken with a raised voice loud enough to pierce an eardrum.

I am yet to blindly accept this structure but until now I'm still repulsed by it. The only option I have in mind is to tear it down and rebuild. But with a very tight budget it will be a waste of resource. But then if I keep it, it will be a constant thorn in my side.

A glimpse of paradise

2011-05-05T11:00:00.015-06:00

For most of April and on into May our very first Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) has been gracing the garden with its exotic yet stunningly beautiful flowers.

Third flower in early bloom.

Second flower in full bloom.

Very first flower past its prime.

To me, this is a wonderful milestone in the garden since we've been waiting for so long for this moment to arrive. At last it's here! And there are still young flower buds waiting for their time to shine.

Then another promising development. I recently received a text message that it looks like the second Bird of Paradise is forming a flower bud. It's too early to tell if it's indeed a flower bud or just another leaf, but Mom believes its going to be a bud. So here we are, looking forward to another glimpse of paradise in late May or early June.

Visit Hope Grows Day: May 2011 meme to meet other hopeful gardeners.

Passion for passion

2011-04-28T13:43:00.004-06:00

Around late January 2011, the construction of the steel pipe pergola was finished. With that done, it was ready for some vines to climb over and hide the criss-crossing metal bars, an alternative to the more decorative rafters and purlins.

My plan was to use four Blue Passion Flower vine, one on each of the four corners of the pergola. Then I remembered about the unfortunate fate of our Blue Passion in the nursery, I thought it would be best to get some spare as well. That's when we decided to get seven. Four will be used, and the three will remain in the nursery as spare, just in case any of those in the pergola dies.

One of our Lavender Passion Flower vine is in bloom.

My idea of having a spare was based on our previous experience with the Blue Passion Flower. It was already growing well in the nursery when a storm came and snapped its main trunk just above the ground and it never grew back.

ABOVE: Two more flower buds of the Lavender Passion Flower vine. BELOW: A young Red Passion Flower vine. The Lavender and Red look almost the same when not in bloom, but the Red has notches on its leaf edge.

When my mother called the garden store to place an order, the store owner said they also have other colors of the Passion Flower vine, red and lavender. Mom relayed this info to me via text message. I already know how the red looks like so I was intrigued by the lavender. And so I had another change of plan. We got four of the "Blue", two "Lavender" and one "Red".

One of the four Blue Passion Flower vine crawling on top of the new pergola.

As to where the "Lavender" and "Red" will go, still remains unknown. They will have to slug it out in the nursery for the mean time. As for the "Blue" in the pergola, hopefully they all survive because there is no spare. But then again, the plant store is just a phone call away.

Happy Easter

2011-04-24T00:00:00.015-06:00

Hold your ground

2011-04-17T17:00:00.004-06:00

"Summer" is officially here. It's when the north-easterly winds cease to bring cool air from the north. And "summer" ends around late May when the wet season officially begins.

While the succeeding days are still dry there is one project that must be completed before the arrival of the rainy season. There's an area along the dirt road that needs a retaining wall to hold the ground on one side and keep it from eroding into the road.

This path along the row of black bamboos need a retaining wall to prevent the soil from sliding.

My original plan was to use stones for the retaining wall. But as I found out while on a visit to the farm last February, it's impractical to use stones as they turn out to be very expensive. In our place, how stones are sold depend on the size. The big ones are sold by piece, smaller ones are sold in bulk and priced per square meter. Unfortunately, the stones we need do not fit in the "small" category so they are sold by piece and the price per piece is not cheap.

The area getting prepared for the installation of the wall.

Budget, the number one factor in any of our projects, prompted me to think of other options. Thus I decided to choose reinforced hollow (cinder) blocks instead. It may not be as good looking as natural stones but the price difference is very significant. Stone veneer could be used later on to cover the surface of the wall.

For height comparison, our garden helper working near the edge of the area that needs a retaining wall.

Since part of the area that needs a wall is over seven feet tall, Dad said that it would be better and safer to build a two-tiered wall, in a terraced-like form. This will stabilize the soil better and reduce the pressure exerted by the ground on the wall, minimizing any possibility of damage.

A two-tiered retaining wall will also create a planting area between the walls. And I already know which plants to put there. This will be a two part project, the lower and upper walls. The lower wall project has already been funded so now it's a go.

Astonishing!

2011-04-13T00:00:00.002-06:00

"Katakataka" is the local name of this plant. It means astonishing, remarkable or puzzling. According to Wikipedia, its other names are Air Plant, Life Plant, Miracle Leaf, Goethe Plant.

The Kalanchoe pinnata is a succulent and a native of Madagascar. It's widely cultivated in temperate regions because of ease of propagation. In other areas, it can be grown as an indoor plant.

What's astonishing about this plant is its method of reproduction. Tiny plantlets begin to grow on the notches along the margins of its leaves. As soon as the plantlets develop roots they can be severed from the mother leaf and transplanted as individual plants.

The "Katakataka" (try pronouncing it fast if you don't speak Filipino) has become so common in the Philippines that almost nobody cares about this plant anymore. Even I was not a fan of this plant.

As I was walking around the garden last February, I was drawn to this curious profusion of chandelier-like clusters of upside-down flowers that are bell-shaped, reddish in color and dangling like pendants. In my several decades of existence it was my first time to see such a bloom. "How beautiful!" was all that I could say.

Upon closer inspection, it was a revelation. Surprise, surprise! The lowly "Katakataka" does not only reproduce in a remarkable way, its flowers are even more remarkable. This drew out a renewed interest in me. I will no longer ignore or dismiss this plant.

Because of its unusual but easy way of reproduction it has become an invasive plant in other parts of the world, especially in Hawaii. It's so easy to grow and as a succulent it even thrives on neglect. One leaf alone can produce several plantlets in no time.

In a sparsely populated garden like ours, plant invasion is still a welcome event.

Garden Structures: The gazebo in the hill

2011-04-11T22:50:00.005-06:00

"It is easier to go down a hill than up, but the view is best from the top."
- Arnold Bennett

The hill is the highest point in the farm. It accords a view of the river below and the valley beyond. In the afternoon while the rest of the farm is exposed to the heat of the sun, there is a refreshingly cool breeze that blows gently in this area. The river below must have a cooling effect on this gentle wind as it crosses this body of water on its way up the hill.

It's so nice to spend the rest of the afternoon in this area if only there's a shady place to stay under, like some leafy trees perhaps. However, only Cogon grass and other weeds grow here. Early last year we built a small and crude tin-roofed hut. This temporarily solved the shade problem. Unfortunately months later a passing storm carried the hut away.

The hilltop view, a new temporary gazebo and some newly installed plants.

The simple gazebo in these pictures was not originally a gazebo. It was recycled from parts of the structure that used to house the goats after they were relocated to their new and better house. When the nasty October storm pummeled the farm, it destroyed this abandoned goat's house but luckily it left the roof intact.

The hilltop cleared of the Cogon grass that dominates the place.

Since the crude hut at the hill is gone and there is this perfectly good roof that has no use at the moment, my father thought of using it to build a new shelter to replace the old hut that seemed to have suddenly vanished into thin air.

New plants on the slope of the hill. More will be planted soon to make this a 'greener' place.

After the structure has been erected, the surrounding area was groomed with plants from the nursery and some of the plants that were removed from the entrance to the farm when the landscaping there was completely redone. More plants will be installed soon and hopefully stunt the growth of the Cogon grass.

And what is a gazebo without a place to sit on? The wooden chairs below were just sitting in the storage so why not use them instead. They need a bit of refinishing but since this is the outdoors their weathered look fits perfectly with the surroundings.

An old Narra furniture set from the storage.

All in all, I consider this project "eco-friendly" in that the materials used were all recycled, from the roof down to the furnitures, and even the plants.

What I'm afraid of is that this structure might get blown away again once another strong storm comes. It's the wind that would actually cause more damage than the rain. I have something else in mind that should solve this problem, a different type of gazebo that can be "folded" whenever necessity dictates it. But the rainy season is still a couple of months away so for now this structure will do.

Where trees are fallen there is grief

2011-04-06T01:00:00.006-06:00

An old gazebo behind a towering tree.

"Give me a land of boughs in leaf,
a land of trees that stand;
where trees are fallen there is grief;
I love no leafless land."
A. E. Housman

In my "Gimme shelter" post, I mentioned about my plan to rebuild or resurrect a long gone gazebo in one corner of the farm. Apart from having a crude bamboo trellis built and letting a Red Jade Vine climb over it, I really haven't done anything else to rebuild the gazebo. I was biding for time until I can personally see the area and discuss with my father about a good replacement.

Come to think of it, I'm relieved that I didn't immediately go full blast with this particular project. My procrastination this time was a blessing in disguise because several days after I published that blog entry something unthinkable happened.

The fallen tree over the ruins of the old gazebo.

