The South American Exhibit

I imagine that throughout the course of my blogging and travels in Panama, I probably will be mentioning several of the critters off my video below.  Last night I put this video together to show off several of the birds and mammals that live in Central and South America. However, not all are found in Panama, but they are still cool to see:) You'll find these guys in the oddest places....if you are lucky to see them at all!!  Most are noctural or high above the tree tops....and it takes a trained eye to see these amazing animals.  I am getting better spotting animals......but there's always room for improvement.

An anteater

Here are some images that I hope relax the mind.  The rain forest is a very loud place....especially at night. And if you need to turn on a flashlight or candle, just be ready to see things....sometimes you won't even get the warning of glowing eyes first....you'll just get the full on monkey or snake on your cabin floor. Is that cool?  Yes.  Do I like it at the time? No.  Do I like monkeys digging in my backpack? No. Do I like the lodge seeing my underwear on the ground and around their property?  No.  Do I like feeling bat wings flutter in my face as I reach to light my candle? No.  Is all this completely amazing?  Yes...and that's why I keep going back for the torture:)

Filmed at Reid Park Zoo in the South American Exhibit during my bamboo excursion.  Is Tucson cool? Yes...best place in the world:)  I love living here.

Llama of the Andes

The Largest Rodent in the world...the Capybara

Peacocks...not necessarily South American but still pretty birds:)

Mystery Film Rolls!!

Whilst digging around my house and cleaning....

I find 2 rolls of film undeveloped!! These are from the island of Taquille.....

        on Lake Titicaca in Peru while on our AM hike.....

           and eating breakfast........and it was a cool morning with delicious food!

    I'm not sure what these plants are....but they were pretty....

                                   We finally ended up in Cuzco at the end of it all... I love surprises!

The Lunar Eclipse

This is the lunar eclipse taken by Nasa.  This is what I saw last night, but my pics are not as clear as this photo.  Taking space shots are difficult especially with all the ambient light around the town.  I was up for quite awhile snapping several hundred shots.  It was an absolutely beautiful sight last night.  Here is what I got.....close but not quite as clear.....

My attempts at the night sky....

I love space!

The Bamboo Effect

About 9 months ago, I mentioned stopping at the Reid Park Zoo.  I was still learning how to blog at that time and didn't really understand the whole "take your pictures" thing as you post because it's way more fun and personal!  As I've gotten more into this project that I've started here at El Presidio and in my life, I've discovered that you need a good camera for photos and film.......and that you ALWAYS need to bring your camera everywhere you go.  I think around April or May I figured it out....and at that point, I hadn't a clue on how to find blogs to read as I was a virtual unknown....after all, this blog was initially for me and my documentation of what I do around the property in case anything ever happens to me down the road.....but it turned into something better.  I love reading people's work in their own lives and it has replaced my magazine reading almost completely for this online free garden subscription.....and it's not just located in Arizona....it's all over!!  So with a cup of coffee, comfy pj's, and my AM glasses I sit down to share and read my fellow blogger's adventures.....

The reason I started to write what I did was because back in March or April, I had gone to the Reid Park Zoo to examine several groves of bamboo, but I didn't take any pics nor was it a central topic because back then I didn't know how to break up postings into central themes like I do today or write run on sentences like I'm doing now:).  So I am going back today and to show you all through my camera lens what it is/was that I was talking about those many months ago.  This is the second part to the bamboo series.  The first part was posted back in October and titled the Bamboo Ranch.  This post will show others that bamboo can indeed be grown in the desert to a very successful height. It can also provide that privacy or tropical effect that  you are looking for in your own gardens.

When I first moved here, I thought it was all cacti and scrubby bushes with some citrus trees sprinkled in for fun.  Through my education and personal experiences, I see that a space or spaces can be transformed into anything you like provided you give the plants ample room to grow and also the proper growing conditions.  Bamboo is no exception.  It shouldn't be overdone as some people do.....but as a uniform screen or as an "island" amongst your other plants. It can be a show stopper.  Personally I love it mixed in with palm trees around a pool setting. 

Bamboo is a grass.  What does grass love?  SUN! and water and nitrogen.......those three ingredients together will create an incredible growth that will eventually become a giant amonst your garden plants.  Put the bamboo in shade and you'll see it grow much slower than its' friends in the sun.  I put mine around several areas of the property.....mostly being around the southern side. 

Around this time of year, the bamboo will not look as green as it normally does because it doesn't get as much sun.  Remember that bamboo will also shed its' leaves at some point.  Also remember that once you cut a bamboo stalk, it won't grow anymore....so don't cut stalks unless they are for some reason needing to be controlled.

