Mary's Blog

When Replacing Australian Pines with native Red Cedar Trees - Think BIG

2012-01-15T18:58:00.000-08:00

My neighbor invited me to see how big a Red Cedar tree can get. She knew from my earlier blog that I planned to plant one in my yard. She had planted one a number of years ago in her own backyard and wanted me to see the size of it today. She said that if she had known how big it was going to get, she would have planted it farther away from the house. This is what she showed me:

Now I realize how much space I need to give this baby Red Cedar to grow! It certainly pays to plan ahead.

The tree is lovely and dense. I think that it would be best to place it in a place where privacy is desired.
Here is a close up of its branches.

I will plant it on the north side of our house, just as my neighbor did, but a bit farther away.

My Red Cedar in a pot, ready for planting

Rainy Day in Paradise

2012-01-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

When it rains on this island, it rumbles.

Last night lightening streaked across the sky, thunder woke us up several times. Finally, early yesterday morning, it burst into rain. We got up to watch. Our electricity was off inside the house, but there was plenty of electricity in the sky.

Front road mud puddles

Afterward, bright grey water settled on the dirt road out front

quite different from the brown mud-puddle

that we get in New York. This water reflects softened coral rock.

After awhile, the sky broke open with scattered light.

The ocean was still but the sky was not.

Plants opened up and started uncurling from their parched positions, relaxed with water.

This coconut palm captured the joy of water received.

Our Birdhouse

The backyard looks greener, softer. The birdhouse sits midst stunning greenery.

Sabal Palm tucked under old almond tree stump.

Native sea grape in rain.

Wet hibiscus overlooks native plants.

Our upper deck, as our neighbor call it, overlooking nature's theatre.

A perspective on our home from the point of view of the native sea grape.

Encouraging Native Plant Growth Under Casuarinas (Australian Pines)

2012-01-13T08:46:00.000-08:00

What grows well under those pesky Casuarinas or Australian Pines? (Latin names: Casuarina equisetifolia and Casuarina glauca).

My neighbor plans to remove the Australian Pines in front of his house and asked how to prevent erosion. He wants to try the method that Martin suggested in his blog, of cutting them down slowly, allowing undergrowth to get started. And he wanted to know, what grows under Casuarinas?

I got out my camera and decided to photograph some of the plants growing around the stump of a giant Casuarina in an area that we had cleared of Australian Pines.

Stage One

Here is what our site looked like when we started. One could see the ocean through the Australian Pine trees, but not very well. Although there was other vegetation, it was well hidden and certainly not flourishing.

The first year, we started to remove the Australian Pines by removing many small, baby trees. At first, we used a machete and just cut down the 7 to 10 footers. Then I spent a number of days pulling out smaller ones by hand, roots and all. Most of the ones that I pulled out were three feet high or shorter. I counted that I removed over 700 small baby Casuarina plants, by hand while using a pickaxe to pull the root out. It was a tiring job, but the view of the beach and the ocean was beautiful making it a pleasant work site, especially in the cool of the early morning.

Stage Two, opening up to undergrowth

After doing all this we began to see other trees emerging around the remaining Casuarinas. Then new groundcover started to show, but not very clearly. We got a view of the ocean. And the baby plants got some sunlight. But we still had more work to do.

Stage Three, New Growth

The next year, we cut down a giant Casuarina that was out in front of our house. Now the other plants really started flourishing. We added some Coconut Palms. In addition, the Seagrape (Coccoloba Uvifera), Coco Plum (Chrysobalanus Icaco) and the Bay Geranium (Ambrosia hispida), among others, emerged and started to grow everywhere, on their own. I took a series of shots below showing all the plants that now grow naturally around the old Casuarina stump. Here they are.

Thatch Palm

Bay Cedar (Suriana maritima)

Palmetta Palms

Bay Geranium

Coco Plum

It is so wonderful to have all this diversity of plant life. The birds and butterflies like it too. They flutter from plant to plant, eating seeds and lighting on them, probably enjoying the ocean view, as do we.

You can see that I have yet to learn the name of all the plants in my front yard. This is because I did not purchase them at any nursery. They emerged naturally, once the invasive plant was fully removed. In other words, they did not arrive in containers with plastic labels showing their names. But my neighbors are teaching me the names of these native plants. As I learn their names, I will add them to the photos.

We recently bought two additional plants that we will be putting into the ground around our house. They are highly recommended and are great native replacements for the Australian Pine. They are Lignum Vitae (Gualacum sanactum) and Red Cedar (Juniperus bermudiana). We just bought one of each from our local nursery called Wonderland Gardens in Marsh Harbour. Here is what they looked like when we bought them.

Baby Lignum Vitae

Red Cedar

These two plants are natives that like the native soil, the sunlight and the ocean salt. According to our book from the Friends of the Environment, Abaco, Bahamas called " A Guide to native and Invasive Plants in Abaco", both the Lignum Vitae and the Red Cedar plant are protected trees of the Bahamas. We will be planting them in the next few days. For the longest time I could not find them in the local plant nurseries and was very pleased to find them available for sale this year.

Eat Australian Pine Seeds (Or Get a Bug to do it For You)

2012-01-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

Sunrise under an Australian Pine in the Abacos

One way to control the problem of the proliferating Australian Pine tree in the Bahamas is to eat the seeds!

But I cannot find a single recipe calling for Australian Pine seeds.