This tree which used to stand tall and proud was humbled by the strongest storm that ever hit the farm. During the clean-up after the storm they chopped off its branches thinking that it's a goner. But after a few months it began to sprout tender branches and new leaves. Despite its almost horizontal position it's still alive, it's a survivor. I could have the trunk cut into pieces if I really wish so, but I feel sorry for this tree.If it's alive then it deserves to live.

And this is not just any tree, it's a Narra tree (Pterocarpus indicus). The Narra is the Philippines' national tree. It's a hardwood so hard that it's termite-resistant. The wood is reddish in color and very much sought for in house constructions and a valuable raw material in the furniture industry. A furniture made of Narra is very expensive.

Another view of the downed Narra tree.

I don't know if Mother Nature is telling me to back off, or forcing me to think things over first or challenging me to be creative in dealing with this unusual situation. Whatever solution I can come up with later, one thing is for sure, if it survives I will not sacrifice the life of this precious tree just so I could build a new structure there.

Waiting for paradise...

2011-04-03T11:37:00.003-06:00

Three very long years. At last our first Bird of Paradise has shown us that truly, good things come to those who wait.

Our very first Bird of Paradise is about to shower us with gifts.

The first flower bud is almost ready to open.

Three more flower buds in various stages of development.

Another unplanned project - conclusion

2011-03-30T00:16:00.003-06:00

The back-ordered Triangle palms have arrived.

In my Another unplanned project post, I discussed about the revamp of the landscaping at the entrance to the farm while I was there on vacation. I decided to remove all the plants in that area and replace them with Triangle Palms. However since the garden store did not have enough of the Triangle palms that we needed to complete the task, my vacation ended with an unfinished project.

On the evening of Monday of last week, all the back-ordered palm trees finally arrived. These trees should suffice to finish the two projects I started on that short visit. The other project required more Foxtail Palms. For this particular project though, my original plan was to use tall and short Triangle Palms in an alternating pattern. But I was informed by my mother that the short palms Dad picked are not short enough to achieve the effect I was going for. This meant another project revision.

Three Triangle Palms on the left side of the gate.

Instead of sticking to the original plan I just asked Dad to plant the tall palms where they were supposed to go, pull all the other plants out and plant them somewhere inside the farm. As for the five supposedly "short" Triangle Palms, I would have opted to return them had it been possible to do so. But since the backside of the farm badly needs more trees, I just told them to scatter these palm trees there.

Four Triangle Palms on the right side of the gate.

The same four palms as seen from the other end.

Now since the original design was not followed, consequently there are wide spaces in between the Triangle Palms. I still don't know what plants to put in between them as well as between the palms and the wall.

Although the changes we made may be considered simple, the area is neater and more pleasing to look at than before. As such for now I declare this project complete.

If you need ears...

2011-03-25T14:32:00.020-06:00

"If you need ears go and borrow them from the elephant."African proverb

"Maganda din pala syang pang-landscape" (It's also good for landscaping).

That was what my mother commented when she saw the Giant Upright Elephant Ears (Alocasia macrorrhiza) gallantly growing as accent plants in one corner of the Sky Garden (SM Mall - North EDSA) sometime last year. After shopping for some necessities, Mom and Dad visited the open garden just to get some landscaping ideas. Dad said he knows where to get some.

Cool! So that's how this plant got introduced in the garden. There are other clumps of this Giant Upright Elephant Ear somewhere else, which somehow I failed to notice during my last visit despite their evident size. I'll just rely on my mother's assurance that there are indeed others elsewhere.

Although in fact a common plant, it's not a practical choice for those who have gardens that are space constrained. After all it's not called "giant" for no reason.

For size comparison: a Blood Banana on the left and a Giant Upright Elephant Ear on the right.

There are also other plants called "Elephant Ears" in the genera Caladium, Colocasia and Xanthosoma. Along with Alocasia they all belong to the family Araceae. All these other so-called Elephant Ears, whether giant or not, have leaves pointing downward, this one stands out because theirs point up.

Another so-called Elephant Ear, the Giant Taro, locally known as "Biga" ("Bira" in the north), is both an ornamental and an edible plant. But in our corner of the country, i.e. the rural area, it is valued more for its edible parts than for its aesthetic purposes. Maybe that's the reason why although we have plenty of "Biga" which we could incorporate into the garden they were still left out. I have no idea where to classify this Giant Taro though. Is it Colocasia or Xanthosoma?

A giant "Biga" growing somewhere in the currently unused and weedy side of the farm pretty much untended and ignored.

I'm glad that we have the Upright Giant Elephant Ear in the farm/garden. I've been wanting to get one since I first saw it in some garden photos. And I didn't even have to bother my parents to look for it. They too found it interesting after seeing its aesthetic beauty in a tropical garden setting. Best of all we got it for free.

The traveler sees what he sees...

2011-03-21T17:00:00.013-06:00

The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see."
Gilbert K. Chesterton (1874-1936)

In my previous entry, "Another unplanned project", an ardent garden blogger and my cyberspace friend Andrea asked if I don't like the Traveler's Palm. Now who wouldn't like a gorgeous plant like the one below?

The Traveler's Palm. Photo courtesy of www.toptropicals.com

If there is a mad scientist who has successfully crossbred two unrelated plants, the Ravenala madagascariensis, commonly known as Traveler's (or Traveller's) Palm would be a good example of his sinister work. At first glance one would think it's a banana and a palm tree spliced together. The leaves resemble that of the banana and the trunk looks like that of a palm tree.

Three young Traveler's Palm in different stages of growth in the garden.

The banana-like leaves and petioles are symmetrically lined on a plane which extend out from a single trunk. This leaf and stalk arrangement gives it a very beautiful hand fan appearance. Like a palm tree, the Traveler's palm has a single sturdy trunk. The trunk of the young plant is hidden below ground level but as the plant grows it sheds its dead leaf, slowly revealing the trunk with its distinctive leaf scar rings, another characteristic of true palms.

Three more young Traveler's Palm in the garden.

We have several of the Traveler's palm in the garden. None are as big and beautiful as the one in the first picture above, but given time and proper care they too will look the same.

One of our Traveler's palm with most of its leaves chopped off due to severe damage caused by a strong typhoon.

The last big storm to hit the farm last year has been brutal to these plants as demonstrated by their tattered leaves. But new leaves have sprouted since then. Our biggest Traveler's palm which is at the entrance to the farm (right picture) suffered the most lashing. It successfully held its ground but got severely beaten in the process. Most of its older leaves have been lopped off as they have been completely damaged. Now it faces a new trial since it will be dug up and transplanted inside to make way for the Triangle palms. I hope it will survive this impending transplant.

Because of its unique appearance the Traveler's palm has indeed traveled from its native place of Madagascar to see and conquer other parts of the world and will not fail to catch the eye of anyone who visits a garden with a tropical landscape theme.

Another unplanned project

2011-03-16T01:00:00.003-06:00

Our three helpers installing the newly bought Triangle palm.

In conjunction with my impromptu project, this project was not planned either. The original plan was simply to replace the young Triangle palm near the gate which died late last year due most probably to neglect. So when I bought ten Foxtail palms on impulse, I also bought one mature Triangle palm as the intended replacement.

When the shipment of palm trees arrived this was the first thing our helpers worked on. They dug a hole in the ground and planted the Triangle palm. As soon as the palm tree was in place, that's when I had an "aha!" moment.

As it stands right now, there's a hodgepodge of plants growing at the entrance to the farm, as such there is no coherence. So I thought maybe it would be better to landscape the area purely with Triangle palms or at least make them the focal plant or the dominant species.

We measured the length of the space and decided to plant five Triangle palms on the left side of the gate and seven on the right. The right side needed more plants because it's longer than the left. To vary the height we will plant alternating tall and short palm trees.

Two of the Triangle palms already in place on the left side of the gate. The other plants will be replaced later.

When Mom called the garden store to order ten more Foxtail palms, she also put in an order for the required number of Triangle palms. However the store did not have enough of the Triangle palms, only two of the same height as the one we bought earlier are available. We took what's left and put in a back order for the rest.

One Triangle palm installed on the right side of the gate. Six more will be planted to replace the rest of the plants on this side.

All the other established plants along the entrance to the farm will have to go. They will be transplanted inside. And once the back-ordered palms arrive they will replace those that have been removed. This will make the area around the gate more coherent and cohesive.

Once again, I did not get to see this project finished as my visit to the farm was over. Just like our other projects, I will have to monitor this one from afar and see to it that it gets completed.

An impromptu project

2011-03-11T01:00:00.003-07:00

Our three helpers begin working on the newly bought Foxtail palms.

During my less than a week of stay at the farm, I had a brief opportunity to go to a garden store in a neighboring town.

On one particular day, we had a long list of errands in the closest city near our town. We (my mother, brother and a friend) were in a hurry to head home (my father was anxiously waiting for us as demonstrated by his endless phone calls) when I decided to go on a side trip to the garden store.