What's fascinating about the Reid Park Zoo is that it is a self contained island amongst the not so attractive 22nd street.  So in the South American exhibit, pay attention to what the bamboo is doing.  One gets lost in the "jungle" as they look at the animals, but also pay attention at how the gardens are laid out.  The bamboo is effectively screening out the background noises from 22nd street.....even more interesting, the wind blows through the canes and creates a very serene feel.....yet meters away, nasty cars and loud obnoxious people are doing their thing on the sidewalk.  Now imagine a suburb property, like most people's properties in a larger city and what they could do to "privatize" their own gardens.....

From the Presidio Gardens, I can see our ugly neighborhood, but with strategic planning, our courtyard will block this unsightly stain from our memories and contain a whole other worldly feel inside our gates. Some of this is inspiration from my Amazon excursions and some of this inspiration comes from Reid Park Zoo in regards to "the bamboo effect."

I know, for most people, a zoo is where you see animals, but look at the gardens of the zoo that surround the cages and I think you'll be surprised at what you find....a lot of research and planning went into the grounds the zoo is on.  PS.  2 mystery roles of photos have shown up from my Peru trip in 2008.....I don't know what's on them, but I hope they contain some fantastic images.  Just a hint of what's on them...if I remember correctly....I was doing an experimental shot from on top of a cliff overlooking Lake Titicaca during breakfast one morning from the island of Taquille.....I hope the film hasn't deterioted.....again, before I had my own digital camera:(  Until next time, happy gardening!!

Winterhaven

I return back to my writing and find that I have A LOT of posts that are still not published.....well with vacation now, I hope to remedy that situation:)  If I see something happening in the garden, I go out and snap the pics which will then go into the postings.  Winter break is here and I have been poisoned by children's presents of cookies, candies, chocolates.....and I feel fat.  It's too easy to be working on grades and eating the snacks by my computer....and it doesn't help that they are all tasty:)  I need to get in shape for our Panama trip in June.  It is one of the highlights next year as we are traveling to the Darien Gap, several islands, and a botanical garden north of Panama City.  It should be quite the adventure.

As I am writing this, I am watching my white kitty try and pull my tillandsias from their containers....which reminds me, I still need to find a place for them.  Impulse shopping...gotta love it!  They are pretty:)

In the gardens this week.  After a beautiful rain storm that soaked the grounds nicely, there are a LOT of leaves and acorns all over the grounds.  Tomorrow I will go out and take care of the disaster zone.  Roses continue to bloom in the CC Garden.  I am setting my sights on January when I will begin the cacti gardens in the front of our building.  I may start as early as today in finding large metal bins to spray paint.  It is going to look amazing when I am finished and I'll be adding a new thing to groom and care for in the garden....can't  wait to put that project together.  We'll also be removing two ficus trees from their planters that are destroying the side planters.....and hopefully save a palm that was misplaced in the gardens and is now also damaging the same side planter.

During this time of year, I start to reflect on all those who have come before us and are now gone.  I have to admit that I get a bit teary eyed thinking about my grandparents and the memories of all the people who I grew up with.  I love getting older, but I also hate saying good-bye to the ones who made a difference in my life.....that is the difficulty of aging.  Yes our health also plays a factor but I find it's the "missing" part that I find most challenging.  The garden right now is a reminder of the cycle that plays out around us in nature.  Death, life, and continuation.......

Why this thought?  Simple.  Christmas music.  Music links us to childhood memories and Christmas music is no exception.  I hear a song from Bing Crosby and I think of that dinner on Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's house.....or that side dish or conversation we had sitting around the table.  I realized at an early age that Christmas wasn't about presents.....it was about us coming together and the traditions we shared together as a family unit.  I was in about 3rd grade when I realized why I love this time of year so much and why I hated to see it go so quickly. I think I opened up my present, which was the Ewok Village from Star Wars, and got super excited as I looked forward to playing with my little ewoks and action figures in the woods with all the cool traps and tree homes.  My Dad was helping me put it together and I thought, "I love that my Dad is here helping me."  I loved how my little brothers and sisters became excited about opening up their presents....and it was more fun watching them scream and jump around then it was for me. That's when Christmas began to change for me...

