my rustic bajan garden

GREEN FINGERS Garden Entertainment at Night with Helen Knighton Extr...

2024-01-30T15:07:00.000-04:00

The breadfruit

2020-06-25T10:42:00.001-04:00

prosciutto on breadfruit pancake with spinach and cheese and pickled breadfruit garnish

pan fried snapper on a bed of pickled breadfruit garnished with a carrot and okra mélange this was deeelicious!

Breadfruit ice cream with breadfruit pudding garnished with caramelized sorrel ( hibiscus sabadariffa). Paula used a ripe breadfruit for this dessert. This was the creme de la creme of desserts!

Earlier this year my friend Paula whom I met a few years ago visiting Barbados. She is an avid gardener in the UK and told me she followed my blog. Her roots are Guyanese and she attended university here in Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. She is a true Caribbean woman! Well we would meet up whenever she is in Barbados. So she invited me to lunch and let me tell you, this was one of the finest meals I have ever had! I cleaned the plate! The meal was centered around the breadfruit. Now Paula mentioned that she ate it fried or boiled in Guyana, and had never prepared breadfruit like this before. So she scoured the internet and came up with a few recipes and made them her own. Not only is she an excellent cook but an adventurous one as well!

The breadfruit or ulu was brought to the Caribbean by Captain William Bligh who sailed the Pacific in the 1700's. It was first brought to the island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 1793 from Tahiti and has become a staple in most tropical countries. It is being sought as an alternative to wheat flour for those who are gluten sensitive.

The tree is massive and can provide food for many years to families.

There are dwarf ma'afala varieties that are now becoming available and are quickly snapped up by home gardeners.

More about the breadfruit click on the link below

https://www.tourmaui.com/breadfruit/

The recovery

2020-02-22T21:51:00.002-04:00

This loquat didn't make it, they do not like wet feet!

Suriname Cherry re sprouting after being underwater for several days.

Dunks tree aka Indian jube jube miraculously re sprouted after the planting bed was under water.

Breadfruit tree didn't survive.

Plumeria aka Frangipani survived even though some parts rotted. Will prune severely.

My orange bromeliads in this bed died. Luckily I have some in pots and will replant .

This poor dwarf coconut did not survive.

I was rather surprised that this Cannistel I thought had given up the ghost had started to sprout.

Another one bites the dust!

Mamey sapote didn't survive.

Lemon tree which was water logged seems to weathered the storm well!

The natural suck in the rock that takes the water away, only this time it was too much and will have to be cleared.

Nutmeg tree was covered with water for several days and did not survive.

I have removed many of the dead trees and have replanted new ones. The grass has not grown back where the water settled only time will tell. I may have to re grass those areas. Luckily we have been getting some showers so I expect to see more greenery appearing. Take care and happy gardening!

The great flood part 2

2019-12-31T11:42:00.001-04:00

The water remained high in the garden for just over 5 days and my husband was getting worried. As a matter of fact I was terrified that many of my fruit trees and plants would not survive.

So on November 12th a call was made to our parliamentary representative and explained our dilemma. Someone from the drainage unit came the next day to assess the situation. The following day November 15th they arrived with their equipment.

The drainage unit pumped thousands of gallons of water for about 5 hours. There was still quite a lot of water remaining. The supervisor told me that if the water does not recede in a few days time call him and they will return with a smaller pump. Luckily the water receded and the garden started drying out. I would like to thank Mr Peter Phillips the Parliamentary Representative for St. Lucy for his assistance and the team from the drainage unit.

To be continued.........

The great flood part 1

2019-12-22T05:07:00.003-04:00

Last month on November 08th the rain fell for the whole day in the north of Barbados. The lower areas of my garden had over 5 ft of water. I had only seen this happen once before in April 2011 https://benthamshouse.blogspot.com/2011/04/oh-what-night.html. Traditionally, November is a rainy month, however this amount of rain was not anticipated.

Water came up to my shade house

The bird feeder was under water

My pots of dragon fruit were under water

There is a natural suck that takes the water away however this volume of water was too much so it drained very slowly. Too slow that after a week I had to call in the big guns for help.

To be continued........

Fire Fire

2019-12-11T09:58:00.003-04:00

Hello friends I haven't been blogging for a while and so much has happened at the homestead. Earlier this year around March during a very dry spell, there was a huge bush fire on some land nearby and the fire service was called to put it out. There is a petrol station nearby so the fire service made sure it was extinguished before it got too close. I was outside observing the path it was taking and was surprised that the fire service left saying that the remaining fire will burn itself out and pose no danger.

