Reflections Of An Aspiring Gardener

I have yet to experience all the wonderful things that gardeners share on line.  The invaluable stories of experts as well as beginners get me so much inspired that I can't read enough of them.  The pictures they post are amazing.  They talk about managing and appreciating their to-go place to de-stress and  to commune with nature.  

Eating alfresco conjures a unique ambiance, an atmosphere that no interior space can match.   Whether it's an informal barbecue with family or a more elegant adult dinner, dining in the garden will provide a setting for memorable occasions. 

One gardener mentioned that the whole world should also get to enjoy the tradition of Mediterranean countries; they pick veggies from the garden to cook and eat the same outside, thus linking the dining room and garden. 

Another gardener said that an edible garden nurtures the five senses; come to think of it, she's right.  

Though our garden is small, I enjoy this landscape, especially when I see healthy plants.  I look up and see the beautiful blue sky and the stars at night. 

I smell the scent of leaves ( flowers are limited as yet) as well as the earth and grass.  

I touch the velvety leaves and feel the smooth grass when I go barefoot. I touch the soil when I plant and feel the gentle breeze. 

I hear the rustle of the leaves as they are moved by the breeze and the crackle when they fall.  

Lastly, I savor the taste of the herbs' flavorings when I use them in cooking and the crunch of the fresh veggies in my salad. 

Someone expressed  his ambivalence whether to prevent natural elements touch his plants or just let go and allow nature (the interaction of plants and other live elements) to take its course.  Another gardener shared his awareness and acceptance that plants are living things too, and that they have a will of their own; hence they behave the way they want to no matter what and how gardeners want their gardens to be. 

I learned that like any other art, gardening too,  has history and culture as manifested  by plants that our ancestors cultivated.  History proved that they brought along seeds and twigs of plants as they migrated from one place to another; and their methods of cooking and food preservation were passed down through the generations.

The brother-in-law in Vancouver, the backyard gardener I was referring to earlier says that the grass along with the plants combined exude so much oxygen that bring about a healthy environment.  I didn't even realize that grass do that except the calming effect they provide. 

Such stories and insights really take gardening to a higher level; beyond just enjoying the scene and expecting harvest.  As a new gardener I am still in the stage where my perception is more on the view, I like to see order and healthy growing plants.  Most of all, it gives me so much pleasure to cut off some leaves for our salad.  I can't wait for fruits to grow and mature. 

My husband though an engineer, is not new in this field.  He had been exposed to gardening earlier that aside from design and order, he is  concerned with soil treatment, sunlight and watering requirements. He was brought along to extensively observe gardening  in Bangkok and Chiangmai, Thailand by  a professor at the university of Kassetsart who is responsible for the King's gardens.  

This blog is full of text, I'd like to insert some refreshing pictures like these citrus trees, the lemon  and calamansi which are presently my favorites.

Look closely at the white parts, they're all flowers. They're at the ends of the twigs. 

From this calamansi, I already picked two fruits to make shrimp paste dip for fried fish. 

Hopefully with those shared insights along with my own up coming gardening experience,  I will develop a better appreciation and a deeper understanding of the art of gardening. 

Our Edible Backyard Garden Brings Joy!

The joy of creating an edible backyard garden or any garden for that matter is not only seeing it's completion but in the doing.  Don't people often say that  

"It's not the destination, but the journey"? 

The hard work and back pains doesn't matter, really!  One garden aficionado said that gardeners should have a steel backbone to survive the bending, squatting and the hard work.  But I wouldn't like that though, and I have a good chiropractor if things get out of hand. 

 Every leaf that grows is a delight;  every flower that opens gives us great satisfaction.  Every new plant or feature we incorporate makes us appreciate our garden more.  Finally, it is beginning to evolve into a cozy retreat and it is starting to bring food on the table.

We made two major moves this week.  Now we can say goodbye to puddle and muddy walkways! 

It has been raining quite a lot recently and we observed some "ponding" because rainwater don't flow freely down the drain.  We studied the terrain and pinpointed the spots where rainwater is trapped, so we created a natural drainage system. 

We dug narrow canals and covered them with stones in 7 different colors that simulate river rocks.  When it rains water flows like in a stream, the stones help slow down the flow and filters the soil preventing erosion. 

We decided to put grass and stepping stones with bricks on walkways and the spaces between plots.   This is how it looks now.  In two weeks the grass will look like a velvet blanket just like our front yard. 

