NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS

L ets begin in a rather different way, inviting our guests to check the mother of all our aboriginal blogs in the isle, or endemic if you prefer.  Its motto is probably unique in the world and other life, black holes and galaxies: "To die blogging, is to live forever", found at koflaolivieri.com, that is that on the subject, please check also the list of his favorite puertorican blogs, and be the judge. 

Today News

I confess that once upon a time my mother, forced me into going to church before I had a will and after wards. As a good old catholic guy, on my six decade, still feel some attachment to their dogmas and rituals. Spain, Ireland, latin, Gregorian chants, incense, wine, monasteries and  architecture.  I will have to include the Greek orthodox fellows who kept their side of the Roman Empire in Constantinople or Byzantium if of your liking.

But I am not a tax evader, Timothy McVeigh kind of outsider and his groupies, very unlike the fellow blogger who calls this blog hypocritical in the comments department in my previous post. 

All my ideas, original or not, have been weighed. The intense, abrasive anger, intolerance at stupidity, lack of will, commitment, vision, character, are not random, but specific, in the rampant, indifferent, apathetic way of life. It is very hard to disguise.  I promise to do my best to keep some of my acerbic flow,  no one else does or will.

The Catholic church, ALL churches in the West with their theological views show deep cracks in their morals. The acts and preaching contradict the other. 

Give me, give me, Saint Thomas never, as the Spanish saying goes. What did my fellows in the faith, their hierarchy do, for those wretched of the earth, as Franz Fannon, defined them during the Algerian war?

Any loans for the poor without interest? Any auctions of the luxuries, gold, paintings, land holdings to share with those in this valley of tears? Nada, Rien, Nothing.

INTERMISSION

A couple of days ago I took again the Tao Teh King by Lao Tzu, in my hands  to bring back some memories of old mystical days in Amherst, MA, when I thought something was wrong with me, always dissenting, contrarian, against the current here and there.

I am not getting into his view of Nature with capitals, do it on your spare time. But I will quote something from this book, related to my somewhat autobiographical discharge to prove the point. Religions, those with ONE god SUCK, everything is nomenclature.

TAO

 

Tao-the most basic concept in Chinese philosophy-has variously translated into English, but no translation is quite adequate.  Since Tao is a concept of ultimate reality,"prior to all beginnings and endings, which, unmoved and unmanifest, itself neither begins or ends, all-pervasive and inexhaustible, perpetual source of something else"

each translator looks for that in his own culture which best expresses his idea of ultimate reality.  Western theists (e.g.Hebrew, Christian, Moslem),call this Jahweh, God or Allah, while Hindus call it Brahman. Followers of Plato try to identify it the "Idea of the Good", of the Stoics with "Logos",of Spinoza with "Nature"; Hegelians and other absolute idealists with "The Absolute",  Bergsonians with "Elan Viral", Emersonians with "The Oversoul", Freudians with "Cosmic Libido" and materialists, if they bother to be interested with "Matter", "Energy" or "Mattergy".

 

Tao has been translated as "Principle", or "Creative Principle", as "Truth",

not abstract truth but as"Concrete truth and as "divine intelligence" of the universe.

 

Tao Teh King

by 

Lao Tzu

interpreted as 

NATURE AND INTELLIGENCE

by 

Archie J. Bahm

Frederick Ungar Publishing

1963

I have stated before my belief that gardening, the one I practice, goes beyond the little hole in the dirt.  The way I see it, I am still moving beyond the surface. 

 

Exercise for the faithful. Go to search under Botanical Societies in America, see what you find.  The horticulture presented in most blogs lacks some fundamentals of the traditional, historical, theoretical, botanical models.

 

Some are a mix of photo shows, with little substance in the planting/propagating side, others are just ego trips, other are a mix of literature and the personal.

 

There is nothing wrong with it. I just want to move forward, further, not faster.

 

Apaga i vamonoh..  

 

 

 

 

ME GARDEN AS THEIR MENU

The gardener with a wide lens, sees it as it is, food for them or himself, if a narrow lens, sterile aesthetics.

While enjoying the south side view facing east, one of the blue, emerald green regulars dropped by to imbibe from a bush and ground cover flowers.
They  prefer the violet-red spectrum mostly, as you will see in the list below. Hummingbirds are great warriors, but get along well with Spindalis, often sharing in the Calliandra by the east side sidewalk garden.

MENU

Spindalis * and Hummingbirds

Calliandra haemathocephala *
Antigonon leptopus

Asystacia gangetica

Passiflora edulis

Hibiscus rosa sinensis *

Gloriosa rothschildiana

Hipomoea aegyptiae/quamoclit

Ruellia brittoniana

Butterflies, Bees

Beetles black/brown * 

Cosmos sulphureous

Clitorea ternatea

Coccoloba uvifera *

Turnera ulmifolia/diffusa

Snails and Slugs

Tradescantia

Rhoeo spathacea

Eucharis amazonica

Ruellia brittoniana

Hibiscus rosa sinensis

Cucurbita

Proiphys amboinensis

*  Brown beetles chew the edges of  leaves, while the soul brothers imbibe nectar. These large ones are probably the worst designed for flying creatures.

