Monday, February 4, 2008

My little garden

ginseng flower
There’s a small patch of soil outside my window. I dreamed of planting roses there but it remains a dream to this day. Besides, I have never grown a rose in my life! Six years ago, when I was new in the apartment, I asked my mother to plant squash and ampalaya outside the window to shield the living room area from direct sunlight. I wanted to plant ivy to cover the exterior wall of the apartment but my landlord thinks it’s a bad idea.

I’m not really a gardener although I love flowers, admire gardens and enjoy being in one. My mother is more of the gardener in the family. She planted a hybrid blue gumamela in my garden but my landlord’s dog ate it. A friend gave me a bonsai but it died after 6 months in my care. So I’m not really ambitious when it comes to gardening. I like plants that grow on their own.

A few months ago, I got inspired and planted oregano because I love to cook pasta, and I also use the dried leaves to some meat and fish dishes. My oregano is now a small forest! Now, I’m thinking of buying potted basil, bell pepper and other herbs.
oregano





My mother planted ginseng because of its medicinal benefits---although we have not tried it yet. Ginseng roots are said to be adaptogens, aphrodisiacs, nourishing stimulants, and could treat type II diabetes, including sexual dysfunction in men.

There are also a couple of ‘alogbate’ (a slimy vegetable) stems my mother planted, and a bunch of other plants that I don’t recognize. My landlord also contributed bougainvillea and a few pots of red-leaf plants.

When I visited my grandmother in Fairview late last year, I saw an enchanting white flower at her neighbor’s garden. It’s an all-white flower, beautiful in its simplicity. Through my grandmother, her neighbor gave me a bulb that I planted outside my window. Yesterday, I was playing with my dog when I noticed the flowers. They’re pink instead of white, but I like them anyway. I don’t know what this flower is called…my office mate said it’s a Lily.

So, this is my lily.








"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."
~Abram L. Urban

7 comments:

 gmirage said...

Back in Pinas, I help my mom in her gardening...she has plants sold to hotels and restaurants in Manila. I enjoy both being with plants and taking care of them. When I came here, I think the green thumb that I have turned black! The plants don't grow so well and worse: most of them died, one thing hubby laughs about so much. =(

The oregano I planted was so different from that of yours, I was having second thoughts if they are oregano coz they got smaller and not so thick (moist) leaves but they do smell like oregano! I always have basil for pasta. Most of my kitchen blog has recipes with basil lol. and they make the kitchen smell good!

All your photos are really lovely, but most especially the macro (first) and lily! Gandang araw!

 gmirage said...

Back in Pinas, I help my mom in her gardening...she has plants sold to hotels and restaurants in Manila. I enjoy both being with plants and taking care of them. When I came here, I think the green thumb that I have turned black! The plants don't grow so well and worse: most of them died, one thing hubby laughs about so much. =(

The oregano I planted was so different from that of yours, I was having second thoughts if they are oregano coz they got smaller and not so thick (moist) leaves but they do smell like oregano! I always have basil for pasta. Most of my kitchen blog has recipes with basil lol. and they make the kitchen smell good!

All your photos are really lovely, but most especially the macro (first) and lily! Gandang araw!

Unknown said...

Wow, that's a great business! When you make money on something you really love doing, hayyy...that's perfect. Is your mom still in the garden business?

Don't mind the hubby. My brothers are like that, too...they laugh at my attempts at gardening, my cooking experiments that they demolish anyway, and now my fondness of taking pictures. :D

I guess there are other species of oregano. I also love basil...I use it on salads and salsa.

Thanks for dropping by, Gzel. I'm really new to this macro thing...basta click lang ng click! :D Have a nice day yourself!

 gmirage said...

I guess the changes in the office hours for government employees affected the tima mama spends gardening, cguro yung free day nya na lang...and also the soil is too different from before =(

Macro is my second like abt photography, una portrait (kids and cats) lol. Go ahead, show them brothers =P hehe. tc!

Alwin Clores said...

hi i saw ur ginseng plant, i dunno what is their name.... please contact me whin @ gmail.com

Unknown said...

hi, whin! it's a ginseng plant...don't know if there's any other name.

thanks for visiting!

Alwin Clores said...

i got 3 bonsai ginseng pareho tayo ng isa .. il take pic para makita mo rin.. kung talagang same sya.. marami kc variety ng ginseng.. di ko nga lang alam name. kakabili ko lnag kc then i search sa net.. nakuha ko site mo.

my email whinclores @ gmail.com