That's our tiny house, a shed actually that we use for storage. 

Notice the plant on the right?  That's the newly planted sour sap.  See it up close below.

My next challenge is filling up corners and empty spaces with edible ground covers.  I want every corner to be eye catching and every plant groupings looking like a bouquet.   Experts  say that the best choice for ground cover is herbs; mint and oregano being on top of the list since they  are easy to propagate even in shady spots. 

Look at my ginger patch!  Why not a cabbage patch?  Well, early on  I've noticed that I keep buying ginger root for cooking and in making ginger tea.  We boil ginger slices in water whenever we have sore throat, cough or colds. 

Look at the bell pepper seedlings!  We sun-dried seeds from fruit we used for cooking and scattered them about on this plot.

Soon this long empty plot on the right will be filled with bell peppers.  My husband has more plans for this plot so it will not be limited to bell peppers. I'm sure he can find a partner or two for the peppers; let's wait and see. 

There are still a lot of things  we want to do in this garden to make it more productive and attractive. I'm doing a lot of readings and I welcome tried and tested suggestions. We'll keep you posted on our progress.

Happy garden day, everyone!

My Ginger Patch: A Part Of Our Edible Backyard Garden

Do you know that ginger is not cheap?  I think it is understandable since I learned that it would take 8-10 months or even a year before it can generate a good harvest.

I've been trying to grow ginger for the longest time because it is an essential ingredient in cooking.   We also boil it in water and drink the juice when we have sore throat, cough or colds and has proven worth the trouble in most instances. 

I like the luxury of just plucking a piece of ginger root from the garden whenever I miss buying it from the market.  It frustrates me to find that I run out of supply when I need it most.  That's why I've been planting ginger in pots in like forever with minimal success.  The leaves grow tall but when I pull it out, the roots are only as big as my thumb. 

That was before I read The Rainforest Garden blog of Steve Asbell "how to grow ginger from root bought at the supermarket" 

This is my ginger patch. Honestly, this is an instant patch. Why?

Well, I had this pot of ginger all along which I planted several months back.

Notice that the roots did not grow big because it was cramped in that tiny pot and something must be wrong with the soil as well.

Then I had these roots which I just pushed into a pot of soil two weeks ago and green tips came about. 

I transplanted all these on my plot and voila! Instant ginger patch. 

But I had to go through the process of preparing the plot properly according to Steve Asbell.

I sterilized the soil by burning dry leaves on top to eliminate worms and other harmful elements that may damage the ginger.  I gathered dried leaves and mixed with some paper to burn. 

Burning the leaves on the plot

This shows the ashes after burning. 

Next I had to make the sticky soil porous by adding and mixing thoroughly coconut fiber and rice hull to make the soil loose. This will ensure that the roots can grow freely, otherwise, their growth will be stifled. 

This plot is ready for planting. 

In spite having an instant ginger patch, I still want to propagate ginger the Steve Asbell's way; let's start with the roots bought from the market.  I chose the firm and fleshy ones with tips showing on the edges though they're no yet green

Ginger soaked in warn water overnight to stimulate the roots and remove excess chemicals should there be any

I put these soaked root on a bed of moist coconut fiber to germinate in a warm place until the green tips grow into leaves.  This indicates that it is time to plant them on the ground or in pots.  Allow ample spaces between the roots to grow freely. 

 While the roots grow bigger, I can make use of some leaves.  Placed inside the fish when I steam or broil brings a unique flavor and freshness to the fish.  Hopefully after 8 months, I can look forward to a great harvest.  Wish me luck? 

Our Edible Garden Is Coming Together

Our backyard is a pleasurable learning oasis.   As we are working to make our garden going; making it attractive and productive, I am learning more about plants through readings as well as from hands on experience.  In the process, we do not only have a haven for relaxation that produces food but a pre-occupation that is both therapeutic and rewarding. It allows us to live closer to the rhythm of nature. 

Some may feel that gardening is too ordinary, is too much work or even boring.  One is likely to ask: "where's the fun there?". 

But what if it promises a beautiful retreat that provides food on the table?

I didn't like gardening earlier during my grade school even though I grew up seeing my Papa planting fruit trees and lovely ornamentals.  I thought gardening as a subject in school was a waste of time, a time better spent learning math and literature. 

