Happy Mothers' Day and Starting Over With Plumeria

Happy Moms' Day!

As you may remember, my outdoor garden was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew last year. A good friend gave me a piece of her plumeria tree, which was also destroyed by the hurricane. Fortunately, tropical trees like plumeria are smart and know how to regenerate after a nasty storm. This spring, my new plumeria is in bloom!!

All you really need to do is take a big stick of plumeria, dust the base with rooting powder, plant it about 10cm deep in decent, well-drained soil, and water daily until it takes root. Wonderful!

Let's Rebuild Part 2: What Thrived, What Tried, What Died

I realize that, though more and more people are experiencing the total or partial destruction of their habitations and gardens, it's still not the most common experience out there (Phew!). My habitation is now 90% repaired, but my outdoor garden is still a shambles. I finally got out there and did a tally of what survived and even thrived with Hurricane Matthew, what limped through, barely, and what really died. Here are some results:
The Great Survivors: The Jamaican Leaf of Life, The Mother of Millions, Rosemary, Cabbage Palms

Mother of Millions, aka the Devil's Backbone in Bloom

These plants not only survived a Cat 4 hurricane (max winds on my dune were 107mph, or 172kph), but actually managed to propagate themselves or grow robustly after the storm. Interestingly, these are all plants native to areas that experience regular cyclones (or in the case of rosemary, non-cyclonic harsh sea storms). The mother plants were bedraggled, but had babies growing all over the yard and probably beyond.

The Scruffy Stragglers:These plants lived, but were sorely tested and very unhappy with Hurricane Matthew: Aloes, Elder Tree, Frostweed, Cacti, Buttonwood Tree, Lemongrass, Goldenrod, Gynura Procumbens, Garlic and Onions, Sweet Potato, Croton, Plumeria

Plumeria, MRobb

The Plumeria in our neighborhood mostly died, but we all cut off branches and are growing the branches. This is how plumeria survives, so I'm counting it with the Scruffy Stragglers. I really thought my little Elder was dead, but it just put out new leaves this week! The Frostweed also looked completely dead, but some little plantie voice told me to keep watering, and yesterday, it also starting sprouting new leaves. Time will tell. Someday it may look good again!

Frostweed and Leaf of Life, MRobb

The Walking Dead and the Really, Really Dead: Basil, Shiso, Mint, Lithops, Pittosporum, the Mystery Vine, quite a few orchids, Sage, Anthurium

No pics here, just too sad. I did plant some new basil today, as my kitchen can't do without it! I was just starting to get a good shiso harvest, but I may try growing it inside next year, in pots.

So now that I know how everything did, I can start planning with an eye to hurricane survival, just in case we all have to do this again next season (Noooooooo!!!!).

Wishing you all some wonderful Weekend Walkabouts!

Weekend Walkabout: Plumeria in the (Scorching) Sun

High temp records have been tumbling all over the globe this summer and last night I think there were a record number of tropical cyclones and invests on the planet at the same time (8!). Is that a record?? Yowza. Walking outside in full sun may not be the best idea for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere right now, but I had to take a few pictures of a neighbor's gorgeous Plumeria, which grow quite well on our sand dune:

Vertical Plumeria, MRobb, August 2015

Pink Plumeria, MRobb, August 15

Plumeria, also known as Frangipani, are native to this part of the world, and grow wild and in cultivation all over the Caribbean, Central, and South America. They are actually a genus of the Dogbane family, woof!, and are cousins to the poisonous Oleander. Just like with Oleanders, the sap can be irritating to eyes and skin, though some people have no trouble with it at all. The flowers have no nectar, but are most lusciously fragrant at night. They mostly attract moths. Growing them from cuttings is very easy, but you have to let the cut stump dry before planting it, or it could rot. They are somewhat slow growing but very tough and hardy.

Welcome to the Tropics: Plumeria

To celebrate my arrival in the tropics (OK, I haven't moved, but to recap, my area has been re-zoned to 10, from Sub-tropical to Tropical), a friend of mine gave me a stick of Plumeria (Frangipani) to grow in my outdoor garden!

If you live in the tropics, it's ridiculously easy to start a new Plumeria bush or tree. You just stick a branch of it in the ground, give it some solid sunshine, water it regularly, and wait....

This is after waiting and watering for about a month and a half. Here's the full bloom....

Mine doesn't have much of a scent, unlike other plumeria that have an intense and unique perfume in order to attract moths as pollinators. So my guess is that this is a hybrid, grown for its beautiful color display.

Plumeria are New World tropical flowers that grow surprisingly well on our dunes.  Tough and gorgeous, they are also grown all over Asia. They are named after French botanist Charles Plumier. The fragrant blooms are frequently used in the iconic leis of the Pacific Island cultures.

Their leaves are sparse, their trunks and branches thick and dimpled. Their abundant, milky sap can be irritating to skin and eys- they are distant cousins to the highly poisonous Oleanders. The rule with Plumeria is to give them equal amounts of sun and water. If they are grown in full afternoon sun in the tropics, they need daily drenchings. If they are grown in partial shade or less tropical climes, give them less water. They like some, but not a lot, of basic fertilizer. Beautiful and odd, I'm glad they are growing well in my garden!

Just a Note

I've been in a wonderful class the last few days, and now I'm slowly getting back to the everyday schedule. I've got some ideas for new posts, but in the meantime, here's a lovely plumeria from my sand dune to contemplate.

Local Plumeria, MR, 2013

See you soon!