Maybe interest in new forum for gardening in the tropics?

Hey Mark i dont even have a jacket lol...
:)
Long sleeve shirt is good enough but like you said 60 is cold for me..
Now will you guys save those wonderful Blue Iguana's...
You are the only ones that have them and now i am afraid there are only a few dozen left..
:(

Hi there! Just wanted to give this one more try. I have recently been trying to read all the different forums that might be of interest to me, and it is tough to go through all that info! Noticed that the "foliage forum" only has 7 pages of threads in 3 years! I wanted to ask one more time, and then I will drop it I promise - I think, based on 80 responses in this thread alone - that a tropical region forum might get used. So here's my last attempt.....not being a nag.....just not willing to give up without giving it my all.....most folks call me stubborn. LOVE THIS SITE!!! I promise not to pout.

I am on your wave length, Shari...bring it ON!!!

Carol, bless your heart, I knew I could count on you! Bet you are covered with blooms now, huh? On my next trip through HI - I am definately gonna stop and see.

Shari, the folks who run this site are probably aware of your request. They have many demands on their time. From our point of view they move at a snails pace, from their point of view they are doing as much as they can. Patience, dear lady. :-)

Full support from the Cayman Islands!!! Let me know what I can do to help!! I promise to stay out of trouble from now on and leave expert advise to the experts

send rain please

j

j -

ENSO just predicted La Nina conditions developing the next couple of months....will that help?

John - sending you many happy thoughts of gentle rain....

Dale - My family tells me that my gardening over the years has increased my patience ten-fold. I waited almost three weeks before I brought it up again. But I console myself by looking at your beautiful pictures, so please keep em coming! :-)

BTW Dale, my Reiger Begonias died - just sort of melted away in the heavy rains, but I managed to get ahold of some Angel Wing Canes...based on your recommendation. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed on these.

John - how did the softball game go????

Shari, cane type begonia will do well for you, try not to water them, if it rains once a week that should be enough. Time release fertilizer would be a big plus for them too.

Ever try bromileads? They do very well here, here is my tastest one, the pineapple.

Funny you should mention that.....I have two pineapples growing now, one that I just re=potted cuz it outgrew its previous home. Everytime we have a pineapple at a party or here at home, I plant the top....can't believe people throw them away!

I have three in the front yard, in the ground, all have fruit, only one is making side shoots (the main plant dies after fruiting). Have any of these in the yard?

Shari, I hope you get your new forum, I would be there, if only to dream through you lucky people who can garden year round....

Dale, you must have a gazillion pictures in your computer....

LeeAnne,

I have a digital camera. The card holds over 3,500 photos. I shoot everything I see except for moving trafffic.

Shari, have any of these?>

Okay, lets see - Mangoes, not in my yard, in my neighbors. Lemons - up the street. Papaya, only in my dreams....the birds eat them waaaay before we can get them. Are those Avocados? Sorry, but I just don't like the Florida - smooth skin ones. I am an avocado fanatic, but I'm a die-hard Mexican/Californian variety only. Find the smooth skinned ones flavorless, probably cuz I grew up on those old bumpy skinned yumtastics. Do I see key limes in there?

Hey kids...

I am best to stay in my yard with the hose connected to the deepwell...these young kids whoop me and (Miss Katie) in this co-ed softball stuff.....we have hearts of teenagers but internals of geezers that we are.....enough of that....

i was thinking of starting a new post....why does it only rain on the other side of the street?

I actually drove home yesterday with the windscreen wipers going...when i turned down my street, i turned the wipers off and pulled down the sun visor to block the late afternoon sun from my eyes.....AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHH

John, know what you mean about the geezer biz....our team this year got trounced! But I still love to play. There are times when we are out on the water and you can see the rain coming. It can pass right beside the boat and you don't even get wet! But then, when this ocean born and raised kid (moi), first moved to Colorado with husband's new job (way back in the dark ages), I actually called him at work one day saying that I had lost my mind. It was snowing in the front yard, and sunny and warm in the back yard!!!!!! And we sure didn't live in any mansion size place! Weather is always discussed, because it can never be understood.

if you cut the right "y" shaped olive branch, talk the local auto mechanic into saving ball bearings for you, the birds will NOT roost long enough to eat the mellow yellow skinned pawppaws........oh, it takes a bit of surgical tubing too....never aim to hit.....just rattle the branches!!!lol.....here, the birds wont land because the iguanas have the roost....

on another note, after the last major hurricane here, Ivan the Terrible, more Papayas have taken root and are producing fruit in places that have never had them before...we even have one growing right outside of the paint booth at work......maybe when you're done stopping by Hawaii for some down time with Miss Carol, you can make a side trip to Cayman and overload on pawpaws.....we have our ways of getting them out of the country in a suitcase@@@ just kidding DOA!!!!! thanks for the wishes guys....my Night blooming Jasmine has new buds on it....soon to flood the neighborhood with a different scent....wink wink@

j

Shari,

Try scare tape, strips of shiny mylar, hanging in the papaya tree. Drives the birds crazy. Have any of these in the neighborhood, Jak fruit?>

Thanks for the tip - I might get some of the local kids to climb up and do that. I love papaya. It is my favorite breakfast - just a squeeze of lime and so sublime. Do you have breadfruit in the Caymans? There are several breadfruit trees here, and I have never tried to cook them, but I remember fondly a party we were invited to on Tarawa where the ladies all cooked a different dish out of breadfruit and they were wonderful! The others I have tasted have been pretty boring but those from the island ladies were fantastic. Everything from appetizers to dessert.

Dale - we were posting at the same time....I have heard of it, but do not know it....so what is Jack fruit?

OH BOY!!