But times have changed and so is my perspective.  Now I love to garden and I'm excited.   As we incorporate plants and other elements in our backyard, I feel like I'm decorating the garden as I do in the interiors.  I enjoy moving around a pot or two, trying to figure out where and what plants to be placed directly in the ground and shopping for edible plants that could enhance the look of the place.  

Most important too, is eating fresh organic produce from the garden, a novelty nowadays since organic food is not cheap and not everyone can afford them unless they plant themselves. 

It is our love for the outdoors and a passion for gardening that prompted us to turn our backyard into an edible garden.  Earlier in this project, my husband put the initial parameters of the area;  lined two plots with bricks to grow leafy vegetables.

Here are the lettuce seedlings that were transplanted on this second plot. 

Inspired by my husband's enthusiasm,  I thought I'd make my own plot where I planted the stalks of the lowly kangkong (water spinach) and camote (yam) stems after getting the tops and leaves for our viand. 

Notice the lemon grass along the wall.

After two weeks we harvested enough mustard and  kangkong leaves for our fish broth.  It was delicious (maybe only to us) and we saved a few pesos.  Well, not much really but soon that will add up, right?  Besides, it's a pleasure to eat freshly picked veggies that come directly from our garden; its freshness is something even a supermarket or local farmers market couldn't match.

I'd  say at this point that our backyard garden is coming together beautifully.  We are in the process of filling up spaces.  Look at the lemon grass I placed along the wall, just behind our sitting area.  I love the citrusy flavor of lemon grass in marinades and dishes; mosquitoes also abhor the smell, so they don't go near us while we're under the shade. 

Below is my kamias tree that will eventually produce abundant fruits even along its trunk. It's future fruits would provide the sour taste of our fish or meat broth; (no need to buy tamarind bouillon anymore).  They could also be made into preserves. 

Recently, I've been looking for a practical as well as attractive ground cover.  One brother-in-law in Vancouver who is a backyard gardener himself saw my earlier blog and suggested we put grass in between plots for a cleaner look.  Well,  I've thought of that too, but then I wanted to check out other options since I am trying to avoid the chore of cutting the grass regularly; a time I'd rather spend tending the edibles.  I figured that a mix of predominantly stones, some edible ground covers and minimal grass would be more practical and will conserve water as well.

So far, here's what we've been up to this week.  Do you like the contrast of the while stones against the bricks?  We'll see if grass and more stones of a different color and size would cover the rest of the ground between plots. 

While searching for edible ground covers I learned that some herbs will do just that,  oregano and mint being the easiest to propagate.  I think I'll do patches of them around. 

I'd like to have at least three varieties of citrus trees.  Though they would eventually grow into trees, I believe that we will be able temper their height so as not to crowd the space.  These two are my latest acquisitions.

                 Calamansi

            Lemon tree

    I didn't know that the lemon flower is pink. 

     I am excited to see the fruits turn yellow                                 

Hopefully, I can make them bear plenty of fruits, I like to have lime as well so I'll scout for one soon.  Right now, I'm still debating whether to plant these two on the ground or keep them in the pots.  

Citrus makes everything brighter, their hanging fruits will make any garden special along with the fragrance of their blooming flowers.  Just a slice or two of lime and/or lemon will freshen up drinking water and is even known to have some health benefits.  Squeezing the juice makes a healthy and refreshing beverage, not to mention their use in salads and marinades.  I put citrus leaves inside the fish when I broil and it enhances the flavor.

I know that gardening is always a work in progress but I can't wait to see our garden come together completely.   Every night, I "plant-dream",  I'm always thinking that I'm doing the process of planting, tending, fixing.  I'm also contemplating what more I can do.  Imagine an athlete doing "armchair rehearsal", mentally going through his routine in his mind.  Yes!  that's exactly what I do every night.  Can you believe such enthusiasm?

Someone said that "the gardener's pleasure and reward is to sit, enjoy a drink and appreciate the view". I can say that as early as now, we are already enjoying our reward. 

Dinner From A Food Truck

I made a post on Facebook about our Sunday early dinner from a food truck two weeks ago and I thought that was the end of it.   While I anticipated many likes, I was surprised that it drew many opinions as well that tickled my interest to make a blog out of it. 

