Aechmea chantinii - A Bromeliad of Distinction

Bromeliads require very little soil or none at all to grow. Actually the roots are for attachment of the plants to surfaces. They can then be planted in tiny pots with no ill effects. This is unlike most container plants in the tropics which have to be grown in large pots to counter water loss. The flowers are gorgeous and last like forever.

 

An Aechmea chantinii in full bloom is a sight to behold.

 

The flower bud wrapped up mummy-like gives little indication of the blooming beauty that it will one day transformed into.

 

The dramatic scarlet bracts unfurled to reveal several spikes of red-yellow flowers. The stiff upright leaves have silvery horizontal bands, giving it the moniker of Amazonian Zebra Plant. Thorns are found along the edge the leaves.

The flower which is single need not envy the thorns that are numerous -Rabindranath Tagore

Dark coloured fruits are formed at the ends of some flowers. Propagation is easily achieved with suckers which sprout easily from the base of plants after flowering.

During the day several common garden snails such as the one above can be seen nestling in the plant's depths. The whorls of upright leaves formed a fortress of thorns protecting it. I actually gave up trying to pick it out as the snail's conical shape does not allow for a good grip and the thorns pierced my hand. I have to wait for nightfall to complete the job. 

At dusk this snail emerged to forage for food. This is the time to handpick it.

It moved down the length of the leaf and also did some crossovers to other leaves.

Ouch, ouch ... here it is performing its feat. Whoever says that scattering broken eggshells to deter snails have not come across this thick-soled mollusc.

These vivious looking thorns are actually very hard and sharp. I have actually comtemplated on tossing this bromeliad into the compost bin each time I got stabbed by the thorns.

 As this Aechmea chantinii was planted next to a clump of Mother-in-law's tongue (Sansievara trifasciata), it decided to cross over to that too.

 After crossing the saw-toothed edge of the Aechmea chantinii, the edge of Mother-in-law's tongue (Sansievara trifasciata) is just a piece of cake.

Snails are literally crawling all over my garden and even on my porch. One even have the audacity to explore my plant cutter. It probably wanted to supplement its diet with some iron.

Posted from Cork, Ireland (I'm on a one-month sojourn in Ireland for the whole month of October)

The Grasshopper and the Ants

The Ant and the Grasshopper (Project Gutenberg etext 19994)

The fable of The Ant and the Grasshopper, is attributed to Aesop. The grasshopper frolicked and had much merriment all summer while the ants kept busy preparing for winter. The moral of the story is diligence and preparation. On the other hand it has often being quoted that “Some folks are so busy laying up for a rainy day that they cannot enjoy good weather”.

This grasshopper was an unexpected guest. He landed on the computer table right in front of me, basking in the limelight (the colourful light is from the monitor) instead of working. Tsk, tsk ... But as Mark Twain famously said, “Diligence is a good thing, but taking things easy is much more restful”

He was a teeny weeny thingy but has a big apetite for city lights and stayed motionless in the same spot, a perfect model for my shutterbugging. This vainglory trait in him proved to be his undoing as he finally ended up as a delightful mid-nite snack for Pickles the hedgehog. Pickles was extremely pleased to have this delicacy which was such a welcome change from her usual sanitised diet of hedgy or canine food pellets.
A tinge of guilt crossed me as I tossed him into Pickles 's food platter but then I rationalised that in the big scheme of things, the law of the jungle, "survival of the fittest" rules. To survive he should have the gumption to get out of the predicament. There was a big window of opportunity since at the time Pickles was still catching up on her beauty sleep.

Tabernaemontana orientalis

On the other hand, the ants were busy gathering and storing in preparation for a rainy day. A simple lesson but yet so insightful. The Gen Y born with silver spoons in their mouths should heed this. I observe that most of them live like they is no tomorrow. As the Greek Philosopher Aristotle observed way back in 300 BC, and still very relevant today, "The young have exalted notions, because they have not been humbled by life or learned its necessary limitations; moreover, their hopeful disposition makes them think themselves equal to great things—and that means having exalted notions."

Some like the nectar and pollen of the whites while others prefer the reds (I can't identify this flower) Whatever their choice there is plenty for them in my little garden of Eden.

Aechmea Chantinii (Bromeliad)

Bigger, darker and aggressive-looking ants tend to seek out the more flamboyant blooms of the bromeliad to hoard up on their food supplies. These showy flowers last for months and always bring a bright spot of colour to the garden. The variegated leaves are thick but edged with viscious thorns, I suppose as a form of protection for its precious bounty. Propagation is simple enough; I started off with one but now there is a huge bunch of them.