But all is not nice in the garden of eden here.  Murraya paniculata, Calliandra, Citrus sinensis/aurantifolia, are a pain in the ass, with constant white flies and different sucking insects. Fortunately,

constant monitoring helps to control them scumbags creatures of god.

That is that.

What do you know. The garden as a menu, for us and them.

DISCLAIMER

Let the record show that all the above mentioned, culprits if I may, have been caught in the action, thus fact and true, by your humble servant.

Apaga i vamonoh.  

BOTANICAL VARIATIONS

Taxonomists, the specialists who deal with the systematic classification of organisms, must continually keep abreast of research being conducted in other fields of study. As information on the thousands of recognizable plant groups continues to accumulate, taxonomic systems are forever being revised.  Thus, the work of classification and nomenclature will never be completed, no more than the evolutionary processes creating species will ever cease to operate.  Species are in constant flux, through geologic time,
alters the course of natural selection, or becoming extinct.  In addition, the continual emergence of new gene recombinations, resulting from hybridizations, contribute significantly to plant diversification.

The scientific names of plants (genus, species) are certainly more reliable and universally accepted than common names that vary from country to country, and more by whim than good judgement, may change between one century and the next.  Even so, the very nature of taxonomy is such that the scientific names will always be subject to periodic review, and possible modification. 

Many horticulturalists find such changes somewhat disconcerting. But names are given only after thoughtful study, and are meant to clarify our understanding of the evolutionary relationships existing between species and their close kin in other taxonomic groups.  
Shortcomings in the classification system simply remind us that while the Plant Kindom's multitude of organisms has taken millions of years to develop, mankind's attempts to sort out the complex family ties has, by comparison only begun.

Botany for Gardeners

Brian Capon

Timber Press

1990

pages 182-183

Garden Updates

Carica papayas are back, there are 3 between 1 and 3 feet. They should be ready by this time next year. Passiflora edulis has around 70 fruits, for people and birds. Gloriosa rothschildiana has bloomed. Two Mezquites, were relocated from pot to fiber glass container, and pot to ground, in the east and north gardens. 

That is that.

RECYCLING FAILURES POST

In Puerto Rico, USA, many groups, mostly of the college, adolescent segments and older bored people, start movements out of the blue,  to recycle/clean this or recycle/clean that, with drum rolls preferably, news media present.... and fading quickly into the good intention nothingness  without any fundamentals.

Lest see in detail this monster of multiple heads.  Paper, metals, plastic in one hand.  Recycling is expensive and it  requires lots of energy to process.


It is not a philanthropic activity at all.  Besides being costly, no juan will recycle anything unless some profit will return towards the investment.


The state, cities in general are in charge of providing  resources to make recycling. Dumpsters to place each material where it corresponds, picking up efficiently, packing, selling.


However, people are the most important
part of the scheme.  Not far from where I live there are three dumpsters, for cardboard, newspapers and else, well what do you know, people can not follow the instructions, throwing whatever suit their needs.  In cities most people do not care for recycling, nature or the environment. Civility, sensibility is dead. RIP.


Metals are doing well thanks to junkies, even though there is less action among these faithful group,  since the price of copper went down. However aluminum, 
steel moves. I know because I watch them mostly illegal invaders in the trade with their battered pick up trucks driving fast down the hill.


Since I am into the mood lets take other honorary branches of the save the environment fad.

Beach, pond, lake, rivers, surface and submarine cleaners. When they call the newspapers or television stations, I do not see from the action or pictures any separation of garbage to recycle.   It is all enthusiasm, as if they were on speed or acid.


Do they care to test the waters for ECHOLI? No, thanks just garbage.


What is left? Those privileged monitor environmentalists saving water and turning off the faucet or electricity.


Well, do not go for a walk on these uneven, cracked, dirty, sidewalks and streets of the Enchanted Concrete/Asphalt Isle. You will find hundreds of of water leaks all over the island. Fecal and fresh water, mind you.  Your five gallons saved with the shower/toilet,  a drop in the Caribbean or Atlantic, take your pick.


In USA for example, New York's garbage is shipped by train to a couple of states in  the south.
It is cheaper to transport it down there than to do any recycling. In Europe, some countries are really efficient, breaking even or with profits.


It is not a nice picture.  But it is what it is, just words, good meaningless, futile intentions/actions down here.


A great example to close, is the Dunes Saviors from Isabela.  They started with their own pictures of themselves 'saving' dunes, digging holes planting wood pallets, without a botanic inventory to plant vines, bushes, trees to protect the dunes..in the long run. It was just salt and water.  Fading into the nothingness of the sterile, useless impulse, without commitment and research. 


Post farewell bonus...IN GUANICA CITY, there is a landscaping company with the motto:" We Care for the Environment".  However, they sell lawns by the rolls,  and irrigation systems in this region with thirty five inches of rain year, a desert.  But to wash their conscience, cleaning beaches is part of their public relations campaign. Screw them.


That is that. Dario apaga la luh.

THE FIRST GARDEN POST

Have you ever thought about that  mythical garden, the first one ever, installed by our creator?

