Petite Pelle

17/05/2021

"All parts of the moringa tree – bark, pods, leaves, nuts, seeds, tubers, roots, and flowers – are edible."

*****

MORINGA

Where I'm from, the moringa trees grow outrageously,
pushing up from the fertile former farmland
now mostly buried forever
underneath increasingly larger houses
and wider concrete roads

I shouldn't begrudge these newcomers,
not when I have also destroyed a patch of Eden
to lay my claim on it and make it my home
But I resent them all the same,
and turn my face from the windows
when the buzzing of chainsaws
announces the arrival of yet another.

Where I'm from, the moringa trees
are covered in blooms and heavy with seed,
and their trunks grow thick and wide,
nearly unrecognizable from the spindly form they take
to survive the droughts of less favored places;

Where I'm from, the rain and the sun and the soil
conspire to shape beauty and sustenance,
rising from the ground to present their subtle gifts.

I cannot look at the horizon
without mourning the innocent silhouettes
of the moringa trees that will soon fall

Can I stop time in this moment
Can I climb your strong limbs
and keep reaching with you
towards the twilight stars
forever

May 16, 2021
7PM
Sta. Rosa City, Laguna

08/05/2021

"You turn a house into a home."

08/05/2021

Laguna, Philippines c. 2002

After spending about a month in their cocoons, Atlas Moths emerge as the beautiful creatures you can see here. Unfortunately, this state is short lived as the adult moths typically die within a week or two of spreading their wings.

****
source:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/50738/5-awesome-facts-about-atlas-moth

29/04/2021

Sedum japonicum (Tokyo Sun)

Tiny, bright yellow-gold succulent foliage. Good ground cover and in rock and miniature gardens. Can be grown indoors with very bright light.

Sedum like well-drained, porous soil. Many varieties propagate by simply spreading leaves on the soil surface. To ensure division, remove top 2" of plant tips and strip lower leaves from bottom of stem. Plant in well-drained soil mix and water after 2-3 days. Do not over water! New plants should be well established after 5-6 weeks. Fertilize with a low-nitrogen fertilizer 1-2 times during growing season.

****

https://www.gardenmanage.com/plant/2002010315-2002027635.html

22/04/2021

Conservative

22/04/2021

We love our puns.

(from last Valentine's)

21/04/2021

Found Object piece no. 2: A vacation souvenir. The whole thing was maybe only 5 inches long so it was extremely fiddly to construct and I'll probably never do it again but look how cute 🌵

note: Succulent cuttings can stay like this for months, but if you want to propagate some full-size plants, simply pluck them out and put them in a bigger pot.

20/04/2021

I like to work with found objects (i.e. clutter). This is an old decorative lantern from around the house, and the nest-looking bit is a discarded bamboo cylinder wrapped in jute.

(this is one of the first I made, and it went to my aunt in Cebu)

19/04/2021

♥️♥️♥️

19/04/2021

here is the deepest secret nobody knows:
here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than soul can hope or mind can hide
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart
i carry it in my heart

- e.e. cummings

*****

This tree looked so much like a heart (anatomical) with its reddish color and all the thick branches like major arteries and chambers down to the slender flexible capillary things I held in my hand.

Somewhat unfortunately, this is probably a type of tree called a "strangler fig" that sometimes kills the trees it grows on.

11/04/2021

04/04/2021

3 Things I Wish Everyone Knew About Cacti & Succulents

When quarantine spurred the “plantita” craze, those of us who failed to catch the gardening bug often watched with amusement and more than a little bewilderment while our plantita friends and family turned their houses into indoor jungles, discussed plant care endlessly, mourned their dying plants and went into ecstasies over variegations and unexpected blooms.

Personally, I was one of these bewildered people. As the number of plants in my family's house increased, I found myself completely unimpressed with each new addition - until I noticed the cacti and succulents. While most other plants were easily depressed or enraged by suboptimal light, humidity, water and music choices offered to them, the cacti and succulents displayed an admirable stoicism and willingness to keep living: even in the most meagre conditions, standing on barely an inch of rocky soil, without a drop of water for weeks, and patiently stretching towards the faintest ray of light.

What are these magical beings, I wondered. Fortunately, my sister was available to supply basic information and prevent the possibility of turning a fun hobby into a stressful obsession. I learned that keeping cacti and succulents is No Big Deal. You don't need a lot of special tools, and you don't need to spend a lot of money - a tiny shovel, a tiny watering can (or dropper) and a pair of scissors are the only essentials.

There are many things to love about cacti and succulents. For me, these are the ones that make them unique among all types of plants, and give them a special place in my heart.

1. CACTI AND SUCCULENTS REQUIRE VERY LITTLE CARE. ATTENTION WILL KILL THEM, NOT NEGLECT.

Cacti and succulents can seem challenging for a casual owner who enjoys having a few plants to care for, but doesn’t necessarily have a lot of time and energy to spend on their plants. It is true that some succulents are extremely picky about their care. But most cacti and succulents will thrive with plenty of sunshine and PLENTY of neglect. They are built to withstand drought more than any other stress, and can go for weeks without water. When they are under-watered, you have a long window of time to save them. On the other hand, you can kill them overnight with a single incident of over-watering.

2. ALL CACTI AND SUCCULENTS ARE CAPABLE OF GROWING FLOWERS. YES, ALL OF THEM.

Despite the wide variety of shapes and sizes of cacti and succulents, all of them have the capability to grow flowers at some point in their life cycle. However, flowers are a rare surprise for most plant owners, because conditions have to be exactly right for your plants to bloom. Making careful observations of the amounts of light and water your plant requires will increase your chances of seeing these beautiful rarities.

3. MOST CACTI AND SUCCULENTS CAN REGROW FROM ANY PART OF THE PLANT.

Propagation is the process of creating new plants. For most other types of plants, this can only be done once the plant has begun producing offsets (“babies” that grow at the base of the plant) or from specific parts of their stems or roots. Not so with most cacti and succulents. For many varieties, propagating is as easy as twisting a leaf off the stem, or cutting a stem from the plant. There are more detailed guides available to increase the likelihood of growing new, healthy plants, but the overall process is simple and fun, and the results are delightful.

Helpful links:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/.../flowering-succulent...
https://www.google.com/search...
https://succulentsbox.com/.../root-rot-treatment-for...
https://www.succulentsandsunshine.com/how-to-propagate.../