Australian Pines line the beach of Eight Mile Bay

Unfortunately, insects in the Bahamas don't eat them either. Thus the pines proliferate.

Australian Pines are free to reproduce in the Bahamas because there are no people or insects in our area that eat their seeds . Hundreds of thousands of these uneaten seeds are dropping to the ground and growing spontaneously, everywhere, uneaten by either humans or insects, or even fish. Now that is a special kind of problem, a population problem. If we could learn to control the population of Australian Pine, then perhaps we could live happily with them, mingling in their shade, burning their wood, and crafting them into tables and chairs, as needed.

A group of researchers, mostly entomologists, are hoping to find a good set of bugs that will eat Australian Pine seeds.

I am happy to report that Australians are involved in the research project. In my opinion, it makes sense to have them collaborate with us on this problem since they are the culprits who, several hundred years ago, sent us these trees. I figure they ought to know a lot about them or at least might have a few pine seed recipes that they could share.

But now we have another problem. Australians don't necessarily have the same issue with the trees that we do, because in Australia, there are a group of insects all eating Australian Pine seeds, thus controlling the size of the Australian Pine tree population. We, on the other hand, acquired the trees without the natural controls. This helps explain why Australians like their pines and we don't always share their viewpoint.

Which bugs eat Australian Pine seeds and how do we get them?

Wait a minute, not so fast! There is a bit of work to do before one takes a new bug into our environment. For example, we have to make sure that something eats the bug and that it doesn't become yet another invasive problem. We also have to be sure that that bug over there in Australia is going to like the specific "Australian Pine" seed that we now have here in the Bahamas.

See Ongoing Research Project Here.

Until this is resolved, and we decide who or what is going to eat the seeds, I ask:

What can we do with Australian Pines?

Stay tuned.

The Australian Pine

2012-01-08T06:48:00.000-08:00

Recently, I asked Martin, an Australian friend of mine to write in his blog about how Australian Pines might be used here in the Bahamas. The Australian Pines, or "Casuarinas" have the reputation of being "invasive plants", rather unmanageable and growing everywhere, with and without permission, thus being largely viewed in the Bahamas and in Florida as giant weeds.

He replied with some very thoughtful commentary. Here is what he said:

MARTIN'S COMMENTARY ON THE AUSTRALIAN PINE AND ITS MANAGEMENT

Thank you, Martin, for your thoughtful remarks.

Let's see if we can't get some additional good ideas about how to manage and use these pines from both sides of the world.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, January 1, 2012

2012-01-02T08:15:00.000-08:00

Less apocalyptic than the blank that I first put up.

Many Ways to Use Those Coconuts!

2011-12-30T18:29:00.000-08:00

Coconut palm in our backyard.

Every year we try to get better about using all the coconuts that fall in our yard in the Abacos.

Here is what we have tried to do with them thus far:

cooking projects
arts and crafts
drinks
garden composting
landscaping
more will follow, no doubt.

Whatever you do, DO NOT stand under these formidable plants and look up.

Yikes!

The first problem I encountered, after conquering my fear of being hit by one, is this:

PUZZLING OVER HOW TO OPEN UP A COCONUT

According to a youtube film I watched, this technique really works.
First, take off the exterior layer
Use a knife or your teeth.

This fellow can do it with his teeth in 11 seconds!

AFTER THAT, OPEN UP THE COCONUT

That looked so easy! Let me give it a try.
To be continued.......

Bye Bye, Irene - Updated

2011-08-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

She is now officially Little Miss Irene and is downgraded to a tropical storm and is no longer "Hurricane Irene".

Ironically, the minute the announcement went out that she was downgraded, the wind picked up at our place and two big trees came down on our property. The first big drop was our neighbor's tree and a huge branch dropped on our fence. The second big tree was on our property and fell across the road, stopping traffic until our village emergency trucks came and removed it.

The winds whipped for quite some time. In fact, these were the first really bad gusts of wind that we encountered from her of any significance. Fancy that.

TROPICAL STORM IRENE SHOWS HER STUFF

Let me entertain you. Sit back and relax. Put on Willy Nelson, and listen to his song while you scroll down through the rest of the photos showing our transition through Little Miss Irene's visit to Hastings on Hudson.

Our story

We patiently waited for her tantrum to subside so we could take a walk or get out of the house without worrying about a tree falling on us. Below, is the transition that I photographed from humid, wet Irene, to dry cranky Irene, to bye bye, Irene.

HUMID,WET

SHE OFFERED US DRY, PROMISING, BUT CRANKY WINDS

BYE, BYE, IRENE

This morning, the 29th of August 2011, the morning after Irene, there were a few "hangovers" to take care of. Take a look at our Saw Mill Parkway, that is now the "Saw Mill Canal". Our neighbor photographed people kayaking on it yesterday. This morning I got shots of it just languishing in the beauty of our sunny, bright, windless early autumn morning.

Anyone want to go kayaking with me? Here is a photo that our neighbor Ron Hollander took of the Saw Mill Canal yesterday.

Just for the record, we are aware that this is not a happy story for everybody. They are saying on the news that there were 20 deaths from her, and most of it sounds like people injured and killed from high waters. We are sorry for what happened.

We have relatives in Connecticut who have no electricity and probably won't have any for days. We have friends in Vermont who are this morning, trying to find their way through a lot of damaged trees.

Before we moved to Hastings on Hudson, we lived on Roosevelt Island on the East River of Manhattan and their tree damage and flooding is considerable. Take a look at their Roosevelt Island Blog. to see the tree damage.

