Pride and Papaya

I have wanted to take a photo similar to this one for some time now, but didn't want to face the shame of having to explain it. Upon further reflection as to what the heck else I am going to do today I decided to face the music. Here follows the long version ,sorry there is no short version but it comes down to how much free time I really do have.

When we first got here I went to a nursery and bought three huge tropical houseplants (here they are called "plants" and grow everywhere.) I also ended up buying a six-foot lime tree and a small, one-foot papaya tree. I got all of these for less than $20.00.

I eventually got the lime tree into the ground; after breaking our shovel, getting it replaced and almost breaking it again. There are a lot of big rocks in our front yard. I didn't get the papaya in quick enough and by the time it was planted it was doomed and died a week or so later.

Meanwhile, we noticed that there was another one foot or less papaya tree (pictured above, now standing a proud six feet or so) growing wild in our back yard. The thing grows at least six inches a week. My plan was to take a photo standing next to our trees to show how quickly they grow, but alas, one is dead and the other doesn't seem to be growing as quickly as the guy at the nursery said it would. Nonetheless I will swallow my pride and continue to take regular pictures of the wild, un-nurtured papaya tree that I can't really claim as my own (I will be claiming the fruit from this tree as my own however.)

I have also been trying to grow fruits and vegetables in big pots but without much success. I am however much better at growing things when I dig a hole in the yard and bury compost. Right now there are a few large-ish watermelon plants that have started to flower (and between the time I started this post the other day and now, a small fruit has developed - see photo below). There are also four mango trees in the middle of our driveway strip (obviously they will have to be moved before the end of the week or we won't be able to park our car near the house), a number (a very large number) of yet to be identified plants throughout the yard in the various compost holes and at least a hundred papaya starts making their own little lawn in one corner of the yard.