Welcome to this week’s edition of Gardening World. It’s all about Carlos ‘The Palm Guy’ and his ‘helpers’ (we never got to know their names, we’re not sure Carlos knows either). 

Leanne, Mary and Nance went with him earlier in the week to choose some nice plants at a random place just the other side of the main road. It’s not like it’s a nursery, it’s just his friend Augustino’s property and everything is for sale. Carlos speaks perfect english because he worked for 12 years in the US, but he is a man of few words and most of time you get a ‘yep’ in response to most questions. But he really knows his stuff and really cares about it. 

They planted a lot different things, some we picked up at local viveros, some ‘rescued’ from just outside our lot on the street. And now we have the start of a lovely desert garden.

The highlight was Sunday afternoon when we returned to the house to find Carlos’ truck stopped in the middle of the road, yards from our house with a massive date palm on the trailer - he was no where to be seen. He eventually returned and said that he had run out of gas - because someone had syphoned the gas out of his tank the night before! 

There followed a 3 hour job of manoeuvring the huge palm into the huge hole they had dug. It was a demonstration of old school technique, pivots, chains and pulleys - similar to what must have been used to construct the Aztec pyramids! The photos do not do it justice. But it was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Nance and Mary have gone on a 4 day kayaking trip to the islands, we will see them again on Thursday. More blog to come soon.

Hanging out at Augustino's place

Off we go with another agave

He's handsome devil, Carlos

The most expensive blue palm

Leanne pretending to help

Little helper 'Gaia' at the local nursery

Run out of gas...

Leanne pretending to help

Almost done - 3 hours later!