The number of plants they were selling at the store was quite varied. Pressed for time, we didn't have the luxury to go around. I immediately went toward the rows of palm trees and said "OK, give me ten of these and one of that", pointing to the Foxtail and Triangle palms respectively. After choosing which ten and which one, I arranged for their delivery in the afternoon of that same day.

That's me inspecting one of the newly planted trees.

It's not that we are lacking palm trees in the farm, in fact we have plenty. My only complaint is that most are still small, ranging in size from less than one foot to less than six feet in height. Because palm trees are known to be slow growers, the height of our palms trees stirs my impatience. That's why these eleven I just bought are already quite tall, and tall palm trees are not cheap, they are pretty pricey.

Back in the farm, I was thinking of what to do with the ten Foxtail palms I bought on impulse. I knew beforehand what to do with the Triangle palm so it was not a problem. As for the Foxtail palms... hmmm.

A few hours later a delivery truck carrying the palm trees arrived, the trees were unloaded, the bill was settled, the truck left and I was left with ten Foxtails and a problem of where to put them.

From the camera's point of view the palms on the right seem so close to each other, in reality they're 8 feet apart.

When my father asked where do I intend to put these trees, I could only smile and say "I do not know". Then all of a sudden an idea hit me. Why not line the path leading to the sheep's pen with these trees? That path is fairly wide and winding and has a great view of the ponds below. It once had a rustic bamboo hut on one side where they used to entertain guests until an infamous storm destroyed it. This path has potentials and I do intend to develop it anyway. Bingo!

Suddenly, a very busy day for our three all-around helpers. Thanks to me.

Not wasting time, we measured the distance between trees and staked the spots where they will be planted. After measuring the whole length of the path, it became apparent that ten trees are not enough to complete this project. Ah, what mess did I get myself into?

Hurriedly, I asked Mom to call the store and have them deliver ten more Foxtails, plus two more Triangles (there's a different story to this). While waiting for the next batch of palm trees to arrive, our three helpers began to dig holes for the Foxtail palms.

That's me again, checking each palm just a few hours before my visit to the farm ends.

At the end of the day, after unintentionally ending up with twenty Foxtail palms and three Triangle palms, we were still short of six of the former and nine of the latter to finish not one but two unplanned projects.

The following day was my scheduled trip back to the capital city so I didn't get to see the completion of a project that started on an impulse.

Teach a man to fish

2011-03-08T06:19:00.010-07:00

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."
Chinese Proverb

If you've been reading this blog for a while then by now you're familiar with the series of ponds right in the middle of the small farm. Pockets of garden are being developed on selected spots around these ponds to dress up the area and obscure the fact that these are just big holes in the ground filled with brownish-greenish water collected from the rain and from few sources of spring waters.

A visiting friend having a fun time feeding the fishes.

The ponds are stocked with several fish species, mainly tilapia and catfish. There are also other uninvited residents like mudfish and snails. These two are considered pests but are nonetheless edible.

In one of the ponds, the kois seem to be out of place for a pond that houses edible fishes. But for now they share this space since they have no permanent location yet where they can have a pond of their own. They are however peacefully coexisting with the other fishes and just happy to swim with them.

Kois, catfish and tilapias in a frenzied state gobbling up fish pellets.

In my last visit it amazed me that these fishes seem to know when it's feeding time. Mid-morning and late afternoon are the usual schedules for this. As soon as someone stands at the shore of each pond, you would immediately notice ripples on the surface of the water moving toward the person. The fishes begin to surface and congregate at the edge of the pond waiting for the precious dole outs.

A good friend who came with me noticed this too that he found enjoyment in teasing the poor fishes. He would go to the edge of the pond and as soon as the fishes congregate he would leave. After the fishes disperse he would come back and the fishes would once again swim toward him, only to be left high and dry (no pun intended) again.

Fishes beginning to congregate near the edge of the pond. It must be feeding time.

Our ponds are not big enough to commercially produce fish for the market. But it does help provide alternative and nutritious source of protein for the table. The rest are sold locally whenever possible.

Any caught koi is immediately pardoned and released. Although edible, their main function is to entertain. Good thing the other fish species don't know about this preferential treatment.

Our helpers netting some fish for lunch.

On our last day at the farm, my father asked if I would like to sample some tilapia. Being a fish-lover, I immediately said yes. Our helpers lured some inside an open-ended net half submerged in one of the ponds. The open side was then raised trapping the unsuspecting fish inside.

Picking Tilapias that are big enough to be harvested.

After choosing those that are big enough, the rest were released. Those that were chosen were grilled. Nothing beats a freshly caught fish for lunch.

A quick trip to the farm

2011-03-05T02:29:00.009-07:00

In truth the visit was quick, but the trip was not! After one interstate and two international flight connections and an overnight travel by bus, at last there I was.

Not losing any time and although quite tired from the trip, I immediately donned the proper gears and went on a quick walk around the compound. It was still early, the sun was just peeking out of the horizon, the morning dew has barely lifted and a fresh, cool and crisp air was gently blowing. The clean breeze of air was very refreshing.

Finally, I was seeing in person what I've only seen in pictures which I received through e-mails. And sometimes when you see only parts of a whole, it just confuses you when you don't get the full picture. Now, confusing things got clearer and disjointed thoughts started to connect.

As I was going around I was also able to witness the telltale signs and remaining scars left by the strongest storm that hit the farm late last year, like the deep gully scoured by the raging flow of rain water. I also noticed other pressing matters that require immediate attention.

Overall, the quick visit to the farm was so enjoyable that leaving it behind was quite sad and difficult knowing that it may take another couple of years before I see the place again.

Space Invaders

2011-02-10T19:01:00.003-07:00

If only its as easy as shooting alien invaders with a laser cannon.

It's just a constant battle for dominance between our caretaker and the Cogon grass or Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) weed infesting the garden spaces in the farm. A few days of lull and this grass quietly gears up for a complete invasion.

Our gardener whacking mostly Cogon weed to expose the garden plants. Scars of last year's severe storm are still visible around.

I've been searching the internet for a "green" way to eradicate the Cogon grass but so far I have not found any effective method aside from using chemical herbicides. These herbicides are out of the question since they are non-selective, which could kill or damage other plants growing nearby. Also, the chemicals might leach into the ground and contaminate the watering holes which we use to water the plants.

Islands of garden plants in a sea of fallen Cogon grass.

The Cogon grass has no commercial value other than roofing material for traditional huts and in some rural houses. The ruminants only eat the young and tender leaves. Once they mature no animal would eat them because they're rough, tough and develop sharp, serrated edges.

A part of dirt road, now carpeted with Cogon grass. Young palms trees and other plants lining the perimeter of the sheep's pen. Piles of cut grass drying on the right.

The weather has been cooperative for the most part of the past several weeks. Taking advantage of this opportunity they have been aggressively clearing the area of this invasive weed to level the playing field and allow the garden plants a space to breathe and grow. This is just a temporary solution though since this weed is a fast grower.

Another part of the dirt road temporarily cleared of Cogon. In just a few weeks it will be overgrown with the weed again.

Nuisance as they are the Cogon grass had an unexpected benefit during the October 2010 storm. Because they've been unintentionally neglected, they grew to several feet tall, taller than the tallest garden plants growing there. They acted as buffer against the strong wind and thereby sparing the ornamental plants from severe wind damage.

The fight to keep the Cogon grass invasion at bay is never ending. At times I feel like we're just playing catch up. By the time the back area has been cleared, its time to return to the front and begin a new cycle.

Garden Structures: First Pergola

2011-02-03T19:30:00.009-07:00

Several months ago in my "Gimme Shelter" post, I mentioned about my plans to resurrect an old gazebo long gone, but with a new twist. As it turned out, this project became more complicated after the passing of the October storm that brought devastation to the farm. I will delve on this topic deeper in one of my future posts.

All is not lost though. Somewhere near the shore of another fishpond was a remnant of another long gone gazebo. Since we could not build on the original planned site, I decided to build on this site instead. And on this location will rise a pergola.

Where the pergola will be located.

In my long distance phone conversation with my dear father, he suggested that we use a sturdy material for the pergola so that it won't easily rot and even a strong storm cannot blow it away. So instead of wood, we settled for steel pipes. The project was funded and the construction commenced.

Construction of the latticework.

Assembling the pergola.

Assembling the pergola as seen from another angle.

With the pergola complete, all it needs now is a plant to climb up and fill the spaces on top. For this, I decided to use the Blue Passion Flower (Passiflora caerulea) vine which was growing passionately in the nursery. Then I was told that it was one of the storm casualties. The vine's main trunk broke at the very base and it never grew back.

Installing concrete pillars.

For now the pergola will have to wait for its permanent occupant. We ordered four pots of the Blue Passion from my mother's favorite garden store, which should be available by the latter part of this month.

But we are not done yet with this project. As you can see, the concrete floor of the old gazebo has cracked in several places. It needs a new coat of concrete to level the floor. I'm thinking of laying terracotta tiles on top of this concrete to lend a rustic look. Then we need to landscape the surrounding areas. So it means more plants are needed. Whew, and I thought this endeavor was supposedly simple.