We have friends in the Bahamas who are wishing for some light in the evening, phone service and some running water.

We are sorry for the damage and injuries that did occur.

These storms appear to be increasing in magnitude. I hope all of us will start taking note of the scientific evidence we have that these storms, these environmental disasters, are partly caused by human activity over which we have some control.

It was impressive to see the way that a strong mayor and city management affects urban behavior. Our New Yorkers proved yet again, that they move quickly when they have to. They efficiently evacuate their homes when deemed dangerous. They use public transport a lot and walk when they cannot ride. They may be famously cranky like Irene, from time to time, but they are efficient and quick and full of good spirit.

No doubt, part of this story is just plain mother nature overwhelming us, as she is prone to do.

Bye, Bye, Irene

By the way, a friend of mine in Australia recommends that we move from Willy Nelson to Leadbelly to get a really good orchestration for the storm. I have to admit. It really does sound good. You can listen to it here: FRANMART BLOGSPOT

Singin' in the Rain - with Irene

2011-08-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

It is now one hour into the time when we are supposed to feel the presence of Little Miss Irene. What we experience thus far is lots of water, lots of rain,. It has been raining steady for at least five hours now. Every once in awhile a big gust of wind goes by, but I think wind storms are not going to necessarily be our problem. Our problem is WATER! Everything already looks pretty waterlogged.

Thus far, our house is both high and dry. We are up on some cliffs, high above the Hudson River. Here is what it looks like out our window.

From our attic window, the skyline looks like this with LOTS OF RAIN, LOW VISIBILITY..

Our deck is truly wet now, and the flowers are bowing from the weight of the rain.

That's all for now.

We Plan for Irene

2011-08-27T15:50:00.000-07:00

Just south of us, some 7 miles from here, is the northern border of New York City. We hear through the news that New York City is evacuating some 300,000 people who reside in areas where flooding might occur from the storm This is what their evacuation zones looks like that they have put into place:

NEW YORK CITY EVACUATION ZONES

We are up the Hudson River some seven miles beyond the map at Hastings on Hudson. Up here, we do not have evacuation plans, But many of us work in New York City in areas that are zoned for evacuation, like our son who works near Battery Park, or our friend who owns a business down near the water on the East Side of Manhattan..

The Hudson River could flood here in Hastings on Hudson. But our home is up on the cliffs overlooking the river and facing the Palisades. We do not expect to have problem with flooding like the lowlands might.

It is possible that we might get strong gusts of hurricane winds that topple trees because the tree roots have lost their hold owing to heavy rains. It is also possible that we could have wind damage, considering our height above the river. But as of now, this is all speculation.

In any case, most of us are hunkered down and are following instructions to get to safe quarters and stay there until the hurricane passes by.

We can forget about public transport in NYC this afternoon because they are shutting down the subway system, stopping the buses and also the Metro rail lines. That is really amazing. New Yorkers are big public transport users. I cannot imagine what people will do if they want to get around. New Yorkers are also good walkers and bikers, which they might do as a last resort.

When all transportation pretty much stopped on September 11, 2001, many of us put on our shoes and walked out of the city. So it wouldn't be the first time that walking would become the "transport of choice". However, given the size of the storm expected, I imagine that people won't walk around much either.

I just went up to our attic and took a video of how our skyline looks this afternoon. When the film starts, we are looking Northwest toward Nyack and the Tappanzee Bridge on the Hudson River. when the film ends, it is aimed south toward New York City, almost to the George Washington Bridge.Tomorrow, I will try to photograph this same scene again to see how it changes. Here is a video of our skyline at 3:30pm today taken from our attic..

SKY LINE AT HASTINGS ON HUDSON

Our public library is on the river, next to our train station into the city, a 32 minute train ride from here. One looks down at the Hudson River. I noticed that big ships had come down the Hudson River to get away from the potential violence of the ocean these next few days.

Big ships were coasting into the river, and just hanging out there, for the moment. You can see them through the trees from the Hastings Library.

Hastings Train Station with New York City in the Background

The sign says SERVICES SUSPENDED at the train station.

Although not deserted, our village is almost completely empty of people. Few cars are in the area.

And the library is closed on Saturday, which is most unusual.

Photo of library taken through the window.

This is how we look today, the day before Hurricane Irene is supposed to hit us. She is due here in our backyard at 8am. So when we get up in the morning, I will try to re photograph a number of these places so that you can see the difference. Until then, pleasant evening!

Miss Irene Didn't Miss Much

2011-08-27T10:27:00.000-07:00

Here we are, waiting for cranky Little Miss Irene, our uninvited guest, to arrive. We have been watching her roll along for quite some time now.

We were most worried and concerned when she rolled over our settlement in the Bahamas and held her eye to the Abacos for most of Wednesday. We heard stories of surges, whipping winds, pouring rain. We were so relieved to find out yesterday that our neighbors are all safe and sound, and that no homes are seriously injured in our area of Bahama Palm Shores and Casurina on the Great Abaco Island. We are grateful for that. Its satellite cays also appear to have made it through without too much trouble. We now hear mainly about brush and downed trees on the road, no electricity and water, no phones. Hardships, but manageable. I should point out in case some are wondering, the most recent news from down there says that there is now electricity and internet in Marsh Harbour.

