Container Gardening

I am very determined to grow my own vegetables. The thing is, our soil in the backyard is unsuitable for vegetable gardening. I have grown some veggies in my yard but they don't grow as healthy as I want them to. I have potted herbs at home and I’m glad they are thriving but I’m not satisfied. Some of my herbs don’t look healthy. This week, I bought a protector net to give my herbs a little shade since they are directly under the sun. I hope it’s going to help. Maybe what my herbs need is a little tender loving care.

I understand, good soil equals good vegetables. But constrained by our depressingly hard backyard soil, I decided to plant my veggies in containers and pots. Yep, the answer is Container Gardening So, to help materialize my plans (and to please me, I supposed *wink*), my dear hubby bought commercial garden soil, the ones sold by sack. They don't come cheap, so I hope they are good.

Anyway, going back to my determination to grow veggies, I bought vegetable seeds from, guess where? The hardware store! Yes, hardware stores sell packs of flower and vegetable seeds. Check out their lawn and garden section.   

The garden stuff I bought. Two sacks of garden soil, 6 rectangular pots, fine compost, protection net, 
a couple of garden tools and vegetable seeds. I bought all these from Ace Hardware (SM Store)

Here are the seeds I’ve bought so far:  Okra, regular and cherry tomatoes, black beauty eggplant, baby carrots, onion, mustard and pechay. I bought some really nice containers, too, and yes, additional garden tools. I am really excited. Oh, and I also bought fine compost to condition the soil I bought. I am going to check out some stores for organic fertilizers. Yes, I am also determined not just to grow vegetables but to grow organic vegetables.

I have spent about PhP1,700.00 for everything. I know, I could have bought lots of veggies with that amount but I don’t’ mind at all. The cost is not the point, it’s the joy I derive from working in the garden, seeing my veggies grow, harvesting them, and yes, enjoying them!

The Lowly Calamansi

I love calamansi! This unpretentious tiny citrus fruit is packed with nutrients and super rich in vitamin C. It is indigenous to the country, cultivated by farmers and housewives alike, and sold very cheap in the market. And yes, often regarded as common and unimportant. For me, calamansi is a special fruit. It has so many uses. It makes a great thirst-quenching drink when freshly squeezed in water, mixed with honey and lots of ice. It also adds zest to an otherwise ordinary dish. It goes well with soy sauce as dip for fried fish, it makes any vegetable or seaweed salad extra tangy and it is a perfect ingredient for beef or pork marinades. Not to forget, it gives some nice flavor to your ordinary iced tea and even to hot green tea. And yes, you can eat the fruit when ripe, just suck the fruit and enjoy its sweet and sour taste.

Almost ripe, the pulp is already turning into a beautiful orange

 

 A glass of water with one or two calamansi taken first thing in the morning is good for cleansing the body.  Its effect is alkalizing and it's not acidic at all. According to some literature, drinking calamansi water can also contribute to weight loss as it flushes out body toxins. I drink this concoction every morning not to lose weight but primarily to cleanse my system and I have been doing this for a long time now.

But, not only is the lowly calamansi good to eat or to drink, it is also very good for the skin when applied topically. It is a powerful skin lightening agent because of its acid content. It is also a cheap and effective way to treat pimples, lighten the face, neck, underarms, knees and groins. When bathing, a calamansi water makes your skin smooth and your hair shiny when used as your final rinse. And my favorite of all, it’s perfect to mix with brown sugar and honey as body scrub.

 

Yep, I have calamansi tree in my backyard and it is growing beautifully,
 bearing fruits enough for the family :)

 
I am very fond of using natural products, calamansi is as natural as you can get, and it's not only effective and comes with many health benefits, it's very cheap too, and it is available anywhere, anytime.