Sunday, August 31, 2008

We Stand Between Them

We stand between two storms. Gustav is a hurricane and it is giving us some rain and a little wind. Hanna is still a tropical storm and it just seems to meander. The weatherman has no idea of what this storm will do the feature.

I never pray for the storm to miss us, because I would be praying for it to hit someone else. Now my thoughts are for New Orleans - the people and the city.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Color Of Mamey

For most of my life our family had seven houses in Coral Gables. My parents had one and there brothers and sisters had the others. When this house was in the family it was painted in an off white. I can't say that I like the Mamey color. The city allows this and calls it a historic color. The true historic colors never looked like this.
I grow the Mamey, a tropical fruit that has the same color in it's flesh. The fruit is very pretty.

Friday, August 29, 2008

A House With Style

The more that I looked at this house, the less I could figure it out. Does the front door open to a little room and then to a very large room with a very big window near the ceiling or is that window in a bedroom on the second floor. I give up.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

The Pergola

Coral Gables Elementary has a nice pergola. When I brought my lunch to school I could eat out there. Back then there was no fence or pavement, just grass and shade, and a lot of running and noise.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

The Auditorium At Coral Gables Elementary

This auditorium and the one at Miami High School were used as public meeting places until the late 40's. After that we had a large auditorium for the whole county. Now we have a state of the art complex that is a gem.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Growing On A Tree

This orchid is growing on a tree. Once it is established on the tree it's on it's own. It blooms every year and I don't have to do anything.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Coral Gables Elementary School

This was my school in the 40's. But things have changed. The iron fence is new. When I went there, most rooms had one wall that would open up to allow the fresh air in to the room. Now they have AC and almost no windows. I remember looking out and seeing people walk by, the birds flying about, and the leaves moving in the breeze. The students may be cooler but I doubt if they are happier.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

A New Garden


It looks good now but the owners will have a major problem keeping the weeds out.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Getting A New Face

With a new court yard, covered walkway and extra bedroom, the house will look new. Well maybe.

Friday, August 22, 2008

After The Storm

Not a single 'Lizzie' fell out of the trees during the tropical storm Fay.
Click here to see a close up of the orchid.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Porch With A House Attached

I guess I like the porch more then the owner. There is not one chair on the porch.

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

B. xDavid Sanders

While cleaning up from Fay, the tropical storm, I found this orchid hiding behind some palm fronds. This is a natural hybrid of two species and it was found in the jungle. The 'x' in the name is placed there to let you know that it is a natural hybrid.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Three Inches Yesterday, Three This Morning

It kept us in the house all day, but it wasn't a hurricane. It was no worse then a normal rain storm, only longer. My water gage is not precise.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Rain, Rain Go Away

A tropical storm is giving us a steady rain. So far we haven't seen any wind, but that should start this afternoon. It looks like we will not have any damage, just a lot of rain and some wind.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

An Artist In The Garden

The lotus leaves are magic. Unfortunately they are dormant in the winter. But now we will have the beauty all year around with this painting. Notice the Miltonia flowers in the tree.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Bromiliad - Achmea fasciata



Fifty years ago this Bromiliad was one of the few that had an eye catching flower stem. Florists and upscale nurseries sold these at very high prices. Now we have a great number of Bromilliad hybrids that are real eye catchers, and they are no longer expensive. This one is growing under our Jaboticaba tree.

Friday, August 15, 2008

A Madagascar Plant


This Pachypodium bicolor is rare here but it should be more common. It seems to grow with ease at the Fairchild Garden.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Just A Parkway


The last three posts of old houses were all in the same block of Country Club Prado. One on the west side of the road and two on the east side. The Prado has a great lawn separating the road (OK the picture is at an angle).

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Another Old Spanish House

The houses of Aug. 10,11 and 12 are on the same block.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Sleeping Porches

On the right side of the second floor you will see a sleeping porch. These houses were built before air conditioning. The porch was usually on the second floor, and facing the south east to get to breeze from the ocean. The homes had cross ventilation - that means a room would have windows on at least two walls. With such a system you don't have to use the air condition until it is really hot. Some of the neighbors never open their windows and their air conditioner is on all of the time. Some time I can't figure if they are warming or cooling.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

This House Has Meaning To Me

One of my first girl friends lived in this house. It's so long ago that I could not tell you what she looked like, other then she had long dark hair. But I can tell you about the living room, It's directly behind the water mark. It was a large room with a white carpet. The nap was so tall that the carpet cleaner left lines all through the room. When we went into the room all you would see was our foot prints. The carpet would capture any little bit the dirt that happened to be on your shoes. I don't remember any foot prints in that room except the ones that we left behind. The family moved to California when I was 13 years old.

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Getting Ready For The Pandas

One of our neighbors has a interest in bamboo. In there side yard there are 4 plants and more in the back. Surely one of them would suite a panda.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Miltonia moreliana 'Lizzie' AM/AOS

This orchid makes a beautiful show every summer. The plant has 16 flowers.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Too Much Of A Good Thing

Last week this avocado tree lost a good sized branch due to the large crop of avocados.
You can see the fruit in the branch. These avocados would not ripen until October if they had stayed on the tree.
And today another branch broke. It's a total lose of three bushels of fruit.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Another New One To The Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden


Can you tell me what this one is. It is not a petunia. It is a bush about 8 feet high and across. And at each large and thick leaf there are 5 or 6 buds that bloom one at a time. With Lans help I found a name for this bush from Madagascar, it's Uncarina stellulifera. If I find a common name I will post it here.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

New To The Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden

This is new to me. The leaves and trunk look like a papaya, but the flowers are something else. This plant may be from Madagascar. I have absolutely no idea what this is. Can anyone give me a name?

Monday, August 4, 2008

Ylang Ylang


Ylang Ylang (ee-lang ee-lang) Cananga odorata is a large tree with an equally large fragrance. The oil from ylang-ylang is widely used in perfumery for oriental or floral themed perfumes (like Chanel No. 5).

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Bougainvillea Arborea


Bougainvillea arborea is the world's only "true" totally thornless and fragrant Bougainvillea. The bright lavender bracts really catch the eye. But unlike other Bougainvilleas this tree doesn't shed its bracts until they are brown. This tree is in the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden and I know of one at the Kampong (also a botanic garden). I am told that it is in the market, but I have not seen one in a private garden.

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Squirrel Sharing Avocados

The crop on our early avocado is fantastic, it's the best in 20 years. We don't even worry about the squirrels eating so many avocados. A small piece of fruit is near the squirrels back leg.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Theme Day : Metal (On One Block)

1 house has an open front yard(see yesterday).
4 houses have hedges by the sidewalk.
4 houses have metal and masonry. Forty years ago there were no fences on this block, just one large lawn. It's a change, but I think that I could do with out so much metal.

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