My Freshman year was the hardest and I will never forget it as it was the first Christmas without a major family member....my Grandpa.  His passing at the early age of 55 changed Christmas forever.  It would never be the same again nor has it been.  I think I learned from that point how to cherish every moment with a cup of coffee and just watch life happen before my eyes.  Several years ago I was back in Wisconsin while my Grandma Rohrer was still alive.  I somehow knew it would be her last Christmas and I went outside in a warm snowfall and watched my family together around the Christmas tree....my parents, my uncle and aunt, my Grandma's godchild, Pat, (she was older and was very close with my Grandmother) with her husband, and  of course, Grandma.  It was the most beautiful thing to see.  One of my younger siblings came outside and asked what I was doing out there and I told them to look into the window and to take in the moment.  I don't know if they understood what I meant by saying it as we take so many things in life for granted.  I told her that this rare moment wouldn't happen again.....it was like her Goddaughter knew they were saying good-bye for the last time and of course we didn't think that way and certainly not my father. My Grandmother and Pat wrote to each other for years and years from Wisconsin to California.  Pat, Grandma's godchild, would call her every Sunday to share with her the latest in Glen Ellen and Grandma would talk about the happenings on the Lakeshore....and of course talk about what all Cheeseheads love to talk about.....the weather and football....and deer hunting....and food.:)

I think the older we get, the more we feel....the more we put detail into our work and own lives because it's about what we leave behind.  I feel like some of those wonderful things are getting left behind in our technological times.....and there are pros and cons to it all. So just imagine yourselves younger and look back at all that has happened over the past 10, 20, 30, 40, and more years!  So much change has happened in our world......

So why did I write all this?  Simple.  A neighborhood called Winterhaven in Tucson becomes a winter wonderland for thousands of Tucsonans every year.  It is a neighborhood of the green green evergreen gardens (thanks to several springs that feed the area). When homesick, if you are a transplant like I am, this place will take you back to another place and time.  Here are the highlights from this year's event.  I hope you enjoy.  It ends Dec. 26th. Below is a sampling of what you'll see in this really unique Tucson Neighborhood.  Who says you can't celebrate the holidays in the desert?
http://www.winterhavenfestival.org/wpe.html

THE WALL

Like something out of a novel from George R. R. Martin, my life, I have decided, is like that of Jon Snow.  I'm not a bastard child, but I am fighting "the Others"....a race of beings that cannot be killed except by fire.  Our property, from my point of view, is like Castle Winterfell, and the only thing separating it from the evil "Others" is the WALL.  In the FIRE AND ICE book series, the WALL is made up of pure thick ice.  It is the watchtower manned by people that keep a look out for giants, wildlings, and the frostfangs. 

While my unit is not on "that side" of the property near "the WALL", I am still in charge of cleaning up around that area.  The other day I was out blowing acorns and other things off the grounds, when my PortoRican, RESPECT!, neighbor called out to me and asked me to keep the meth zombies(aka "the Others") off his property.  I started laughing and asked him what was going on and he began to tell me of dark stories on how homeless people were sleeping in his grove of the Mesquite Forest on the other side of the wall.  Irving, RESPECT!, invited me over and like the evil meth zombie druggies, I hopped the WALL.....and scratched myself up pretty good.  Irving showed me the land opposite of the Presidio Garden and let me tell you all...it was not pretty.

The North Side and the end corner

Male prostitutes were using the area 2 nights ago, homeless people, drunks, druggies, and apparently, Oscar the Grouch because there was trash all over the place.  We had a nice talk about how to prevent the evil from entering our worlds....both of us agreed that shards of glass would be wonderful to put on top of the wall if it weren't illegal....but we brainstormed and dreamt of all the evil ways we could make the bad people's lives even worse.  I wouldn't be so negative, but they have stolen things from our property, even with the gates locked, by hopping our fences.  I am still employing my cacti army, but it is not finished yet and there are gaps in the defense.  It was terrible to see what Irving had to put up with.....especially after seeing all the trash on the other side of the wall. He is worried about his wife and home as he is in the middle of scum city.  You can read my blog on THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY and you'll have a better idea of the situation that surrounds the Presidio Gardens.

Do you want this on your property? 

This is a terrible picture to post and especially on a sacred garden blog.....but this is what surrounds one side of the Presidio gardens......these people stick out like a sour thumb as they walk around looking for things to steal.  Notice how they look and eventually act like zombies due to meth.  For those of you who have never seen this,perhaps,now,  you will recognize it around your cities or neighborhoods.  I hate drugs but I especially hate meth because it affects EVERYONE!  Crime rates shoot sky high.  Be aware. It's a very sad situation.

