It's A Lifestyle Change Not A Diet

First, let me just say how very proud I am of our daughter Sonia Wilson.She and all our children make me proud for many reasons, each one for different reasons, but today I want to share the latest reason for pride: Sonia's ongoing success as she experiences a lifestyle change that ultimately is improving her health and subsequently changing her figure. That distinction is very important.   For years she has struggled with her weight and dealt with  health issues (migraines, kidney stones & gestational diabetes during both her pregnancies). She has dreamed about her figure from high school and

has always been a picky eater, trying many "diets"without success, but her weight never interfered in her happiness. She married a wonderful guy and has a beautiful family. 
 








Her discovery of Team Beachbody & Shakeology has really made a difference. As a mother of 2 with a busy career that involves a lot of travel, life was just, ........ exhausting. She knew she needed a healthier lifestyle and she found it.

What is Team Beachbody?  

It's not just "here's the stuff, good luck", it comes with a support team, coach, and accountability. Sonia has been involved in this for more than 45 days. She swears by it and says: I have never stuck with other programs, this one WORKS" The greatest value for her is more than the physical change, it's the lifestyle change, the increased energy and improved health. Even her 3 year old joins her for the workout when she is home. What a great time they have together. When she travels it is easy to take it with her and stay with it.
So of course I ask her, "What about us old foggies who have bad backs & arthritis?" WELL, it seems they have a program for us too. Take a look at this video -  PiYo Fitness

Sonia has been noticing a change in the way her clothes fit but on day 45 she got the courage to do another full length photo and this is what she discovered she has accomplished along with the increased energy & just feeling great-

Pretty impressive! They currently do not ship to Mexico, but she tells me as soon as they do, she'll be signing me up!! Could be fun! Sonia has reached Emerald Coach Status! You go girl! If you would like more information about Team Beachbody & Shakeology, I know this great coach who would be happy to share more information with you and be with you on your journey to better health & fitness. Email her sonia.wilson79@gmail.com

Self Propagating Gardens Part II

The next flowering plant that will reproduce on its own is one I call Dawn & Twilight Bloomer. 

The stem reminds me of the geranium family in that you can break off a branch at the ribbed joint, stick it in dirt and it will sprout roots & grow, but it also produces seeds (following a bloom), that will naturally fall to the ground to grow or you can harvest these seeds and plant elsewhere. As in my last post, all I do is spread them on the ground where I want them to grow. There is no need to do all that fancy potting & transplanting business. I just let mother nature do what she does best.

The seeds look like peppercorns (black & tan variegated). Most of them are solid black, but out of an estimated 25 seeds, one will be striped and be more oval. I do not know the meaning of this other than maybe there is a male & female plant. Yep, I make this stuff up as I go along, but wouldn't be surprised if I am right. The new seedlings look all the same regardless of whether it started from a black or striped seed. 

The new seedling germinate and its first few leaves will look like this.  They grow & bloom best in shady areas and around the base of larger plants than shade it. If they have something supporting them, like up against a wall they can get as tall as 3 feet and have a spread of 2 feet. 

Next blog (Part III), will be about creating new plants from a stem of an existing plant. So easy to do and you may never go to the nursery again to buy plants. Instead you may find yourself knocking on a neighbors door to ask if you can have a "clipping" of one of their plants. It's a common practice here in Central America.

Happy Gardening!

"Time in the garden, rejuvenates the earth & soul" 
Catherine Thomas March 2015

Everything You Need for a Beautiful Garden, Part I

Living in the tropics is a wonderland for gardeners, but I am beginning to believe that a beautiful garden can be had by anyone who looks closely at the plants that grow close to home. Developing a garden that reproduces itself is a gift from God. You don't need fancy plants from a nursery or to buy plants every year to fill the beds and this blog series will show you several examples of plants that are in my yard that self propagate. I mean think about it, how did the earth flourish without Home Depot Garden Center?
I am by no means an expert and have a simple common sense knowledge of gardening, but it works for me. Plants reproduce by way of seeds, roots and many will re-create themselves from just a section of a branch in the right environment. Lets look at flowering plants in my yard that reseed themselves and no I do not know their botanical names, all ya'll flower experts can do the identification if you like. Me, .... I call them what they look like to me.

This looks like a Zennia to me, but someone here called it a Marigold. Anyway, they can grow multi-colors on the same plant and are long lasting clipped & brought in for vase arrangements. They are beautiful in the yard and butterflies LOVE them, so if you like flowers that bring you butterflies plus can be used in cut flower arrangements this one is perfect. As the pollen is removed from the bloom, what's left will go through these stages: 

This is when the butterflies like it best. Note the mount in the middle, it produces the little yellow flowers that are like candy to butterflies. As they are all used up the petals then start to dry out as well as the mound in the middle as seen in the following 3 pictures

 

Petals fall off, center mound dries and starts to separate. At this point I clip it off and spread the seeds that are inside the mound where I want them to grow, Versus letting the wind carry them away. as in this last picture. 

I do not seed them in little pots or any of that silly stuff. They were designed to lay on the earth and with water & sun they sprout on their own. How much easier and just think, letting nature do what it was designed to do, .................. amazing!!!
Sometimes if I want to plant a whole bed of them I will pick the buds as the petals start to dry and put them in a little uncovered container on the porch until they are all dried and spread them in a large area all at once. I love how nature works! Oh & identifying the new sprouts is easy, just look closely at the leaves.
Full Grown

<Young plant

 <Seedling



Next in this series will be my "Morning/Evening Bloomers" NO I do not know what they are really called. Stay Tuned!!