It looks like one of the projects I mentioned in my "What's in store for 2011" entry on Fer's Garden Carnival is on its way to fruition.

She's a shrimp

2011-01-20T08:00:00.018-07:00

Almost two years ago, while looking for my way out of a huge mall in the Philippines, I heard a group of young men describe someone as a "hipon" (local word for "shrimp"). Their eyes were fixated on a young lady who was standing a few meters away. Poor girl, if only she knew that at that very moment she was being complimented and insulted at the same time.

I guess having a gorgeous body and a not-so pleasing-to-look-at face is both a blessing and a curse.

But such unpleasant description does not apply to the Pachystachys lutea, also known by its several common names of Golden Shrimp Plant, Golden Candle Plant, Yellow Shrimp Plant, Shrimp Plant and Lollipop Plant. Originally from Peru, this evergreen plant produces a bright yellow overlapping bracts which appear year-round in its native habitat, but only during the warmer months elsewhere. The bright yellow bracts form a shape of a four-sided cone. From behind the bracts grow two-lipped white flowers

As to how it got the name "shrimp plant", it must have been due to the bracts that resemble a shrimp's overlapping scales, or it might also be because of the white flowers that look like cooked and shelled shrimps.

We have several of these Shrimps scattered in the upper garden. It's not included in my list of "must have" plants but it's one of those plants that found its way to my mother's heart and that's how it got to the garden.

What's in store for 2011

2011-01-16T13:00:00.003-07:00

Before I talk about the plans for 2011, let me just briefly mention the projects we've worked on for the past couple of years.

Three years ago when we started upgrading the farm into a farm and garden concept the first thing we did was purchase lots and lots of plants. Because some plants in my 'wish list' don't come cheap we had to buy those that are still small or young. We also started other plants from seeds. From these mother plants we began to propagate them on our own. The farm has become virtually a plant nursery. It came to a point where our neighbors began to think that we were establishing a garden store business.

The next major project was the building of fence around the farm. Prior to that, only a layer of barbed wires widely spaced apart encircled the farm which provided no security nor privacy. For the front we opted to erect a concrete wall and for the sides and back we just decided to go for chain links (or cyclone wires) due to financial constraints.

There were also some other major and minor projects we've worked on within the farm and garden. They have all been featured at length in my other blog entries.

So, are there any projects lined up for 2011? There are a few.

First we need to build some structures within the garden. This would include gazebos, trellises, pergolas, retaining walls, footpaths, etc. Other structures need to be fixed and maintained like the existing retaining walls, parts of which are already crumbling.

This path along the row of black bamboos need a retaining wall to keep the soil from sliding.

Next, we need to purchase more garden plants. Most of those that we bought and locally propagated have already been planted in their designated spots. However many they are, they aren't just enough to achieve the effect I am aiming for.

My fingers are crossed that the vegetable garden will begin to take shape later this year.

On the farm side, we are waiting for the release of the sheep grant we received from the government. Target date for this is around the first or second quarter of this year.

For sure there will be other unplanned projects that will just crop up as the year 2011 unfolds. The only obstacle would be the availability of funds to take on any of these unforeseen projects.

We look forward to a fruitful 2011!

Visit New Year Gardening Resolutions Blog Carnival

at my little garden in japan

Bridging the gap

2011-01-13T00:00:00.028-07:00

The farm has a very uneven terrain. It's like a miniature version of a geological land formation called a "valley". The lowest area of the farm is where the series of fishponds are located. To go from one side to the other, one has to cross what I fondly call "land bridges", which are in reality just embankments to hold water for the ponds.

The main "land bridge" is wide enough to allow vehicles to cross one at a time. It has been reinforced to support the weight of a passing vehicle. After construction, both sides of the embankment have been landscaped with dwarf Heliconias.

After the construction. Heliconias lining the edge of the embankment. The surrounding areas are still being improved by planting more tropical plants.

They were wondering why the Heliconias on the left side are not growing as lush and thick as the ones on the right. My only conclusion was because the ones on the right have direct access to the water seeping from the nearby pond while those on the left are dry because the water level on the other pond is about a meter below the level of the plants.

I suggested that they diligently water the ones on the left since Heliconias love to have wet feet and use the water from the pond for added nutrients. We'll see in a couple of months if there will be improvements.

During the construction.

Before the construction.

My father is the one supervising the improvements on the embankments. There are two other "land bridges" which are not as wide as the one above. They have begun sprucing up the looks of the second embankment by planting along its edges. The third may have to wait since I gave my Dad another project to work on. That should keep him occupied for several weeks. More on the new project in my future posts.

Hope floats

2011-01-10T00:00:00.148-07:00

Our garden helper holding one of last year's Lotus flower from the mother plant.

My hope has sunk so low with regard to the future of our Lotus Plants. After encountering failure after failure, I have begun to psych myself up to accept that I am about to lose one of my "must have" plants for our garden. But when I remember that this is the single most expensive plant we have ever bought so far, acceptance of failure is just difficult.

I wonder how others are able to successfully propagate their Lotus Plants. Do they say a prayer, offer a sacrifice or utter incantations first before they dare touch this sacred plant?¹

After dividing the mother plant into two, the other half died. After submerging a basin of Lotus plants in the shallow side of the pond, the snails ate them up. Those that are left have weak stems they could not even support their leaves. The leaves are just floating on the surface of the water behaving more like Waterlilies.

The remaining half of the mother plant stopped flowering after it was damaged by the nasty October storm. It was good that it kept blooming before the storm that Mom was able to collect plenty of seeds. Still, we don't know how many of those seeds are viable since some rotted after sowing.

The very first Lotus plants from seeds harvested from the mother plant. Notice the leaves are small but at least one stem has finally managed to break out of the water.

Despite the setbacks Mom continued to experiment with different methods of growing the Lotus Plant and finally it seems like her efforts have paid off. A few of the stems have began pushing the leaves completely out of the water and there are even a couple of stems still with unfurled leaves already protruding past the water surface.

Two of the most recent seedlings are now growing healthy with broad leaves. More stems are propping up their leaves well above the water level. They are only around two months old.

We still have no place to permanently relocate these plants so for now they'll be growing in buckets, basins and other suitable containers. I thought someday I could create a water garden utilizing the ditch water flowing from our neighbor's pond but I was told that too is infested with snails.

Hopefully these plants mature and eventually bloom and produce more seeds so that their survival could be secured. Later on I'll have them transferred into urns and other decorative containers and moved to desirable spots in the garden.

...beginnings are scary, endings are usually sad, but it's the middle that counts the most. Try to remember that when you find yourself at a new beginning. Just give hope a chance to float up. And it will...
from the movie "Hope Floats" (1998)

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¹ Another common name for Nelumbo nucifera is "Sacred Lotus."

A house is not a home... an update

2011-01-06T16:00:00.004-07:00

There was an old house in the farm that was in a state of deterioration because it has fallen into disuse. That was the subject of an older entry I called "A house is not a home."

To make a bad situation worse, the wicked October storm blew away the roof of this unused house. And so it looks like it is just waiting for the final blow, for the walls to crumble down into a heap of rubble.

The state of the badly damaged house after the passing of a strong storm...

But as part of the farm's rise from a hard fall, along with the other damaged structures, this old house was also refurbished. A new roof and door frames were installed, the surrounding areas were cleared and spruced up, and a cable fence was erected around it. It looks like someone is going to call this a home after all...

...and its spiffier look after some repairs.

Because our flock of sheep were left homeless when their shabby house was demolished by the storm, they have been left to weather the on and off downpour in the open field. Since the evenings have been cold and wet for the past couple of months they needed a warm and dry place to stay in after sundown. A vacant house and some homeless sheep, just the perfect fit.

The sheep leaving their new house in the morning to forage on the fresh grass outdoors.

One particular blogger friend (hello Andrea...) commented on my "Home-made" post that the house for our goats are way better than some of the houses of the rural folks and more so than the slum dwellers in the urban areas. I wonder what she'll say when she reads this post :-)

Even the veterinarian who regularly visits the farm to check on the health of the animals was surprised when she saw the new residents of this old and once empty house.

postscript:
In the rural areas, a typical house is either made of wood, bamboo or hollow (or cinder) blocks. Most hollow/cinder block houses have unplastered walls due to financial constraints.

The whole ten yards

2011-01-03T21:00:00.003-07:00

"The Whole Ten Yards" was a sequel to the movie "The Whole Nine Yards." And just like the movie, this post is also a sequel to my post "The whole nine yards."

In my original post, I wrote about the transformation that happened to a stretch of forgotten ground below the patio of our humble home. Due to my constant prodding, my mother embarked on a mini project to groom the yard and make it more pleasing to look at. And that was the birth of yet another mini garden.

It has been around six months now since I wrote about that garden below the patio. Below are some pictures of its current state.