That afternoon, my husband asked me to go to a supermarket and check out what's being offered for afternoon snacks.  I had no idea what he had in mind but I just went along.  I realized early on that maybe he didn't know what he wanted to eat as well, otherwise he would have brought me to one of the restaurants in the neighborhood. Usually the supermarkets have food booths at the entrance and when my husband looked around, most llikely he has not found what he was looking for. 

Inside the supermarket, we bought chips, to eat with our homemade salsa.  I thought that the  chips did not seem appealing enough after all. As we derived back home, he said: 

"let's check out the food trucks".

There were a variety of enticing food:  porchetta, BBQ, chicken wings and bagnet (deep fried pork belly); there were even an assortment of rice toppings.  There's also finger foods like cheese and fish sticks, chicken fingers, fries, sausages, etc..  We chose the beef and lamb shawarma in pita bread.  It was nice, the wrap was soft, the meat tender and the trimmings fresh.  It was a good dinner for me. 

I made a post on Facebook afterwards and got several likes, most comments were telling of their experiences buying from a food truck,  some of them expressed their intention to try it sometime.   My sister in Florida comented:

"That's what we call 'coach, coast' here".   

One good friend and a relative as well however was surprised that I wanted to buy from a food truck;  she must have thought that it's like buying from street vendors.  She wondered too why I want to get my dinner from there. 

"I can't imagine you eating from a food truck", she commented. 

"why not?", I replied.   "The food is good, they are recipes concocted by professional chefs who must have tested public acceptability".   I knew this relative from childhood we went our separate ways later. We just re-connected with her on Facebook, so I said further:

"I believe we don't know each other as adults, i must tell you that I'm not a snob and I like ordinary things and enjoy simple pleasures". 

Back to the food truck: 

We learned that there are several places to catch theses food trucks in town and the one nearest us is relatively new.  We observed that the atmosphere is informal but the crowd was decent, a good place to bring the family; in fact most of the crowd were families. 

"Check out if there's anything our granddaughter would like here so we can bring her over on the weekend", my husband said. 

I went around and I ended up taking pictures of the food trucks so I'll remember what to tell our granddaughter.  The other outlets were not trucks though, they had tents.

There were a lot of offerings our granddaughter would love; the chicken fingers, fish sticks and potato wedges with dips as well as the pasta. She will also like the tacos and the wraps. 

Unfortunately, it has been raining regularly in the afternoons and early evenings that the food trucks have not opened for business. 

Father And Son Bond

Saturday is by far one of the most quiet days in my neighborhood.  Most of the cars are at home along with their owners who are probably catching up on sleep.  But the bikes were out for the early birds who want to exercise. 

I've changed my routine this last week, I now walk in the morning since it rains in the afternoon.   Early on, I thought that walking in the morning would make me tired and sleepy that I won't have the energy to supervise my store.  But I was wrong, in fact I feel more energized and very much awake after taking a shower. 

Photo by zero creatives/ Getty images

This morning, I saw a father and son enjoying their bicycle ride; the boy was around seven years old; both were in their complete biking gear.   His dad was doing a manageable pace but the boy worked on his pedals double time and was logging behind by a meter or two.  His expression couldn't hide his joy and pride that he wasn't left behind.   They passed by me twice and this scene touched me so. 

I recall when our son and two girls were around that age, my husband got them a bicycle each.  Their grandpa was  always there on weekends to encourage them to bike on their own sans the balancer.  

"I thought that grandpa was holding my back so I don't fall, but then when I looked back, I realized I was doing it on my own", my older daughter said.  

There was no problem with our son for he is sports savvy, he learned easily after my husband gave him the basics. 

One summer when our granddaughter turned eight, we bought her a bike.  She wanted a fragile pink one so much, she was insistent to get it but my husband said that it won't last and put his foot down on a more sturdy one. 

"Did you have a bike mama?", my granddaughter asked her mom.

"Yes!  My bike was red and the brand was B-M-X."

"Really? I had forgotten that", I told my self, but the children remember. 

Walking further down the street, I saw another father and son,  washing the car, the boy was around nine in my estimate;  they were talking and smiling but I couldn't hear them since I was a bit far, but It looked like they were having fun. 

I thought: 

"There are so much activities to do with children if only one has the imagination and the willingness to take time to bond with them.  These are things they would remember and will forever cherish in their lifetime.  

Picture from pinterest

I believe that our son is very much aware of this, that on weekends and holidays, he starts the day playing with his one-and-a-half-year-old son;  urging him to play with his toys.  After breakfast he would bring him by the pool to walk or at the botanical garden.  When his  bath and nap are over, they often go swimming at the American club.  