The entire time that the hurricane whirled over the Bahamas, spitting rain and shoving sand and water around, the only news we could get from here in New York was an enormous amount of scary hype indicating that the hurricane Irene was headed toward us, on the East Coast. Now, I do not feel that it is unimportant that the hurricane is coming our way, mind you. But it saddened me that so little time could be found by our national reporters to tell the story of these very brave island families, hunkered down, and reporting out to the rest of us mainly through Facebook (when the electricity was on) and through satellite phone (when it was not) as to how they were faring. We are so grateful for their safety through this terrible storm.

The Abaco Islands is an area where people from Canada and the United States and from countries of Central America have second homes, in addition to the many first homes of Bahamians Without these brave local Bahamian reporters, mostly reporting on Facebook, we would have no idea how our settlements fared and would still be wondering what happened.

Irene actually is headed here today ( I am saying this just in case someone managed to never turn on the TV or the radio or speak to anybody for the last 5 days), and I thought that just for the record, I will put up some photos as we go along, of what is happening in our backyard.

I doubt that it will have any of the extreme shaking and blowing that we saw in the photos of our neighbors in the Bahamas putting up with a Category 3, but one never knows. But since I am here in New York, I thought that it might be "pay back" time and that I should photograph for others what we are getting here in the NY area, actually, reporting from Hastings on Hudson, New York, a rivertown, just 7 miles north of New York City.

For all you Bahamians who have second homes, children, brothers and sisters, parents and friends in this area, and to all our friends who do not live in the New York City area, here is how it looks, thus far.

It is not actually a sunny day. The grey fog covers us so heavily that we cannot see the Hudson River in the distance. It has not yet started to rain. The light is such that it is good for photographing flowers. Our side yard looks very peaceful, like this:

As of 12 noon, it has started to drizzle. Outside it is quiet. Few cars go by. Perhaps one or two per hour, at most. I think everybody is at the grocery store and at the hardware store getting supplies. We stayed home today and just filled up our canteens, buckets and extra pails with water in case we lose electricity later. We have cleared off our decks, checked all the windows to make sure they are properly closed.

Here is how it looks at 1:36pm. Our deck shows a touch of rain. And you can see from the photo below that the clouds are becoming more dense. Signing off for now. More to follow.

July, the Hot and Sultry Month is Upon Us

2011-07-20T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today,
yesterday,
the day before,
tomorrow,
steam rolls off the grass,
sun melts hot colors of summer flowers
shade comes in sliced pieces
shattered by tall grasses
wind sneaks through bushes
frenetically waving

Black and white of winter,
Browns and oranges of autumn.
Have disappeared forgotten.
Winter Memories Shown Here

Orange lilies bob their heads
reaching out above the hydrangeas
delicate flickering petals flying
sedately touching summer hot streams of light.

Orange lilies dominate.
Last year it was hot pink phlox.

The garden shifts its mood
depending
which way the seeds blow
how seedlings survive winter storms,
which roots drink in cold spring rain
absorb or radiate this simmering heat
sometimes leaves just shrugging down and hanging there
waiting for water.

Stonework defines the landscape.
However, the bushes and trees reinterpret the lay out to suit their own needs.

View from Attic

From the ground

Dressing Down to Dress Up

2011-07-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

I love putting fresh flowers together from the garden. It dresses up everything, except me.

I used to wear formal suits and heels but now my work dress is "garden casual". I wear a pair of old hiking boots with white sports socks, worn out shirts, baggy pants covered with paint stains. To top it off, I wear a big hat the covers my face and protects me from the hot mid-day sun.

Here I am on the steps getting ready to head out to the garden.

My office

Project Number 1

Typical work site for Project # 2

Staff meeting - just the way I like it.

Cheap Fun

2011-06-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

Due to the pleasures of grandchildren, I have not written very much on my Blog this spring. But after spending almost a month on the west coast, we returned to New York to discover that New York is hot and humid! And the garden looks great. The peonies have already come and gone, but the roses and lilies are flourishing.

As for grandchildren, I highly recommend the following incredibly expensive toys: water, a bucket for pouring, and a water hose. After cardboard boxes and a rubber ball, water is the best toy ever invented.

Children also revel in playpens, if one needs a way to contain them for a few minutes. But they have to use it as a group. Its more fun.

Spring is here for sure

2011-04-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

When this Azaelea bush is in bloom, I know that for sure, spring is here. It is such a splash of color, just before everything else comes out in bloom. Without exception, it is the first bush in our yard to be in full color and always contrasts with the brown bushes and trees that will bloom a few weeks later.

The giant peony is also set to bloom, and looks lovely with the tulips tucked underneath.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

Spring is here, and the outdoors has shifted from frozen and cold, to cool and beautiful. My Australian friend recently reminded me in my "Spring is here" blog, that it is autumn there. But spring is here, for sure.

I took some shots of the yard and tried to record the sound of a bird that I like. I wish that I knew the name of the bird, but I don't . I have concluded that he is a small guy and not so colorful, because he is hard to locate. He has a high whistle, like the sound of someone whistling to bring in the cattle or sheep. I love the sound of it. It is a sort of high "da dee dee, dee, deee.". Unfortunately, he only sings when the video is not running. If I ever do catch the fellow singing in one of my videos, I will add him to this site.

For my kids, I captured their father heading out the door with the compost.

Take a look, click here:

Composting in the spring

Your Dad misses you. He and I had to pick up the slack on many of your old jobs that you left behind when you headed for college.

