Sunday, June 30, 2013

Hanging baskets Dominican style


One of the things I loved most about England in the summer time were the hanging baskets.


I used to have them at the front and back of the house, and if you went to a country pub you were always guaranteed to see them hanging in a row all along the outside.



I mentioned to husband it would be nice to have some here and I explained exactly what they were. Always keen to please he sorted them out whilst I was cooking lunch, and proudly yelled at me to go and see them in the garden.


Not exactly what I was thinking of. The garden is now littered with halves of plastic Gatorade and Coca Cola bottles nailed into every available tree. Instead of overflowing with bizzy lizzy, pansies and fuschia, each one has a tomato plant in it. The other tomatoes are growing like topsy and we are currently picking a few pounds each day. No idea what I will do with them all and now I am going to have even more. I have handed them out to all of the neighbours, although one lady came around a couple of days ago and I told her to go and help herself. She advised me she couldn't as she was menstruating. I was most confused and asked if that made her allergic to tomatoes maybe? She replied that not at all but if she touched the tomato plant whilst in her current condition it would wither and die. She was surprised I did not know that.

Unfortunately for me, the Dominicans seem to be winning the garden wars, and Hector’s corn is double the height of mine. I also have a sneaking suspicion that there is sabotage going on. Just look at the Dominican pumpkin here.


And remember my lovely American butternut squash.


Now look at it.


From big and healthy with loads of flowers, to a heap of shriveled stalks .I have no idea what happened, or why, so I have planted some more which I will guard day and night. Maybe the neighbour who wouldn't pick the tomatoes touched it by accident?

11 comments:

  1. Hi Lindsay, at least your husband is being eco-friendly hanging basket. Never heard the menstruating/gardening rule for women in USA. I believe it is just an excuse to keep away from doing field chores on those days.

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  2. Hahaha ... haven't heard an Old Wives Tale for a while.

    I think your hanging baskets look splendid. All you need are some pink geraniums and blue lobelia and you've cracked it! :)

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    1. Yes they need something which will cover them up and dangle.

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  3. Italian family I lived with did not bottle wine while the wife had her period. No mensturating women allowed near the wine or it would sour.
    Lindsay have you tried making fried squash flowers? Or squash flower soup. Wonderful Mexican recipes.

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    1. Goodness re sour wine! I would love to make squash flower soup so will wait until the next ones grow - assuming they do.

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  4. My mother in rural U.S. could not can tomatoes when she had her period and no other female who was having her period could enter the kitchen.

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    1. Really? I had no idea rural US was the same as here. Nice to know it is not just Dominicans though.

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  5. Recycled hanging bottles - great idea :-) Love the old wives tales - wonder how that came about??!!

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    1. No idea Kym - the list of old wives tales here is endless, but they are all still totally believed especially here in the countryside settlements. I caught Hector the gardener putting brown sugar and honey in his eye yesterday to cure his conjunctivitis, and if you open the fridge when you are hot and sweating or after ironing, you are sure to drop dead on the spot.

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  6. Thanks for sharing, nice post!

    Phục vụ cho nhu cầu vận chuyển hàng hóa bắc nam bằng đường sắt ngày càng lớn, dịch vụ vận chuyển ô tô bằng đường sắt và vận tải, gửi hàng hóa gửi xe máy bắc nam bằng tàu hỏa bằng đường sắt cũng đã xây dựng nên những qui trình, dịch vụ vận chuyển container lạnh bắc nam chuyên nghiệp và có hệ thống. Đảm bảo mang đến chất lượng tốt nhất cho khách hàng sử dụng dịch vụ.

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