How does your garden grow?....

As Ole Blue Eyes once sang, "When I was 17 (give or take), it was a very good year." and so it was for the gardens.  There was decent rain and, after years of trying to figure out what can actually survive and thrive here, the gardens did just fine with minimal care.

This was mainly because everything is pretty well established and can survive the dry seasons.  Remember, this is where I started, with a bare lot. 

And now...

No matter where you work with nature, there is always a learning curve, of what works and what doesn't.  I let the plants make some of the decisions, like the ornamental grasses and all the flowers.  They are all self propagating from year to year now. 

The mango tree I started from seed, the flor de mayos from cuttings, the organ cacti, they are all so big now.  I love it.  And now, the dry season begins, little or no rain for months, but they should be OK.

A patriotic taste treat on Independence Day

Chiles en nogada is the classic Mexican national dish with its flag colors, green chile, white sauce, red pomegranate.  It is a poblano filled with shredded meat, fruits and spices and topped off with a walnut cream sauce and the pomegranate.  Its creation has some wonderful stories behind it.  It was first served by nuns in Puebla to Emperor Irturbide, in celebration of Mexico's independence from Spain  One story has it that the winds miraculously blew the unusual ingredients together for a nun, Angelica.  And rumor has it that she and some of her sisters had been stationed in Spain and the Middle East where all of these ingredients were a part of the cuisine. 

Anyway, it is a wonderful dish and this years version from La Casa del Tío Güero, right next to SAT, was exceptional! Riquisimo!!!  Late August and September are the only months to get it.

If a tree falls...

This is one of my favorite trees.  It sits atop a hill overlooking the valley that stretches from Atzompa all the way to the Etlas.  I've sat under it, as I know many others have. 

It has a wonderful fragrance and the locals know that if you rub its leaves on your temples and around your eyes, it relieves stress. And it is/was in a prime spot for a lightning strike. 

And so it goes.

There is new growth, so in a few years....  for now, there are still leaves to relieve our stress.... and memories

If a tree falls....