GARDENING RUMINATIONS FOR THE FAITHFUL

THIS PLANT collector never pass a chance to add a valuable piece, worthy of merit, according to his criteria.  I had such opportunity yesterday after a long stroll by the YMCA in Santurce.

There is a odd tract of green, shady, land occupied by Centro Ecuestre, some twenty five meters away. I evaluated the area carefully on the return trip, walking on the premises.  Not far from the entrance, a focal
point no doubt, there is a strange, familiar, yet odd looking bush.  It is round, probably a topiary, small leaves and flowers, as a bonus, these are fragrant.

It is a variety of Brunfelsia pauciflora, one I had never seen anywhere.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow.  The leaves and flowers are about half the size of the one I propagated at home and are found in some gardens  in Puercorico.  The bark, dark  and dirty shows its age. I guess it has been in that spot for twenty years, perhaps more. Unfortunately, it has a pest of white flies in every imaginable spot. This is something that seems to be the rule down this backward isle.  No one appreciates a botanic jewel, it is as if it does not exist.

Your humble servant returned the next day.  I brought my eight inches Japanese scissors, cutting eight young stems to propagate with rooting hormones.   First I treated the infected patients with the secret insecticide home made formula, proceeding later with the planting.
Updates in the future as seemed necessary..

Besides this adventure it is time to share the planting of the six feet
Guaicum officinale.  It required some strategies to avoid damaging the
branches.  It was possible with a thick string, thirty feet long.

Once in the two feet deep hole I kept it straight tied to the fence near
by.  Filled the cavity with home made soil/compost/earth worms, making sure the patient was not too low.  Since the tree had a natural  inclination, I compensated placing the root ball in such a way that now it is straight.  

Be aware I am not saying/writing the trunk of the  tree was bended, that is another issue, and impossible to correct.  If a tree, thanks to phototropism moves, grows in the direction of the light, when planting
it, do as I do, and that is that. If it is bended it will look bended anyway.

Trees will also look crooked if after planted, heavy rains saturate the
soil, giving away. The solution? Pull it out and follow instructions.  

Moving away from my garden reality, it is disconcerting, really amazing the amount of fools thinking, writing about 'reforesting',
planting any kind of trees, in any kind of soil without any mentioning, sight of systematic maintenance, later. 


I tell again to these ignorant fools,  good  intentions have the value
of a flying fart to yours truly.  What is needed is serious research, selection, planning. 


If these trees are planted in the neck of the woods, and will not be a problem breaking sidewalks, creating waves on pavers, overcoming
the five/four square feet allowed in metro areas, looking like a muffing, hiding highway signs, getting into the electrical wires, PLANT whatever and dream on....But if in the sidewalks, PLEASE,
look at pictures in endemismotrasnochado.  Check the mutilated trees,
those in quarters that are too tight, and pick the RIGHT, species.


Time to go. Remember a tree is nothing out of context.  Just like those
planted to make wood, trash wood, without biodiversity, ecology, nature or the environment in mind.  Think, research, stop acting like a 
holy fool or the village idiot...Nature will appreciate it. That is that.