I remember one cold wintry day when our daughter walked in the door with the compost bucket in her hand and said "Well, that is that last time that I'm doing that", with her head all wet, and her feet all muddy. And it was. We let her get away with it because he helped out in so many other ways.

As for the boys, I recall them taking the compost out every once in awhile, under duress. But the end result, thanks to all their dedicated work, is lots of flowers and very rich dirt in the side yard. Thanks, kids, for all those buckets that you carried.

Joe and I drove past our neighbors and three little kids were having an egg hunt, with their Dad watching them from the front porch. One of the little boys was so excited that he forgot to run, and stood frozen in place just imagining where an egg might be, with the silliest grin on his face, his shoulders all scrunched together and wringing his hands with delight, that big silly grin on his face. He was about 6 years old. We cracked up laughing at him. It reminded us of the many egg hunts that we had in our side yard. Joe and I also used to hide the kids annual art supplies along with the colored eggs. Our kids found hidden in the yard, sidewalk chalk, squirt guns and art materials, like crayons and paint sets.

We used to have a contest to see who would find the last colored egg. I think one of the eggs actually made it to the 3 or 4 month mark before it was found. No one ate it.

Here is our back yard during a lovely spring rain. Click here: Backyard in spring

Paradise

2011-03-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Colors Galore

Space to Explore

We arrived on Saturday to be met by perfect weather, peace and quiet, and so much color that it was hard to know where to focus one's eyes.

Coming from the black,browns and dull greys of winter in New York, then to the pastel colors of the Abacos is really staggering.

Even though there has been limited time to play on the beach, those few moments that we had are so memorable. The water is crystal clear. We saw dolphins, Bally hoo, baby baracudas and jacks. Joe almost bumped into some angel fish with his head when he was snorkeling out front. They were so close that he couldn't see them.

Just beautiful. I will always miss this place.

The Coconut Palm has Value

2011-03-02T06:22:00.000-08:00

We picked up a coconut that fell from our tree out front of our home in the Abacos. Matt and Joe busted it open using a variety of means that included using a hammer and a machete and incorporated a lot of cheering and encouragement from our two grandaughters who were watching.

Here is Lila showing how it looks inside.

We grated up the coconut and it had nice flavor. But we wondered, how healthy is it to use the oil and meat of the coconut? A family debate ensued over the value of a coconut.

The New York Times just put out an article on the value of coconut oil. It seems as though the problems with the oil were mainly from the items added during manufacturing. Just using plain old natural ingredients of coconuts isn't so bad after all.

I would recommend opening up a coconut with guests as a high form of entertainment as long as one stands way back when the men take over.

So Much for the Early Signs of Spring

2011-02-21T10:10:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up early to the sound of the snow plow rumbling by and opened the curtain to find out what was going on. Snow was silently falling everywhere.

It is the kind of day that used to bring shouts of joy from our kids when they turned on the radio to find out that it was an official "snow day" and school was canceled.

The local school system is closed but not because of snow. It is because it is Presidents Day, a national holiday, and many people are on spring vacation. However, the public library is supposed to be open today, but it is closed owing to all the snow.

I hope that this is the last blast of winter before spring sets in.

The Carribbean Garden Show

2011-02-20T16:26:00.000-08:00

We went to the Caribbean Garden Show at the New York Botanical Garden this last Saturday. I wanted to see whether I could identify some of the plants that we have in our yard in the Abacos. The Show had a lot of the plants that we have, for example, cocoplum, banana and papaya trees, a variety of palms including the sago, coconut palm, royal palm, the thatch palm and the common Palmetto (a type of Sabal palm). However, the plants that I wanted to identify were not in the show. Alas, back to work on identifying them.

One person suggested that we stop in Miami and visit the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden and that we might have a better chance of getting into the details and nuances of tropical plant life down there. It is now a new item on my Bucket List.


Our friend the staghorn was highlighted at the show.

Even though we didn't identify our plants this time around, the garden show was wonderful and we had a great time except for the part of walking between the car and the show. The winds were blowing hard and it was unusually cold. Ah well. I think I am still missing the warmth of our Abacos.

What Happened? Did we Switch Channels?

2011-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

As of February 13, we returned to New York.
Our scenes out the window in the morning, shifted accordingly.

The temperatures were chilly when we got here but have been warming up ever since.

Probably the most complicated part of shifting back and forth between the Bahamas and here is remembering which side of the road to drive on, and to remember where the spatulas are in the kitchen.

The snow is still piled high in many places.

But there is much evidence that spring is on the way.

There is not much one can do outside yet, other than take daily walks. Because of the constant melting during the day, black ice is a consideration and one must walk cautiously across it to keep from slipping.

To Do List - Entertaining Children in the Abacos

2011-02-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

Take a relaxing outdoor shower.

Swim in the local pool.

Try out our new summer dresses "Made in the Bahamas" of Androsia cloth.

Take a walk with Grandpa and Grandma.

Search for sea stars.

Find a sea shell.

Follow a hermit crab on one of his walks.

Compare sizes of footprints in the sand.

Take another swim in the local pool with water warmed by the sun.

Draw a picture for Grandma and Grandpa to hang on the wall.

Ride a bike.

Camp in the living room.

Good lord, how many sisters do I have?

Eat outdoors on the patio.

Play with a ball.

Look pretty in our new dresses.

Read a book.

Check out information on the computer.

Run a race with Mom, go swimming with Dad.

Just chill.

