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. 

 

 

Chasing Daylight

There is only one day left, always starting over: it is given to us at dawn and taken away from us at dusk

--- Jean-Paul Sartre

It has been raining intermittently at odd hours for the past week, most often in the late afternoons that I couldn't do my daily walk.  Yesterday, the rain was on and off that I almost gave up walking; however thirty minutes passed my walking time, it stopped raining.  I hurriedly put on my walking shoes, snatched my umbrella and off I walked. 

Though the neighborhood is safe, I still did not want to be out in the streets alone after dark.  I accelerated my pace so I could cover more ground.  There were dark clouds that threatened to fall and they covered the sun. 

As it was almost dusk, I saw houses had lit their porch lights giving me a welcome feeling as it seemed to beckon me in.  Some homes were dark though and I presumed the owners were still out, enjoying the weekend. 

I walked on a more familiar neighborhood this time and while some homes hadn't turned on the outdoor lights, I see their kitchen lit, obviously, they were preparing dinner.  I even smelled some of their cooking that made my mouth water and I felt hungry. 

I didn't see people outdoors or someone tending the garden, as is usually the case on weekends. "Its late",  I told myself, "besides rain may fall anytime".  But I enjoyed taking in the fresh air and the familiar smell of the outdoors (especially under the trees) after the rain and it brought back childhood memories.   I recalled how happy I felt going out of the house to play after the rain, when everything was fresh, the rain having washed away the dust from the air. 

I did not complete my routine yesterday, nevertheless, I developed a sweat and I felt good, it was still early after dinner but I couldn't keep my eyes open, so I turned in for the night.

Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk.

William Arthur Ward

Today I Made Sisig

Sisig is a pampango delicacy.  I first sampled this sumptuous dish when my sister and bother-in-law brought us to a row of open air food stalls in Pampanga, a province north of the metro.  These stalls only operate at night.  There used to be a U.S. Military base there and they thrive since they were patronized by U.S. military personnel. 

After we placed our order, we waited awhile, and our drinks were served.  They then broiled the pork on open charcoal grills. All around us, we heard the thud of thick and heavy knives on pork being chopped on wooden boards, yes, they don't use a food processor, they do it manually.  But it was always worth the wait because when you taste it you would usually crave for more; it goes well with soda and taste so much better with beer. 

Today I boiled pork face with spices: bay leaf, cinnamon bark, star anis, pandan leaf, pepper, garlic, fresh oregano and fresh tarragon after washing it thoroughly with baking soda, rinsed and then calamansi juice(local lime) and another rinse. 

The pork pieces were broiled over charcoal.  When done, I put them in my food processor together with onions, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper. 

That was dinner tonight with a toss salad of Japanese cucumber, romaine and tomatoes in balsamic vinegar vinaigrette dressing. 

My Beautiful Sunday

I'm beginning to appreciate Sundays again;  it's looking like it is becoming my favorite day.  I haven't experienced such relaxation in forever, a respite on life's merry-go-round.  Most of the time we don't have definite plans, so we just let the day play out for us, we're happy just chilling out at home. 

Nowadays we always start Sundays by going to the 6 AM mass, (there's this nice feeling I've always experienced since I was a child after hearing mass; like I'm being enveloped by a comforting warmth all day).   Most of the attendees are senior couples who really dress for church.  The homily is always inspiring with a hint of humor  that sets our day to a great high.  

Just this morning on our way to mass my husband said:

"Why was it a hassle to go to mass in our former home?  It seemed like we lose the whole morning doing that."  I can say the same,  since this new place feels like going to mass is a breeze and we still have the entire morning ahead of us.  

A leisurely breakfast follows and the rest of the day will depend on our mood.  My husband would often go to the front garden and soon I would hear the sound of his cutting shears;  then the scent of cut grass reaches my nose.   Humm.....that smells so good and refreshing.   After sometime I hear him at the backyard tending to his ornamentals, veggies and herbs.

I, on the other hand goes about inside the house putting things in order or arranging things to give it more warmth and comfort.  This is also the time I fix my stuff in the closet. 

In between the day's activities, I catch up a lot on my reading, run through Facebook posts, reply to emails and write my blog.  I sometimes sit in front of the TV and watch whatever my husband is watching.  I even put in a catnap or two whenever I feel like; I listen closely to my body and succumb to what it dictates, that way, I feel more relaxed. 

After the afternoon siesta and a snack, I put on my exercise gear and walk for about an hour around the neighborhood.  My view is varied, as I choose different paths every time. The sight is always interesting especially since I'm still gathering more inspiration to improve our outdoor living space, hoping to stumble upon some ideas that I have not seen on-line.  

When I see many cars along the streets, it is a holiday or a weekend.  On Sundays, unlike on weekdays, most of the cars are at home, their owners maybe catching up on sleep or just resting; bonding with family and preparing for another week in the "salt mines". 

Families who have more than two cars leave the rest on the street.  On such a day like Sunday afternoons I see guys cleaning their cars on the street while listening to blaring music from the car radio; their children are also outside playing games, biking, skate-boarding or just hanging out.  A  nanny or two push their ward's stroller while mommy stays put watching the entire drama unfold. 

Some helpers are tending the lawn or the front yard.  I enjoy looking at well-kept yards, each has its own unique style, some use a lot of stones in different colors, while others put drift wood or tree trunks and the rest are mostly grass.  I slow down or even stop awhile when I reach this interesting house whose front yard is full of bonsai, the entire frontage is like a miniature "forest" of bonsai trees aligned in zigzag one after the other while their branches are touching and inter-twining. Here, let me share this shot I took. 

When I pass by an old house with over-grown trees and bushes, it means that it is left behind; while in another, I see wilted plants, the grass turned brown and part of the roof is falling.  Seeing a house like that makes me sad, isn't it sad to be left behind when others have moved on?  Then I remember our former house and I begin to worry whether the guard is keeping the plants alive for the new owners to enjoy. 

But the beautiful houses take my breath away and vanish my sadness.  I see interesting front yard landscapes with rare plants, colorful foliage and flowering bushes with different textures of ground cover; just by looking makes me ten times better, maybe even a hundred.  Furthermore this inspires me to work more on our outdoor living space.  

Then I take deep breaths while the cool afternoon breeze brushes through me and I savor a good outdoor feeling.  My steps become brisk like there's spring on my feet as I walk back home before the night falls.  

"Do not let Sunday be taken away from you.  If your soul has no Sunday, it becomes an orphan"-----Albert Schweitzer

Sundays are beautiful.