Growing plants at home is one of my favorites. Despite a limited garden space, it did not hinder me from planting various vegetables, and I am delighted that they grow abundantly with a bountiful harvest.
This day is a perfect time to flex the vegetables in my mini garden as the Hive Blog Posting Month or #HiveBloPoMo has embraced this challenge when the world celebrates International Plant Appreciation Day every 13th of April.
Since the space is limited, I am choosing suitable vegetables that will be right for the area. So instead of planting ornamental plants beside our gate, I utilized the space to grow Ladyfinger, Chayote, and Bitter Gourd.
Ladies Finger
It seemed only yesterday when I planted these vegetables. I remembered that I had grown the Ladyfinger or commonly known as Okra, in my locality on the first month of the year.
Inch by inch, it has developed, bloomed, and reaped many harvests.
I planted the seeds of the ladyfingers on the second week of January 2023, and on the second day of February 2023, I noticed its minimal growth.
And then, as days passed by, I noticed that the flowers were blooming, which was a remarkable moment that any time soon, every stalk of the ladyfinger would bear fruit.
The following week, the flowers gradually turned into tiny ladyfinger fruits, and I was amazed. So I was indeed very eager to have my first harvest.
And when the time came for my first harvest, I picked only a few of the ladyfingers and had a try to cook them without buying them from the market. So here is a glimpse of my first harvest.
I only harvested seven ladyfingers on my first try. At first, I placed it in the grass and then later transferred it to the white plate.
I have not put organic fertilizer on the vermicast soil but did not spray the plants. So some ants were enjoying the newly bloomed fruits. However, most of the lady's fingers were healthy produce.
Every day I cultivate the soil and water the plants. And now I am glad that daily I can have an abundant harvest.
With big smiles, I am harvesting the ladyfingers with full eagerness, for these harvests are the fruit of my labor.
And here are the many harvests of the Ladyfingers I placed on my plate. I boiled them to make a vegetable salad and mixed them with spices and vinegar.
So whenever I cook a vegetable at home, I will get a knife to pick some and serve it on the table in any recipe I want.
Chayote
I remember I planted the Chayote when my sister Erika was still alive. Walking down memory lane, it was last August 2022 when I saw an overgrown fruit of Chayote in the refrigerator, so I decided to place it on the side of our water reservoir.
After many months, the one Chayote fruit turned into this that climbed in the tank and then climbed on the coconut tree beside our house.
Although it was so abundant, I was afraid to go near it because there was a time that I had seen a black snake with a red color on it that seemed to make the Chayote vines a habitat.
My neighbors told me to be careful because snakes love to live in this plant because of its relaxed atmosphere that could camouflage them.
So every time I will harvest, I am making it sure that I am very vigilant just in case one pops near me. And here are plenty of Chayote that I gathered last time.
Still, I cannot believe that it all came from one fruit because of having a bountiful harvest. I also shared my harvest with my friends and relatives. And they were all happy to receive vegetables from me.
Bitter Gourd
Bitter gourds are commonly known as Ampalaya here in my place. I also planted it together with the Ladyfinger last January, and I am happy to see that it is also now bearing fruits.
Although the ladyfingers bloomed first, I noticed that my bitter gourds produced more flowers. I so love the colors of its flowers in yellow as it climbs on the straw that I placed near the rails.
So I took quick photos, and suddenly, I noticed the mini fruits that resembled that big ampalaya. The tiny fruits were so cute, and honestly, it was my first time seeing them, as I usually observe the big ones.
I just let the fruits grow without picking them. My aunt suggested wrapping them with paper so no pests would attack them.
But then I tried to let it freely grow on the stem, so I will know if there are natural pests, I am hoping that it will also have healthy and bountiful produce just like my other vegetables.
Here are the bitter gourds I have not harvested yet because they still need time to grow and develop.
And as weeks passed by, I was pleased to pick one.
I cooked it in the morning and mixed it with a beaten egg as the bitter gourd was sauteed by me and mixed with spices.
And that it always feels so good to have my vegetables produced at home without bothering to buy them at the market.
Perhaps planting vegetables at home despite a limited garden space had not only helped me save money but as well as ensuring that the vegetables that I was eating were all healthy and fresh.
Happy International Plant Appreciation Day!
Disclaimer: All texts and pictures are my own unless otherwise stated.
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I love your Okra kabayan, as for me I just sowed my Okra seeds these past few days. I am craving "Buro" now and "Nilagang Okra".
Just like you, I so love Okra bro and I love it boiled and even mixed with bagoong, spices, and lots of chili. How I love this plant because it is not so difficult to grow. Good thing when I started planting it, it was a rainy season so I never worried about its growing conditions. And finally, I have now tasted the fruit of my labor. Hehe. Thanks for dropping by bro.
!PIZZA
Indeed, tasting the fruit of your labor is one of the most satisfying feelings.
I'm pleased to see this, despite the fact that I'm not fond of Okra. I don't like the slime and its texture. My husband loves it though, so I'll fix it for him.
I love Chayote, but not Bitter Gourd, simply because I probably don't know how to cook it well.
Still, I'm super grateful to learn that snakes like Chayote... Now I know what to NEVER plant.
I am surprised you are calling the ladies finger, Okra, too. All I knew about Okra is a Filipino term, and then I remembered your stay in Cebu, so you are familiar with its name, my dear Milly. Hehe. And yes, it is full of slime, but you know this is best when boiled and blended with vinegar with lots of spices like onion, lemon, tomatoes, and then the very common Bagoong or Ginamos in my place.