A Treat for Children - Breakfast in Bed

2011-02-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

Our grandchildren visited us in the Abacos. They were kind enough to bring their parents with them. Grandpa Joe offered them breakfast in bed. As our eldest grandchild declared, "Mom and Dad have had breakfast in bed probably five times This is my first breakfast in bed, ever".

The baking pans managed to keep the waffles, strawberries and syrup in place. No spillage occurred. They had a wonderful time, as did we.

They Call it "Life Leaf" in the Abacos

2011-02-15T19:10:00.000-08:00

It grows along the edges of our back yard between sun and shade. Right now it is in bloom.

The leaf looks as though it were embroidered along the edges.

It is simply beautiful.

Added on 20 February: Since writing this page I have found detailed information about this plant. It's Latin name is Kalanchoe pinnata and is said to be used in the topics for medical purposes. We are also warned that it can be invasive in some locations especially where the soil has been disturbed. It is also said to be a popular house plant.

A Walk to Remember

2011-01-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

Almost everyday I take this walk. It is a guaranteed three miles worth of exercise. It doesn't need captions. Just take a look.

The walk starts on the main road that leads to a cut off going to the beach. From there, I walk past a small community area where our neighbors build their bonfires. The log seats are still in place, waiting for them to come back for another fire, some hot dogs and marshmallows.

Then on I go past beautiful clear waters until I reach Old Kerr's at the end of Eight Mile Bay. At one point, I go past an old car that is almost completely "naturalized". Just had to take a photo of it.

It is one of the most beautiful walks in the world.

Finders Keepers

2011-01-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

People throw things into the ocean. The ocean drops all kinds of things onto our beach. We pick up shoes, boards, jugs, rope, toilet seats, bottles, glass balls, crates. What we don't use, we carry to the dump. Then, we find things at the dump. I will do a separate piece on things we find at the dump.

Above is a board that floated in. It was so heavy that I dragged it most of the way home rather than picking it up. The last photo in today's blog shows how it looks after we cut it up and made something with it.

Anyone missing a shoe?

We keep crates that we found on the beach for collecting all the detritus.

We use what we find, if we can. Buckets are used for mopping our floors and are made into wastebaskets. The plastic bin is going to become part of our garden, sunk into the ground to hold herbs. What we cannot use goes to the dump.

More stuff

Joseph shows off his find.

Here is a particularly pretty find, a large ceramic ball used in the fishing nets, made in Japan.

WHERE THEY ARE NOW

That big plank I showed you in the beginning is now the top of a children's table. The legs of the children's table are also made from boards that we picked up on the beach. This is a 100 percent "found it on the beach" table.

We have an old saying down here, "If you really need something, then take a walk and you will find it on the beach."

Carribbean Gardens

2011-01-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

The New York Botannical Gardens (NYBG) is having its Caribbean Gardening show from Jan 15-February 27 of 2011. At the NYBG Website it says:

" While enjoying the balmy atmosphere in the Conservatory, be sure to keep an eye open for special signs pinpointing the location of some of the Caribbean's most important plants, including the dramatic chalice vine, butterfly orchid, and Bougainvillea; delicious pineapple, coconut, mango, banana, chocolate, and vanilla; and plants with delightful names like ice cream bean, flamingo flower, Panama hat palm, lipstick tree, and autograph tree."

This should be so interesting to visit and compare the plants we see there with the ones we find in the Abacos. Of the ones mentioned above, we already have Bougainvillea, coconut and banana in our yard. Here are some additional examples of the plants we have in our yard that I hope to identify when visiting the upcoming Caribbean Garden show of the NYBG

First, is this lovely palm tree that has started spontaneously in our yard.

We have decided that it cannot be a coconut palm, because it has a soft, white root and all our coconut palms emerge from coconut seeds.

Here is another self starter that gets a lovely white orchid-like flower when it is in bloom. The grass is only about 4 to 5 inches high. When I find one in bloom I will add it to this site.

Here is another interesting native plant.

We call the one above a "Silver Button", and it is expected to reach a maximum height of about 15 or 20 feet.

The one above is called a "Wild Hibiscus". It has pretty small red flowers.

The two examples below are from very small, bushy trees that provide berries popular with the birds in our area.

And may I introduce you to our baby fig tree?

Our fig tree is now three years old, and just starting to take hold. .

People around here call the one above the "Life Leaf". It has a lovely white flower when it is in bloom and is a delicate plant that grows around the edges between the "bush" and the "yard".

This last tree below is called by many the"Madeira Olive" tree. But when I look up the "Madeira" Tree, I do not see this kind of leaf and also, the "olive" on this tree is much smaller than the one shown in the book for a Madeira. The parrots love the olive from this tree. Last year, on one of our larger trees of this kind, we found over 50 parrots all hanging on the tree, eating the "olives".

I must confess that I lack a lot of knowledge about the plants in my yard down here, but hope to become much more knowledgeable about them in 2011.

Basketball and Coconuts

2011-01-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

We have a new basketball hoop in our community, for everyone to use. It just went up three days ago and it looks great.

Here is how it looked before:
BEFORE.........................................AFTER

Here is my husband Joe demonstrating the "coconut shot".

The bleachers are very informal and beautiful, I might add:

It might prove difficult to know which way to look.

New Year's Eve - A Time for Reflection

2010-12-31T13:10:00.000-08:00

May we all reflect as well as these Sanderlings.

