It is truly amazing what mother nature can do to thrive in challenging environments. We marvel at things growing in the desert or on mountaintop, but sometimes it is in everyday environments such as a weed on a concrete sidewalk, or this plant intertwined with a fence…..
These are from a farm up the road, but they are something I have not seen in years. Big enough to be a meal as kids, the Mammee apple was a relatively rare treat.
We should start by saying that compared to many, particularly on Carriacou and Petit Martinique, and even northern Saint Patrick, we are very fortunate after Hurricane Beryl.
We lost many trees and had greenhouse damage, but the house was undamaged. We are thankful. The trees that we did lose include three large cocoa trees, most of a Noni tree, a couple of Papau trees, one coconut tree, and a number of banana trees. The banana and the papa trees will be back quickly, but the cocoa trees and the coconut tree will take years. They also leave some large changes to the view which are taking some getting used to.
In the greenhouse, the shade knitting was ripped to shreds and several panels of the roofing were broken. We also lost a few eggplant some spinach and weed vines have quickly taken over portions of the lattice work. The greenhouse, because it had partial walls, also became the resting place for huge piles of cocoa leaves blown from the trees, so there is quite a bit of cleaning up to do.
Strangely, the hurricane cut very precise and narrow swaths through the back of the property which almost resemble a road, as areas on either side were left relatively unscathed. In this way, it looked more like a tornado or a microcell, than a hurricane. The same is true in the surrounding area where giant mango, breadfruit, and spice trees have fallen, but small wooden structures nearby are relatively untouched.
All in all, if this is the result of a category 4 hurricane, then we’ll take it and count our blessings.
After a few unsuccessful attempts despite plenty of flowers, we finally have a few eggplants on this large Bush. It was blown over by hurricane Beryl, but it seems to have survived the ordeal. We will see what the size and quality of the fruit turnout to be.
We have begun to enjoy some cabbage from the small crop planted in the spring. With just natural growth, they are small but flavorful. Next crop we need to intersperse with something to reduce the natural pests.
Announcing the arrival of the Malabar variety of spinach to our Fawudd Farms greenhouse! This unique and versatile plant brings a fresh burst of flavor and nutrition to the farm. With its vibrant green leaves and succulent texture, Malabar spinach is a delightful addition to any dish. Known for its high levels of vitamins and antioxidants, this leafy green is a powerhouse of health benefits.
Unfortunately, the passion fruit trees got way too large, and had interwoven themselves in the shade knitting, and had begun to work their way in between the roof panels. Not good. They needed to be relocated to their originally intended destination along the front wall. In doing so, we needed to harvest the passion fruit that were already on the Vines. This was a difficult relocation given how strong their roots had become in the greenhouse beds, and how hard it was to dig appropriately sized holes in the dry season! However, it was a valuable lesson learned about the need to pay attention to timing.
As an experiment, we planted some Navy beams to see how they would develop in the greenhouse. They did not appear to flourish, but they did manage to use the Trellis and to produce a small crop.
The Caribbean is known for its lush rainforests and idyllic beaches, but the region is also susceptible to droughts. And we are in the midst of one right now. These dry periods can have a significant impact on the islands’ water resources, agriculture, and tourism industries.
While the northern Caribbean recently received heavy rainfall, other parts of the Caribbean got little or none. We are currently under water restrictions, and have had a few wildfires !!
This melon grew on the ground in the greenhouse, as the vine escaped the confines of the raised bed. Nor a perfect specimen, but large and round and sweet.
