Roses! Beautiful.
Imagine, no mildew in a rainforest!
I'd trade the roses for birth control...

Are these people safe from the borderless xateros?

Does this family utilize charcoal from their woodstove in the garden?
I saw a documentary on Terra Preta soils, from I believe Bolivia, where farmers incorporate charcoal into the soil.
Gaps in charcoal harbour beneficial organisms.
Plant growth tests have proven it increases plant vigor and yields.

Barb

Serious Belizean gardeners are as fanatic about their roses as we are about palms. I think it is a legacy of the British colonial heritage: a little bit of England in the jungle.
As for the Xateros, I hope so. This family once lived smack in the middle of the village but two years ago moved to the very edge to have a larger yard. (I can relate!) So, they might be at greater risk. However, there have not been any reports of the Xateros coming into the village. They live in the forest. So, his family is probably safe. His Xate palm plantation, less so. I worry about his safety when he goes to check on it.
I do not know about the charcoal. I'll ask him in March.
--Erik

his safety when he goes to check on it.

I can understand you're worried. A tenuous situation...

I goofed on the reference to terra preta...don't know WHY that term stuck with me.
That had nothing to do with charcoal.

Here's the link for charcoal/soil benefits for microorganisms:
http://africaclimate.org/2009/03/27/carbon-char-biochar-charcoal-in-soil-what-and-how-it-works/

Barb