Tropical Zone Gardening: WARNING; For every one in the northern Antilles (Caribbean) , 0 by tbmontserrat

tbmontserrat wrote:
Hi Everyone

Was not able to get on yesterday. The volcano was really active yesterday. The ash was continuous. I did not see the sun yesterday except when I went north to get groceries and take care of some other business. It was a very depressing day. Worked all day (in between ashings) digging things up and getting them undercover. Most of my trees are bare which in turn is hurting my shade plants. What a bummer.

But...today was a good day. The volcano calmed down last night and stayed that way all day!!!!!!!! I was able to get tarps up over the shade plants and potted up some more plants, get some of the dead leaves raked up and cut the rest of my plants to the ground. I got to do all this work in the sunshine and no ash (well, except the ash falling out of the trees when a breeze came along). Plus, we got a nice ash free rain lasted about 20 minutes but it was a cleansing rain.

What made it a really good day was while I was walking around assessing the gardens lo and behold my Pride of Barbados the pink one, not a leaf on it, looking deader then a door knob was starting to bloom I have waited 3 years for this thing to bloom, it is one lone bloom but it was there just the same. At a time when I needed it most, it bloomed. I guess that is God's way of telling me everything is going to be ok. Though after the way I was jumping up and down, looking like a total fool, I am not so sure my DH thinks I am ok. I did not care that bloom was like the tree say " I'm ok". It also made me look around, I found a few other plants with buds on them that were not damaged. Made my day. That is when the total fool in me came out and my DH came out..I was telling the volcano "You are not going to win, I am " and I was sticking my tongue out at it and doing a little "happy dance". DH face was comical, He was giving me that look you give someone that you are not sure of their mental state.

Hope tomorrow goes as well but the ash plume is still there just staying to the south so who knows.

Christi..I know the Parks Mall well. My daughter was a teen when lived in Arlington lol.

You are so right about never having a spring or fall. I was so tired of digging everything up in October and planting it all back in April. I wanted to be able to enjoy my tropical plants all year. So we moved here...and now I am digging up all my plants again LOL. Talk about irony!!!!!!


I just want everyone to know how much I appreciate your concern and your good thoughts. I have been going through this for years. Over the last 4 years I have learned what survives and what does not. Most of the plants I have are "ash hardy" the plants I have been digging up are ones that I am not sure about and Do Not want to lose so better safe then sorry. The plants are not doing so good because they were already stress because it has been very dry and hot, the hurricane season has been very quiet so we have not gotten the rains we normally do, My plants will survive and so will I.

I am posting some pictures of May 2006, it was the worst I have ever been through. It was my first volcanic experience and if I could have gotten on a plane I would have. It scare the "shoo-shoo" out of me. Of coarse all the pictures are the aftermath, during the event I was freaking out to much to take pictures.


May 2006
My daughter cleaning up