- Remove dried up leaves stuck among the foliage. Feel and tug on some of the branches that are still attached on the grilles. Look for brittle and unusually soft ones. Cut and remove all branches and twigs that have rotted or dried up. Now is the opportune time to really clean up the vine on the fence grilles.
- When all the identified branches and foliage have been cut, clean the concrete ledge from dust and debris. Use a scrubbing pad, detergent powder and water to scrub away the dirt that accumulated over the years.
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vegetables. Show all posts
Gynura Procumbens in Garden Pots at the Front Fence - Part 2
(This is the continuation from Part 1)
Gynura Procumbens in Garden Pots at the Front Fence
In a recent article, I wrote how I kept flowering vines tidy on one side (inside) of the front fence and have most of the foliage, including flowers, cascade on the other side (outside).
In this article, I'll discuss how keeping the inside clean and tidy allowed me to affix garden wall pots. And to these pots, I planted a medicinal vegetable/herb called Gynura procumbens or Longevity Spinach.
In this article, I'll discuss how keeping the inside clean and tidy allowed me to affix garden wall pots. And to these pots, I planted a medicinal vegetable/herb called Gynura procumbens or Longevity Spinach.
Cleaning and Storing Gynura Procumbens (Sabungai)
In the past, the only method I knew to store the leaves of Gynura procumbens or Sabungai was to keep them in the refrigerator inside a plastic container. I simply washed the leaves, drained them and then put them in an old recycled ice cream plastic tub (in place of a tupperware container). I would then take out the tub and open it at the dining table where I ate the leaves raw during dinner.
For the most part, they would keep for a while in the refrigerator, probably a week. After that, parts of some of the Gynura procumbens leaves would start to darken into a gray color and turn soft. I just threw these leaves that had gone bad because I had so much that were still good. Somehow, though, it's still a waste to throw these out, especially when I learned that there's a way to keep them longer in the refrigerator for two weeks or longer.
For the most part, they would keep for a while in the refrigerator, probably a week. After that, parts of some of the Gynura procumbens leaves would start to darken into a gray color and turn soft. I just threw these leaves that had gone bad because I had so much that were still good. Somehow, though, it's still a waste to throw these out, especially when I learned that there's a way to keep them longer in the refrigerator for two weeks or longer.
Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
Our Gotu Kola plants are thriving in a couple of pots in our terrace. The leaves are not as tender as the Shiny Bush's. They're okay though when mixing in a salad. Usually, I just chop them up and add them to the Shiny Bush or Pansit-pansitan that we get from our yard. I just then mix them up in a small bowl of vinegar with onions and ground black pepper. And that's already a side dish at dinner.
Patola or Luffa
Our patola or luffa is now ready for harvesting. It seems still a bit young though since you'll notice that the top part hasn't been "filled-up" yet. The plant grew on the backyard garden trellis.
Sitaw or Yardlong Beans or String Beans
We've been finally harvesting Sitaw or Yardlong Beans lately. They are also called String Beans. The seeds of these plants came from a gardener in Los Banos Laguna when we went there May of this year. The lavender flowers come in pairs. Here, I'm showing one of the flowers.
Okra or Lady's Fingers (Abelmoschus esculentus)
Pansit-pansitan or Shiny Bush (Peperomia pellucida)
It is also locally known as Ulasimang-Bato. Recently, we've started adding this plant as part of our veggies. First, because it grows readily almost anywhere. Second, because of its medicinal properties. It is one of the 10 recommended medicinal plants of the Department of Health. The 10 are: Bawang, Lagundi, Akapulko, Bayabas, Ampalaya, Niyog-niyogan, Sambong, Yerba Buena, Ulasimang-Bato and Tsaang-Gubat (BLABAN-SYUT). We take it as a salad. The barest preparation is to add some vinegar after thoroughly washing it. You can also add some chopped onions, black pepper, cucumbers, etc. Here are some of the plants on a shallow pot.
Ampalaya or Bitter Gourd or Bitter Melon
Our Ampalaya plants have started bearing fruits. This rainy season's really wonderful for the veggies. The type that we have are the small ones commonly used for Ilocano type dishes like Pinakbet.
Eggplants!
I've been so preoccupied with our front garden's vines (cypress vine, millionaire's vine) that I was surprised to find DH harvesting our eggplants at the back!