I had some compost heaps along the border and had seen the fire creeping towards my property. I got my hose out and started wetting down the border line. The fire came closer and closer catching any dried grass in its path. I shouted to my husband to call the Fire Service. I kept wetting along the border where the compost heaps were. The fire got really close and the heat intensified. Finally the Fire Service arrived and one of the officers took over my hose and started trying extinguish the fire. Meanwhile further down the fire reignited and had spread, the fire truck was trying to put out the fire that was heading to the largest compost heap between some mahogany trees near the gas station. It caught the compost heap there so they allowed it to burn itself out and turned their attention to the other compost heap; this heap was further away.

Some of the trees in the walled garden were damaged and I decided to cut them down.

When I saw that the flames were going for the heap I told them to let it burn. I had some very tall coconut trees along the border and was afraid of them catching but they did.

So I had the coconut trees cut down and planted dragon fruit.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day July 2019

2019-07-15T09:21:00.000-04:00

Lilac lagerstroemia speciosa aka insulin tree, Queen of flowers, Benaba, Queen crape myrtle

The leaves of the lagerstroemia are used to treat diabetes, diarrhea and other diseases.

A red carpet of Delonix Regia petals, aka Flamboyant, Royal Poinciana and Gul mohar in India

Callistemon aka bottle brush an Australian native.

Plumeria aka Frangipani, singapore plumeria

Ground Orchids are loving the rain

Quisqualis aka Rangoon creeper in full bloom for the first time after a good pruning. They can be very invasive.

Petunias still going strong after the rain last night.

Poutria lucuma aka cannistel, egg fruit first one on this tree.

Dragon fruit

Hello and welcome to Garden Blogger's Bloom Day where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens. We have had some badly needed showers over the weekend. The plants are loving it. It is too wet to do much in the garden today so I will be running errands. To see more blooming gardens please go over to Carol's blog at www.maydreamsgardens
Have a great week gardening!

The great reveal

2019-06-12T14:28:00.002-04:00

Pergola is completed and seating installed.

Restroom completed

The door frame or molding was inspired by the Japanese Torii gate.

Floor and wall tiles are ceramic.

The vanity is an old sewing machine base, the counter is concrete with a porcelain tile. The mirror is an antique hat rack I found in a friend's junk heap.

The sink is a converted old brass bowl.

Wax jambu aka wax apples were attacked by monkeys. There are none left!

The rustic Bajan garden will be opening a Tea Garden in a few month's time. I have been toying with this idea for many years and I have finally decided to give it a try. The island is in a severe drought with water restrictions now in place. We get occasional brief showers but it is not enough. The heat is draining and some days I only go out early in the morning and late evenings.

Garden Bloggers Bloomday May 2019

2019-05-15T09:42:00.000-04:00

Hello and welcome to GBBD where gardeners around the world post what is blooming in their gardens. I haven't posted for a while because I have been very busy trying to get the tea garden ready. The washroom is almost completed and the pergola and seating area are nearly done.

The island is going through a very severe drought. We in the north have not had a good downpour since January. It is hot and dry. Some other parts of the island have been getting frequent showers except those of us in the north. Sigh!!! However I still get excited whenever I see a dark cloud overhead only to be disappointed when it quickly moves out to sea.

I have been invaded by monkeys this year. With the prolonged drought they are hungry and have taken over my mango trees. We have a very serious problem with the green monkey as their numbers have increased and are posing problems for farmers as well as homeowners.

To see more blooming gardens Please visit Carol at Maydreams gardens

Garden Bloggers Bloomday

2019-01-18T13:32:00.003-04:00

Sorrel our traditional Christmas drink made from the calyx of the Roselle plant (Hibiscus sabdariffa).

The calyx is removed and rinsed in plain water then covered with water with flavouring spices such as cinnamon, cloves and a couple leaves of West Indian bay leaf. Some people add ginger as well. This is brought to a boil, taken off the heat and then covered left to simmer overnight. The next day it is strained and sweetened to taste. If it is too strong more water is added.

The finished product! Sorrel ranges from smooth to acidic in taste depending on the variety grown. It is very similar to a cranberry like taste.

It has been very dry as it is the start of our dry season and I decided to water some recently planted fruit trees. In between watering, I cooled out with some snacks and tried reading a classic...didn't finish and will let you know.

Sunflowers are all around my garden, it is a shame they don't last too long.