Weeds growing around the plants are just unrelenting in their attempt to reclaim the ground.

Open spaces still need to be filled with more ornamental plants.

There's still plenty of room for the garden to grow beyond the clumps of bamboos on the left. Wouldn't it be nice to put a bench to sit on while fishing or resting at the edge of the garden?

Below is a picture of how the yard looked like before it was transformed into a more inviting place to stroll through.

There are so many other things I can think of to improve the appearance of this place, but for now this will suffice. The plants still need to take hold and claim the land like they have been there for quite a while.

In the future we'll add a winding path, an arbor, some garden accents (like rocks, driftwoods, etc.), a few benches to sit on especially close to the pond so that lazy anglers can sit down while waiting for some unlucky fish to take the bait.

I don't know if there will ever be a "The Whole Eleven Yards" movie in the future. But I'm quite sure there will be another blog entry with the same title.

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:00:00.005-07:00

"... the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come."
(2 Corinthians 5 : 17)

The parable of the lost sheep

2010-12-28T06:00:00.003-07:00

Our cute little newborn sheep that got lost during the strong October storm is now over two months old.

The newborn lamb that got separated from its mother during the storm.

Because he was rejected by his mom, in fragile state, and required constant bottle-feeding, he had to be kept near our house so he could be closely monitored.

The young lamb with other lambs in the pen.

Now he's grown older and no longer require extra attention. He's with his own kind now and is doing well. He's starting to eat what the other sheep eat, but is still bottle-fed from time to time for extra supplement.

While his human 'parents' are inside the pen he would follow them until they leave the enclosure.

What's so endearing about this little guy is that he's bonded well with his foster parents. Whenever any of them goes into the sheep's pen, he immediately leaves the flock, comes running to greet them and follows them around, not leaving their side until they leave the pen.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T00:00:00.001-07:00

"So they [the shepherds] went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger." (Luke 2 : 16)

The birth of a new garden

2010-12-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

A section of the area where the new garden will be developed. This is how it looked like after it was cleared of litter and debris.

Sometime late September of this year, Mom has identified a good spot to develop a new garden on the upper half of the farm. Framed by a row of mahogany trees on the east, a row of mango trees on the west, a portion of the fence on the south and a portion of the dirt road on the north, this space is quite shady and cool even when the sun is at its peak.

Mom started clearing the area of weeds, rocks, dead leaves, twigs, trash and other debris. This task took her several days to complete since she was all alone working on this project. After the arduous task of prepping the area finally it was ready for planting.

Then Mom picked some choice plants in the nursery and moved them to this place.The first areas to be planted are the base of the trees. The plants were positioned in between the exposed roots, which helped frame the plants, added more emphasis and texture.

A portion of the footpath that Mom created, which had to be redone to widen the path.

Next step was to plan where to lay the footpath. We haven't decided yet on what material to use for the footpath, still Mom began to put the border plants which will help demarcate the 'future' footpath within the garden.

Since I'm far away and not able to physically help, all I could do is give suggestions and advice when necessary. Like when I learned that the footpath Mom was working on was only over a foot wide, I suggested that she widen the path to give room for plant growth. Otherwise as the plants grow they'll take up more space, which could mean less space to walk on eventually.

Slowly the garden was taking shape. And then a powerful storm came...

(to be continued)

Springtime in December

2010-12-17T15:00:00.011-07:00

Spring is the season of regeneration, of regrowth, of rebirth and renewal.

It has been two months now since the assault of a very strong storm. Our farm and garden is still reeling but signs of life and recovery are manifested all around.

Workers restoring the damaged wall.

Part of the "great" wall that was toppled down by the sheer strength of the storm's wind has now been restored and reinforced too so hopefully it would stand a better chance of surviving nature's next assault.

"Bald" Royal palms.

The row of Royal palms leading to our house are still standing but not so royal-looking at this time. Gone are their grand and stately appearance, reduced to humble submission. It should take some time before new leaves would replace their full crowns of foliage. And after they have shed all their tattered leaves they will stand in majesty again.

A Flattened landscape.

From the picture above, you can certainly guess the direction of the strong wind brought by the October storm. Although the mango trees in this picture are leaning almost parallel to the ground, they were not completely uprooted and are now growing new leaves. Eventually, new branches will sprout upright. Unfortunately majority of our mango trees did not survive.

It is time to demolish the roofless hut made mostly of bamboo. It's old anyway and it was already begging for repairs even before the storm hit. Now it's just saying "take me out of my misery". It will be replaced with a new structure, something better and sturdier.

Some plants show signs of damage while others seem untouched.

Quite puzzling are the plants in the original garden right next to our house. The Norfolk Island Pine lost most of its branches that were facing against the direction of the storm's wind. The picket fences are leaning but the palms trees seemed to be untouched.

Regenerating plants around the pond.

The vegetation around the fishpond shown above are also recovering fast. After the storm has passed the trees in the background were just bare trunks and branches reminiscent of leafless trees in the northern hemisphere during winter time. Now new leaves are quickly filling the gaps.

The Red-stemmed Thalias and the White Butterfly gingers (and that plant in between them) look like they were left unharmed. Even that small papaya tree (extreme right) survived, leaves and young fruits intact.

It's not even officially winter where I am right now but in our farm and garden, a spring-like atmosphere is in the air. What a wonderful feeling to witness regrowth and rejuvenation after the fall.

Might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb

2010-12-13T16:00:00.006-07:00

December is going to be another quiet month in our farm and garden while the people in charge are busy picking up the bits and pieces to restore it as close as possible to its pre-storm state. This would also mean that there would be not much to write about either. Right!

I guess I spoke too soon.

I received an early Christmas present in the form of a text message from back home. A great news!

Photo from Wikipedia. The St.Croix sheep.

Brief flashback: Several months ago our farm applied for another shot at the government's starter sheep dispersal program. They are giving out a limited set of five ewes and one ram of the St. Croix breed to every qualified applicant. This new batch of sheep were all imported from the U.S.A. After the required inspection, our farm was again selected to receive this grant. But we had to wait for several more months until the the sheep arrive from the U.S.

Fast forward to today: The good news I received from my mother says that the sheep are now in the regional breeding station and are getting acclimatized to our local climate. The target release date is early 2011. We were advised to prepare our farm and the payment for insurance.

Insurance? Well, this is another requirement before we can take the animals out of the breeding station. Just like the case with our previous livestock grants, we need to have them insured just in case something goes wrong. But unlike before where the insurance was relatively cheap because the animals were already bred locally, this time it will cost us a hefty sum since they are coming from another country. I guess its time to tighten my belt even more, which unfortunately is already very tight. Ouch!

And why is it a great news? Considering that the amount required to insure all six sheep costs almost the same as buying a single pure-bred mature St. Croix from a local breeder, then that's quite a bargain. Still, the initial cash I have to come up with for the six sheep would be around PH₱54,000.00 (± US$1,260.00). Some may say that that is cheap, but to an ordinary folk (like me) that is a LOT of money. And it must be paid in full, not installment.

So why is it a great news again? Because not everyone who applies for the grant gets approved. In fact, because of the limited number of livestock the government can give out, very very few applicants are chosen. It would be unwise not to accept a rare privilege such as this.

So while my belt is already too tight due to the recent setbacks (read this and that), I have to tighten it more by one notch. Financially I'm already hurting, so I might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb.

It never rains but it pours

2010-12-04T00:50:00.012-07:00

It's been a month since my last blog entry. There was not much to report for November since the farm and garden is still staggering from the lingering effects of a couple of wicked weather disturbances that visited our area.

After a devastating storm last October, a week-long and non-stop heavy rain poured down during the first few days of November.

The constant rain was not the result of any storm. It was simply due to a weather phenomenon called Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). It is not an unusual weather occurrence, what's unusual was the amount of rain it brought down this time. It flooded much of the low-lying areas of the northeastern part of the country.

The water in the picture is not a river but a flood submerging large swath of farmlands. This was the view from our farm of the town down below.

The rivers swelled and overflowed their banks due to excessive amount of water coming down from the surrounding mountains. As a result, it drowned farmlands and other low-lying areas. Our farm and garden sits on an elevated section of a valley so we were not directly affected by the huge flood even though we have a major river as a next door neighbor.

Indirectly, the flood affected us too. The carpenters we hired to build a new shelter for the sheep were unable to come because their homes were submerged by the flood and so had to attend to their own needs first. As a result our poor sheep were exposed to the elements the whole time the sky was weeping and wailing.

The young Boer/Kalahari Red buck hybrid (right) bought 4 months ago died of pneumonia along with seven other goats.

The sheep, however, are resilient creatures. They were able to survive nature's direct assault. I wish I could say the same for our goats. Eight goats including the young male Boer I asked my parents to buy died of pneumonia. The continuous wet weather, high temperature, high humidity and cramped living conditions may have contributed to their untimely demise.

It is now early December but the strong rain still keeps coming and going, a very sharp contrast from just a year ago.

