A Tramp in the (Organic) Garden: August 2007

Crandon Park Beach Gardens

It was ages ago when I went to Miami, buuuuut....these gardens are worth checking out merely for the fact that there are supposedly random crocodiles running around supposedly, and exotic birds and reptiles. It used to be the ZOO in the 40s or something, as referenced by the horrible cages that are like 5 ft by 5 ft. Those poor poor animals! And amazing banyan trees with crazy roots that will awe you. This seemed much more meaningful like 5 months ago when I went there, but whatevs! Oh, and the peacocks- anywhere with peacocks is cool, and I'm still trying to convince my friend that she should add peacocks to her aviary of chickens. She is nonplussed...

Catsitting Isn't Hard When You Catsit Layabout Cats

This is Chiquita, my landlady's cat. She is a layabout cat extraordinaire- and has taught me many things, like all non human animals do, about how to approach life. Rest when you are tired, enjoy the moment, go with the flow and take pleasure when it comes to you. Don't be afraid to pounce when something is worth pouncing on and always have a sense of humor. But I can't catsit her anymore because I have a bunny!

Holy Basil or Tulsi or Ocimum sanctum

For one and a half years I had these holy basil or tulsi seeds, which I got primarily because they are supposed to keep away mosquitos, and I'm always attracted to grow plants that are spiritual in nature. Holy basil or tulsi is grown outside Hindu temples, and after I went to India, this had special significance for me. When I was in Kerala, the guide at our hotel wore a fresh stem of holy basil tucked behind his ear every morning, and as the day passed, I would watch it wilt and fade, but not lose it's spirit. Sweet and pungent, holy basil plants are often worshipped and taken care of by the family and have a special place outside a Hindu household...or so I read. This year I grew a few outside my back porch in the earth, and one in a pot outside the front door. One of my first rituals when returning home from work was to light an incense and place it in the pot of holy basil. Now the plant in front of my home has long flowered and gone to seed, and the leaves are yellow. This weekend I will harvest the seeds to plant the next generation...

PS- Holy basil or tulsi has many medicinal values as well and is an ayurvedic herb- for respitory problems, coughs, colds, stress, skin ailments, and is supposed to reduce cholesterol.

Bee's Like To Make Love to My Brugmansia

Miami's Ever So Casual Flora

Of course, we had to walk down Lincoln Road in South Beach- I love it, people have dinner at 11:00 and go out at midnight. Everyone walking around enjoying life and a late dinner- not like LA, where you can barely find anything to eat after 11:00 except taco trucks, Canter's and Fred 62. Jesus Lordy Christ. But anyway, along my walk on Lincoln Road, I found it most fascinating and almost surreal that the tropical plants we sometimes covet in cooler zones are grown so casually in tropical climes. It's like being in a big greenhouse...

Isn't this a freaking sausage tree? I believe it is!

And isn't this a freaking bodhi tree just growing on top of this palm? Look at those pointed leaves, I'm pretty sure it is.

Huge beautiful bromeliads just totally casual. In LA, you pay like 40 dollars each for one of these at a nursery. I wanted to smuggle a small pup back to LA in my nether regions, but decided that would be unethical; it's people like me that bring in plant pathogens and new pests every year with their innocent exports.

I love east coast beaches- these fences are so romantic and photogenic. All those grasses and beach morning glory!

This was in the everglades- if the sharks don't get you, flesh hungry alligators will!

Vamos å Miami!!

A couple weeks ago I went to Miami for four days. The sun, the ocean, the splendor! I was amazed by the clear warm water and pale sands- amazing! Although I hear Miami has the largets percentage of sharks in the US, so while I was in the ocean I was constantly scanning the water for fins, and trying to keep myself surrounded by a human barrier of unsuspecting , innocent swimmers to get eaten first. And so much skin everywhere in the city! I busted it out Miami playa style in a special golden leopard print bikini that my husband said made me look like a stripper. Wait, don't boys like strippers?

Clear clear water, wish I was there...