These petunias are forever blooming up a storm.

My garden poinsettia with the snow on the mountain in the background will remain like this until March.

This is the flower of Muntingia calabura, aka Jamaican cherry. Suriname cherry and Singapore cherry. It is a small red cherry like fruit with miniscule seeds and tastes like bubblegum.

Garlic vine (mansoa alliacea) with a few blooms.

Raspberry ice bougainvillea

Coral bougainvillea

This pergola is the latest project I am working on with my gardener.

Osteospermum aka African daisy, these were the last three I got from a nearby nursery. I have tried growing these from seed but they didn't grow well so I gave up until I saw these.

These double petunias look like pompoms, were given to me by my friend Nelcia. Thank you Nelcia!

Kalanchoes brightening up this planter.

Happy New Year to you and am hoping that things will change for the better for everyone. We are officially into our dry season. There is very little rain so the island is becoming less green. Those of you in North America The United Kingdom and Europe keep warm and I wish you all an early spring.

I am working on a garden project and will reveal the whole thing when done.

To see more blooming gardens please go over to Carol's blog at maydreamsgarden

It's that time of year

2018-12-09T14:55:00.000-04:00

I visited a fellow gardener's place and these euphorbias aka crown of thorns had me giddy.

I was so inspired that I decided to follow suit and put my meagre collection into large pots and wait for them to explode.

The colours of the Caribbean Christmas season

The table and chairs were recently repainted and what a big difference it made. The colour is blue lagoon I think.

The rustic bajan garden is ablaze with the season's colours. The nights are getting cooler and the days breezier with the trade winds. I am trying not to get caught up with the madness this season and plan to spend it low keyed. My country is going through some tough times with many facing retrenchment this time of year. If anyone of us can help someone we know who have been terminated please do so. It is a frightening time for those with children.

Wishing all whatever you are celebrating a joyous and healthy celebration in these trying times. Remember those who are not as fortunate as us and lend a helping hand to those in need. Peace and Love to all!

Garden Ramble this weekend

2018-11-22T05:45:00.000-04:00

Garden Ramble at Benthams House St. Lucy Sat Nov 24th and Sun Nov 25th 10.00am to 5.00pm Located between the St. Lucy Post Office and Rubis gas station. Whatsap / mobile 2639012

Garden Ramble

2018-11-18T18:47:00.000-04:00

Cassia alata aka Christmas candles getting ready to light up the garden.

The shade house is now properly organized and ready to receive visitors.

Last Thursday the Rustic Bajan Garden had some visitors from Germany. The visit was arranged by garden writer Heidi Howcroft who is no stranger to the island. Here they are enjoying some iced tea and bajan fishcakes.

This coming weekend on the 24th and 25th Nov I will be hosting a Garden Ramble from 10.00am to 5.00pm. Admission is $15.00 and children under 12 are free. Refreshments are included in the entrance fee. Bring your cameras and picnic mats. Sit under the trees and spend a few hours relaxing. Browse the plants for sale you never know what you will find. Mingle with fellow gardeners and visitors. Learn about growing dragon fruit and some fruits you have never seen growing here in Barbados.

Rainy days and Mondays

2018-10-22T14:26:00.002-04:00

Hello friends, lately we have been getting some heavy rains with some places flooding and some under flood watch. Some of our neighbouring islands have been severely flooded with more rain to come. Meanwhile the Rustic Bajan garden is loving the wet season so far as well as my dog Reds.

Dendrobiums enjoying the weather.

Night blooming waterlilies, these open around 8.00 pm and close the following day around 11.00 am

On schedule the rain lilies are now in full bloom again.

Brassavola nodosa orchids blooming with very little care.

This is Dimocarpus longan aka longan fruit, it is an Asian fruit and the tree was planted 7 years ago. It is fruiting for the first time. It is now grown in Tropical and sub tropical areas around the world. It has been very difficult to fruit in tropical areas until it was discovered that ordinary household bleach applied around the drip line forced it into flowering. I tried it and it worked! This method is now being used in Thailand and Hawaii.

Annona reticulata aka Custard apple fruiting for the first time as well.

Malpighia emarginata aka Barbados cherry is said to have one of the highest vitamin C content. It was quite popular on the island many years ago when people kept orchards. Now it is not as widely planted. It makes a delicious juice.

Look who paid me a surprise visit? The Orion butterfly! The adult feeds on rotting fruit and the larval host plant is the cecropia tree.

To my friends in Trinidad and Tobago take care and be safe.

