New plant haul precaution

After buying new plants, we plant parents are very excited in re-potting them next. My ritual is to spray them with my homemade partial insecticide first, as a precautionary measure if ever they are harboring any insect or fungi. This way you protect your other house plants also from infection, if there's any. 

watch here: Plant haul video

Lastly, I acclimatize them in my garden for at least three to five days to avoid transplant shock. 🙂

Plant your own Sweet Basil

Ever wonder why Italian dishes have their distinct flavor? Sweet Basil, it is! Learn how to grow you own in this short video. Happy planting!💚Growing Sweet Basil -Super easy

Sunbathing succulents

Newbie succulent Mom here, and I conclude nakaka-addict pala talaga!🙋🏻‍♀️ 

Now done with the air drying and re-potting chores of my first batch haul, I am now slowly introducing my succulents to the natural elements of my garden~ sunlight, weather condition, etc.

After watching countless tutorials and reading articles, witnessing them under my care in the next few days if they will grow healthier or 'murdering' them will be a different story all together. And that's what a gardener/plant enthusiast's biggest challenge if I must say so. 😃

Please witness my new journey by subscribing on my channel!👇🏻

Watch the video here...click!

#succulents #cns #succulentas #echeveria #tornado #makinoi #ghostplant #banana #fredives #blackprince #sedum #jellybeans #angelinabush

Succulent newbie

I admit, I find them cute but never in my imagination that I would include them in my garden. I bought one or two in the past, but I was never really into it. I'm more of a flowers-topiaries-lush foliage kind of plant enthusiast.

Maybe I want to challenge myself. After months of gardening and have been successful naman even with sowing and germinating seeds and planting my own vegetable patch(although I killed some plants, but its part of the process), I thought of going to the next level. Pero ayoko pa din ng cactus. 😃 I don't want to be pricked whenever I touch them.

I went to Dangwa in Manila from our place on an early Saturday morning to start off with my succulent hunting. It is known for flower arrangements and a wholesale flower market but you can also find lots of succulents and cacti there since they mostly came from one place where they are being grown, Benguet. After thirty minutes, I arrived at this succulent and cacti heaven. 

I spent at least an hour and a half scouring the best possible haul that I could buy. I almost forgot to take a picture because I was so engrossed in shopping. I didn't even get the chance to take a video.

This was part of my first day haul. I got nine varieties and a lush Begonia plant for p250($5). Prices range from P35 each to P150($3) depending on the variety. I enjoyed it so much that I went back the next day!😃

For my first potting session, I chose the Jellybeans or Sedum robrutinctum as my first ever. 

It is known as Jelly beans or Christmas cheer for its red color tipped leaves. They are best exposed to sunlight and should be planted in a fast draining soil made of pumice, perlite, sand and a bit of vermicast. It is advised to water after a week or two from planting. 💚

Pls. visit my Youtube channel to watch how I did it! 🙂

#jellybeans #succulents #potting #gardening #sedum

Orange flamed sky

11/27/20

What a very rare occurence! We had an amazing sunset today. I had to run to get my phone to capture it. 🤩 

video here 🧡

Propagating Aglaonemas

Aglaonemas are slow-growing, attractive, and make excellent foliage plants. Best of all, it does not like full sun, so it is perfect for indoors. They are inexpensive, easy to care for and has many varieties to choose from.

With TLC, it will reward you with lots of foliage soon enough. I posted a video in my Youtube channel on how to propagate it, just in case you're interested... 👇🏻

Propagating Aglaonemas

Pls. visit!🙂

Typhoon Ulysses aftermath

The aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses' wrath in our garden was just a minor concern compared to the others severely affected by flash floods, lost lives and homes, etc. Though I was able to secure the plants before the onset of the typhoon, it was one scary night of howling winds, sounds of breaking twigs, a few flying neighbor's roofs amidst the darkness due to lost of power supply. I could just imagine the fear of those people living in houses with light materials and in low lying areas.

watch the video here 

Praying for strength for our Kababayans. We will rise above this... 🙏

#TyphoonULYSSES #ulyssesPH #Manila

the wonders of Oregano

Oregano is one of the few herbs I have in my garden. The first plant that I bought was weak that it died a month after. Good thing, I was able to propagate it beforehand. 