Roasted Bread Fruit with stew beef tonight!!!! We have breadfruit!!!! much healthier than fries, easier than potatos, grows without horse manure, can run off unwanted guests from the yard when they fall out of trees, especially when one lands on top of the phone booth you're seated in...LOL!!!! that was a comic moment....teach him to yell at his wife!!!! I can share breadfruit recipes if you can get your hands on some fresh ones!!!!...my seabass is almost ready on the barbie....gotta cut some romaine, get a beer...see y'all tomorrow....hug each other tonight

john

Oh John.....sea bass is my ultimate favorite fish! We get lots of fish out here, but no sea bass. Although everyone else like ono the best, I prefer mahi mahi - less dry. But nothing compares to sea bass. You are sooooooo lucky! Enjoy your dinner and have a wonderful evening!

John, do you have some Dutch in you, ever been to Amsterdam?

Here's a nice shot over the waterfalls on Pohnpei - another island out here that we are going to again in two weeks.

I would love some breadfruit recipes!!!

Dale...funny story on myself. DH was going to jiggle a Jackfruit off a limb WAY up there to give to a friend...and just as he snaped the stem I jumped under the falling fruit, looking up, and said "I'll catch it"!!!! OMG - DH and our friend were convulsed on the ground laughing so hard and I was almost knocked out as the 30lb fruit landed square on my forehead/bridge of nose. I was terrified to take my hands away from my face for fear my skin would fall off...just a lot of blood (for those who don't know...that skin is extremely rough with pointy thingys).

When asked "what in heaven's name happened to your face????" I told everyone 'never to go to an amateur for botox injections!!!! ' Got a laugh every time!!! Man, it hurt!!!

Shari...when our Sharwills come ripe I will send you some avos. We have 14 trees!!!! (and fat dogs).

Carol - one more reason to make me love you! So where exactly is Keeau? Inquiring minds want to know!!! What can I send back?

Keaau is about 12 miles W. of Hilo...towards Volcano. WE are about 6 miles from Keaau towards Pahoa...middle of Puna...we are Punatics!!!

I would love to know the Marshall Islands. What an area you live in!!! I envy you! I would love to BRING my avos to you!!!!

Carol

Carol - sending you d-mail.

Good morning everyone!

I thoroughly enjoy this time spent on Dave's. I am pleased to correspond with folks like all of you that share a common passion for life!!!

I have never been to Europe, would like to someday but that will have to be after my bride and I go for some dives in Shari's pool (the BIG pool)...

Dale, what makes me have Dutch in me??? I do like a GUINESS now and then....a pint of Guiness is like eating a loaf of bread....me and the dog are starting to look like a loaf of bread..lol

thanks for all the posts here, i will gather some breadfruit recipes and share them soon...Have a great day all!

j

John, I was wondering about the Dutch question too. Good Morning!!!
looking forward to the breadfruit recipes. Do you like Chicken and Green Papaya stew....its one of hubby's favorites?

I'm looking forward to the recipes too.............(waiting kinda patiently)

Threegardeners.....I still love that name.....anyhooo, you like breadfruit? I'm suprised, because it is sort of an acquired taste. As you may have noticed in above comment, its hard to find good recipes. but get this one, I don't like pudding, and I usually don't like breadfruit, but there was a lady on Tarawa that made a breadfruit pudding to die for! I kid you not, it was good enough to serve in the fanciest of restaurants! Go figure!

breadfruit recipes soon come!!!! I will try to include a couple of conch recipes too as they go together like sun and sunburn....yyyyyyuuuuuuuum stew conch and roasted breadfruit!!! a dash of hot pepper sauce, a fresh lime, maybe a malted beverage......sorry, gotta go, keyboard wet from mouth

j

shari, do you have fresh queen conch there? Cayman has a limit on numbers that can be taken per day....I have had conch everyway possible, stewed, fried fritter style, raw, etc.....the secret in conch is the tenderizing....heavy mallet, strong arms......just curious...

j

i don't know of anyone here that will admit to eating them...they are protected. Giant clams as well. Everything else is fair game, and sometimes the fishermen can get quite a bit of money. I'm lucky though, my son-in-law fishes everyweekend and share's his catch with us.

Good afternoon!

Good news from Cayman. It started to rain this afternoon!!! we can actually hear rain running down the downspouts into the cistern!!! A delightful rain too....ran out and turned the compost pile and got drenched!!!! my bride wanted to mud wrestle but i opted out of it on account that it is not dark outside yet...maybe tonight!!!all the plants in the yard are rejoicing as i am.....i hear the couch calling me now, bye until later

j

Yeah!!!! Your's must have started just as ours stopped. So happy for you! Enjoy! Put out all the collection pots, and have fun!

OK guys, here's the deal!

A breadfruit can be considered, and used, just as you would use an Idaho Potato. It can be cut into fries, scalloped, cubed and thrown into eggs, bacon, mayo, green beans..you know, the potato salad recipe. It really is so close to being an Idaho potato that it has almost the same starch per serving...Some people prefer a "fit" breadfruit, meaning it is ripe and is perfect for roasting....others prefer them to be a little "green", when they want a little snap when eating...such as "chipping" a breadfruit and frying them.....yes, just like potato chips.....

Not sure if this gives any ideas for recipes as my list is not yet complete....but, if you are having a dinner that calls for potato, you most certainly can use a breadfruit, and, it grows by tree and doesn't need a truck load of manure around it to grow in the dirt.....not sure if any of this makes sense.....more to follow soon....

aurabest,
j

Hmmmm, you're right! I just never made the connection, cuz I kept thinking of that delicious pudding. But they are just like a potato! Thanks for the reminder John. Now I can start experimenting myself. Oh, my poor family!

Yokwe,
Shari