And then the Chayote is best half-cooked. Chayote is also good when sauteed with onions and garlic and blended with a beaten egg. Perhaps this is an economical recipe here in the Philippines for breakfast. It also tastes good when combined with tomato sardines, hehe.
And about snakes loving to dwell in Chayotes, yes, it is true. I even have a neighbor here who was attacked by a snake because Chayote surrounded their house, and little did he know that the snake was near him. Maybe he touched it a bit, making it fight back with a snake bite, so he was rushed to the hospital. Good thing he had survived the venom.
Thanks for stopping by dear Milly and happy planting!
!LUV !LADY
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This is the first I heard Okra referred to as Ladies Fingers, actually. The term made me think of Buddha's hands, another one that I discovered but have not yet tried.
Chayote is popular in Jamaica too, but the best I have ever had was in Taiwan. The way they prepare it is amazing.
Snakes in the Philippines are something else. I hate snakes. I'm happy that your neighbour was okay:)
Wow, that's quite a bountiful harvest. Aside from it's making you happy since you love to grow your food, it saves money as well.😊
I am delighted to taste the fruits of my labor, sis. You know the prices of vegetables here in the Philippines are really so high. So in one way or another, I could save cents and even hundreds by not buying this veggie in the marketplace.
And that what I love the most is the idea of picking the vegetables I love to cook every time I want them. They are healthy and fresh too for I did not use sprays and they were all planted in vermicast soil. Heheh.
If you are just near here sis surely I would distribute to your house. Every day I am harvesting and I am feeling like a real farmer in a mini garden.hehe
Thanks for dropping by sis and have a nice time.
!LUV
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Not sure if its Hive or peakd acting all wonky, but having trouble today with it. What does Chayote taste like?
I assume that the photos you were viewing are not well, or they are like broken when viewed. Some friends are also saying that my friend.
By the way, Chayote is like a watery yet crunchy vegetable. Here in my country, we love to have it half-cooked. When anyone peels it, it has a combination of white and light green textures and has an ample seed at the center. The fruit itself is the one that can be planted in a cool atmosphere. I actually planted a fruit that blossomed with a bountiful harvest.
Thanks for dropping by and I genuinely appreciate your time and attention, my dear friend. Best regards most especially to your adorable princesses.
!PIZZA !LUV
Limited space is never the problem when you love what you do. Sarap ng ampalaya... 😃
True is. I am genuinely happy to have all of this harvest. It may be a limited space for gardening, but I got more. I am planning to plant more spices, too, although I already have a little lemon grass and spring onions. Many thanks for stopping by sia and blessings to you. I hope you are having a great day. Keep safe!
My garden din kami dito pero wala kaming okra tsaka ampalaya. I'm craving for ampalaya pa naman.
Awww, I did not know you also love these vegetables sis. Hehe. I actually bought the seeds in SM and this is for pinakbet. There is eggplant and squash here but I am thinking about the space and the atmospheric conditions, so I just chose to plant the Okra and Ampalaya last January. Finally, I am eating the harvest now in my mini garden. hehe. Many thanks sis and best regards.
!LUV !PIZZA
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Not sure lang if ampalaya and okra will grow in the cold weather... takam na takam ako eh mag itlog, ampalaya ganyan. haha
I think Okra and Ampalaya loves a cool weather condition. You can try it sis but I know that it always feels so good to taste something from the Philippines. I hope you could have a vacation here once more with your beautiful family. Best regards.
Yon nga, di pa kami nakabalik ng husband ko sa Pinas. Pag malaki na ang kids baka pwede na kami mag bakasyon. hehe
Yay! 🤗
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Happy International Plant Appreciation Day. I think I am late already because it's already the 14th of April here. I never heard about that day. I am just thinking that how many such kinds of days exist in a year.😅
I think you enjoy gardening very much and you are looking beautiful. The dress and the black hat suit you well.
Aww thank you so much for the appreciation my dear friend intishar. I hope you are also growing plants in your garden. You can always share it in Hive Garden community my friend. I hope you are well and have a nice day.
!PIZZA
Wow! These Okro are very healthy and fresh for consumption. Over here, most farmers have now started planting new yearly crops because of the delays of the natural rain which is our main source of water.
I see that your place is a good land for farming. I am happy to about it that you are using natural rain as a source of water. Same with my garden, I am glad that I planted it on a rainy season so that is why it grows healthier even in the absence of fertilizers. Many thanks for stopping by my friend and I grateful of your time. Have a beautiful season and be safe always.
Oh my, your plants are thriving so well! It's funny but this is my first time seeing okra plant sis,😊
Awww, I did not know that, sis. Hehe. Since I was 6 years old, when I was Grade 1 in a public school, we used to have a garden in our school and we had experienced planting. So as early as six years old, I already have the idea how to do it although I am not good in planting, but we were also assisted by our teacher.
What's good with okra is it's ability to grow at any place even in a limited space like this for as long as the soil is healthy. The okra plant seemed itchy too and ants loveto thrive on its fruits.
Thanks for dropping by sis and have a great day!
That's nice sis. Those school experiences do help us in real life.
I'm also well-exposed to planting just that I never saw an Okra plant before hehe. I think it only thrive on places with warmer temperatures. Thank you sis for your info and this made me think about trying it here in our place.
!LUV
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