A Cloud of Dragonflies

I live in a two-storey building, and there’s a huge tree about 50 feet behind my home - I think it’s taller than my building now. Anyhow, this morning as I’m sitting on the deck enjoying my breakfast, I see this cloud of dragonflies (I don’t know what you call a large number of dragonflies collected together) about equidistant between my home and the tree.

I’ve seen them there before - I guess that air funnels between the building and the tree and there must be something particularly appealing about it to dragonflies. Every few minutes some from the front drop back and others take up the lead - much as in a bicycle peloton. 

The dragonfly cloud will be there for hours from morning until well into the afternoon. If I’m really lucky, sometimes one will come really close and I can see the iridescent reds or greens or blues from just a few feet away. They really are quite lovely. I feel quite privileged when I am lucky enough to see them at such close quarters.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Christmas Blooms

One of the things associated with Christmas in Barbados (and other parts of the world) are the flowers - certain things bloom at this time of year and add to the Christmas feeling.

It's easy to see how the Christmas Candle pictured above gets its name.

Everyone knows Poinsettia (show above). This is the common red one that grows in many gardens around the island.

Snow-on-the-Mountain pictured above. It's easy to see how this shrub gets its name.

I call this Christmas Vine - I don't know it's really name but it grows wild all over the island, and at this time of year the vines flower profusely and, from a distance, a whole field covered in these delicate little flowers give the impression of a snow covered field.

If you'd like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Immortelle Trees

I absolutely love Immortelle Trees. They are so easy to grow - break off a small branch, stick it in a hole in the ground, prop if necessary, water, and voila, in a short period of time you’ll have a mature Immortelle Tree growing in your garden.

In my childhood years I first heard of these trees in relation to Trinidad and Grenada as we didn’t have them here in Barbados. They were everywhere on these islands, and a drive around the countryside revealed these stunning trees with variegated leaves and bright red flowers interspersed with the verdant green of the rainforest and the bright yellow flowers of poui trees.

Now Immortelle Trees are found all over Barbados, but sadly, there is a moth infecting them so many aren’t looking very healthy. The moth causes the leaves to shrivel and turn brown before falling off.

There are two such trees on the street where I live that are in close proximity to each other. I hope they recover. There is a third tree on the street which was cut back severely and, as you can see from the pics, it looks very healthy now. Unfortunately none are flowering at this time of year.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Red Crabs

Most people tend to associate crabs with the sea or swampy mangrove type areas, and Barbados is no exception. We have crabs that live on rocks by the sea (we call them “shaggas”), ghost crabs that live in the sand on the beach, myriad crabs that live in the water that we rarely see, and we have assorted land crabs.

The land crabs here in Barbados are mainly small hermit crabs, large swampys (these are the ones that people eat) and red crabs. Hermit crabs are usually found in close proximity to the coast, swampys are found in or near small streams and swamp/mangrove areas, and red crabs are found near to the sea.

Red crabs tend to grow to be about six inches from toe to toe, and they really are quite pretty with the back or carapace being a deep almost wine red to brown colour, and the legs being a bright red (will add some photos when I can capture some of these elusive creatures). And the little youngsters are very cute, but boy are they a nuisance.

They seem to multiply rapidly and each one will dig its own hole in your garden, and fast as you fill the holes back in, they dig them out again. If you’re unlucky enough to have red crabs in your garden, it is near impossible to have a nice lawn as it will be full of crab holes. If you have any gravel or sand around, they will take over that area too. They can’t penetrate concrete, but they will dig holes down the side of the slab and continue the holes under the concreted area. They really are a nuisance.

I was recently doing some work on the south-east coast of the island at a property that has hundreds of red crabs, and I think one hitched a ride with me one day - it must have been under the wheel housing or in the engine, I don’t know, but what I do know is that I keep seeing a hole appear in my front yard now that looks very much like a crab hole.

I haven’t seen the culprit ... yet, but I will. I’ve tried filling in the hole but it reappears. I don’t really want to kill the crab but I definitely don’t want it setting up house in my yard, especially if it’s a female carrying eggs - that would be a disaster. If it’s a lone male it won’t be so bad as it will eventually die. I keep hoping that it will move to a neighbour’s yard that is more attractive to crabs.

