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Photographed: In the Botanical Garden at the Hotel Atitlan on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2010

**Heliconia
The heliconia could almost be a symbol of the Caribbean tropical forest and they will grow in full sun or shade depending on the variety. The height varies as well; some are huge.
From: These extraordinary plants are native to the West Indies and South America
Planting and Care: They require lots of water and fertilizer and when they are happy they can quickly get out of control. Try to plant them in a place sheltered from strong winds as the leaves tear easily.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2008, 2010

To see more photographs of heliconias, please click the photograph above or click HERE!

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 had small one growing in a pot in Montserrat, but it never seem healthy and it finally succumbed.
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, 2010

HERB GARDENS

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 planted 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 and amaryllis now planted. Some of the herbs have moved on to other garden beds, but we still have basil, parsley, Cuban thyme, lemon grass, chives and rosemary.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©Krika.com 2008, 2010

In this lightly shaded part of the Herb Garden in the photograph below we have planted parsley, basil and Cuban thyme.

**Hibiscus Bush Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.
We have varieties and colors too numerous to list, 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.
Photographed: Unless noted, all of the photographs were taken in our garden at our home in Montserrat.
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 when used as a spray in the early evening or very early in the morning. To get some ideas on how to control insects on your hibiscus plants See the "P" Page -- SAFE PESTICIDES FOR ORGANIC GARDENING IN THE TROPICS AND ELSEWHERE

**Coral Hibiscus Bush (Japanese Lantern) Hibiscus schizopetalus HOOKER
This is one of the most appealing of the hibiscus varieties -- the flowers look like glorious Japanese paper lanterns as you can see in the photograph on the left. Ours lives down by the yellow ixora in the more wild part of the garden.
Photographed: In our garden at our home in Montserrat.
Text & Photograph Copyrighted © KO 2007

Variegated Hibiscus
Photographed: In the new garden area below the deck garden at our home in Montserrat.

To See More Hibiscus Click Either Photograph or click here!

Hollyhock Alcea rosea
What traditional New England garden doesn't have a hollyhock or two? These are old standbys for good reason and I've now found them growing happily in the Guatemalan highlands in a lovely hotel garden by Lake Atitlan. They flower in early summer and reach four to five feet making them excellent background plants.
Pests: Aphids and spider mites.
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden of Hotel Atitlan at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Care: Hollyhocks are perennials liking full sun and regular rainfall or watering. In warmer places they will tolerate some mid day shade, but always plant them away from windy areas. If you are lucky to live near a well supplied garden shop, buy plants and set them out directly in the garden. If you are less lucky, have a go at planting seeds, but the plants will take two years to bloom.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010

**Honeysuckle Vine P. edulis flavicarpa Degener or Lonicera japonica
Benefits: This lovely smelling flowering vine attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.
Photographed: In the Botanical Garden of Hotel Atitlan at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
Planting and Growth: This vigorous vine prefers being in full sun and receiving regular rainfall or watering. It is very adaptable to a variety of garden placements, growing well on a fence or even to retain the soil on an embankment.
Text and Photograph Copyrighted ©KO 2010

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
Photographed: At two hotels on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala.
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. But the South is still the south and 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 and Photographs Copyrighted © KO 2010

**Hylocereus, Pitaya 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 plant at our home in 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. Its flowers and fruit are fabulous!
Link: To see a wall of hylocereus click on Oaxaca Botanical Garden.
Text Copyrighted © KO 2008/2010