Timber down

2018-08-30T14:15:00.000-04:00

I had taken a break from blogging and I am now back. Lots of things have taken place at the homestead. One Saturday morning a few weeks ago, I was walking around the garden, it was around 06.30 am. I looked up at an old bearded fig tree (ficus citrifolia) that had died and noticed it was leaning more than it was the day before. I wandered over to the longan tree a few yards away to inspect the young fruit. I glanced over at the tree and said to myself that the high winds expected later that day will surely bring the tree down. I continued my stroll and decided to to pick some snake gourd towards the back of the garden away from the tree.

Suddenly I heard a horrific crash and I thought the flamboyant tree may have fallen onto my plants. I rushed to where I thought the noise came from, but the Flamboyant was still standing. I then looked towards where the dead tree stood and realized that it had finally fallen. What a colossal mess!

I hired some men to come and cut up the tree and take some of it away. The larger pieces they left behind.

A week later I hired a Bobcat with a driver to clear up the area.

I couldn't use the wood since it was a soft wood and will deteriorate very quickly. Hopefully I will be able to use the compost later on.

I have now planted some heliconias and a few fruit trees. The rainy season is not quite rainy but am happy whenever we get a shower or two. Have a great weekend gardening!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day May 2018

2018-05-15T13:58:00.001-04:00

Freshly picked swiss chard and lettuce

Santa Barbara daisy

Pride of Dominica seems to bloom whenever I give it a good soak.

Lagerstromeia speciosa aka crepe myrtle, queen of flowers. The tree was severely pruned a few months ago and I was surprised that it bloomed so quickly.

White mussenda

Syzygium malaccense aka malay apple, pommerac, plumrose, water apple in bloom

Cassia javanica

Heliconia rostrata aka lobster claw

Heliconia bihai

Barbados Amaryllis

Red amaryllis

Petunias

White mandevilla

Adenium aka desert rose

Zepyhrantes aka rain lilies

variegated Alocasia

Tree orchids

Callistemon aka bottlebrush

Hello and welcome to Garden Bloggers Bloom day where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens. The garden is in bloom and spring has sprung. It has also been hot and dry and am hoping that we get some rain soon. There had been some light showers but not enough to make an impression.

To see more blooming gardens please go over to Carol at may dreams gardens. Have a great week gardening!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day April 2018

2018-04-15T18:59:00.002-04:00

Petunias

Hibiscus

Adenium aka Desert roses

Plumeria aka Frangipani

Hippeastrum aka Barbados amaryllis

Dahlias

White Mandevilla

Red Pentas

Callistemon aka Bottlebrush

Snap dragons

Sunflower

Santa Barbara daisy

Bougainvillea, Frangipani and Chinaman's Hat

Bougainvillea Raspberry ice

Cassia grandis

Moon flower

Hello and welcome to Garden Blogger's Bloom Day where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens. The dry season is in full swing and the Rustic Bajan Garden is ablaze with colour. Those of you who are still waiting on Spring my sincerest sympathies. To see more blooming gardens please visit Carol's garden at May dreams gardens

Have a great week gardening and wishing my friends in the North and in Europe warmer weather. You have an open invitation to visit me whenever you want to.

Spring is in the air

2018-03-04T20:15:00.000-04:00

Sunflowers and petunias are in bloom at the rustic Bajan garden.

Vertical planter filled with veggies.

petunias and crown of thorns

A longtime family friend and daughter dropped in for a visit.

It is spring at the Rustic Bajan Garden. The days are becoming hot again even though we have been getting some scattered showers. Those of you in the UK my sympathies about the Beast from the East. Those of you in to in the great North fear not Spring will be soon here, even though we are enjoying the cool nights you have been sending us. To all gardening folks happy gardening!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day Feburary 2018

2018-02-15T11:10:00.001-04:00

Hello and welcome to Garden Bloggers Bloom day where gardeners around the world post what is blooming in their gardens. The dry season has begun and the dry season flowers like the bougainvillea are in bloom! It has been very windy with very cool nights and mornings.

Blue petunias are a curiosity to many.

Zinnias

Gaillardias are still going strong even in windy conditions.

Correopsis

Wiri wiri peppers Capsicum Frutescens peeking out, these are also called guyanese peppers and are hot and full of flavour. I cook with them all the time.

Calendula

To see more blooming gardens please skip on over to visit Carol's blog at may dreams gardens

Have a fun filled week gardening!