I live nowhere near the sea, so if a salty environment is necessary for it to survive, it won’t do well by me. I’ll have to wait and see what happens.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

The Stunning Colours of Frangipani

Here are some pics of the absolutely amazing colors of the Frangipani Tree. The striking colors combined with the lovely scent make this a tree worth having in your garden.

If you'd like to read more about Barbados, please take a look at my other blog, Things Barbados.

The Dry Season is Upon Us

Yes, that’s right, even though it’s only November, the dry season is very much upon us. Bushy areas have started to thin out (which is a good thing) and trees have started to lose their leaves.

This is at least a month earlier than usual so quite noticeable. I wonder what effect it will have on things like poinsettia and snow-on-the-mountain that usually turn colour for Christmas. Though I realise that the colour change is mainly dependent upon the number of daylight hours, I have to wonder what difference it will make with less water for our vegetation.

Dry season also means that mice will be more inclined to come out the fields and into homes looking for food and water, ants and other insects will also find their way indoors in their search for sustenance.

The nice part is that the breeze is usually stronger (as it is now - also earlier than usual) and therefore the days are cooler. The flora and fauna of the island change - plants tend to flower, many lose their leaves and animals come closer to homes in their search for food and water. Another part of the annual cycle.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Christmas Worms

Christmas Worms aren’t actually worms. They are a member of the millipede family and, as the name suggests, they tend to be most visible around the end of the year when the nights are longer and cooler, and the days shorter and drier.

Adult Christmas Worms are just about an inch long and the body is about 1 mm wide, 2 mm including the legs. So they are quite tiny and more of a nuisance than anything else. Never mind how air tight you think your house might be, they will find a way in as they are so tiny.

If you sweep them away or step on one by mistake, they give off an unmistakeable, pungent and unpleasant odour. They don’t bite, they’re just a nuisance. They collect in little armies in corners and when they start to move, they go in all different directions, so one is bound to find it’s way inside.

When they get inside, I just try to sweep them gently onto a dustpan and toss them outside where they belong without having them give off that offensive smell. I know they serve a valuable purpose on this earth, I just don’t know what it is, and they are too small for my camera to get a decent pic ... sorry.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Mussaenda

Mussaenda shrubs are found all over Barbados, most frequently in the salmon colour which, I believe, is easier to grow than the other varieties. It can also be found in white and a dark pink.

The large coloured areas that appear to be petals are actually the sepals and the tiny flower is in the center of these beautiful sepals, much like is seen in Bougainvillea.

Personally, I’ve never had any luck with growing these shrubs, but I do think they are quite lovely with the large soft covering of flowers against the darker green of the coarse leaves.

The flowers don’t last very long and aren’t suitable for a vase, but they do add a lovely splash of colour and a certain softness in any garden.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Tropical Flowers of Barbados

Red Hibiscus

Pink Oleander

Orange Zinnia

Women's Tongue Flowers

Salmon Anthurium Lily

Purple Allamanda

Black Pearl Flower

Orange Bougainvillea

If you would like to see and read more about Barbados, please take a look at my other blog, Things Barbados.

Dry Season in October in Barbados?

It’s October and still in our wet season, but as you drive around the island, signs of dry season are everywhere.

Undergrowth in the woods and bushes are thinning out, trees that normally lose their leaves and flower during the first four months of the year are losing their leaves now. We had quite a wet dry season earlier this year, and now we seem to be having a short (or perhaps dry) wet season.

Vegetation is very confused. Things that shouldn’t be flowering for another four months are flowering now, the avocado trees have hardly born any fruit this year, and many have not even flowered.

The mangoes have been in abundance - can’t remember the last time there were so many and consistently good.

I’m not sure what the official name is for a whole lot of dragonflies gathered together in one place - a swarm, a flock, a herd - I don’t know, but there was an enormous bunch of them behind my home a few days ago - something that we usually see in the dry season.

And the ants have started to come inside - another dry season behaviour when they are looking for water. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds!

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, please visit my other blog, Things Barbados.

Free Range Chickens

This rather magnificent pair of free range chickens were strutting their stuff in the car park of St George’s Parish Church one afternoon. I was parked quite close to them, and they took a quick glance in my direction and then proceeded on their mission of finding things to eat.

