new season

season ii

A few months ago, we brought home the healthiest calamansi plant you can imagine.  It was filled with both fruits and flowers.

For a few months, I enjoyed cutting off random fruit to add to dishes I prepared for my husband.  Life was good.

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I then start to notice that there were no new flowers.  Leaves began to fall off too.  

I immediately asked my Dad what to do, he said that it was normal.  He said that the old leaves fall off to make way for new blooms.

Of course I believed him, but I can't help but think that my plant was, sick.

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A few weeks ago, as I was watering my plant when I noticed new blooms!  Not two nor three put maybe close to a dozen.  Maybe even over a dozen, I was too excited to count!

I took a few photos using my phone so I can show my Mom.  

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It is funny how I would never have able to identify these flowers as that of a calamansi.  Even when we first got the plant, the flowers were there only for a few days so you hardly have time to memorise how it looked like.

Sometimes I guess, I forget to make time to really see.

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As you have guessed, all the blooms are gone now and I am left for numerous small dots--promises of an abundant harvest.

family of growers

kindergarten

I think it was my mom who posted a a link to some 8 plants you can start growing quite easily.  It was about vegetables you can buy once and grow yourself.  

Road to self sustenance?  Maybe for some.

I'm doing it for fun :)

Now that I think about it, Red Onion was not even listed.  I'm a rebel like that. 

It also makes a good blog entry, the dish I'd prepare using my 'harvest'.  Maybe I'd use some Calamansi from our plant too.

Can't wait!

my sister's scallions

 Meanwhile, the women in our family decided they'd do it too.  These are my sister's scallions after less than a week.  

She says seeing the new leaves makes her smile.  She is adding a few more stalks, seeing how fast they grow.  

I don't have the photo here, but making smoothies a few weeks back, she decided to throw two avocado seeds into separate pots.  And guess what?  They are plants now!

Of cours it would be years until the avocado plants bear fruit, but it's still cool!

Miss Miami: Celery

My Aunt in the States chose Celery.  The photo here is Day 1, I'm sure we'd see her baby's progress as we go along.

I have a funny feeling she would grow other vegetables pretty soon ;)

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We are waiting for my Mom.  Not sure what she is growing but she swears she's starting in September.

finally home

one day pancit will come

Ever since we got our beloved aloe vera, I had been thinking of what would be next for us.  

We wanted to pace ourselves buying plants--like everything we have in our home right now.  It would be too easy to suddenly have a forest.  

I wanted a plant that would contribute to the kitchen; and look good too.  Chilli and Calamansi were the finalists.   

The Calamansi won.  For not only does it look and smell good, it is also my favourite Filipino ingredient!  I kid you not; when my cousin who moved to Canada told me that the thing she misses the most from home was Calamansi; I FELT THE PAIN.  Truly.  

What is pancit without calamansi?  SAD.    

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We are looking to welcome another plant into our home--when I find it.

There is a particular orchid variety that I WANT, but can't find to purchase.  There are a lot of VERY similar ones, but I am truly willing to wait for the one that takes my breath away.  I'm patient that way :)

daddy potter

natural born nurturer

My mom just posted this in Facebook today.

I thought the timing was perfect.

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My dad has a green thumb. 

As a child I remember him pruning bonsai and I always thought 'Wow, he really knows where to snip'.

He seems to be able to make anything grow.

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I remember the first time I saw our farm--back when we had one, my dad bought it so he could pass the time.  I was so impressed.  

It was beautiful.  Organised.  You can see that a lot of thought and care had gone to it.

Though I did not express much interest on it, I was secretly disappointed when it was sold.  I was imagining retiring there someday--cooking produce and making my own pasta and bread.  

It's true.  Most people would probably think it funny, but I know that is a kind of life I would love.  

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We used to have a greenhouse at home too.

Now that I think about it, we always had a lot of plants.  One way to describe the house I grew up in dim-and-green.

I think this really influenced how I imagine home.  As in where my husband and I would live.

During the day, I like to pull up the shades.  I seek natural light.  It is not until I really have to open lights that I do, and even then I prefer multiple low light sources, versus the harsh halogen.  

Now that we have almost everything we need in our little home, I feel that I am missing the green.  And this weekend's little addition made me realise just how much. 