This evening we are going out to dinner at a local South Abaco bone fishing club followed by a bonfire on the beach with neighbors. If we are lucky, we will see the fireworks from Cherokee Sound and from a new resort at Winding Bay, just north of us.

Happy New Year to All.

Tables from beach wood - Abacos

2010-12-27T18:16:00.000-08:00

These tables were made of wood that drifted onto our beach. Because of this, the table legs have great character. The tables were built by Steve Roessler, our neighbor, and Joe, my husband.

The bowl shown on the table is made of Tamarind wood, also found locally. The bowl was carved by another one of our neighbors, W. Stephen Knowles.

One of the special things about being down here in the Abacos is having time to really appreciate what is available, locally.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-25T06:22:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas postcard this year was taken on the beach out front of our home at High Banks on Eight Mile Bay, Abacos. The snowmen are a gift from our son-in-law's parents who live in Boise, Idaho. That snow globe plays a great version of "Frosty the Showman". Merry Christmas, everybody.

The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

2010-12-23T16:28:00.000-08:00

Today the ocean is so peaceful. These are late afternoon photos taken of the beach out front.

Joe and I took a walk today and followed the quiet, shallow waters at low tide. Baby bonefish were everywhere, as was one lone baby barracuda, sliding through the water like a silver knife, shadow below his belly.

We were awestruck with the calm.

One of our heighbor's children came out with her father to take care of the dogs while her father fished. She was having fun running with the dogs, chasing them, picking things up and tagging along with her Dad. Her playground is huge. The silence is enormous.

Heavy Traffic on the Beach

2010-12-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite birds are the Sanderlings (Calidris alba). These little ones feed on the sandy beaches. When the waves hit the shore, the Sanderlings run around them, never getting wet, even though they are so close. They never seem to move their head or body, just their legs. I would guess that they may take as many as 5 or 6 steps per second so their legs look like little blurs as their bodies float by. I can walk with them for long periods of time, but if I pick up my camera to take a photo, they fly away.

One of our neighbors here at Bahama Palm Shores, Ann Capling, did a painting of them that we have hung in our hallway. Part of her painting looks like this.

The Sanderling tracks are everywhere on the beach.

If this were the only beach traffic we got, it would be wonderful.

"Jingle Bells" Parrot Style

2010-12-13T15:32:00.000-08:00

Their feathers don't match the song. These parrots are beautiful to look at with their bright green, yellow and orange feathers. But they sure could use a singing lesson. I posted their song for you to hear

Birds in our Backyard

2010-12-10T07:51:00.000-08:00

We are going to participate in the December 18th 2010
Friends of the Environment
7^TH Annual South Abaco Christmas Bird Count

I thought it a good idea to start reading up on what we might see and found this great report from the Cornell Lab or Ornithology that talks about all the birds in our area here in the Abacos.
Birding in Bahamas - Spring 2009 Living Bird, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Hanging out the laundry to dry in the backyard is a joy. There are the sounds of parrots squawking and the chatter of little birds of various sizes at times perched on branches just a few feet away from the clothesline. They are so close that sometimes I duck when they fly by. If I come out early in the evening, the Night Heron screams at me and rushes her feathers hoping to keep me at bay. I hear her at night from time to time as she squawks at other intruders, I guess most likely feral cats.

Took a Walk, Met a Crabby Friend

2010-12-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

He got up and greeted me..

Then, I went on my way.

It's the same sun, but.... a different temperature.

2010-12-03T13:23:00.000-08:00

New York Sunset.

Abaco Sunrise.

Starting tomorrow, I am moving to the Abacos for the winter months. I wonder if there are any bananas on the banana tree?

Hastings High School and Hudson River

2010-12-01T07:03:00.000-08:00

To all you graduates out there, this is what the school looks like from Hudson Heights. The Hudson River dominates the background. We can hear the distant cheers from soccer games, football games and of course, the first day of school when all the seniors show up to scream and shout and bang on drums notifying the school system that they are only here for 8 more months.

Here is a larger view of that same scene showing Hastings-on-Hudson and its High School from Hudson Heights. Our children walked to and from school every day with their books on their back, trombones, trumpets, violins in hand. The trip was straight up and down.

Formal terraces drift into rugged footpaths

2010-11-30T05:33:00.000-08:00

We work with this garden so that when people walk into it they sense that they have entered the edges of a wilder area, perhaps a meadow. The formal terraces near the house drift into softer terraces that become simple footpaths entering into the woods. The farther terraces are naturalized rather than formal and well-defined. These varying locations are gardened differently and provide constantly changing colors and textures with each season.

Holiday Floral Arrangements from the Garden

2010-11-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that there is still this much color in the New York winter yard, but there is. Here is our Thanksgiving Dinner floral arrangement that we made from our garden plants. Brightest are the Winterberries and Hydrangeas, and also the varied leaves from a variety of bushes. Softest color comes from the purple berries of the Beauty Bush. Free for the taking and free shipping, of course.

Color's Last Blast

2010-11-28T16:19:00.000-08:00

A worthy and sustained attempt to be colorful in the late autumn. No plastic surgery for these fellows. Just the beauty of the fade.

The Secret Garden- A Special Place for Children

2010-11-24T05:55:00.000-08:00

In one of his garden projects, Joe is designing a grassy circle of small trees, surrounded by hydrangea, rhododendron, and native grasses, at the top of the hill as a location especially for children, so they may take "hikes" and sit on blankets in the side yard and look at the big view across the river and through the trees.

