I should have taken “before” pictures, but I only took “after” pictures. This vine in the grape family (VITACEAE) grows very quickly with the tropical downpours of the rainy season in Chiang Mai. It sends down roots that make the “curtain”. After 50 days away from home, the curtain had almost completely covered the entrance. So I tied back the “roots” and used some nylon rope and propped it up with bamboo.

I’m hoping the Bali curtain will cover the entire roof. I probably need to get a sprinkler system set up up there first. You can see the rose bush and ornamental ginger plants poking out of the green giant that covers the front porch of the house. A green barrier! We do appreciate our privacy!

Imagine walking under this at night with the vines all in your face. I did not have the courage to do so after a rain, even with my umbrella, for fear of snakes. I had to clear a path.

I think it cleaned up pretty nicely.

This is the walkway all cleaned up.

The jasmine flower was creeping out too, so I propped it up with some bamboo.

I spoke yesterday in (on? at?) a webinar about how to boost your career with your blog. I spoke about a different personally-branded blog. Until that webinar, I had forgotten about this site for the last 3 or 4 months because of work and travel. But I really do want my career to be closer to the earth and in a garden. I’m wondering about how I can market some of the plants that I grow in the garden. Perhaps I can turn www.urbanmicrogarden.com into the commercial arm of this www.urbanmicrogarden.org site.

I could sell aqueous solutions of bali curtain, which, according to Wikipedia have anti-lipemic and hypoglycemic effects. Anybody interested? The medical marvels in my garden astound me!

Well, back to environmental report writing…my paying work (for now). Dreams of financial independence in a lovely garden can come true, right?