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It had always been a family joke who I take after.  When I was a child, I remember insisting that I took after my dad.

I have a feeling that I'd have a chance growing plants--here's to hoping I got it from my dad.

introducing some green

the beginning?

We had actually lived in the same area for a few years now (we used to be neighbours), and while we are very familiar with the vicinity--we don't really check things out.

On Saturday, my husband and I decided it was time we did.  Not without an agenda though, as there is a relatively big shop on the next block that sold plants.  We wanted to look at what was available.  

(And grab some brunch too!)

I knew I didn't want to go trigger happy.  I knew I had to see, go home, think, rethink, research then make the purchase.

That being said, there was a specific plant that we agreed we'd get if it was available in the size we preferred.  

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I swore I could have walked around the whole day.  

There were so many plants that I fancied.  But at the end our our field trip, there was one plant that stood out.  To this minute, I am imagining having it here with us.  

I think that right there, I had already chosen the plant-to-go-back-for.

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My husband was equally enthusiastic with his find.  He, all smiles called for me.  When I reached where he was, he was pointing at his choice.  

I had to smile.  

I knew it.  

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We went home with one plant.  

Our first plant.  

The plant we intended to get.

I was surprised on how much difference one simple non-flowering plant made on our balcony.  It felt more comfortable.  Alive.  Refreshing.

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We have two more plants in mind at the moment.

My husband is excited about his future plant.

And I can't stop thinking about mine.

We've given each other's seal of approval to the other's choice.

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It is too bad that we can't have a garden--but I am appreciative that despite our very limited space, we are still able to accommodate greenery.

Life is good :)

VERA special plant

I received an aloe vera plant from a colleague. Seriously.

I thought that was really sweet :)

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Since receiving it, I had been googling like crazy on aloe vera preparation... and each time I find one, I'd think that I would be better off buying the processed ones.

While that means losing on the nutrients, it ensures that wondrous summerish taste. Besides, it was really the taste that had drawn me to aloe vera--the benefits part was just a bonus.

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I saw a giant tub of sweetened aloe vera the other day. I didn't put it in my cart... but I'm seriously thinking about it!

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I'm kind of worried about my plant though.

Apart from the money tree I have on my desk at the office--which requires (almost) NO EFFORT, I don't really have any experience on growing plants.

Plus, I live in a building--which means the plant is in a pot that is a poor substitute for the ground. Forget fertilisers. I don't have any!

Did I mention "no sun"?

Some of our plants died after we moved to our new place because of the orientation of our flat. It is pretty awesome visually--and cool, considering that we live in a tropical country. The drawback though, is that there is no direct sunlight at any point.

Good for me :) Bad for plants :(

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We shall see if love is really enough to keep anything alive.

beginning of the end?

Today, the business signed off the last increment for the GIANT project that I had been working on for a the past few months.

I blogged previously about a plant that was issued during the kick off to represent the beginning of the new era (and I prayed that the plant won't die before the project completes).

That plant was intended to sit on our desks.

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When I brought my plant to the barbecue area today to water it, I realised that one of the two stems was actually rotting underneath the pebbles. Like any amateur gardener, I got the first scissors that I could find and snipped the rotting part without thinking.

I was left with a four inch clipping with five leaves and roots sprouting opposite sides of the bottom three leaves. I sunk two roots into the pebbles and watered the plant--filling to the brim of the small plastic pot, making it look like a water lily.

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Miracles happen everyday, maybe it could last ten more days :)

di biro

I've taken care of plants before. Twice. Each consisted of a variety of cactus species in a relatively big petri dish-ish pot. As there was clearly variety, maybe I could say few instead just counting to two.

Regardless of my (home) cactus experience. I had never taken care of a plant in the office until recently.

We had an activity to plant a money tree. Yes, it is not a tree, nor does it have potential to be a tree. It is a vine.

I kept it on my desk because I felt bad for the person who came up with the activity--especially since I heard what people were saying about her programme.

I'm glad I did.

I noticed that every week almost, a leaf from either of the vines would dry up and simultaneously a new sprout would sprout.

I actually feel excited watching it change.

Of course I have to keep myself from pulling out the drying one. I need to accept that nature works in nature's time. You can't rush into what you know to be the end. You can predict beginnings, but you can never quite tell when that sprout would sprout.

How would things be on Monday?