Latest Posts
Heliconia Psittacorum
I have seen these both cultivated and growing wild here in Dominica.
Dispatches from the Land of the Lost
If I had to describe Dominica’s flora with one word, I think I would choose “giant.” Or possibly “huge.” “Lush” is a good word but I’m not sure it can convey the kind of extreme lushness I am talking about. This isn’t North American lush, this is rainforest, tons of water and heat, things just …
Making Sorrel with Fresh Hibiscus
Sorrel or rum punch (sorrel spiked with rum) is a popular, refreshing drink in the Caribbean, especially during the holiday season. Knowing this, I was particularly excited to get to the market and get my hands on some fresh sorrel so that I could find out how the drink compares when the flower calyces are …
Tetrio Sphinx Caterpillar
Imagine one of these munching its way through your garden. I saw this one, and then I saw two others soon after! Both terrifying (I was initially sure it must be poisonous and stepped back as if it might eat my face) and amazingly beautiful all at once. Turns out it won’t eat your face …
Desert Rose (Adenium obesum)
Desert Rose (Adenium obesum).
Hot Cactus on Cactus Action
Okay, maybe not hot, but merely an epiphytic cactus hitching a ride on a large opuntia. Pretty cool though. I’ve never seen this before!
Broadleaf Thyme: The Confusion Continues
Way back when, I wrote about Broadleaf Thyme and Cuban Oregano (Coleus amboinicus) and (Plectranthus amboinicus) and wondered about the proper identification for the different plants. At the time I concluded that Broadleaf thyme was the one with smaller leaves, and Cuban Oregano is the one with bigger leaves. And within that there is also …
Euphorbia lactea
Here’s a plant I would love to grow at home. It’s fairly common here in Barbados. I have seen it in the ground and in white pots. I never thought I’d say this, but it really works in a white pot.
Papaya Flowers
A little while back I wrote about trying North American paw paw fruit for the first time. Many of you chimed in to say, That’s not the paw paw I know! Well, here it is. The flowers, anyway.
Eating Golden Apple
Day one of our big trip has just passed and I’ve already managed to try a new fruit. I expected to eat a lot of my favourite fruit on this trip, but I didn’t anticipate finding anything, besides breadfruit, that I haven’t tried already. We half walked, half bussed our way to the nearest town …
Bougainvillea
Day one over and I have already been blown away, sighting so many amazing plants; some known and others an intriguing mystery. But I thought I’d start off with something familiar. We saw three colours of bougainvillea today: pink, apricot, and white. Who knows what we will see tomorrow.