Beans in a bin

 I bought some fresh mottled beans from the market to make a stew. I saved some and dropped them in my compost bin. Now there is a bunch of them sprouting in the bin. If you're a beginner, you should try growing beans because they'll normally germinate given the right conditions. Well, unless they are too old.

The only problem I've encountered so far was having them gobbled up by snails. To overcome this problem, I soak the beans overnight, until they're just about to sprout, before putting them into the soil. They will germinate very quickly after that. I guess planting them in a tall compost bin helps too because it's a long climb for the snails. As you know, snails come out to play at night. By the time they get to the top of the bin, it's almost daybreak and they have to make their way back to hide in the shade again.

Thriving

We have been getting more rain than ever this year. The hot spell that was expected after Chinese New Year didn't happen. And it's been unusually wet lately. In fact, we're seeing extremes -scorching heat followed by heavy rain.It's a blessing really. May used to be really hot and dry.

My garden's in a mess. Plants are overgrowing, spilling all over the boardwalk. There is no space for walking, let alone growing more vegetables!

Amidst the clutter, I have a small cluster of herbs (chives, oregano, thai and sweet basil) and tropical vegetables (spinach, cai xin, sweet potato vine and mustard green) growing in small planters.

I've also sowed more rocket salad and soy beans in pots scattered in every nook and cranny. If everything goes according to plan, I will be harvesting rocket and edamame for my salad bowl before July!

Growing vegetables is easy

Growing vegetables isn't so difficult as long as the conditions are right. I've been growing tropical vegetables like spinach and kang kong in these small planters measuring about 17x17cm. Vegetables thrive as long as they receive enough sunlight and water. It is important to choose a growing medium that provides good drainage.

The best thing about growing kang kong is they continue to grow after each harvest. I leave about 2 cm of stump and new leaves will grow very quickly within days.

Brilliant

I spotted this home-made vegetable growing system in Malacca and think it is brilliant.

Sunflower

 I've been growing sunflower sprouts for salad. They're so easy to grow and taste great in salads, a bit nutty and crunchy at the same time.

When I toss the unsprouted seeds in my garden, I get pretty flowers in a month or two.

A nice centrepiece

Maybe because I grew up in a farm surrounded by fresh flowers, I don't have a habit of buying flowers. When I'm expecting guests, I jazz up the home using other creative methods like growing wheatgrass or barley grass. They make a great centrepiece and are quick growers too. The best thing is, they're edible.

To usher in the Lunar New Year, I decided to sow radish seeds in some glass jars. I feel it is an auspicious thing to do. Radish seeds germinate within days and they're very decorative and delicious. The sprouts in the photo are about a week old.

Winter Veggies

Yesterday I did a major cleanup of my garden after the neighbour below complained that our vines are creeping into his territory. I blame it partially on the huge amount of rainfall we've been getting. It has been raining every afternoon for more than a month already. Everything is growing at a high speed and the vines are grasping and twining all over the other plants, I had a hard time manoeuvring in my patio.

The garden looks tidier now. I'm not sowing any seeds until the weather improves. Here are some photos of vegetables I took during my week in Korea.

This is one of the few vegetables that can tolerate the freezing temperate in Korea. It was -14 degree celcius that day.

The ornamental kale is grown along the streets as a decorative plant. These tolerate the cold very well.

The temperature in Busan is milder at around -6 degree Celcius and I was surprised to see lettuce growing in someone's backyard.