Blooming Thursday

2018-02-01T09:10:00.002-04:00

The garlic vine (mansoa alliacea) is blooming, the colour of the flowers will change tomorrow to pink and the day after to white and then die.

I am growing orlaya grandiflora for the first time and I am quite pleased even though it took some time to grow from seed.

I planted out one of my loquats recently and am hoping to get some fruit in another year or so.

Alocasia tea cups doing well in a soggy soil. These can be grown in shallow water and are great for pond banks.

Remember the blackberry I had grown from seed? Well I transplanted it into a tyre pot made from a recycled tyre. Since I have read the roots do not grow deep I think this is an ideal container for it.

The other two seedlings are doing well and I am looking to transplant them soon.

I am also growing jicama for the first time and they do resemble a terrible wild vine we have call cow itch that is dangerous if the fine hairs off the seed pods get on your skin.

The tuber is edible while the flowers and seed pods are toxic. The tuber is sweet tasting and is used raw in salads or stir fried with other vegetables. These should be soon ready for harvesting as soon as the seed pods are dried. I read they can be eaten about now but I am waiting for seeds to replant. These were grown many years ago here in Barbados by the Taiwanese who were assisting our farmers on agricultural projects. When they left the jicama was forgotten. I plant to resurrect this crop again.

The leaves, flowers and seed pods contain rotenone a natural pesticide however that doesn't deter the slugs and snails. Rotenone is the pesticide most often used to kill fish.

Rotenone is a naturally occurring compound derived from the roots of certain tropical and subtropical legume plants. Humans have been using it for centuries to harvest fish and manipulate fish communities. Rotenone kills by interfering with cellular use of oxygen.

I had some sweet potatoes that started growing so I cut off the growing tips and planted them in a container. I peeped and look what I found. Will harvest them at the end of the month.

The morning sunlight across the the orchard. We have had rain almost every day in January. That was the wettest January I can remember. The garden is loving the extra moisture. I am hoping our dry season won't be as dry as last year. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day January 2018

2018-01-15T22:12:00.001-04:00

Hello and welcome to Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens. We have had a very wet January with lots of heavy showers during the days and nights. This is supposed to be the start of the dry season.

My Malay apple aka pommerac tree bore earlier this month and was able to rescue these from the birds, fruit bats and monkeys

Albert Greenberg waterlily

Pride of Dominica (sabinea carinalis) in bloom

My lavender is struggling to survive. I have had no luck getting this plant to maturity. I am hoping that these are successful.

Sunflower seedlings came up in three days after sowing. Meyer lemon seedlings on the right grown from seed seem to be taking their time.

Rats are attacking my coconuts and I have to very careful when walking under a tree.

This beautiful noranthea guianensis aka red hot poker vine is way up in the plumeria trees aka frangipani

Kalanchoes now coming into full bloom

Gaillardias

We have had rain almost every day or night this month, so much so my ground pond is full and I am not complaining!

I have changed up the front garden a bit, I removed the large heliconias that made the surroundings look so untidy and replaced them with elephant ears.

Yellow tecoma and red poinsettia

This papaya tree a volunteer produces several shaped fruits. They are extremely sweet and doesn't have that strong papaya smell.

dendrobium

red chinaman's hat over the pergola

My lone hydrangea, I just love the flowers and would love to grow a bed of them. I bought this along with three others last year from one of the local nurseries. It was an imported plant and this one survived.

Christmas and the New Year isn't the same without the Snow on the mountain (euphorbia leucocephala).

We have been enjoying cooler night temperatures this time of year due to the cold North American winter. Many locals are complaining about the cold nights and mornings. Temperatures are around 25C most nights and earlier this month it dropped to16C even I felt cold. To see more blooming gardens please visit Carol at may dreams gardens. Have a great week gardening whether it be indoors or outdoors. Wishing all a happy and healthy 2018!

Rustic Garden Bloom Day December 2017

2017-12-24T09:37:00.001-04:00

Wishing all garden bloggers and followers a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, Happy Kwanza and Happy Holidays

Jamaican poinsettia

Santa speaks creole

Christmas candles

I have a problem, someone is pulling the table cloths off the tables at night. I now have to resort to putting ballast on the tables and folding up the corners to prevent the culprits from pulling at it. I think it is the three musketeers in the middle.

Snow on the mountain eurphorbia leucocephala

Oranges

Portlandia grandiflora

Red sorrel aka roselle hisicus sabdariffa our traditional Christmas drink in the Caribbean

White sorrel tastes exactly like the red but not popular with the traditionalists.

