Experimenting with upside down planting

This is an option when space is limited where we can not only look at the ground for the needed planting space, but also the space above the ground.  Using used bottles that are cut into half (or quarter depending on how much soil do you want to put), we insert seedlings into them such that the leaves pass through the opening of the bottles like below.  We then create the holes such that the bottles can be hanged.

Day 1: 17 July 2021

Used bottles are abundant at our house and we have this one kaffir lime that has grown so big with lots of branches and twigs such that it offers lots of room for hanging the makeshift pots.  So I have no reason not to give this a try.  Note that this technique is only suitable for plants that creep or climb.

Stages of a long bean

This is what, among others, keeping me occupied during this work from home period.  First thing every early morning before starting my office routine, I wake up looking forward to see the progress of each plant that I grow.

Long beans grow at dedicated stem, different from where the big leaves are.  The stem shoots from between the main stem and the stem of the leaves.

Flowering

Like most other vegetables, it will first flower.  Once bloomed, the flower will fall and you will see the tiny little bean like below.  

Blooming

Drooping before falling

Tiny long bean appearing

Mandarin orange anyone?

After the successful attempt with lemon, well, at least so far, my edible garden adventure continues with another species in the series, mandarin orange.  A pack of them bought recently tasted so naturally sweet unlike others before.  So I decided to try to grow some.  

I collected some 12 seeds from one orange.  I dried them under the sun for a while, the same technique used for the lemon seeds last time.  I peeled three of them and left the rest as they are.  Just to see if this makes any difference.  Experiment.  As usual.  Scientist at heart.  I then covered them with moistened kitchen towel folded according to my creativity and put them in a not-so-tight container for about two weeks to hopefully germinate.

The 12 seeds

The reused container

Putting it on the blog also helps me to keep track of the important dates.  So next update would be by the end of the month, some two weeks from now.

'Ulam Raja' at our edible garden

After a year of dealing the with the COVID-19, it looks like we're all going to return to the office beginning next week.  So ...  No 'new normal' I guess.  Everything will be back to where it was before COVID-19 struck.

While still having some spare time early in the morning due to the work form home, I am experimenting with Ulam Raja, less famously known as Cosmos Caudatus to be a new edition at our edible garden.  Trying to grow them from the stems, after a friend successfully did it.  Yes, the English garden that we once had has now turned into edible garden, which I think will be more beneficial economically 😊

Below is the progress of this experiment.

Day 1.  Not so promising, except perhaps one stem

60 days later on 2nd June 2021

We officially have Ulam Raja at our garden and they have offsprings!

90 days later on 2nd July 2021

So full of Ulam Raja that we can barely see the ground.

COVID-19 and 2020

Unprecedented year.  This is how 2020 is described and there is no better description.  A year filled with COVID-19 related hashtags.  A year that is like never before.  For a family like us, who goes travelling every year, we certainly feel the impact.  We've been grounded for almost a year.  Not only grounded, 'trapped' in the house too most of the time.  I have children at all levels of education.  While universities continue with online learning, I've no idea at the moment on what will happen in the near future for primary and secondary schools.  

We are in the fourth wave of COVID-19.  Maybe fifth, or maybe sixth, I've lost count.  The numbers are still worrying and far from subsiding.  At our end, we can only pray and hope that things will get better and better soon, and of course we have to do our part to curb the spread.

Alhamdulillah, we are still one happy family here under this one roof.  There are so many blessings in disguise when we take time to contemplate.  For once, we are able to consistently perform daily Maghrib and Subuh prayers together, which would otherwise be so challenging on weekdays, especially the latter.  A lot of cost cuttings as well here and there, though they may probably be 'transferred' rather that cut :)

Others may not be as lucky, we know.  Whatever the situation is that this pandemic has brought us into, we pray for a good ending for everyone and we really mean it.  Amin.