I'm sure that my son is enjoying this much more than his son right now,  his son being too young to recall this later in his life, but the bonding is established.

From what I recall, my husband did the same as well.  Aside from teaching our son to bike, he was patient to drive him to his swimming lessons.  They also biked to the next village to buy bike accessories since there's where the only store with such during those days.  

One summer, my husband decided to manage the neighborhood basketball team after we found him one day asleep on the coach, tired going around the neighborhood with his buddies soliciting contribution for the participation fee, as was the tradition. 

"That's it, I'll take care of the fee", he told me. Then he rounded up the kids, giving them pep talks and coaching them, though his ultimate goal was to encourage our son in sports.   

After that summer our son gained so much confidence in sports that he became the star in his high school basketball team and upon graduation, he was awarded best in sports as well as the champion in debate.

When he started working, father and son used to play golf on Saturdays.  Later on, during our 25th wedding anniversary, he said in his speech: 

"Dad, you did not only teach me the game of golf but the game of life".  Wow! That was surely heart-warming. 

As I turned on the next street towards home, there's always this elderly lady walking on her cane.  As I greeted her today like I always do whenever I meet someone in the street; 

"where do you live again?", she would always ask.

"Oh, just around the corner", I'd answer back. 

As I got  back home, I wrote this while enjoying my coffee in the backyard.  That's one bonus whenever I walk; ideas hit me and I couldn't wait to get home to write them. 

Our Backyard Is A Calming Oasis

The on-line advice in dealing with backyards is to first identify it's purpose before even attempting to do anything.  I believe that  my husband and I have no doubt about what we wanted out of it;  we do agree in developing an outdoor entertainment area principally for ourselves and also for family and friends whenever they come to visit.   We love eating and drinking coffee alfresco.  At the same time we can indulge in our passion for gardening. 

Now that the basics of our outdoor living area and storage shed are completed, our next step is to integrate all of these into the garden. We intended to make it a safe haven where we can relax and focus on what truly matters.  It should not only be a calming oasis but a productive one as well. 

Just this week, we put a brick flooring under the mango tree for a sitting area. 

Here we are enjoying our morning coffee right after our walk.  Notice our griller on our right.  

Later I even brought out my oatmeal for breakfast at the same place. 

We love the outdoors;  but we are not the adventurous type who love hiking in the woods; climbing mountains or canoeing in the river.  For us, just  being outdoors; breathing in fresh air and feeling the gentle breeze is already pure indulgence. 

Ten years ago, we bought a farm which is 3 hours away from the metro.  We thought that we could fulfill our dream of creating a garden for our favorite vegetables and ornamentals and subsequently reap "the fruit of our labor" literally that is; eat our produce and enjoy the ambiance.  For practical reasons however, we didn't like the 3-hour commute so we junked the idea and sold the land.  

But our passion for gardening never left us.  In spite the limited space, we found the possibility of doing it in our small backyard.  We realized that it is even a bonus to have the garden right here at home where we can enjoy it 24/7.  The challenge though is incorporating everything we want in a limited area without cramping the yard; so much so that every square inch of space is premium.   

We intend to put only edible plants;  the leaves and fruits must be edible or may be used for cooking like the herbs.  For now the only exceptions are our 10-year old "dapo" (bird's nest fern) placed near the shed but we hope to relocate it as soon as we find the appropriate place; and  the Chinese bamboo in pots to screen from view the laundry area. 

We brought along the pots of herbs from the  pocket garden in our former home.  As soon as we settled, my husband planted them in the ground except the oregano and the tarragon that were blooming well.  

Pot of tarragon

Oregano

On the ground, the basil adopted easily.  It was so prolific that I've used lots of its leaves for my granddaughter's tomatoe-herb pasta and twice I had to make pesto because of so much leaves. 

One harvest yielded three cups of leaves. Afterwards i stuck the stems back in the soil to propagate. 

There's also an existing malungay tree with abundant  leaves that we used for chicken broth.  When we first occupied the house, there were about ten aratilis (Jamaican cherry, Panama berry or Singapore cherry) trees about a meter high, we left two and now they have reached the roof. We can't wait for them to bear fruits so that our granddaughter can pluck and eat them.  I wonder whether she will like it. 

More on the development of our backyard garden in the next blog.