Tour of Container Gardening at our "Condo"

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Almost three times the size of my index finger. This ampalaya fruit is going to be big!

But before I give you a tour of the veggies I've grown in containers, let us thank every drizzle or rain that has come to bless us.

Somewhere out there's probably a plant that is on the verge of dying because of thirst .... and thus revived by the rain, no matter how little and few its droplets!!

My prayers got answered so fast.

Somebody donated a bunch of used mineral water containers. He told me to come back if ever I need more...

Wow! Somebody up there likes me. :)

Hhhmmm.....I saw some using their empty milk cartons as pots too. Should I follow their lead?

Everything happens for a reason, but if it did not rain, I know there's a good Samaritan out there that will water the plants to keep it's species in existence..

With so many species of life for both plants and animals, as well as humans having different color, nationalities, culture and beliefs, there must be a masterbuilder that designed all of these wonders of nature, otherwise we are a miracle constantly evolving.

But with some using Science and Technology to reshape, not only to fix but to distort, God's creations, are we still highly favorable in His eyes?

Many of us believe we are on top of the food chain and that we are the most highly developed beings on this world. Yet there are still so many mysteries waiting to be solved.

Grown from just a pot, I already have 7 fruits from the ampalaya vine. I am not expecting every single one to be harvested as some do get aborted due mostly to insects like fruit flies boring its way inside the fruit to inseminate eggs before I even had the chance to protect them by inserting them in plastic bags.

"Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it."

Grown from a dried-up turmeric that we would normally throw away in the past. Never expected it to survive after I put it in soil.

You can see that the plastic container is not even full of soil coz I try my best to maximize what is left of my few resources....and like I said, didn't expect it to grow.

There has always been a warm feeling as I go through this gardening hobby of mine. Every life coming out of the soil, and sustaining their existence until their fruit-bearing or harvesting stage, always gives me joy inside.

Yung kamatis seedlings kong doing yoga stretching everyday.. :)

How come I said that?

Wala kasing direct sunlight sa amin so they will lean left towards the direction of the sun, then I will turn the plastic container pot so they will lean right, then turn them again tomorrow so they will lean left again....and the cycle will continue everyday.

Ngayon makulimlim dahil umaanbon so they are standing straight this time.

My Aloe Vera has given birth to a baby AV

Dragon fruit cuttings!!!

Eto next kong target na harvest  so I can drink blue tea from clitoria ternatea or butterfly pea flowers.

I once grew this plant to a vine and had lots of flowers for tea.. but I had to let it go when the cats kept pooping on its pot.

Also missing my tarragons, basils, ...plus the collection of cactus and succulents...all had to go coz it's either them or the cats

Only lately I've discovered there are ways for both to coexist. Cats can be trained like dogs too.

So I guess it doesn't have to be a question of "who gets to live" but "how can we coexist" :)

So if anybody knows where I could buy this plant, whether seedlings or seeds, please do let me know.

We all need to go through some sort of challenges to grow a lot more stronger and survive.

just as you let a buterrfly break out of its cocoon on her own.

or a baby bird making an effort in coming out of its egg.

Growing our own food should be the goal of everyone. Even just a few of our faves or regularly consumed crops. Anything we can grow in pots or used containers, not necessarily bought but even just from kitchen scrap. Instead of throwing out our waste, let's put them into good use.

Make a compost bin to throw in peels that will eventually turn into useful source of nutrients for our plants, or setup a worm bin where we can harvest worm poop that can be used as fertilizers.

Reuse biscuit containers, softdrink bottles, old pots and pans, flour or rice sacks, etc., as pots.

Will it be possible to plant everything included in the Bahay Kubo song? Alternating perhaps.

Me? I'm happy just harvesting a few talbos ng kangkong or kamote. But nothing is stopping me from wanting to plant more.

Hoping to Grow Mulberries in Containers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Rooted Mulberries,  anyone?

