**Hens
& Chicks Echeveria elegans or Sempervivum
Sp. or Sempervivum soboliferum or Graptopetalum
or Aeonium arboreum
This is a lovely plant with circular rosettes of fleshy ice green
leaves. This plant thrived in a pot on our Taxco, Mexico, apartment
terrace and we now have a small one growing in a pot here in Montserrat.
From: The Mediterranean
Planting and Care: It likes some shade from the
hotter mid-day sun and a medium amount of water. It multiplies wonderfully
as its name implies so there are large, medium, and tiny rose like
sets of leaves at all times. It benefits greatly from a twice yearly
cleaning of the old leaves and stems; it will look scraggly for
a short while then be twice as beautiful as before.
Text & Photographs Copyrighted ©
Krika.com 2008 
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Our
herb garden at our home in Montserrat in the Caribbean West Indies
While
it is traditional to grow only herbs in a garden like this, I thought
it would be more interesting and provide more places on the property
for herbs to grow if they were growing intermixed in ornamental
garden beds. This garden became a real centerpiece for herbs for
a while and though we still call it the "Herb Garden,"
it is now taking on a more exotic flavor with several varieties
of canna lilies now planted. The herbs have moved on to other garden
beds.
Text
and Photograph Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008
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**Hibiscus
Bush
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.
(Red, purple, light and deep pink, white & yellow, double and
single flowers along with different variegated leaved bushes)
We have varieties and colors too numerous to mention, including
the Japanese Lantern or Coral Hibiscus Hibiscus schizopetalus.
All of them flower for at least six months of the year. Buds picked
in the evening will bloom all the next day and make lovely dining
table centerpieces.
Benefits: Apart from their showy flowers, hibiscus
plants are a source of food and beverages, medicine, perfume and
dye. Here on the island, our friend Roots told us how to make a
refreshing drink with the flowers. In the Caribbean,
the lovely hibiscus flower is also used as a treatment for colds
and to relieve menstrual problems.
Planting
and Growth: Normally hibiscus bushes thrive in full sun
and they prefer to be planted in an acid soil which is great here
in Montserrat where we have regular acid rain from the still active
Soufriere Volcano.
Insects:
The pink mealy bug has infested most of the once tall and beautiful
red flowering hibiscus hedges in Montserrat with disastrous results.
In other parts of the world biological
controls have been used. Insect predators of the
pink mealy bug such as the half inch anagyrus wasp from China
and the crypto laemus ladybug have been introduced into hibiscus
gardens, the latter is considered a more effective treatment because
it will dine on enormous numbers of mealy bugs.
With a small number of reachable plants mealy bugs can be eliminated
by hand with cotton swabs dipped in alcohol. For larger applications
a mixture of soap and warm water has had beneficial effects.
Here is a recipe for insect control:
Mix 1 Tablespoon of dishwashing liquid and 1 cup of vegetable oil
Use 1 Tablespoon of the above mixture in 1 cup of water.
Test one plant first to see if there are any negative effects. Apply
as a spray and check 24 hours later.
We have also had good results with regular spraying of neem leaf
water. The quick and dirty recipe for this is to fill a bucket with
neem leaves and add water to cover. Leave the bucket in the shade
for a few days, then filter and use as a spray. It doesn't smell
wonderful, but it does work.
**Coral
Hibiscus Bush (Japanese Lantern) Hibiscus schizopetalus
HOOKER
This is one
of the most appealing of the hibiscus varieties. Ours lives down
by the papaya.
Text & Photo Copyrighted © KO
2007
Variegated
Hibiscus Bush
To
See More Hibiscus Click The Photo! Or click
here!
Text & Photographs Copyrighted © Krika.com 2008
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**Honeysuckle
Vine P. edulis flavicarpa Degener
This is another variety of passion fruit that produces edible yellow
fruits from white flowers.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2004
Horseradish
Amoracia rusticana
This is an essential ingredient in the most popular dipping sauce
for cold shrimp and other similar seafood. In a northern garden
growing it should be a snap, but here in the Caribbean who knows?
We have yet to get any seeds.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2007
Hydrangea
Hydrangea
sp
From: Germany
Planting and Growth: This old traditional garden
bush loves an acid soil with lots of organic material. It is perfect
for New England gardens because of the acid soil and apparently
also for the South as a friend from South Carolina once spoke of
the poor country farms there being loaded with hydrangea. She couldn't
bring herself to have it in her garden which is a shame because
it is a beautiful bush with large showy flowers in blue, purple/blue,
pink and white.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008
**Hylocereus
Hylocereus undatus (Haw.) BRITT. and ROSE or
Selenicereus sp.
We found one of these growing in the forests on the way
to Tenerillas a small village outside of Taxco, Mexico. We took
a piece and brought it here to Montserrat where it is doing just
fine.
From: Mexico and Central America
Planting and Growth: Liking sun or semi shade and
routine water, the hylocereus is easy to care for and appears to
be resistant to most insects.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008
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