My new very interesting, very well travelled self taught botanist friend Mark brought me a couple days ago 6 tip cuttings of African Blue Basil; he said they root very easily which might explain the difficulty I had rooting woody cuttings that Roberto gave me from Sweetwater a few years ago. I am rooting them in a 2 gallon "terrarium" I also root rose cuttings in. As a basil collector with a chef brother he says it is now his favorite basil.
Monday when I was on Sustainable Living on WMNF a very interesting man from Africa called in....one thing he mentioned I am now OBSESSED with getting seeds of is "Fluted Pumpkin"....Google it to see cool sites....the botanical name is Telfairia occidentalis. I want to try the edible seeds and leaves. I will check my favorite tropicals seeds site next, www.tradewindsfruit.com
On the way home I stopped at Oceanic Market and bought a bag of live Water Spinach with a leaf shape I feel is narrower than the one I used to grow. I am rooting the stems in ponds. This week I am taking Cracker to Picnic Island Beach and on the way home will stop at the closed down Rembrandt apartments next to Robinson High to see if the strain of Water Spinach I grew before is still in the ditch...if so I will get some for me and friends.
At the Oceanic I also bought a 2 lb. bag of dried Red Chori "beans" for $3.99 to cook and mostly to grow...some sites say it is a true Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) others say Vigna angularis. Vignas of ANY kind love summers here so I planted some in a giant tree pot and will plant more elsewhere, maybe inside the duck pen once I clip their wings and move them into the west bed to clear out weeds in there for me. Years ago I grew a true Red Adzuki "bean" that was sometimes classified as a Vigna, sometimes as a true bean (Phaseolus)...even though it looked very much like a Phaseolus it grew like crazy that summer, so I am curious about this Red Chori. Those seeds sprouted in just TWO days!
While I am glad we got all that rain the weeds here are growing explosively! Beds that looked tidy and "done" two weeks ago are being CONSUMED.
Despite the heat my Old Roses 'Coquettes des Blanches', 'Conrad Ferdinand Meyer', 'Mme. Antoine Marie' and 'Nastarana' have blessed me with their lovely fragrant blooms. My 'Teasing Georgia' pillar rose has also begun blooming again.
Due to Tim and Mark reminding me of the incredible nutrition of Moringa leaves I have planted a few more in my main bed around the big pond out back plus am rooting several for friends and to sell. They should be ready in about a month. I am hopeful that the leaves of both Moringa and Sunn Hemp are accepted by my ducks and chickens.
Always something new to learn about plants! John
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