Garden Update ( Edibles ) - February, 2019

Blogging mood finally returns with the ceasing of the recent festive mood. 

Hence, a little update here on my garden of edibles 😀:



At my backyard ...

The blue Butterfly Pea ( Clitoria ternatea ) vines continue to conquer the tall telephone wire pole right outside my backyard fence. Just so beautiful!

Nowadays, I love to leave some of the beautiful flowers on the vines for two cute, little birds with yellow chest that frequented my backyard to enjoy. They seem to be feasting on the flowers' pollen every time they come.

The Ginger ( Zingiber officinale ) plants which I had started from a single badly-shrunk kitchen scrap some six months back were becoming more and more yellow each passing day. The roots should be mature enough for harvest, or so I thought.

So, I had them all harvested ( uprooted ) the other day. But oh, how very wrong I was! There was only one small root clump ( 79 g ) that was old enough. The rest of the clumps ( total weight 354 g ), though plump and pretty, were all still very young and tender.

The Thai Basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) plants, the Turmeric ( Cucurma longa ) plant and the Sweet Potato ( Ipomoea batatas ) vines ( which I am growing for their leaves here ) seem to love the recent hot weather and the twice a day thorough shower I give them everyday. They look particularly happy on the long planter.

There are about eight, aged and totally disappointing Radish ( Rhaphanus sativus ) plants on the long planter that fail to produce radishes. It feels cruel of me if I were to remove them with my own hands. So, I am now leaving them all to nature, to resolve them all naturally.

The Madeira ( Anredera cordifolia ) vines which have self-regenerated in between the pebble stones on the long planter have trailed high up to the top of the fence at my backyard. Hopefully, they would be able to generate enough leaves for me to harvest soon.

The Gynura ( Gynura bicolor ) leaves are still as impressive as the last time I saw them. But with my northwest-facing backyard getting more and more daily sun exposure these days, I am not sure how long they will remain so. So, I should admire them more, much as I could now.

The Daun Kadok ( Piper sarmentosum ) plant which I had planted from root cutting taken from under the old Rain Tree ( Samanea saman ) next to our old family home already has a few leaves out. Hope it will progress fast so that I can have its leaves to enjoy in either curry or ginger soup soon.

There are lots of Red Stem Malabar Ceylon Spinach ( Basella alba ), Butterfly Pea ( Clitoria ternatea ) and Rambutan ( Nephelium lappaceum ) seedlings that have either self-seeded or sprouted from fruit scraps everywhere on the long and pot planters. I am ever undecided, as to whether let them grow or weed them out.

Both my Kafir Lime ( Citrus hystrix ) and Chilli ( Capsicum annuum ) plants are doing all right in their respective, compost-filled pots. Judging by their size, fruiting would not be too far-off, or so I hope.

I have transplanted the Curry Tree ( Murraya koenigii ) and Aloe vera from the long planter into two separate pot planters. Hope they would both love their own, new homes.

A long time friend has given me a multi-layer petal blue Butterfly Pea ( Clitoria ternatea ) seedling recently. I have it planted in a small pot next to the long planter. It is growing extremely and pitiably slow. Perhaps it does not quite enjoy its small home. Thank goodness though that it does survive still anyhow.

Nature is truly amazing and always full of surprises. A self-seeded Thai Basil ( Ocimum basilicum ) plant has effortlessly, against all odds, grown and thrived happily on a small cracked concrete spot near my backyard gate.

At my front yard ...

The Sweet Potato ( Ipomoea batatas ) plants which I had started from stem cuttings in January are growing rather slowly on the planter. Probably because I always forget to water them. Poor plants!

ALL FOR NOW. THANK YOU FOR READING THIS! BYE!