I think we could use more orange today.
And cowbell.
Leave a comment
CATEGORY
Daily Botanical
Botanical and garden photography by Gayla Trail.
Books by Gayla Trail
Witch Hazel
Until recently I was unaware that witch hazel is cold tolerant in my climate. Here’s the evidence: a large witch hazel tree in full bloom just this morning in my friend’s garden.
We’re experiencing a warm and sunny spell here in Toronto that is lifting our collective spirits. Suddenly things are in bloom as if it is spring. But it isn’t really quite spring and I keep reminding myself that while all signs point to it, we could have another blizzard ahead of us just yet.
March is a deceptively soft and cuddly lamb, for now.
More witch hazel:
Leave a commentAckee Tree
Ackee is a lychee-like fruit that is poisonous when raw and must be put through a series of processes to make it edible. Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica’s national meal. It is popular in many other parts of the Caribbean but seems to be overlooked in Dominica. On the other hand, saltish seasoned with hot peppers and onion is very popular in Dominica and often eaten with breakfast.
I had never seen an ackee tree up close and didn’t realize how high on my list of experiences it was until I spotted this one in the Kalinago Territory on Dominica’s East Coast. Beautiful, don’t you think?
Leave a commentLand Turtles
I took this photo in Dominica on an organic farm tour in an area called Bellvue Chopin. Our tour was with Roy Ormond. If you ever get a chance to do a tour I encourage you to seek him out specifically. The farm specializes in traditional herbal medicines and Mr. Ormond was very knowledgeable and generous in sharing that knowledge.
That morning, including these adorable little tortoises, was one of the highlights of my trip.
Leave a commentSpiral Ginger (Costus)
Considering the wide breadth of plant photos I took through our month in the Caribbean, it comes as a surprise how often I keep reaching for images of ginger family plants to show here. Perhaps it is because there are just so many more than I ever imagined, or perhaps because the remainder of he winter has been gray and these flowers are bold and BRIGHT. Whatever the reason, here’s another one.
The spiral growth pattern of this one is unique and I believe we saw a variegated version of it as well, but try as I might, I was unable to find a photo in my files. Meanwhile, I only have about 30 more rolls of film to develop (about 360 images) from that trip alone! There is also a bag of film with rolls dating back to last August.
I suppose it could be in there somewhere.
Leave a commentComing February 2012
New from Gayla Trail. Easy Growing: Organic Herbs and Edible Flowers from Small Spaces.
Get the Book!
Grow Great Grub: Organic Food from Small Spaces. The essential encouraging guide from Gayla Trail.