Tired of weeding? Look up.

2010-11-22T07:03:00.000-08:00

The Palisades are a terrific respite from hours of weeding and raking, my knees stuck in the dirt, arms and legs weary from tugging and pulling on horrible, creepy, invasive vines. It pays every once in awhile to stop looking down at the weeds and to look up and catch the larger view. This view reaches past all the noisy leaf blowers, dismisses the roars of lawn mowers and shifts one's thoughts beyond ones aching muscles. When I stand up from weeding, I see the Palisades of New Jersey across the Hudson River. What a mood they provide each day.

Mint Tea Anyone?

2010-11-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

Pinch a couple of mint leaves out in the yard, drop them in steaming water and have a cup of mint tea. Delicious! It is late November and they are still fresh and green.

A New Approach to Getting There

2010-11-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

Falling, tumbling, rolling down the hill, limping upon our return. We finally gave in and repaired the steps. Now the entire backyard is available to us for planting. We have a completely new medium for our work. Water trickles through the granite rocks leaving small streams to be a constant source of water for certain portions of the yard. Shade mixes with bright sun. It is a bit like going into the Grand Canyon, because the noises of the street and yard disappear as we step lower into the backyard. You can see what our steps used to look like in the 2009 part of this blog.

A woman visited us last year and told us that she lived in our house 35 years ago. She said her parents built the original steps so that she could quickly visit her best friend and neighbor who lived in the house below. Now that the steps are finally repaired, I envision a new group of children using them them for adventures exploring the backyard. Hopefully this includes our grandchildren.

Gardening steep slopes - Not for the faint at heart

2010-11-18T11:10:00.000-08:00

Try mowing this yard! We are working to naturalize this back yard. We have removed all the invasive Norway Maples and are now replacing them with native plants. Step by step, so they say.

Art Mimics Nature

2010-11-16T17:59:00.000-08:00

Gabriel's painting of our bird bath out front

Photo of the front garden taken this morning.

Above is a painting of the front garden that our son Gabriel did when he was in high school and below it is a photo of the same place, today. This part of the garden is a haven for birds.

Cloudy with Possible Rain, but Hopeful

2010-11-14T18:43:00.000-08:00

Wish me luck tomorrow.

A New Little Blossom in the Education Garden

2010-11-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

First School Photo

Our eldest grandchild sent us her school photo from kindergarten. Just like the other garden, things keep rejuvenating. This time around, we just get to enjoy the photos and leave all the "making of the lunches" to our adult children. Thank you Lila for the picture. We are very proud of you.

Autumn reflections

2010-11-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

We are at the height of color. There is no freeze yet, which explains the bright hues. This is my favorite place to read.

Winter in Hastings on Hudson

2010-11-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is a photo taken this November. We still have very lovely weather. These are the last of the flowers, along with a couple of roses still showing their faces.

November Colors

2010-11-08T10:59:00.000-08:00

Tomatoes from the garden, even at this late date. But we are at the very tail end of the survivors.

Today, there was evidence of sleet in the rain. It is cold and damp outside.

Autumn in New York

2010-11-07T14:45:00.000-08:00

The colors this year are exceptional. This is our backyard.

Digging up the steps

2009-12-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

T Today we started our backyard landscaping project. I expect that it will take us at least a year to complete it. Eddie and I dug up some of the buried back steps. It was our first archeological dig...and of all places..in our backyard.

Making a plan for our backyard project

2009-12-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

The backyard needs a lot of work. We have decided to give it a guided naturalized look. Right now it has a look of "transition". Take a look at our progress.

Just kidding!!
Our backyard view cannot be improved. However, the is a lot of work to do on the ground.

Since we cut down the huge hollow oak we are being invaded by "alien plants" that eagerly suck up the newly available open space and sunshine left by the gap from the felled oak tree. Japanese Knotwood, wild rose and Japanese wisteria are everywhere. They are attacking all the native plants around them. We cut out many invasive vines that were strangling a number of our baby dogwood, ash, birch and black cherry trees. It will be months before we get it all completely cleaned up. And we need to read a lot of books to understand what to get rid of and what to encourage.

Naturalizing our Yard

2009-11-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

We are taking down down our Japanese Wisteria now that we know that it is not a native to our area.  It is an invader.  In the words of Douglas W. Tallamy who wrote "Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants"  Japanese wisteria is invasive to the North East and discourages native plant growth. Also, our native insects do not eat or use alien plants like this Japanese wisteria. This is why landscapers often refer to these non-native invading plants as "Pest-free" ornamentals.  But not only are they "pest-free" they are largely inedible to native insects and birds.

We must now try to figure out which native vine we will use as a replacement.

Unlike invaders such as Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) and Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinsnsis), native plants sustain wildlife. Native plants do support native insects and serve as a source of food for birds and animals.

A good book to read about how to replace invaders with native plants is the Brooklyn Botanic Garden All-Region Guide called "Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants".  They recommend we plant instead American Wisteria (Wisteria Frutescens) or the Kentucky wisteria (macrostachya).

End of Autumn

2009-11-29T14:19:00.000-08:00

This is our view from the back deck. I never tire of it, especially in the early morning and at sunset. This is my last weekend in New York until 2010.

This is our first really cold day

2009-11-28T09:39:00.000-08:00

We washed our sheets and hung them out to dry. Even though it is cold outside, I'll bet that the sheets are dry in 15 minutes. Take a look.