The farm is still healing from the deep wounds inflicted by the October cyclone. With so many things to do and so few workers (no budget to hire more), the farm is just barely crawling towards normalcy. It's been over a month now since the storm and yet there is still no electricity. They're relying on a 4 Hp. generator which we had to buy because of this long and continuous power outage. It is only used a few hours in the evening and switched off before bedtime to conserve on fuel.

On the brighter side, Mom said it's like spring in the farm, the surviving leafless trees are sprouting new leaves.

Wax on, wax off

2010-11-04T00:46:00.007-06:00

The flower of our Indonesian Wax Ginger.

This is one of the entries that was scheduled to be posted around the time the strong typhoon drastically rearranged the plants in our farm and garden. Although this plant survived, I'm quite certain it doesn't look pretty today.

The Indonesian Wax Ginger (Tapeinochilus ananassae) is another of those exotic tropical plants that for me is a "must have" in our garden.

Another ginger in the Costus family, its native locale ranges from Southeast Asia to north-eastern part of Australia.

Typical of a Costus, its smooth and lance-shaped leaves grow in spiral arrangement around a bamboo-like stem. The showy and red "flower", which is actually a collection of bracts, sprouts directly from the ground. The small and yellow flowers emerge in between the bracts.

Because the waxy and stiff bracts are beautiful and long-lasting, the Indonesian Wax ginger is an excellent cutflower. It is suitable for floral arrangements with a tropical flair.

The pictures above are of our Indonesian Wax Gingers growing in the nursery area. There are also other clumps of this plant scattered in the upper garden which are still young and are yet to bloom.

Out of difficulties grow miracles

2010-10-28T09:21:00.001-06:00

"Out of difficulties grow miracles."
- Jean de la Bruyere (French essayist and moralist, 1645-1696)

A few hours before typhoon Juan dumped all its fury, one of our pregnant sheep gave birth to a cute little lamb. During the wrath of the storm, the shelter for the sheep collapsed. Probably sensing the impending disaster, the sheep abandoned their shelter so when it came tumbling down no one was hurt. And so we thought.

The newborn lamb that got separated from its mother during the storm.

After the deluge has passed, all sheep were accounted for except for the newborn lamb. They thought it might have been carried away by the fierce wind and was counted as one more casualty.

Three days after, as they were sifting through the debris they found the little lamb crouched under a pile of wood covered in mud, silent but alive. Separated from its mother for several days, it was visibly weak from lack of nourishment. Quickly they took the young animal and cleaned it to get rid of the thick and heavy mud.

The collapsed shelter for our small herd of sheep.

They tried to reunite the young sheep with its mother but the natural bond between the ewe and her lamb has been severed. The mother no longer recognizes her own young and refused to suckle her baby. Now the lamb has a new family. Its human foster family take turns in bottle-feeding her.

Miracles do come out of difficulties. And sometimes they come in little packages too.

When nature strikes...

2010-10-24T10:33:00.000-06:00

...there is nothing one can do but hunker down and pray and let nature take its course.

Sometimes the damage is minimal but sometimes too the devastation is extensive. Such is the devastation suffered by our farm and garden.

And when the storm is gone, no matter how painful and difficult, it is time to pick up the pieces and begin again.

ManGONE...

2010-10-20T11:31:00.001-06:00

It took years before our mango trees grew to their current size. It only took several hours to wipe them out.

Our little mango orchard is gone. 80% of the trees have been completely uprooted. Those few that are left are either precariously leaning, leafless or limbless. Even they will not bear fruit for the next several years. And even if they do fruit, its not even worth harvesting, it will just be too few.

Some of our former mango trees.

We don't have a huge mango plantation, but our small mango orchard does help augment our farm's meager income. Now there is no harvest to look forward to anymore. Even if we start over and plant new seedlings it will take years and years before they could bear fruits.

Thank you super typhoon Megi. Goodbye mango trees.

Solitude stumbles

2010-10-18T09:34:00.001-06:00

October 17, 2010, a day to be remembered for however long it takes to forget it.

Super typhoon Megi (local name "Juan"), an equivalent of Category 5 hurricane in the USA, makes a landfall in our province and plowed through the land. With wind strength of over 250kph (156mph), it moved at a very slow speed of 10kph. Our town was very near the eye of the storm.

For several hours the howling wind battered the farm taking with it whatever is not securely fastened to the ground. The initial survey of the damage was just unbelievable. As of this writing it is late evening there and although the wind has subsided a little, the rain is now pouring hard. I wish I could say it's raining cats and dogs, but that is an understatement. It's also raining cows and goats and sheep and ... you know what I mean.

Initial survey of the damage include:

A huge part of the "great wall" collapsed.
The picket fence around the nursery is gone.
A significant part of the ostrich fence is damaged.
The plants on the ground are either uprooted or humbled and bowed down.
The plants on plastic containers are strewn around.
The mango trees are either limbless, leaning or fallen.
The mahogany trees are bare of leaves.
The tall Royal palms are leafless.
The trellises for the climbing vines (Red Jades, etc.) are down.
The shelter for the sheep is gone.
The hut at the top of the hill is nowhere to be found.
The kitchen door of our house broke in two.

Despite the damage to properties, I'm just relieved that my loved ones are unharmed. And that is more important than anything else.

Solitude stumbled and fell. But in time it will rise again. It will rise again.

Gimme Shelter

2010-10-14T00:55:00.004-06:00

Oh, a storm is threatening my very life today;
If I don't get some shelter, oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away...
("Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones)

Directly opposite our humble house, on the other side of the pond, there used to stand a roomy gazebo tucked in a space between some towering trees. Its floor was made of concrete, the low walls were made of bamboo and the roof was of grass.

This gazebo was a very functional structure. It was used to entertain visitors because it was spacious, cozy and airy there. It provided shelter from the rain or the sun. On a lazy afternoon it was a common sight to see someone taking a nap inside, it was a place to relax and rest.

The little gazebo as it used to be.

For some reason I could not understand, the gazebo suffered neglect. Eventually the bamboo walls and wooden posts rotted and the roof collapsed. Still it was not repaired. After a while the concrete floor cracked. How I wish they kept this gazebo well maintained. What's left now is not even a shadow of its former self.

Last year, we bought another Red Jade Vine. I asked Dad to construct a bamboo trellis above whatever is left of the old gazebo. I asked Mom to plant the new vine close to the trellis and train it to climb the bamboo structure.

A young Red Jade vine climbing up a trellis above the cracked floor of what used to be the gazebo.

I'm planning to resurrect the gazebo but with a different look and function. I'll put tiles on the floor, replace the bamboo trellis with a latticework made of stronger material, put some outdoor furnitures under the arbor and some lighting for the evening use. A little more landscaping around the structure will complete the transformation.

With this new design plan, it can no longer be a shelter from the rain. But on a clear day it will be a welcome respite from the heat, partly sheltered from the sun by the intertwined stems of the Red Jade Vine. Come blooming time there'll be an abundance of hanging flowers underneath a canopy of leaves to grace the presence of someone seeking cover from the sun.

The name game

2010-10-11T17:56:00.014-06:00

Any idea what the name (common and botanical) of this plant is? I believe it belongs to the genus Curcuma, but I have no idea what species nor what its common name is. If I were to guess, I'd say it's definitely not Curcuma alismatifolia.

This plant arrived in our garden due to another case of mistaken identity. As it's always the case, I'm left with the tedious task of identifying this "alien" plant which Mom brought home.

It happened when I asked Mom to buy some Siam Tulips (Curcuma alismatifolia) for our garden. After an exhaustive search she could not find a single store that sells one, but she was very happy to tell me that she found some growing in my Aunt's garden. I, of course, was glad to know that because of the possibility of getting some starter plants from my Aunt --- at no cost!

Some of the "mystery plant" being propagated in our nursery.

And so Mom brought home some offshoots from my Aunt's garden. She took care of them until they flowered and multiplied. Then came the pictures which arrived by e-mail. I was excited (as always) to look at the pictures of our new plant. And there it was, another breed of plant so similar but not quite the plant I was looking for. Still it's beautiful and I'm glad it's growing quite well in our garden. If only I know its name...

Another of the "mystery plant" with offshoots growing somewhere in the upper garden.

I know it's not Siam Tulip because the Siam Tulip has narrower leaves, while this one is broad. I still would like to have the Siam Tulip someday, in addition to its relative that we have now in the garden. But for now, I'm contented with this plant and would love to see it multiply and occupy a bigger space in our garden.

I see red...

2010-10-08T01:56:00.002-06:00

...again!

I've already featured the Red Jade Vine (Mucuna bennetti) twice (see Red is green and Red is green again). I just cant help but feature it again as it's just so beautiful with its pendulous clusters of flowers.

Last August, it produced several clumps of red flowers which was the same as last year's. Mom was just happy that it graced the garden with its beautiful flowers once again. But come mid September it surprised us with a profusion of those cascading clusters of red flowers. I just hope that the bamboo trellis can hold the combined weight of this plant and its plentiful flowers.