Why did I consider having it in the first place in my garden? When taken by mouth it is good for treatment of coughs or asthma. In cooking, it is used as spice for dishes. The oil extracted from Oregano is used also in the treatment for acne, warts and dandruff. It can even act as an insect repellant, as well as medication for varicose veins and gum disease. Isn't it amazing?

watch here 👉🏻How I transplanted my Oregano

Fame Flower or the Jewels of Opar

I was surprised that this plant in my garden which I bought last June as an ornamental plant is edible pala and medicinal, too. I learned something today!😀 

After five months, it is now taller by a few inches. I learned also to propagate it through cuttings. Pls. watch the video below where I attempted to make it bushier...👇🏻

Fame flower or Jewels of Opar

The Fame flower is a subshrub succulent plant native to the Americas. It produces tiny, jewel-like fruits that resemble precious stones. It is known to be used in home medicine as diuretic, healing, an emollient, and anti-infective. Since leaves are edible, itis also consumed in salads.

source:wikipedia

Pre-emptive plant evacuation

As early yesterday,  we started preparing for the coming super typhoon Rolly to hit the Philippines. It is said to be the strongest one in 2020. I went to the wet market and grocery to stock up on food just in case. Another major concern is my garden. Good thing a lot of my plants are potted ones so it wasn't hard to transfer them to a shaded area away from harsh wind and too much rain. My husband and son helped me in accomplishing this task. More of this preparation here in my Youtube channel...

Some of the small plants I tucked away in the comforts of our sala.

At this time the worst is over in Manila, but the extend of the damages from other areas are yet to be known or reported. I am hoping and praying for minimal damages at least because as we all know, this is also happening during the pandemic caused by Covid 19 virus wherein strict health protocols are still imposed.

Stay safe everyone!

why put Coleus or Mayana in your garden

Coleus is one of the easiest(and its cheap!) plants in terms of care and propagation; brightens the 'loneliest' spot in my garden. If you don't want to break the bank but would love to have an eye candy garden, you can never go wrong with this plant. More on care and its medicinal uses here in my Youtube channel >>> Coleus video

Pottery Heaven

One of the downside in the rising prices of plants during this pandemic is it also coincided with how costly the clay pots are now, my favorite planters than those are made of plastic. 

Not only Vigan in Ilocos Sur is popular for its Heritage site Calle Crisologo, but it is also known for its handcrafted earthenware pots. It is known as Burnayan. I made sure to include it in our in our five day roadtrip tour itinerary. I'm glad we visited one last Dec. 2017. I regret that I only bought 2 pots at that time. If only I could go there right now and hoard some..

Here's the video... click! >>>Pottery Heaven

Finally, harvesting Pechay!

I've been attempting to plant vegetables in our small garden. It is true that I love ornamental plants,  especially flowers, but having one's own vegetable patch is a different ballgame. One needs to at least find five minutes a day to inspect one's produce. You need to make sure that it is receiving enough sunlight and watering, fertilization and free from pests. So far I have grown Basil, Pepper, Lemon Okra(it has yet to flower though) and now, Pechay from seeds. I propagated Kangkong or water spinach, Kamote or cassava tops and Alugbati naman through cuttings. The only setback that I had was having leaf miners during the early stages, but through helpful videos I was able to cure it. 

Let me share with you the simple joy of harvesting to add it in our Nilagang(stewed) Pork by lunch time through this video... 🙂

click! >>> Pechay, at last!

my Garden's evolution and a new Youtube channel

Hello! It's been awhile. I hope everyone's good on your side of the world. On my end, like everyone else we adhere to the health protocols as much as possible after almost six months of community quarantine. Manila is still in General Community quarantine. My brother wasn't spared by Covid 19, but thankfully, he just suffered mild symptoms like lack of sense of smell and slight fever. With God's grace, he was fine after three weeks of self-quarantine at home. Plus, my sister who lives with him was also negative from Covid 19 after undergoing a swab test. 

This pandemic really opened up a lot of opportunities for us to cope. One hobby that is making me sane till this time is gardening.

I've always love plants and buy them whenever I see something that interests me. Last year, when my Mom died, I neglected my garden because of grief. I lost the appetite to pursue even my other hobbies, like baking and collecting teacups. But due to the pandemic, I became seriously involved with gardening again. The lockdown made me focused on what was around me, not only inside our home but, including the garden.  

         fresh flowers for Mom+

It is only this year that I researched thoroughly and watched many videos about plants in terms of care and propagation, because honestly, in the past years, a lot have died due to my improper care and not enough knowledge of each plants' characteristics. Nowadays, I even get to try planting veggies and herbs from seeds. I would like to add also that most of the landscaping is done by yours truly.  

I love flowers and evergreens. If I have a bigger area, I would like to add trees too, like a Fire tree, Crape myrtle and a Japanese maple tree. 

This continuous evolution of my garden made me create a Youtube channel  and started vlogging for the first time for inspiration and of course, for my personal documentation. I learned a lot from others so it is now my turn to share my own journey. Please do drop by and subscribe if you find it helpful!🙂 click this 👉🏻 youtube

Quarantine Musings

Aside from prayers and exercise, I do a lot of mind conditioning nowadays to avoid anxiety. You can't help it if your going through this pandemic. It is one way to keep one's sanity and ward off negative thoughts. Blogging(or writing it down) too, surely helps. 

This two month lockdown made me realized a lot of things...