I have decided that I will take bouganvillea branches and line that portion of the wall with many of those branches.....if the thorns don't work, then we will go with tar.  There is a city light that has had a burnt out light bulb for 7 years in that dark area.  Beginning tomorrow, I will call in the Tucson police to have that light inspected because it is dangerous....and it is increasing.  I don't like the situation, but I am glad the WALL is there because the other side of it is not so pretty.  Sometimes I wish fantasy wasn't so real.

Golden Autumn

Ash trees are amazing.  Simple trees.

                                         A tree that provides contrast next to a eucalyptus.

                                                  A tree that provides shade during the summer.

                                                           And color during the fall.

                           If you live in Tucson, it can be grown and will add punch to your landscape. 

                             Do keep this tree at least 15 feet away from your house as branches

                                                     can and will fall during a wind storm.

Tillandsias

While it's no secret that bromeliads or tillandsias do not grow here in the desert southwest on their own(or not that I am aware of); they do make a nice plant to have inside the house.  During our bi-annual 4th Avenue Street Fair, Jayne Hawley comes from California to sell these plants at her stand.  Below is information on how to grow these fun plants around your own household.  In my travels, I have found that these plants live up in the trees off of branches etc and are really cool looking in the wild.  In Guatemala, around Tikal National Park, you'll see these guys covering trees and falling all over the ground in the rain forest.

Tillandsias grow naturally in South and Central America and southern parts of the United States.  They are in the Bromeliad Family, and are sometimes referred to as "air plants."  Hundreds of different varieties grow on trees, rocks, cliffs, and various types of cacti.  Thin-leaf varieties grow in areas with more rain, and thick-leaf varieties in areas more subject to drought.  No soil is needed to grow these unique plants.  All water and nutrients are taken through the leaves!  Tillandsias have a growth cycle starting with one plant growing to maturity and then blooming.  One to two months after the bloom has finished, new plants form around the base of the "mother" plant.  They will then eventually mature and complete their blooming cycle in one to several years, depending upon the variety and growing conditions.  Tillandsias can be placed in anything...rocks, shells, pottery, driftwood, around water fountains, reptile tanks, etc.  Tillandsias are not toxic to animals, and they travel and ship well.

Light Requirements:  Bright, indirect light, flourescent office lighting, or frost protected shaded patio.  Generally, no direct sun is recommended.  Some varieties can handle some early morning sun-this will allow them to "blush" before they bloom.  To water.  This is a very important aspect of succeeding with tillandsias.  Remove plants from their containers and spray heavily, or rinse them under a faucet or hose until they are dripping wet (underneath as well as on top).  Remember, they grow naturally where it rains.  Frequency of watering will depend on:  temperature variations...summer vs. winter, whether it is indoors or outdoors, and the variety of tillandsia with either thick or think leaves.  Generally, with the spray or rinse method, you should water indoor tillandsias 2-3 times a week, and outdoor tillandsias 4-5 times a week.  In warmer and drier conditions like Tucson, an overnight soaking (24-36 hours) will re-hydrate them more efficiently than spraying or rinsing.  If leaf edges begin to curl in, then it is best to use the soaking method.  Fertilizer.  Use bromeliad fertilizer (17-8-22) twice a month.  It is great for blooming and reproduction. 

Do touch the plant.  Familiarize yourself with it.  After a good soaking, the leaves are stiff and full of water.  Upon dehydration the leaves will be softer to the touch, and the plant will become lighter in color.
Remember to shake off excess water after watering especially in the large fleshy varieties.  Turn upside down and let the base dry before putting it back in its container. Give tall, think-leaf varieties an extra spray on their tips, as they dry out faster.  Place plants in containers with natural holes, as opposed to gluing them. This will make it much easier to water them, especially when you use the soaking method.  And you don't have to wait for the whole container to dry before putting it back in its' place.  If unsure when to water, pull at an outer leaf.  If it comes off easily, it is still wet.  If it is very hard to pull off, it is usually on the dry side and is in need of water.  Trim away any brown, dried or injured(bent)leaves.  Cut off bloomed out flower when its' color dries up.  Trim dried "mother" plant away after new plants have formed.  If more than one new plant has formed, they can be removed once they reach half the size of the mother plant.

The Don'ts.  Don't worry about roots.  Don't leave water sitting in the crevices of big fleshy tillandsias. Don't put them in containers that hold moisture around the base....they will rot and die!  Don't throw any tillandsias away if there is any green left to the plants.  Soak them 24-36 hours!  Don't soak the flower while in bloom.  Don't water plants in clumps as much, as clumped tillandsias hold more moisture.  Don't combine thick-and-thin leaf varieties in the same container since their watering schedules will be different.  And DON'T let them freeze.