Considering that it receives no special treatment, its performance is just spectacular. And based on this I think it's very much at home in our garden, unlike the real Jade Vine which is having a hard time growing somewhere else in the nursery.

Our Red Jade vine flowering last August...

... and one month later.

We bought another Red Jade vine last year. It was still very young then so we don't expect it to bloom this year. Hopefully next year it will also grace us with its own beautiful bright red flowers.

What lies beneath...

2010-10-06T01:18:00.018-06:00

There's a ghost in my house. I saw her in the water...
(from the movie "What Lies Beneath")

One of the fishponds in the farm, the biggest and lowest in the series of ponds that divides the farm into what I call "lower" and "upper" gardens.

Beneath that still and murky water, life is teeming. There are several species of fish: catfish, carp (koi) and tilapia. Even an unwanted (but tasty) mudfish (snakehead) finds its way into the ponds from time to time. The water buffalos too would sometimes wade in to ward off pesky insects or to cool down.

Our dog Tintin enjoying a morning swim in one of the fishponds.

But other creatures too are lurking under that calm and turbid water. They have been there all along, silently growing and multiplying out of sight, stealthily moving about. They announce their presence only when the ponds are drained of water. Although they can be harvested as a food source, they are not completely welcome guests. While their presence was thought to be benign, their voracious appetite became apparent when I told Mom to put the young Lotus plants in one of the ponds so they could start to grow bigger.

Young Lotus plats growing in separate containers.

It's a good thing that Mom submerged just one container of young Lotus plants into the shallow side of the pond. After a few days, all the leaves of the young plants were gone and the remaining stalks were covered with eggs of these rapacious culprits.

There are snails in the fishponds! Mom said their eggs also cover the stalks of the now gregariously growing Red-stemmed Thalias. The Thalias however, are unharmed. The snails have not ravaged them. Maybe they find the Thalias not appetizing or too tough for them to nibble so they just deposit their eggs on their stalks.

Up until Mom broke the news to me, I didn't know about the existence of these pests in the ponds. Now I have a problem. How can I put water-loving plants into and around the ponds if there are creatures that are more than willing to devour them. My options will be limited now to those that can withstand attack from these snails.

Beast of burden

2010-10-03T01:09:00.032-06:00

One of our mother water buffalo suckling her young. From the looks of it she seems to be saying "A little privacy please?"

The domesticated water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a common but precious livestock in the Philippines and parts of South and Southeast Asia. Like the cow, it is also a source of meat and milk. Although its meat (called "carabeef") is not as prized as that of the cow, its milk is considered superior in taste than that of the cow's.

In rural Asia, the carabao (another name for the water buffalo) is employed to plough fields prior to planting rice, corn and other crops. Known for its inherent strength, it is also used to carry or pull heavy loads. While the West have completely shifted to machines for farm-related tasks, rural Asia continues to stick to its trusted ally, even though it's much slower than its mechanical counterpart. Plus, it is much cheaper to buy and take care of this animal than to purchase and maintain mechanical farm implements.

Some of our carabaos grazing on the grass in the lower garden.

They are also used for transportation. In typical countryside scenes, it is very common to see adults or children (or both) seated at the back of the carabao for a leisurely ride. Normally, it has a gentle and very slow stride but a little whip near its buttocks and it will move faster, a hard whip and be prepared to literally hold on for dear life.

Reproduction is very slow. Gestation takes 9 to 11 months and after giving birth it takes almost two years before the adult female is ready to reproduce again.

Other water buffalos grazing in an open space in the upper garden.

Feeding is easy. All it needs is a fresh supply of green grass. A lick of salt will endear it to its master. I remember on my last visit to the farm, I was astonished why our carabaos would come close to my Dad whenever they see him and start licking his hands. Dad explained that sometimes he would handfeed them a little salt and they just love it.

The water buffalo, another livestock species that still roams with relative freedom in our small farm.

Cute little Pineapple

2010-09-30T12:14:00.049-06:00

An Ornamental Pineapple with fruit and pups.

As we all know, Pineapples (Ananas comosus) are members of the Bromeliad family but unlike all other Bromeliads, they are the only ones that produce edible fruits. This particular Pineapple though (left picture) is not grown for human consumption. Its main purpose is to delight the eyes with its cute and tiny Pineapple fruit.

A row of Ornamental Pineapples sandwiched between rows of baby Desert Roses in the nursery.

Whether this Pineapple evolved or de-evolved on its own or a product of human intervention through genetic manipulation, it has irrevocably lost its commercial value. Its been relegated to the role of an ornamental garden plant, a curiosity, something to look at and admired for its pineapple-like fruit. Today there are several varieties of Ornamental Pineapples available in the market, there's even a dwarf one.

These plants are good seasonal focal points for a small garden. It's 'seasonal' because this species is short-lived. Once it produces fruit the plant dies and then you have to plant a new one to keep it going.

We have several of these Ornamental Pineapples currently growing in our nursery. And I think they are best suited in the garden being developed just below the patio where they can be easily seen and admired for their 'cuteness'.

P.S.:
In the Philippines, the fibers extracted from Pineapple leaves are used in the production of an expensive textile called 'Piña'..

The snake in the garden of Eden

2010-09-27T12:10:00.020-06:00

I think there is no question why the Calathea crotalifera is called the "Rattlesnake plant". Just look at how the bracts are arranged and it will remind you of a certain snake that rattles its tail when agitated or disturbed. No need to worry though, this Rattlesnake won't slither and bite, and carries no deadly venom either.

In my older entry "A case of mistaken identity" I narrated how we got the Cigar plants (Calathea lutea) in our garden. Mom thought it was the Rattlesnake I wanted. So when I went home to visit last May of 2009, I felt a slight disappointment when I saw that it was not the Rattlesnake (Calathea crotalifera) plant I was looking for.

Not to be completely disheartened, we set out on a quest to look for this plant. It was not the easiest plant to find. Most of the garden stores we went to do not sell it. We were able to locate it in one of those specialty garden stores, where plant prices are much higher than in the common garden stores.

Despite the hefty price, we purchased a couple knowing that it's all worth it. I knew that with Mom's tender touch and loving care she will be able to propagate and multiply the mother plants. And I was not wrong at all.

Propagating this plant was not as easy as the other Calathea. The Cigar plant just grew like its native to the place. It must have loved the garden so much that it almost dominated the other plants in the small garden space. The Rattlesnake was not as quick to acclimatize though. It was alive but not growing fast enough. It did not put out any bloom for so many months.

I'm happy to report though that now our Rattlesnakes are doing well. Mom was able to divide the mother plants and they are once again blooming, showing off their distinctive characteristics that earned them the name "Rattlesnakes".

Just like that of its relative, the flowers of the Rattlesnake is not significant. It's the way the bracts are arranged that makes this plant unique and a good specimen to have in the garden. Propagation is through subdivision of the mother plant.

Now this is a "snake" that you will certainly not avoid or run away from.

Back to the grind

2010-09-23T14:46:00.023-06:00

A row of Angel's Trumpet in Copenhagen.

Where did my 2-week vacation go?

Time does fly fast when you go for a break. But no matter, over all it was an interesting and fun experience, never mind the fact that every other day I had to hop on and off an airplane to get to my destination. That was because my city-hopping tour also meant country-hopping to five countries in northern Europe.

Red Abyssinian Banana and some annual and perennial plants in Geneva.

The only thing I could complain about this trip would be the security procedures one has to go through at every airport especially if you realize that you get extra attention, the kind that you don't wish to get, the kind that I usually get just before I step out of the airport. I'm beginning to think that I have a "terrorist" word flashing on my forehead.

It was the last days of summer and the days were overcast and the evenings were chilly. It was not the most convenient time to visit this part of Europe, unless you don't mind the cold and the almost daily on-and-off rain. But no cloudy nor rainy day though would dampen the enthusiasm of this lost soul from discovering what the "old world" uniquely offers.

Beautifully arranged tropicals in Geneva.

Anyway, during this trip I didn't intend on getting pictures of local plants since this was my very first visit to this continent and I just wanted to enjoy the local sights and sounds. I couldn't help but notice though that much of the plants I saw were just the same as the ones we have here in the U.S. and elsewhere. It just shows that like people, plants travel too, and when conditions are right they colonize and adapt to their new environment.

A rose by any other name...

2010-09-08T12:48:00.012-06:00

... would smell as sweet. However, this "Rose" I'm talking about has no scent to boast of and is not even a real rose.

The mother plant that produced our next batch of baby Desert Roses.

This Desert Rose (yeh ley yeh ley),
each of her veil's a secret promise
This desert flower (yeh ley yeh ley),
no sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

Sweet Desert Rose (yeh ley yeh ley),
this memory of Eden haunts us all
This desert flower, this rare perfume
is the sweet intoxication of the fall...