I have. Here is the botanical inventory for your reading pleasure and reference.

EDEN INVENTORY

Ficus carica

Malus sieversii

Cydonia oblonga

Morus nigra

Punica granatum*

Hyphaene thebaica

Pistacia vera

 Phoenix dactylifera

Vitis vinifera

Prunus dulcis

Olea europaea

As you may notice, there were  only eleven species.  A wise installation if you ask me.  Not a high maintenance garden and utilitarian.  Considering the variety, not many problems or diseases were present either. 

Of all the possible stories one could remember from my god fearing  days, not yet the anarchist, misanthropist I would become, ( in constant progress) this is one of my favorites.

The other is his reaction when strolling by his dad's temple and noticing it had been transformed into   a market.  

This was definetely a pioneering moment in history. More recently churches have been turned into discos,

apartments and concert halls.

That is that. If you want to go deeper:

gardenofeaden.blogspot.com, is your research tool.

*  Grows in the concrete/asphalt isle.

Apaga i vamonoh.

 

DISCRIMINATING CRITICAL GARDENING

I used to enjoy visiting gardenrant.com. It is a place where people rant, vent, not necessarily with the passion, bluntness, abrasiveness of your humble servant, but some parallelism was found once in a while.


However, I have noticed an inclination for product rants as a la Consumer Report, too many posts about bulbs, nurseries and topics that I consider bullshit, manure if you are into organic gardening, since I propagate and collect.


I am not a trend follower, but a setter. It does not matter if people comment or not, visit or not.  A blog is not a feisbuk like tool. At least that is my stance.


Discrimination is one of my favorite concepts, with bad press, not as much as the word nigger, but I consider that a puritanic problem that white and coloreds in USA, have been unable to get rid off.


That is why Huckleberry Finn and other literature works have been censored by those god fearing fundamentalists in schools and you hear a beep when the word fuck is mentioned in movies and television.


But is all right if our hero or villain, rapes, kills, maims and blows up half the town for any reason, including freedom or the opposite. 


I think that we do not have to agree in everything or anything or the third side of a coin.  Gardening as Nature has no beginning or end, but people could improve the URBAN CONTEXT, if there was a will and not the indifference, total alienation I perceive in this concrete/asphalt sterile ocean, where  I have to live.


Could some one explain the logic of prohibiting smoking a cigar/cigarette in a park, stadium?  


However, the feeble minded will not do the same with gardeners at home or for hire, polluting: water, air, soil with all sort of chemicals to have a lush lawn, gas, oil, propane and diesel.


What about the diseases spread with blowers a high speed all over the place, the fumes and noise of trimmers and lawnmowers? How can people tolerate this shit without complaining?  


Just as if that is the way of life,  the way it always was, should and will be. Screw you.


At any rate.  Discriminating involves observing with care, comparing views, ways of doing.


Palms, lawns, hedges, create a lot of organic waste.  High maintenance gardens are not good for flora and fauna, it is exactly the opposite. Zen gardens, bonsais, formal gardens, require great waste of energy for what? To watch a stiff concrete like bush?


It is not a matter of imposing my views.
Even when I accept my humble tendency to dogmatism, it is evident is not a matter of the moment.  I think there is a lot of room to practice the kind of gardening you prefer, but no pollution of any kind should be tolerated. Lets Ban Lawns!



Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.


Apaga i vamonoh.




 ii

POLLINATION POST

AFTER  noticing quite a few header pictures of Echinaceas and Sunflowers, 
or bees, butterflies, dragonflies in great amounts, I fell inspired by this trend,  to write a few words on the subject. 


Wind pollination is Anemofilia.  Flowers into this bag, have not too attractive female flowers.  Olives and grapes, among other species, belong to this group of plants.


Entomofilia is carried on by insects, butterflies, bees and coleopteros. Those flowers pollinated have bright colors, fragrance and nectar to attract them insects; besides the polen adhering to their bodies.


In general, this type of pollination is the most common.  Apples, almonds, cherries and aromatic plants are in this group.


Pollination carried by birds is Ornitofilia, this type occurs mostly in America.


Another type Quiroptefolia is performed by bats.  Finally, pollination by water, 
Hidrofilia, is not frequent and takes place fundamentally in aquatic plants.

BONUS

Perhaps I should share with the reader, my dislike for bromeliads.  Many have leaves with serrated edges. They cut your skin if you are careless while doing cleaning in the garden.

The worse thing any gardener can do is to plant them under trees with plenty of seeds and or flowers. Mango and Bouganvillea too name two. What you get after a while is sort of a trap in the leaves or organic refuse.

These plants look stupid on the ground, maybe, if you are the corny kind, nail it to your tree of choice with wires.

BONUS EXTRA

Phototropism is what your plants show when bending towards the light.  It is more noticeable in indoor plants, but it 

happens with anything.  

Allelopathy is a biochemical behavior that plants, algae, trees, bacteria, coral and fungi display to stop other species to grow close by their territory.  Is a beautiful way to keep others away.

If you find something wrong with some of the the terms language wise, see it as

research exercise.

One can be an excellent gardener without having heard/read anything of the above, but it wont hurt either.

Apaga i vamonoh.