Long time readers of this blog know that Mary and I moved to this one-story home a few blocks from our first home in San Clemente (a three story home) after the earthquake in April 2016. We thought about living here when we first came to Ecuador in 2011, but the large yard and huge house seemed like it would be more than we needed and we passed on this home then. By the time the quake hit we were much more settled (with five years worth of accumulated “stuff”) and the fact that this home had no second story made it appeal to us that much more. We moved in and have not regretted it for one day.
The large yard had some plants and even some grass in the eastern half of the front yard and untold potential in the rest of the yard. The projects began! This first picture shows Norgio and Daniel Zambrano delivering the kitchen island we had Daniel build to make better use of the huge kitchen. But the reason it is included in this post is to show some of the undeveloped area behind them across the western half of the front yard and corner. There were a few plants in pots, little lawn, an old work table, some concrete blocks, and boards in that area.
I tried to take a picture from the porch showing that same angle this morning, but the screen now there blurs the shot. You can see a similar angle from the ground level after the blurry one from the porch.
Mary and I made several nursery runs and brought home many plants over the years, but the ones in this corner were almost entirely purchased and planted within the last two years. We are extremely happy with the progress of the nursery plants, but this post is about volunteers. A type of impatien flower grows wild around our town and these little beauties have moved into our yard.
They start out innocently enough wherever an errant seed may be dropped by a bird or deposited by the wind.
The seeds do not know if they have landed in a flower bed, a walkway, or (in the case of the second flower above) a new fire pit! They simply follow an adage my mom used to have on a refrigerator magnet that said, “Bloom Where You’re Planted”
Once one of these little impatiens get a foothold (or root hold) they immediately start dropping more seeds and a single flower becomes an unplanned flower bed in mere weeks.
Mary and I have a difference of opinion regarding gardens. I like organized set borders and plants arranged neatly in a row, basically working on the adage that, “A weed is a plant out of place.” Mary prefers wild flower propagation more on the, “Bloom where you are planted” theory. Parts of our yard show both theories.
Notice my side of the yard (on the left) as opposed to the wild side!
But, one day, if left totally unchecked, I believe the entire yard will be filled to overflowing with impatiens.
Years ago I lived in a suburb of St. Paul, Minnesota. I went out one morning to get to my company car and could not budge open the screen door. Apparently the wind had ripped the falling snow form the night before into a six or seven foot drift right in front of my screen door. I had to go around through the garage to dig my way to the front door. One of these days I may find my passage blocked by impatiens that have grown up around the door. Not to worry – I have a machete and will free us from the floral imprisonment!
On a more serious note – Many of you have perhaps heard that Ecuador has been especially hard hit by the Corona Virus. The country reacted to the first infections by imposing travel bans, curfews, and virtual quarantines in houses for all residents. Some areas widely disregarded the restrictions and those areas are now heavily infested with virus victims. Other areas (like our little village) responded appropriately and we have been (so far) spared severe consequences. So, Yes, Mary and I are in quarantine! But, we get to do it here where…
Life is good in (our corner of) Ecuador!
Hi John and Mary. Thanks for the post and Virus update. Luz and I were supposed to fly down on the 20th and spend a month at our house by the canoes. Looks like it might not happen for awhile now. I would rather be quarantined in San Clemente than here in Westminster, Ca. Take care, be safe and say hello to Bruce Montcreif(?) and Marshall if you run into them.
Gary
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Gary, you are probably right that being quarantined here is preferable to Orange County, CA, but the problem would be getting here. You would need to fly through Guayaquil or Quito and both of those spots are hot with the virus. Best to stay put and let this blow over. I think Bruce is in the US right now. If I see either him or Marshal I will relay your hellos.
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Beautiful yard and I just love the flowers!
Such a wonderful time to wake up each day to a Paradise of Flowers.
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Thank you, JoAnn. We are so blessed. Stay safe, my friend.
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Good to hear things are somewhat under control in your village. I can report the same up here in a ‘suburb’ of St Paul. And last week’s snow has melted and the nurseries are open so people can buy Impatients. Stay Safe.
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Glad to hear it Don. I lived for five years in Burnsville, but the kids went to Apple Valley schools (we were on the cusp). It does stay cold a bit longer there than in the rest of the country. Stay safe!
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My thoughts and prayers are with you. I’m happy to hear that the virus seems to be under control in your area and hope that it remains so. So many places in the US are suffering because of this terrible illness. I hope we all can do our part to ensure that it does not get exponentially worse. Seeing the lovely pictures of your yard puts life in perspective for me. Mother Earth will care for all her creatures. May God bless you and keep you well.
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You are so right. Half an hour a day minimum spent in the yard will make any day worth while and get things into the proper perspective. We are so blessed to have the yard and be able to listen to birds each day. Life is good!
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Hi there, Glad you are back with your blog. I think your impatients are vincas.
greetings, Donna Przybylek
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I think you are right about the flowers being vincas. Someone else told me that too, but everyone around here calls them impatiens and it would ruin my creative title if I had to change it. Maybe, “It takes no Thinka to grow a Vinca” (No, that needs work) Whatever they are called, they sure do grow well and add a lot of color to the yard.
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