Mulberries are colorful berries that are eaten both fresh and dried. They're a good source of iron, vitamin C, and several plant compounds and have been linked to lower cholesterol, blood sugar, and cancer risk.

Malapit na kong mamitas sa aming balcony!

Readying what I need for later afternoon's mulberry cutting planting. It is advisable to replant only at early in the morning or late afternoon when the sun is not at its peak so that the plant won't be stressed too much and have more chances to survive.

20 liters of potting mix, 1 kilo of Epsom salt (aka magnesium sulfate) and of course the biggest but cheapest (and lightest) pot I can find since I don't have any big recyclable containers right now....hhhmmm...come to think of it... there's the old giant styrobox I used to bring home lots of prawns from Davao...maybe I will use that instead...if it is durable enough..will have to make a hole in the bottom though. But for those who have the luxury of land to plant this baby, that would be best.

The 1 kilo of Epsom salt will not be used exclusive to this plant alone as it will be used for along time on all other plants I am and will be growing. Most plants can be misted with a solution of 2 tablespoons (30 mL) of Epsom salt per gallon of water at least once a month to allow plants to better take in valuable nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus. It also helps in the creation of chlorophyll, which is vital for photosynthesis. In addition, magnesium greatly improves a plant’s ability to produce flowers and fruit.

Will add soil to the potting mix composed of vermicasts, carbonized rice hulls, and coco peat - a good mix to our composts and other organic fertilizers, including fermented plant, fruit and fish amino acids....not to mention the eggshells and banana peel teas.

Am I over-pampering this baby? Lol!

Backyard Gardening at our Montalban Home

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Sabi ng iba "bibili na lng ako kesa magtanim tagal mo pa aalagaan!"

Gardens and gardening are more than an interest or hobby – they are a way of life, which affects not only our physical health but also our emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being.

As we journey through the seasons in gardens of all kinds, the pattern of birth, flourishing, maturation and decay sheds light on the mystery of being human.

Lets plant, plant, plant!"

On my way to our Montalban, Rizal home later to plant these papayas, mangoes, mulberries, and some other seedlings.

Checking out the veggies after more than a month away from our Montalban, Rizal home

The tomatoes survived and another smaller one is now visible, the spinach and upland kangkongs are alive but infected with the "white spots" - the fungal disease powdery mildew is a common problem in gardens, infecting a wide variety of plants and reducing the quality and quantity of flowers and fruit, 4 out of the 9 malunggay cuttings I planted on the ground survived, well I think all actually were alive and had leaves but the 5 died out of drought for the month long they were uncared for, a turmeric plant is alive and well, 3 mangoes were alive from the seeds I planted, 3 types of beans were thriving but 1 was sick from the same white spots but 1 type has fruits already (apparently they need trellis as they are vines), and the money tree was still going strong!

Good news is there is not much weeds now compared to the more than two months we left the place.

The only infected with the fungal are the upland kangkong, spinach and a bean type plant (I actually planted 4 types of bean plants just to see if they will grow and live without any care)

I believe these plants will be better if we were living here but grateful already for their survival.

Why am I happy with a few mango seedlings?

Will be letting them grow a little bit bigger until their trunks are brown, then experiment on grafting or air layering. Since I can't grow trees at our home in Maybunga, Pasig, I will do it here at our vacation home in Montalban (Rodriguez), Rizal.

I really do not know which bean plant this is, and the rest of the vine plants. I planted 4 types of beans from seeds - snap beans, cowpea, bush beans and Chinese pea...and then left them to grow on their own.

This was spinach from kitchen scrap. I planted it here and it grew and flowered after more than two months. What you see now is another month after.. It is obviously infected with fungus plant disease which it probably got from the Chinese upland kangkong (mga Chinese talaga source ng sakit)

Anyway, will get rid of these along with the other infected plants.

I still have some of the 4 types of vine beans - snap beans, cowpea, bush beans and Chinese pea.