Agave

Various species of Agave can be found growing throughout Barbados, both wild on the north and east coasts of the island, as well as in various gardens. The ones in these photos were taken as young plants from wild flower stalks to put in the garden, where they have flourished over the years, and at this time of year they all burst into flower.

The Agave flower stalks grow very quickly over a period of about six weeks, and will grow to a height of easily twelve feet. When the flowering period has ended, the flower stalk eventually falls over and the dried flowers fall to the ground where they grow into new plants. There is a delightful fragrance to the flowers, but since it’s near impossible to get close to them for a sniff, standing a little downwind makes all the difference.

Hummingbirds, bananaquits, bees and butterflies love the nectar produced by the Agave flowers - it’s the perfect time to watch as there is a steady stream of visitors to the flowers. The flower stalk itself is easily twelve inches around and withstands the high winds on the exposed east and north coasts of Barbados…a very hardy plant.

We've Got Chicks!

Both eggs have now hatched from the Wood Dove (also called a Ground Dove) that is nesting on the windowsill of our bathroom window - photos are taken through the insect mesh, so not the best.

The dove had laid two eggs 24 hours apart, and I saw one hatchling five days ago and it was obviously very new. I did not see the second chick until yesterday, so not sure when it hatched. Momma bird is getting more comfortable with my occasional peeping, and I managed to get the photo of the two chicks yesterday when I noticed that she was out of the nest - ran for the camera to take advantage of the opportunity. So I hope to be able to get more progress photos over the coming weeks to share with you all.

Wild Geranium

We in Barbados know this plant as “Wild Geranium”. I don’t know the scientific name for it, and it probably goes by a lot of other names too, but for me, it’s “Wild Geranium”.

Wild Geranium is basically a weed - you won’t find it being sold in any plant nurseries anywhere on the island. And it literally grows on rocks - that is clearly visible in the photos. It does not seem to transplant well, as with most weeds and wild plants, however, it loves the more rugged conditions found on the north and east coasts of Barbados.

The leaf is what I would call “frilly”, and if you brush by it gently there is a slight aroma not unlike Wild Sage, a very herby smell but I don’t know if it’s actually edible. My photos were taken on a cliff on the east coast of Barbados where, literally, a few grains of soil collect in pockets on the rock, and it seems to be more than enough for Wild Geranium to grow and thrive.

Non descript pale green flowers die off and are replaced by a long stalk of “fruit”. These dry up and turn brown and the cycle continues. Wild Geranium is great ground cover in salty dry areas, which is a blessing for people who live on the more rugged east coast of the island as many things don’t grow well with all the salt and wind.

It’s Nesting Time

It’s that time of year when all the birds are nesting in this part of the world. Yet again, we have a dove sitting on two eggs on the bathroom windowsill. This is the first successful laying that will hopefully lead to a successful hatching.

These doves are notorious for having very untidy and scrappy nests, so this pair has tried for several years in the same spot, but the nest was never sufficient to hold the eggs and they just rolled off the sill and broke. 

So, keeping fingers crossed that we will have a good view when the eggs hatch. As you can see from the photo, she got up when I crept up to take the picture, so I won’t be taking too many and will have to be very careful when I do as I don’t want to disturb her. She’s got used to my opening the window in the morning and locking it at night, but other visits cause a bit of a stir, so I try to stay away.

The other nest is the complete opposite of the dove nest …except for the poor choice of location. This nest is being built by a pair of very busy sparrows (Barbados Bullfinch). They built in the same spot last year and laid two eggs, but being that the nest is only about two feet off the ground, something got at the nest and I found two smashed eggs on the deck floor. Could have been a cat or a monkey, but most likely a cat as nothing else would have access to the location. It’s a nice strong nest, so I’ll be keeping an eye on this one to see what happens.

Portalucca

Portalucca is a wonderful ground cover plant that grows like a weed. The one pictured here has white flowers, but pink is also very common. 

This very delicate looking and low growing plant is hardy, and can survive well in drier conditions. Being that it is so low to the ground, wind does not seem to be much of a problem either. It might seem to die off a bit in the dry season, but as soon as rain comes, it will move into top gear and grow and flower. The flowers only last a day, but there are usually a lot, so many days of flowering is not uncommon.

Portalucca is one of those plants that butterflies and moths adore and you can see it growing wild around the island, particularly on the east and south-eastern coasts of Barbados.

Petrea

When I was a child, everybody had at least one Petrea shrub in their garden, just like the magnificent specimen shown in the photos, and also white, but the purple were more common - maybe easier to grow. Nowadays, they are few and far between, no longer fashionable.

Petrea is ideally suited to the climate of Barbados, they withstand the dry season well and thrive when there’s lots of rain too. They really don’t require much care other than the occasional trim so’s they don’t take over the entire property.

The leaves of the Petrea shrub are like thick paper covered in short stubble, like someone who hasn’t shaved for a day or two. Each flower stalk is covered in multiple tiny little flowers that will brighten up any garden.

The specimen shown in the photos is a very old plant, probably a good thirty to forty years old, and still looks spectacular. Talk about improving with age!

Panda Ficus

Panda ficus is not native to Barbados, but it has become very popular because of it’s hardy nature. As a member of the “ficus” group, Panda ficus does not lose it’s leaves, so it looks good year round though the shrub does become more lush during the rainy season. And it is very much a shrub.

Panda ficus thrives in both windy and salty conditions in either a pot or in the ground. During the dry season it will appear to have stopped growing, and one or two leaves might fall off, but the vast majority will stay on the plant. 

Propagation of the plant is also easy - cuttings can go straight into soil with a bit of water to get them started for the first few weeks. The leaves are fleshy and the branches thick and stocky.

I’m about to get my first Panda ficus plant, let’s see if it can survive me!