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Published on Friday, August 4,
2023
There is a place on Route 142, between Tilarán and Rio Piedras, where Lake Arenal comes right up to a short stretch of road or the road drops down to the lake, it’s quite a road.
That stretch of road measures about 100 hundred meters or so, but what a road! You find yourself at the end of the lake farthest from the dam with a long view of Volcano Arenal.
You also find your gardening self with an opportunity, and what an opportunity it is. You see, the property on the hillside of the road is absolutely loaded with coconut palms.
Coconut palms are a blessing for so many reasons. The shade when they are smaller, the fruit with its milk, the oil they produce and that tasty topping of shredded coconut.
You can buy them, of course, but where’s the adventure in that? So, park your car and take a stroll on the lakeshore or scramble among the boulders to find your own.
You see, those coconut palms are seldom harvested. Instead, the fruit drops from the palms or is blown off in one of our storms. They careen across the road, bounce down the rocks (or get stuck in them) and hit the beach where conditions are perfect for them to send out the first tendril of roots.
It was about seven years ago when we found this stretch of beach while looking for pot shards. There are plenty of those if you know where to look. It was there that I discovered a coconut palm, its leaves already two feet tall! Forget the pot shards, I need this coconut.
It
was a hot day and humid but I squatted
down with my trusty trowel and started to
dig. And dig, and dig.
I was
down about a foot and a half,
chasing a tap root, when Metric Man
and our friend decided that is
enough. Reluctantly, I cut the root
and wrapped it around the fruit then
tucked it away in my pack. Then I
spotted another shoot up in the
boulders, leaves in the wind.
Naturally, that one joined the
first. While
the men continued the search for
archeological finds, I continued my
search for wayward palms. No palms
grow on the beach. Either they had
been scavenged or the ebb and flood
of the lake had washed them away so
I didn’t feel guilty about rescuing
them. By the time our water – and
muscles – had given out, I had
collected five coconut palms, most
with only tiny roots. I had my
treasures. We
planted them in a lovely patch of
ground below the house. I only wish
someone had told me about the
coconut palm beetle. But that's a
discussion for another day. 
Plant
of the week. I don’t normally grow
succulents but I had an idea...
Anyway, I found this one at the
local feria and decided that I had
the perfect place for it, a spot
with rough highly aerated
soil. I liked
the plant because it was already
growing a baby—nothing like getting
a two-for-one deal. Now, ask me what
its name is, I dare you. I have one
book on succulents, only one, and
it’s not in there. Nor did the
lovely lady who sold it to me know
the name and the internet search was
hopeless. I am
guessing an Echeveria but I
don’t really know so it’s up to you.
If you can name it, drop me a line.
Thanks! -------------
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