As you can see, they are both in great shape and have quite beautiful plumage, the rooster in particular. As you drive around the island, you will frequently come across chickens that live in someone’s yard but the entire area is their feeding ground, but they usually scatter before you can get close enough for a good look.

If you'd like to read more about Barbados, you might want to have a look at my other blog, Things Barbados.

Guava Trees (Psidium guajava)

Guava trees grow wild on Barbados, and there are several different varieties. The one pictured here is the more common one with pink flesh, but there is another much larger variety that has thick white flesh and is my personal favourite.

The bark of the guava tree is smooth and mottled as shown here, and the dark green leaves are coarse and rough. Small white flowers produce fruit anywhere from about an inch and a half in diameter to something the size of a large apple, and filled with dozens of small seeds that you can just crunch up and eat.

Here in Barbados, guavas are used to make a dessert stew (very delicious), jelly, jam, cheese (a fudge-like sweet), ice cream and as a drink. Unfortunately, in most of these products the tedious job of peeling and removing the seeds has to be done first.

You can, of course, eat a guava as a fruit though some can be a bit sour. Find the right tree and you’ve got a delicious and healthy fruit.

If you would like to read more about Barbados, take a look at my other blog, Things Barbados.

Wild Crocus

I don’t actually know very much about the Wild Crocus growing on Barbados, except that most people think of them as weeds and try to rid their property of them. The ones pictured here grew up in a pot in my yard and are thriving, and I think, look quite lovely - the striking yellow of the delicate flower works for me.

You can frequently see them growing along the side of the road too, particularly in more rural areas. The flowers seem to be at their best early in the morning, and then fade and close as the day wears on.

After the flower comes the three lobed seed pod, which will eventually dry up and burst open to release the seeds to be dispersed by the wind.

I’ve only ever seen the wild crocuses with yellow flowers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist on the island in other colours, but I do think the yellow is quite stunning and beautiful.

If you'd like to read more about Barbados, you may be interested to look at my other blog, Things Barbados.

Barbados Trees in Pictures

Today I just thought I'd share a few photos of some trees and shrubs, pictures that I think are particularly nice.

A flowering flamboyant tree is quite spectacular. This is the common orange-red one, but they also come in yellow and salmon. These last two are more difficult to grow and hence less frequently seen, but if you're on island at the right time of year, a drive by the Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be rewarding.

This picture is of a casuarina tree that is kept trimmed as a shrub. This would also make a thick hedge too.

Both of these photos are of the Women's Tongue tree. I love these flowers, they are so delicate, even the unopened buds are delicate.

The lovely red fruit of one of the myriad palm trees that are in abundance on the island. I'm not sure if these make good eating for humans, but birds love them.

Last but not least is the Black Pearl. These seed pods are so soft and velvety looking, even the seeds are covered in fine down. Note the unopened seed pod in the bottom right hand corner of the photo.

If you'd like to read more about Barbados, check out my other blog, Things Barbados.

Stick Insects (Phasmatodea)

Stick insects are so well camouflaged that they really blend into the vegetation. Unfortunately, the one pictured here didn’t get it quite right as the brown stick insect stood out clearly against the green leaves of the plant that it was sitting on, which is how come I was able to spot it in the first place.

Stick insects have six legs and feed on vegetation. Their primary means of defence is to stay motionless with a gentle swaying side to side motion, so mimicking the movement of a twig in the breeze.

Birds, frogs and lizards are the main predators of stick insects here in Barbados. They are related to grasshoppers and crickets, and are primarily nocturnal creatures. Stick insects are also called “walking sticks” and, here in Barbados, they are commonly called “godhorses” though I’m not sure why.

I used to see stick insects often as a child, but no so much nowadays. I guess that development has taken away much of their environment and pushed them into smaller and smaller areas.

If you'd like to read more about Barbados, you may be interested in my other blog, Things Barbados.

Neem Trees (Azadirachta indica)

Neem Trees are a more recent addition to the Barbadian landscape, and are now quite popular. Here on the island they are strictly decorative, and due to their insect-repelling properties, are frequently planted in close proximity to places where outdoor activities are held.

