My edibles

I decided to take stock of the edible plants in my patio. Check out my list.

I have two pumpkin plants (below) growing in the planter box. They definitely need more space to flourish but it's funny how they're already producing flower buds at such a tender age. This planter box is like a bin where I toss in all kinds of seeds. I counted two citrus babies, a little peanut plant, some cilantro sprouts, two chilli padi and lots of tiny shoots of a flowering plant found in our estate.

I'm keeping these ladys fingers (below) for the seeds. The pods are drying up which means I can sow the seeds soon.

The rosemary plant I bought from the nursery is a wise and useful investment. A few sprigs of fresh rosemary stuffed in roast chicken make alot of difference to the dish.

This curry plant is tiny but it has served me very well. Some of the stalks are bare because I have used the leaves to garnish my curry dishes.

This is lemon mint but I have not incorporated any of it in my dishes yet. I must have tried it once and the kids didn't like the strong scent.

I grow the mint plant (below) in a big pot together with chilli padi and rosemary. The mint, being an aggressive grower became too straggly. I cut it down until it was almost gone but look at it now. It's coming back with a vengeance. Again, I hardly use the leaves for garnishing. The tiny plants are from the chilli padi pods that have dried and scattered all over.

My lime plant is simply bursting with fruits! I think I can make lime juice soon. I like having a lime plant around the house so I can grab a handful for making salad dressing or dips.

My tomato plants are almost a month old and they're still growing so slowly.

The lettuce are beginning to look like lettuce now. They're very delicate and need alot of water to stay hydrated. I can't wait to make a salad.

Here's what's left of the kai lan after Rusty's rampage. They look somewhat skinny.

My chye sim and spinach are nicely taking shape. They're probably in the right spot of my patio with just the right amount of sunlight.

My kang kongs are too lanky because of too much shade. I should have moved them to a sunnier location earlier.

I finally got my act together today and planted the onions. The reason for the delay is a valid one. I wanted to use disposable paper cups to grow my plants. I spent days scouring supermarket shelves and stores and was told that the manufacturers have stopped producing paper cups/bowls but not paper plates! How can this be possible?

I am disappointed that firstly I cannot find biodegradable pots to plant my seedlings, and now my other alternative of using paper cups is also not possible.

After thinking for some time, I decided to try planting my bulbs in styrofoam bowls. They may not be biodegradable but at least they are well insulated and I can easily make drainage holes.

The onions are planted and arranged in my planter box so that I can move them around if necessary.

Finally, here is the apple of my eye. My carrots! Or they could be radish? Who knows? They're growing so robustly, I can't help but show favourtism towards them. I simply can't wait to see what surprise is in store for me when it is time to harvest!