Growing a Green Thumb

For most of my life I lived in the city. At the age of 5, we moved to Manila from Zamboanga, lived in Bangkok at 12, and worked in Iloilo City after college graduation. But I've always had a probinsyana's heart in me. May be it was because of the old books I've read that talked about crystal clear streams and climbable trees...I've always dreamed of living somewhere with lots of trees around, and recently I've dreamed of planting a garden.

It's amazing how God remembered those heart's desires, and granted it by replanting me here in Polomolok--something I would never have thought would happen! Yet, here I am in the province and about to have my garden!

Now, my Papaski is the expert gardener/farmer of the family. If in the current abode of our itinerant lifestyle (NPA in other words) there is a bit of soil to work with, Papaski will plant. I now regret not joining him in his garden work then. If I just did, I wouldn't be so utterly clueless now, le sigh! (But it's never too later, right?)

But just how did this gardening thing crop up? I have to start with me and my husband dear (who is also an itinerant church planter's son) getting a little house to turn into our humble but lovely home. (Yes, I plan to make it lovely! Yippee!) So, we soon will be discarding the NPA (no permanent address) label. Well, as soon as the windows get installed. Here's a photo...Tada!

Of course, Hansy wouldn't let them do all the work!

But, since our house isn't all ready yet, I'd like to take you outside a bit for now...And, since my parents were in the Philippines for a vacation, I have had great back up for prepping out our front yard! Since hubby has to deal with work on a regular basis (hahaha of course!), I am really glad Papaski and Mamaski were here to help us get started with making our place move-in ready. And since...hahaha! enough with that word!

With that done, it was time to visit the plant shop! Papaski found one way back in its nursery--Granada's Garden, owned by Mrs. Dionisia Granada who by the way knows every name of the plants she is selling. Take a look at her nursery...
 

My oregano and gynura plants...

I was beginning to feel overwhelmed by all the choices, but her quiet chatter about the names of this plant and that plant kinda calmed me down hehehe...I was buying just a few to plant in the plant box in front of our house, so the place wouldn't look so bare. We plan to add raised beds later on for vegetables, and lovely plants that will line our gate and so on and on...Lotsa plans, but they will have to wait! (Shout out to my inspiration, Mrs.Lofthouse, who has a thriving garden way over there in Texas!) I also want to have an herb garden. I now have the gynura plant (often mistaken as the ashitaba) and oregano, and am so excited to add some more! Nanay, my mother-in-law, said she has basil! And I saw parsley sold in a stall in KCC. Ohhh...I'm too eager to finally move and acquire more plants! (The hubby won't let me have anymore until we have moved. I do hope they survive me! Haha!)

Standing Peanut Plants

But I digress, I finally got to choose and here they are being planted by my Gardening Mentor...I got those with small white flowers, namely the golden  pandakaki and Indian white copia, and bright plant with yellow-green leaves called Chinese alugbati.We also got the standing peanut plants with their cheery yellow blooms...And because Mrs. Granada was generous she also gave me "paaman", a purple version of my white copia and a bamboo-like plant for indoors according to her (which was sadly probably stolen coz' it was gone when I visited our house-to-be). And I got this climbing plant with big white flowers called mandevilla. (Which I wasn't so sure where to put, so Papaski placed it just beside this plant box, so it could later grow near our bedroom window...as soon as I can put up something it can climb on...)

Now, I just have to move in to be able to enjoy them! :)




P.S. Mrs. Granada specially requested that I take a photo of this purple flower and post it on FB. She called it Fedelisia, but am not so sure if I got the spelling right...

P.P.S. Because she thought I was still single and called me body conscious (haha! So not me!), I am posting this photo...

Have a great day everyone!