1. I love cooking for my family but hey, I'm just human, I do get tired.  Especially, when you constantly do it twice to three times a day in this hot and humid weather. Kakaluto mo pa lang lunch, iniisip mo na yung preparation sa dinner. Sabi ko minsan sa asawa ko at anak ko, "para akong may canteen ah!" In return naman, we do order and take out food at least once in a week. Pero kapag iniisip ko na it would take a long time before we could dine out again, I feel sad. It is a fave activity of ours- dining out at least twice a week.

2. I miss going to the wet market/grocery twice a week with no restrictions. Before, I do this after my Zumba because our gym is just a few steps from the grocery. Nowadays, going out and doing this is already a major production. You have to wear a mask, goggles or glasses, a hat and gloves, for some. In my belt bag, aside from money, phone and keys, I need to have my quarantine pass and an alcohol spray. Once you get to the grocery or palengke, you have to wait in line for quite a while. Inside, I have this sense of urgency to finish off my errand. I tend to become paranoid. Nagiging germophobic na yata ako. And this is supposed to be a stress busting activity on my part dapat. I love going through the aisles and check even those things that I don't need without thinking that I might pick something na full of germs. Iba pa yung pagdating mo sa bahay, ako rin ang mag-di-disinfect or maghuhugas ng pinamili ko. I got traumatized(or just tired) yata once, I didn't go out talaga for two weeks straight.

3. I don't miss the mall at all- well, initially. But every time I thought of buying something that I need like a simple kitchen utensil(ex. spatula), or a piece of furniture or an appliance that I thought before wasn't an immediate necessity, I do want to head out and proceed to the nearest one. I need to re-paint or do a makeover DIY but all the hardware stores nearby aren't in operation. Sa mall, may Ace hardware, True Value or Handyman.

4. I need to go plant shopping again. Some of the ones I bought last February went to plant heaven na. I also regret that I didn't buy pechay seeds when I had all the time to grab one in my many trips to the supermarket or hardware store.

5. A roadtrip or a plane ride isn't gonna happen soon. I miss the beach and I wanna go back to Japan.

6. 'Nagtatampo' na yung make-up, alahas, sapatos at damit ko. I miss wearing them. Sometimes, I put on perfume kahit nasa bahay lang. When I do my grocery and wet market errands, yung brows lang ang pwedeng ayusin di ba. One time, I put on some lipstick, pero mag-ma-mask pala ako. Face palm moment.

7. This is not the best time to get sick and be hospitalized. Boosting one's immune system and having a healthy diet(the hardest part) should be prioritized now more than ever. Alam mo yung yung feeling na may sore throat ka lang, then Covid-19 comes to mind. If there's an urgent medical attention that I need siguro oral prophylaxis by my dentist. The last time I had was January or February yata. It is due na by June.

8. If there's one big financial advice you need to hear from me and if I could nag you just like how I am to my son- don't forget to save up for the 'rainy days'. It may sound too cliché, but even there's a pandemic or not, CASH IS GOLD all the time. You may all have the fanciest things around you, but if you don't have the liquidity to spend during an emergency, everything else won't matter. Of course, you may sell them but it will buy you time. Iba yung meron ka na agad at your own disposal whenever, wherever. I don't need to elaborate more, but, it is one BIG worry off your mind.

9. Rough times bring out the best and worst in people. Doon mo malalaman HOW a person will face an adversity head on. It is one true test of character and....values, if I may add. Makaka-adapt kaya siya o tatakbuhan niya ang realidad? 

10. I'm beyond thankful that my family isn't experiencing a major trial(health concerns, death, family feuds, etc.) alongside with this pandemic. I pray that it won't come in the nearest future. Have mercy on us and many thanks, Lord. 

coping up with Covid 19

So how is my family coping up during this pandemic? After almost two months, we somehow managed to have a routine, household chores and all. On my end, I still do Zumba with the help of Youtube. The Internet is really a powerful tool during this days. Ang daming videos that we could use for our exercise regimen. Apart from Zumba, I sometimes do Yoga or Hiit exercises, too. 

I regularly chat with my siblings thru messenger, same as my husband with his. My son is working from home and regularly streaming live as a gamer. 

I also joined the bake-your-bread bandwagon weeks ago. At the start of the quarantine period, there was a time the neighborhood groceries ran out of bread. Kaya naisip ko, I can try baking it naman. At first, I want to try making the Hokkaido Milk bread, but it requires a longer period of time, so will try it next.

It was my first and it wasn't bad. Yun lang talaga you have to consume it for two days because wala naman siyang preservative.

Madali lang pala gumawa ng tinapay. Bakit ngayon ko lang ginawa ito? Kung hindi lang talaga mainit sa Pilipinas, mas madami na akong nasubukan.

I cooked Oven Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken Rosemary for the first time, too. Madali lang din siya.Thankfully, it was a hit for my boys. 

