Gardening--Is it worth all the hard works?

Having a small backyard or rooftop orchard is very rewarding. Though, it's a small scale harvest, it is worthy of all the hard works and always be anticipated!

When I started gardening, some people sneered me by asking "Why should you be bothered with planting your own veggies and fruit since it's not very expensive to buy in the market, compared to all the expenses you have to spend for all the pots, soil, compost and manure?"

Well, they're maybe right. Organic gardening doesn't mean that you can produce cheap veggies and fruit because your expenses is higher since you have to use  a lot of compost and manure. Especially, for the initial cost as you need to purchase pots and stakes, water tanks, sears, watering can, sprayer and other minerals such as epsom salt, rock ash, dolomite and so on...

But for a long run, it will be very rewarding and can reduce your spending. Especially that organic veggies and fruit are very pricey! Not to mention how this activity can bring balance back into our hectic and busy life and help us reconnect with the nature and with our CREATOR. If not for gardening I wouldn't really care for good insects like ladybug or mantis or finding that green bean doesn't need help in pollination and will be best planted at the end of summer or close to rainy season here in the tropics! See how gardening draws us closer to have a better understanding of how the nature rolls on. 

Well, I may still be harvesting small scale of fruit and veggies, in this case, I have so far harvested tomatoes, mangoes, pineapples, green beans, spinachs, lettuces, kales, swiss chards, water spinachs, eggplants, cucumbers,bitter gourds, okras, moringa, paddy chilies,lemongrass, ginger, onions, leeks, spring onions, roses, amaryllis,and false lavenders, etc. They're probably enough to feed a couple of people and some birds, but the joy and satisfaction is abounding!

Just take a look at this succulent mango! It can never be compared to any mango you buy in the market or store! Because it's organic, pesticide or herbicide free and also free from any chemical fertilizers! It's sun-ripen and as sweet and melting in your mouth as honey! And the fact is, I haven't bought mangoes for months, because my produce is enough to satisfy my appetite.

It's worth all the hard works, trust me! 

How to Plant Mango From Seed Part II

I want to make an update to my earlier post on how to plant mango from seed.

On that post I suggested to let the seed sits near the windowsill for about 2-3 weeks(from the information I got from Wikihow) to dry before we crack it open to release the kernel and plant it. Through my experience, this is not always the best idea,'cause the kernel has higher possibility to dry up inside or spoiled during that process, even when we only put it to dry in room temperature(away from the windowsill/sunlight).

I recently made a new experiment by cracking open the seed(of mango fruit that is stored in room temperature, the kernel of the refrigerated one tends to be spoiled) to expose the kernel, once the flesh has been eaten. As you can see below, the kernel is still at its best condition and fresh. Then I soak the kernel for about 12 hours before I planted it outside under the sun, in a germinating pot. But once it sprouted, I moved it under the shade in order to protect the young leaves.

Then after the the second layer of leaves came out, I bring the plant inside and place it under my reading lamp until the leaves wholly developed.

The seedling is growing well. The the third and fourth layer of leaves have come out but I will wait a little longer before I transplant it to its permanent home.

Feathered Friends --- Outdoor Activity Edition

Beside providing premium mixed seed for my feathered friends, I also supplement them with fresh veggies and protein. Usually I give them corn and some greens like my homegrown kale, green beans and oregano, as well as broccoli, carrot, peas, and mung bean sprouts I buy from the market. 

Occasionally I give them minced apples, pears and grapes. But, they don't seem to really like them since fruit contains a lot of water which my birds, especially the budgies, consume very minimally or not at all.

I also let them play outside their cage every day, so they can play and eat together, hop around the metal perch.

I used to sunbathe them every morning for about 30 minutes to keep them healthy. And that means I bring them to the rooftop where my container garden is located. So during this time I sometimes take them out to play around the plants. Just enough to let them enjoy being in the nature and not always in  confinement.

But I had my lessons to be careful when I do this since my bird almost flew away. 

It's scary to even think about it...

Because even though they are tamed, but in the inside they are still wild birds who will run away back to the wild when given the chance.

So I have to make sure that I have the tips of their feather trimmed from time to time.

Though it looks cruel but better for their safety.

The only one I expose much to the garden is Elmo-the lovebird. Almost every day I will take him with me to the garden when I water the plants. I will let him perch on my shoulder during that time. But he will always climb up to play under the first layer of my straw hat as soon as I put the hats on. I like to double the hat, and he seems to be very delighted running round the bottom layer of the hat while I work. He's such a cutie!

When his flying feathers have regrown I decided not to trim them because I believe that he's tamed and bonded with me already. So I try to test him from time to time by bringing him with me to the garden, so he will get familiar with the house and the surrounding and make it his permanent home. Inside the house he never tries to escape but usually if I take him to play in my bedroom I will always close the window because I don't want him to be tempted, since there's a bird shop next door where he could listen to all the chatters of his kinds.

And then one day at the garden, he might be startled when I fix the position of my hats that he flew away and down to my neighbor's rooftop. 

When I jumped across the wall to pick him up he flew again to a quite long distance but he stopped because there's a wall against him. Thank God he didn't flew down the 3rd floor! I couldn't imagine how he will end up! Lesson learned!