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.

Wild but productive

My garden is looking wild and unkempt but we're loving it. The kids are delighted that butterflies and sunbirds visit daily. To be honest, I'm secretly envious of my neighbours who have converted their spacious garden into clean and neat areas for dining and relaxing. Some have even installed hammocks and swings. I barely have space to put out my laundry rack.

Well, if I can't enjoy eating out in the garden, at least I can eat what I grow. The combination of sunny and rainy days have been good for the plants. I'm seeing lots of flowers lately. Even the mulberry plants are fruiting. And the bitter gourd is also ready for eating.



Have a break

 

 I've given up trying to grow anything new in this wet weather. Nothing seems to germinate these days.

The utriculari (bladderworts), which belong to my son, love the rain. These plants are so intriguing. Their bladder traps are recognized as one of the most sophisticated structures in the plant kingdom.

 The rain is also great for established plants. My garden is now awash with colour and green foliage. Instead of trying so hard to grow vegetables, I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the burst of colours in the garden for now.

Bitter gourd

 

 My bitter gourd vine is quite a prolific grower, it creeps all over my yellow trumpet plant. They both produce yellow flowers, so it makes an interesting sight. I took a closer look this morning and spotted a tiny bitter gourd fruit hanging on the vine. The last one that grew was hidden under the foliage. By the time I discovered, it was too late as the fruit has ripened and burst open. This time, I'll keep my eyes peeled on this new fruit.

Growing tomatoes

I didn't think it was possible to grow tomatoes in our tropical heat until I saw these growing in someone's backyard. These were attacked by pests but somehow they were still laden with tomatoes.

I have tried growing tomatoes in my patio several times but they had never given me any fruits. Some had grown well enough to produce flowers only to die a sudden death. Others succumbed to white flies and aphid infestations. My parents, on the other hand, had grown cherry tomatoes successfully.

 

Maybe if I grow mine in large pots and give them enough fertilisers, they will do well. I am inspired to try again.

Plants need brollies too

I came home to see my seedlings battered and drowning in rainwater (again), and had to find a solution quickly. Why not use my brolly to protect the delicate plants from heavy rainfall? If I had thought of this earlier, I would have saved lots of seedlings!

This is now a permanent fixture in my garden, well until the plants are stronger and rainy season is over.

Growing pea shoots

Since it is so hard for small seeds to germinate during this rainy season, I have chosen to grow pea shoots instead. The big green peas do not rot in the rain and they grow up strong and healthy. I can't wait to eat sweet peas!