Red Chinaman's hat

Chrysanthemums

Ficus berries are falling by the thousands and have filled many wheel barow loads. I decided to let them fall because raking them up makes no difference. They will soon turn brown and blend in.

This Christmas will be nostalgic and a bit sad for me, it will be my first Christmas without my mom Miss Rose who sadly passed away earlier this year at the end of February at the age of 83. This will be the second Christmas without my mother in law Barbara who passed away last November at the age of 87 and my two good friends Carol and Stella. Life is fleeting and take time to enjoy it with the ones close to you because it is a path we all have to travel one day. Remember to treat everyone with dignity and respect. Take time for yourself to find that inner peace we all desire. Take time to nurture a child, an older person, a plant, an animal it is rewarding. Do not allow material things define who you are and who your friends should be.

Wishing you a Happy and Healthy 2018!

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day October 2017

2017-10-15T08:10:00.001-04:00

Brassavola orchids growing on rocks

Portlandia grandiflora

White Mussenda

Crinum

Night blooming water lilies still awake this morning , will go back to sleep around 10 am.

Day bloomer awakening with the early bee catching the nectar

Pink mussenda on its way out it had a good run this year

Tropical hydrangea

Pink rondeletia leucophylla year round bloomer

Lipstick pink ixora

leopard lily aka blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis)

Shampoo gingers making their annual appearance

Majidea Zangueberica aka black pearl used in local craft, the seeds have a velvet like coating. A small tree and native to East Africa.

Boston fern, alocasias and begonias at the front entrance.

Hello and welcome to GBBD where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens. We had some torrential rains yesterday and the garden is a bit soggy. Still the plants are loving every minute of it as well as the slugs and snails.

Those of you up north are preparing for the winter season and the yuletide. We are also preparing for Independence and the yuletide. To see more blooming gardens please go over to Carol the brainchild of this meme www.maydreamsgardens.com

Enjoy your week and take care.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day September 2017

2017-09-15T10:46:00.000-04:00

Red coreopsis

An unusual coloured passion fruit. At first I thought it was a tomato on the ground and was wondering how the hell did it get under my passion fruit vine!

Pink Asters

Yellow miniature rose

King of Siam water lily

Avocados will soon be ready

Pink Pride of Barbados

Old faithful always ready to please

Yellow Tecoma grown from seed.

Hello and welcome to GBBD where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens! I would like to extend my sincerest sympathies for the people of the Caribbean and the USA who were in the path of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Jose. Because of Barbados' position in the Atlantic Ocean hurricanes tend to pass to the north or if they do pass over us they are not very developed and are tropical storms.

We did get some well needed rain with Harvey but to see the devastation Harvey wrecked in Texas was unimaginable.

The Caribbean islands of Barbuda, Anguilla, Cayman islands, Turks and Caicos, Cuba, Haiti, BVI, USVI, Bahamas , St. Maarten, St. Bartholomew, Saba the devastation is around 95%. This is a year many will never forget and many who claim that climate change is not real should rethink again. Islanders are strong and will rebuild again. The vegetation will rebound and in a few years providing there are no more hurricanes of that magnitude.

To see what is blooming in other gardens please go over to visit Carol at may dreams gardens.

Have a great weekend and those of you who can assist the islands that were devasted in any way please do.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day July 2017

2017-07-15T06:34:00.000-04:00

The mango season has come to an end and you can bet how happy I am!

This volunteer lisanthus in full bloom in a pot.

Colourful Zinnias

White mandevilla

Pink mandevilla

flame celosia

Jasmine

Rudebeckia

Dragon fruit aka pitaya

Royal Poinciana aka flamboyant, gul mohur in its element!

Lagerstromeia speciosa aka queen of flowers

West Indian bay leaf tree in bloom

White mussenda

Pink mussenda

Tropical hydrangea

Yellow alamanda and glaphima glauca aka showers of gold

Tree jasmine

My guards and partners in crime, Reds and Yoda!

Young Carambola fruit

Fruit bats damage to the carambola. I will be lucky to get any this season.

Hello and welcome to GBBD where gardeners around the globe post what is blooming in their gardens. It has been horribly hot the past week and that was due to a tropical wave in the area. It has passed us with very little rain.

OnThursday I had a group visit from retirees from the UWI who were touring the island. They thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

To see more blooming gardens please go over to Carol the brainchild of GBBD at may dreams gardens. Have a great weekend gardening!