("Desert Rose" by Sting)

So why would Sting sing of the Desert Rose like it has a sweet and intoxicating perfume? Maybe his song is about some other plant or perhaps it's about a woman whom he calls "Desert Rose", I don't know. What I do know is that we now have an abundant supply of Adenium obesum. Sweet!

I have no current pictures of our Desert Rose in bloom. What I do have though are proofs that they did flower and their blooms left behind progenies that will guarantee their species' continued existence in our garden.

The second batch of young Desert Roses in the nursery with a couple of ornamental pineapples lost in their midst.

In my previous entry "A rose is a rose is a rose", I've mentioned how we got to produce a lot of baby Desert Roses from a single mother plant. I'm glad to say that those babies are no longer babies and some of them are now scattered all over the upper garden. Some are still left in the nursery and they too are doing well just biding their time until they too are moved to their permanent location.

What's left of the first batch of Desert Roses bred in our garden nursery. Their siblings have already been scattered in the upper garden.

Mom was so successful at her first attempt in propagating this plant from seeds that she tried her luck once more. Now we have a new batch of young Adeniums in the nursery. They're still small and cute but they are already manifesting one of the distinctive characteristics of a Desert Rose, a stout base. They will reside in the nursery for a few more months until they're old enough to be transplanted.

The flower of the Desert Rose may not have a sweet scent that intoxicates the senses. But that does not diminish the beauty of this plant.

The hills are alive...

2010-09-01T15:25:00.001-06:00

... with the sound of bleating...

Surely Maria Von Trapp wouldn't mind if I've made a little tweaking on the lyrics of her iconic song to something that suits my topic for today.

As I have mentioned before, my purpose for this blog is to chronicle the transformation of our sleepy farm into an integrated farm and tropical garden retreat. Part of this plan is to put a garden and landscape the area where it is either barren or overgrown with weeds and wild vegetation and blend it with the animals which also call this place their 'home'.

A few of the plants planted on top of a mound overlooking the sheep pen below.

One such area is the current grazing ground for our small herd of sheep. A sizable portion of the farm has been allotted for them so they can freely roam, play and seek their own sustenance. Watching them loiter in their own pen somehow elicits a sense of calm and relaxation. After all, these are peaceful and docile creatures.

Plants were positioned near the fence which will eventually hide the wire fence from clear view.

To embellish their stark surroundings, we have made the the initial step of landscaping their perimeter with tropical plants. As they grow thick and tall, this should help camouflage the wire fence and fence posts that surround the sheep. More plants and accent details like rocks, arbors, and water features will be added in stages as resource permits.

We all know that weeds and wild grasses are hard to get rid of. The best way to control their growth without using herbicides is to deprive them of sunlight. Hopefully when these garden plants grow bigger and fuller, the shade they produce will help stunt the growth of these unwanted plants below them.

A young Traveler's Palm and Crotons are competing with the wild grass for space.

Time and nature also need to lend a helping hand to allow these plants to mature and make them look like they have been growing there naturally. What I hope to achieve is to create a harmonious balance between plants and animals, at the same time create a strong contrast between a heavily vegetated area and a field that is in a constantly mowed down state.

The hills are indeed alive with the sound the sheep make and are getting livelier still with the addition of more beautiful plants.

The golden years

2010-08-27T12:24:00.011-06:00

A Golden Shower tree in full bloom. I borrowed this image from TopTropicals.com. They allow use of their images as long as their copyright is included and for non-commercial use.

The Golden Shower Tree (Cassia fistula) is an ornamental tree which is a wonder to behold when in bloom. The flowers are profuse, covering almost the entire tree when in full bloom. The clusters of yellow flowers are attached to a main stem which hangs gracefully from the limbs of the tree.

This plant is a member of the Favaceae family and thus is considered a legume. Its seeds are encased in a pod just like peas and beans but unlike those of its relatives, they are not edible even though the pods look like sausages.

There are so many online literatures and blog entries about Cassia Fistula so I won't be writing much about it, otherwise I'll just repeat what others have already mentioned. I think the brief description I wrote is suffice to paint a general picture of how beautiful this tree is.

A Golden Shower 'seedling' growing near the edge of a cliff. The ground below is still part of the farm. From there one can jump at the brink to the river below it.

Another young Golden Shower tree. The visible ground beyond is not part of the farm.

Mom grew our Golden Shower Trees from seeds that she bought over a year ago. The seedlings were first grown in the nursery and transplanted to their current location before the onset of the dry season. With extra care they survived the beating brought by the extremely dry months that followed. It's a good thing this plant is a relatively fast grower. They are now over a couple of feet tall, some are already thick and bush-like in appearance.

Another young Golden Shower tree.

Because the terrain of the farm (or garden) is uneven, some of the trees were planted near the edge of a ledge or at the top of some steep slopes to help stabilize the ground and hopefully this will prevent or minimize soil erosion like the one that happened late last year. Others were scattered all over the garden in other strategic locations.

This Golden Shower tree (foreground) grows at the edge of the original garden which is adjacent to our humble abode.

I wonder when our young Cassia Fistula trees will start to bloom. Do they need to reach a certain age? Do they need to grow to a certain height first? These are some question which will be answered only when gorgeous yellow flowers begin to adorn the trees. Until then all I can do is wait. Hopefully I don't need to wait till I reach my golden years.

Feeling blue?

2010-08-23T17:05:00.006-06:00

Well I am. In how many colors exactly do the flowers of "ginger plants" come? Let's see, there's red, white, yellow, and peach. What else? How about blue?

As its name suggests, the flowers of "Blue Ginger" is indeed blue. But as I was about to exclaim "Wow!", I found out that this plant is not really a member of the ginger family.

The Blue Ginger in our garden.

The "Blue Ginger" (Dichorisandra thyrsiflora) growth habit resembles that of a genus in the family Costaceae, which is the one related to true gingers. The leaves are arranged in a spiral formation much like those of one species of Costus. That, maybe, is the reason why it was labeled a ginger when in truth it's a member of the Commelinaceae family. It is easy to propagate this plant, stem cutting or root division works well.

These are the clusters of buds of the flowers of the Blue Ginger.

I don't remember if this plant is in my long list of 'must haves' but I am glad Mom found it. If it's not in my list then it must have been a sales pitch offer by a vendor in one of my parents' garden store trips. In any case, it doesn't really matter how it got to our garden.

The Blue Ginger, it may be blue and 'ginger' but it sure ain't ginger.

Up the garden path

2010-08-18T12:57:00.002-06:00

With the completion of a dirt path traversing the backside of the farm and the end of the dry season, gardening on the backside officially begun a couple of months ago. Much work remains to be done, mostly plant more trees, shrubs and other ornamental plants on each side of the road and keep the dirt road free of invasive weeds and grasses bent on recovering the cleared area.

Top picture: A 180 degree curved sloping path becoming straight after it reaches the top of the curve. Bottom picture: The straight path directly after the curved path. A row of young black bamboos were planted on the right side of this path. At the end of this path the road curves again to the right.

Above are pictures of a portion of the dirt road before some landscaping were done on it. Mom and her crew are busy landscaping the area to soften the look of the scarred land. With all the clearing of grasses and weeds and prepping the area for planting, a day's work hours seem very short. The occasional drop of rain helps a lot with the other major task of watering the plants, although there are still occasional long stretches of days with no rain.

Below are pictures of what's been planted so far on this side of the dirt road.

Left: A row of "unknown" lilies , the flowers remain drooping even after the buds open. Right: Rows of yellow and white Rain lilies.

At one corner of the road, they planted a row of lilies, the name of which I do not know. Mom got the mother plants from neighbors near and far. Notice how straight the plants were lined up. Also planted were rows of Rain Lilies. When I saw how they were arranged I thought a bed of onions or chives or maybe garlic were mistakenly planted there. From time to time I need to remind Mom not to plant the same species of plants in straight lines. Somehow she keeps gravitating towards formal garden styles where straight lines and manicured plants are the norm. It would have been nicer if these plants were placed in between other plants which then would have made it look more natural.

Two of our gardeners busy pulling out weeds and wild grasses along the row of Black bamboos to prepare the area for more plants. Behind them is the ground where the goats used to graze.

The straight row of Black bamboos is intentional. I wanted them to function as privacy screen once they grow thick and tall. From this point, the farm gently slopes upward so everything that happens there is wide open for the neighbors and passersby to see. Once the bamboos grow tall and thick enough, this should give the area a little more privacy that it needs. The bamboos were planted with ample spaces in between giving more room for other plants to thrive under them.

Some other plants to soften the seemingly harsh looking landscape. See if you can find the little baby Desert Roses.

Other plants utilized to soften the area on one side of the road include Crotons, Gingers, Ti plants, Desert Roses, and other plants. On the opposite side where the bamboos are, flowering varieties will be planted as soon as they are finished removing all the wild vegetation that grow there.

This is just a small portion of the road that needs landscaping. Although they have also began planting on other parts of the rough road, more areas need to be landscaped.