My Garden Journal Challenge June 2019

Hi Steemians,

I thought I will be missing the Steemit Community Garden Journal Challenge if @simplymike did not tag me on his next challenge for this month. Thank you for that. Before I forget, please check the details of the challenge on Mike's blog which could be found on this link : https://www.palnet.io/homesteading/@simplymike/steemit-community-garden-journal-challenge-june-2019-with-steem-bounty. Hope you guys are doing fine and I can not wait to read about your garden.

Last May I was able to grow only one vegetable and that is the bitter gourd. I was happy to see better engagement on that post which was started by our host Mike and then a few other garden enthusiasts came leaving some good and casual comments. It is nice to see how people reacts to things that they do not have locally like a bitter gourd. I have the same feeling dreaming I can grow apple trees here but that is impossible.

I had shared a lot of our harvest and the last batch I had made a blog about it. I was surprised after that, there were still some fruits that came. Any time soon this vine of the bitter gourd will be drying out and I will be hopefully planting new one using the remaining seeds. I had to wait for the rainy season which will be or should be this month unfortunately it still feels and looks like hot summer.

Our garden is located in this small space on our backyard. We can access it easily by the kitchen door. Just today, I took this photo to show you we had cleaned up the area. The vine is still alive but did you notice the wilting leaves?

I skipped the gym today and I spent my time tidying up and sweeping. If you notice we have a moringa tree growing in the background. Look at the top most part of the photo that will be its leaves. We are lucky to have this super food because other countries do not have it. Some buy it in powder form but I get to pick a few branches on my own garden isnt that amazing? People pay premium just to get this.

I was shoveling the soil around the eggplant. I am not sure why it is taking long for this eggplant to bear fruit.

The quality of the photo is not good because of the hot sun. I had this broomstick to sweep the dead leaves. In front of me is a lemon grass and surinam spinach. The spinach is just like a wild grass here they persist and super low maintenance. One caution though people with gout or arthritis problems are advised to limit their consumption because surinam spinach or Philippine spinach or purselane is rich in oxalates.

Oh here I have the surinam spinach the one on the ground with small leaves. Intertwined with the vines will be a purple yam. if you can find the leaves with the shape of a heart that will be the purple yam. I use this in preparing ube halaya or purple yam cake which is a local delicacy. These yams are usually in demand during Christmas season and the price could get really high then.

Let me finish this blog with the best produce of the past month and that is the bitter gourd.

Thanks fellow Steemians and garden enthusiasts
@allyson19