Reason Tillandsias Die.  They were initially not cared for properly as their owner was told they need little or no water.  Thick and thin varieties were in the same container.  They did not get enough light or they were place in direct sun....be careful....I've been guilty of both  and of course, if you give too much water and they will rot.
These pics were taken from a Jayne Hawley's stand at the 4th Ave St. Fair.  For more information on these wonderful plants, contact Jayne at P.O. Box 2361, Monterey, CA 93940.  Telephone (831)224-0491 or email at jaymel3@sbcglobal.net .   Her company is called THE EARTHLINGS .  There isn't a website, but she did give me prices for the different varieties of tillandsias she offers from her shop.  Until next time, happy adventures!

Acorns!

This time of year becomes a dangerous time for people who walk under our trees.  The oak trees have started dropping their acorns all over the courtyard.  Acorns, or bellotas in Spanish, can be made into several food dishes, but I have not tried ours yet and am not sure I would because I am not a squirrel.  However, I have heard that they are very good.  I just hate cleaning them up and pulling out the babies when they start to sprout.  They get everywhere!!!  The worst part is that when you clean them up, more fall and so it looks like you never cleaned in the first place. 

These trees are becoming more and more popular in Tucson.  They are slow growing here, but once they get to mature size, they make a beautiful addition to the landscape.  I would consider them a VERY messy tree and you can see previous posts on this plants from back in March about the leaf drop.  But if you are interested in a large and attractive tree that can withstand the cold, drought, and heat, this is your tree that will provide hundreds of years of shade.  Just be patient as they grow slow and be patient with the mess they leave on your grounds:)  I will be honest....these trees convinced me to purchase our place as I had never seen these guys grow in the desert.  They are incredible trees to have around the property and will provide you with more shade than you can handle.

Bubble Diagrams

When planning your garden out, you should sit down and sketch areas of spaces that need work.  Bubble diagrams are extremely helpful in that you can organize your thoughts down on paper. They even have computer programs for this kind of work!!  As mentioned in an earlier post, it is easy to get distracted in the garden or when you go shopping for plants so a bubble diagram allows you to focus on what needs to get done.....and saves money. This information may be new for some of you or it may be something you already knew:) For me, it's a generalized plan for the Presidio Gardens as I reconstruct the areas with hardscape and new plantings for different types of gardens....like a cactus garden or a grass garden.....this really is too much fun:)

I have created several bubble diagrams for the different areas in the garden.  They can be a simple thing or as complex as putting in all the irrigation and electric lines.  They can also include areas that have water access etc.  For me, it's more of just figuring out where plants will go and how far the tree canopies will extend.  The gardens at my place are taking shape slowly and sometimes a plant doesn't realize its' potential or didn't fit the space quite like I thought it would.  Therefore editing and replacement happen every now and again to perfect that space.

The other day, there were kids playing around the courtyard and it was fun watching them run in the "forest" outside.  They really had a great time and it means that things are falling into place and creating the affect I was hoping for.  I have more postings coming up......this post has my bubble diagrams for the various spaces of the gardens.  I have another post on "tree canopies".  The thing that I am trying to achieve will be unique.....xeric, forest-like, encompassing both on the ground and in the air with sights, sounds, smells, and touch.  It will not resemble anything that I have seen here in Tucson as it is an image in my mind from my travels pieced together.  It should be quite the garden when I am finished.

It will have a connecting  fernlike sky canopy....or a sky garden for birds(and also for filtering sunlight). You will get the feeling that you are walking into the Amazon on the outisde of the courtyard and into a Mexican park through the gates.  Several fantastic plants that will achieve this tropical look are the fig, guava, and loquat trees. And all produce edible fruit!

The property will also engage the sense of taste with her various plantings of fruit trees all over.  Smell is also incorporated as various flowering plants have been hidden around the property.  There are so many exciting things that are happening.....but the reality is that's it's only partially done.  I have work to do on the fern garden, the sun garden, the "moat", the courtyard, the ramada, the fruit grove, the front gates, and the citrus gardens.  Hardscape has yet to be done in some key areas and I am currently sketching those out plus trying to figure out what kind of plants I want to put in these areas.

While it has been only 2 years, it's amazing to see the differences that have ocurred.  The problem is that you or I cannot see them as I did not start blogging or snapping pics when I first started.....that probably is one of those things I regret the most....but now that I am filming it all, I can keep track of the growth rates etc.  Bubble diagrams are useful and I find them very important when I am planning areas out.  Until next time....Happy Gardening!!