Art

This painting is inside my house and reflects my attitudes and personality.  I accidentally found it by researching impressionistic paintings and it is now our living room centerpiece.  It is large and sits over the fireplace mantel.  The artist is Sarah Kadlic from Cleveland, Ohio. Art creates a mood.  I like art a lot, and personally, I have found that when a piece stands out, you should buy it.  It's rare when this happens, but don't let it pass you by. This painting captures how I think of the world.

This week has been an interesting week of blogging for me.  It's weird how some weeks are more personal while others are informational or documental in nature.  I think this last week has been a mix of a lot of concepts that all center around my gardening attitudes. There is the mystery of the Darien Gap that I am researching currently, the rafting aspect that I take on these journeys to view the plant life(travel portion of this blog), the music(the personal and local part of the blog), and of course the informational part such as the fruit trees and their chill hours.  And I have a lot more on design coming up in January and February before March comes around....which will be the one year anniversary of this blog.  So I thought I would start with this simple blog today on art.  A gardener is also an artist and we design in our minds and hearts the things that are pleasing to our eyes....and hopefully others.  I have several projects coming up outside that are going to require a lot of energy in the gardens.  This time of year is kind of the lull before things start picking up again.  For me, it's also the time of year to start planning which means digging, calling in the tree company, and putting in some new hardscape for the year. Of course, there is still acorn cleaning and the protection of plants from Mr. Jack Frost, but that isn't stuff to write about on a regular basis nor would you want to read it!!:)

I'd like to put a fountain similiar to this one in the park of Antigua, Guatemala except without water coming out of various human orifices:). I snapped this shot in 2006.

Plants are the heart of any garden, but the things you put in it are what makes a garden magical. We have several things this year happening on the property that will change the course of the El Presidio Gardens.  Currently we just had a vote on whether or not to get rid of the pool and replace it with a water fountain.  I'm not sure what the people will vote on as the votes are due today, but I have a feeling that we may be saying goodbye to the costly pool.  If that happens, I see this magical Mexican style fountain going in its' place which will change the look and feel of the garden.  I think 2011 will be the year of transformation here.....finally!  I also have a whiskey barrel project that cost 500 dollars to set up.  Plus the planters on the North Side are getting a makeover!  This is sure to be an exciting year for us here!  Well I'm hoping it will be.  Stay tuned for more on the Spring Projects.  Until next time....:)

Guatemala

San PedroThe Coban RiverSemuc ChampeyRio DulceTikal...notice the humidity risingLivingstonTikal

Divine design. Living in the desert is a wonderful thing, but sometimes I need to get my "green" on and leave for awhile.  Guatemala is the land of green...the color is everywhere.  This country is also one of the most colorful in the world with the Mayan Indians contributing to most of the design in this very special and spiritual place.  As a Spanish teacher, I travel to a lot of different countries every year. However, this year  I had to stay home due to a major home repair....air conditioning!!!  We needed a new unit...oh the cost:)  I find that the garden keeps my mind off of my would be travel for the summer.   There is next year and I look forward to planning another adventure.

These places inspire me with their unique designs and gardens.  The desert, while a hostile place for many tropicals, can have a variety of these beautiful plants amongst our native trees and bushes.  The key to growing tropical here is obviously proper watering, bright shade or a little shade, and protection from the winter nights.  Wind also can play a factor on such plants like the musa or banana plant.  This plant loves the sun...but hates the wind...and in Tucson, this plant can be tricky to grow.   With that said,  I have seen it done and done well.  Phoenix seems to have the better results....again water is an important factor for your tropicals.

This topic came up yesterday as I was outside talking to my neighbors and they asked me if I had any big trips planned for the summer and I had to say no. Well I am going to Wisconsin for a little over a week, but that's not a major trip...that's a family trip.:)  However, I will be going to the Milwaukee gardens and taking a lot of pics.  Apparently, they have a saguaro cactus in one of their domes....I'll be snapping pics for proof:)

I have had success with a variety of tropicals here, but with the property being so large, I've had to make sure that my natives were established first and that the tree canopies are there to protect their tender leaves from the hot summer sun.  Bird of paradise, philodendron, fatsia are some of the few that do well here with some afternoon shade. Cannas need light and do well in the sun.  Most of these guys can be planted in the ground, but do extremely well in containers.  I would recommend putting them in pots first to verify that they can handle the sun.  Sometimes I think they will burn and I plant them in too shady of an area and they don't do well....so experiment first.

Finally,  people ask me....what is the one plant that "popped" out at you in Guatemala?  There were a lot, but the one that I noticed was the castor plant along Lake Atitlan.  I have been experimenting with this plant this summer and have seen great results on the North Side of our building where it gets the right amount of sun.  I tried this tropical "weed" on the south side and it burned and in the courtyard where there is a lot of shade....and it needed more sun as it grew spindly from not enough light.  Again tricky, these tropicals are, but when in the right spot, they will add flare and beauty to your home and garden.  It's well worth the effort. Happy gardening!!