The hockey field located at a large sports complex has a raised grassed area for spectators along the eastern side, and this grassed area has a line of Neem Trees along its entire length to provide both shade and to keep away bugs. In gardens they tend to be planted close to an outdoor entertaining area like a deck or patio.

I quite like Neem Trees. They have a nice shape, are easy and quick to grow, and require little care. They even survive the dry season well. If it’s particularly dry for an extended period of time, they will drop some leaves, but otherwise they will just keep going until rain finally comes.

The leaves are small and pointed, and the tiny little white flowers have a very delicate scent, but the flowers themselves are so tiny, it’s quite easy for them to go un-noticed. These tiny flowers morph into little green berries the shape of an olive, but much smaller. The Neem Tree is a member of the Mahogany family, a family of trees that was covered in an earlier post on this blog.

If you’d like to read more about life and living on Barbados, you may be interested in my other blog, Things Barbados.

Women’s Tongue Tree (Albizia lebbeck)

I actually like these trees though many people tend to think of them as weeds and would not have them in their yard.

The tree usually has a nice shape and is constantly changing. Right now, flowers are starting to come out - lovely delicate flowers that are like a bowl of fine pale yellow strings. Each flower really only lasts a a day, but new ones open as old ones yellow and die off.

Then the seed pods come out, and when they first form they are green and quite soft, and it is at this stage that wild parrots come to feed on the seeds. In the dry season, the tree is absolutely covered in dry seed pods interspersed with mature dark green leaves. The sound of the wind (dry season is usually very windy) blowing through the tree and shaking the thousands of seed pods creates quite a dramatic and noticeable sound, hence the tree’s name.

Then all the new young leaves start to come out - this is when the tree is most vulnerable. I have seen a mature tree that used to grow about 100 feet from my back door have a swirl of wind remove every single leaf off of the tree. It never recovered and is now a dry stump on which I grow orchids.

The dry season is also when the island tends to get bush and cane fires - everything is tinder dry and there is high wind to carry the flames, and most years the bush behind my home gets burnt - the fire comes down from the east and burns hundreds of acres of sugar cane and bush. We’re used to it as it happens almost every year.

Last year, the fire came early in October, and it not only burnt the bush, but the flames “walked” across the mowed grass to burn an exposed root of a mature Women’s Tongue Tree. That also killed the tree.

So though Women’s Tongue Trees grow quickly and easily from wind blown seeds, they are actually quite delicate. Thankfully, there are still mature ones growing in the bushy areas behind my home, and fast as some die off, new ones emerge.

If you’d like to read more about Barbados, and life and living on the island, you might like to read my blog, “Things Barbados”.

Zoysia Grass (Zoysia matrella)

I remember my father planting some Zoysia Grass in our garden about 30 or so years ago. He planted it in a very rocky area with thin soil and where other grasses wouldn’t grow - ideal conditions for Zoysia. Years later I think Dad wished he hadn’t planted it, because it started to take over everything including other lawn grass that had been painstakingly planted by hand some years prior.

Zoysia Grass is indeed very hardy, needs little water, thrives in almost non existent soil conditions and laughs at salty environments, so it really is ideally suited to Barbados and other tropical environments, especially around the coastline.

Personally, I hate Zoysia Grass. You can’t sit on it as it is too prickly and quite uncomfortable. The strands of grass will poke through a towel or mat and totally destroy the plastic liner of a kit pool. Walking on it without shoes is most unpleasant for the same reason - it’s too prickly.

Zoysia looks very attractive when growing in an area that is cut regularly - it looks like a lush, green carpet, but if it should take hold under a bush or in an area that doesn’t get cut regularly, the grass gets very long and thick making it the perfect nursery for slugs and African snails to lay their eggs and hide out during the day.

When Zoysia gets very long it is difficult to cut as it is so thick, and has stalled many a lawnmower. Any nearby shrubs or flowers beds have to be very clearly defined and regularly maintained or the grass will take over completely and eventually the shrub that it is encroaching upon will die off.

I know there are situations where it is the perfect grass, but for me personally, Zoysia is one of those things that is good from far but far from good. Just my personal opinion.