Watching Korean dramas is still a part of my routine. I recently finished Black Knight, Pasta, Beauty Inside,and Big. I'm currently watching Lee Min Ho's The King Eternal Monarch and Suits. 

Attending to my plants is another stressbuster for me. When this ECQ is finally lifted, I will buy new ones even in this oven like kind of weather. 

I'm glad I 'salvaged' this plant from dying...

plus this Colosseus, too...

My latest Gumamela bloom after I pruned it a few months ago...

My Pothos plants are thriving. One of the easiest plant there is, just lots of water and tender loving care.

I just wish that my Snake plants to be just as productive...

Even though it's extremely hot during the summer, I would not exchange this view from anybody else's...

I find it comforting to just gaze on my exclusive every day view, be it sunrise, sunset or anytime of the day during this forced stay at home period. I'm very grateful. 

day 56 Enhanced Community Quarantine

It's been almost a month since I posted an update. I hope you're comfortable and on the pink of health right now. 

This flower bloomed just in time for my Mom's death anniversary. Incidentally, she gave me this plant a couple of years ago. 

Last April 24 was my Mom's first death anniversary. My family could not commemorate it the normal way because of the quarantine. We agreed to pray the Novena for the eternal repose of her soul for nine straight days in the comfort of our own homes na lang muna. We miss her so much even a year has already passed. Parang kahapon lang nangyari, but knowing that she's with our Dad now makes it less painful for us. I know that they are constantly guiding us from heaven.

It's already known that our quarantine here in Manila was extended for another month. Ang dami nang nangyari tulad ng nagupitan ko na ng buhok si Hubby. Another achievement unlock for me. Puwede na pala akong hairdresser. Si Husband ang dami na ring nagawa. He gave our roof a fresh coat of paint. Nalinis na niya Man cave niya at bodega namin. We are also thankful that we were given cash aid by the government thru the Social Amelioration Program. This was a surprise to us since we didn't expect that we would be qualified and it came right on my son's birthday, too. 

Tonight, we are waiting with bated breath if the President will announce our transition from ECQ to GCQ(general community quarantine) after almost two months of quarantine. Of course, once we move on to GCQ, there will still be restrictions and guidelines so that a second wave of infections won't happen. We don't want to overwhelm our hospitals and frontliners, which is also the reason for extending the quarantine period twice. 

The last weekend was eventful. We celebrated my son's 27th birthday last Saturday and Mom's day yesterday. Just like my last birthday, I cooked the pasta dish(Baked Macaroni this time), and the rest of the food, we just bought from Landers care of my husband. Nairaos din, even quarantine style. I feel grateful that we are healthy and Covid-free, there's a roof over our head, food on the table all the time and no one close to us is sick or dying. Our prayer, just like everyone's, is for this disease not to inflict further havoc to the world anymore. Please heal our land, Lord.

Buti na lang two cakes(Chocolate and Vanilla) yung nabili ni husband, bigla akong nagkaroon ng Mom's day cake. He totally forgot daw kinabukasan ang araw ng mga Ina. 

Day 32 Extreme Community Quarantine

How are you all? I hope you are comfortable and in your best health while reading.

My mornings always start with "sun worshipping"....

Twenty minutes of Vitamin D, good for fighting off the deadly Covid_19 virus. 

The supposed to be 4 weeks "lockdown" imposed by the government was extended for another two weeks. A lot have happened since Day 1. We cannot go out anymore without a quarantine pass because the number of persons infected are increasing daily, 200+ on the average. The number of deaths are alarming, too.

Some of the past weeks' highlights below...

• I usually go out once a week to buy fresh produce. I go to our neighborhood wet market and mini groceries. I visited Hypermarket twice and Landers Superstore once. 

Of course, we always do the necessary precautions like donning face masks, using alcohol spray and social distancing. Before we enter our home, we wash our hands thoroughly with soap and water outside in our dirty kitchen, remove our shoes and sanitize them, too. I take a bath and disinfect afterwards everything that we bought. Mabuti na ang praning kesa magsisi sa huli.

• We were given aid twice by our local government. I promised to give all of our family's share to my cousin who needs it most.

 

from the baranggay captain...

 

from our Mayor...

• My son works from home while our small business isn't operational during this time. Alongside others in the business sector, we are suffering a huge loss because of this pandemic. Naaawa din ako sa mga empleyado namin. Tapos ang dami mong makikitang pasaway, may nagsasabong at nagpapa-boxing o kaya naman parang namamasyal lang sa mall sa kalye yung iba. 

• My routine pre-Covid didn't change much since I'm a stay at home Mom, bukod sa di lang ako makapag-grocery at gym anytime I want to. This is in contrast with my husband who feels restless and anxious minsan. Ako din naman nai-stress, but I always try to brush the negative vibes off kapag nararamdaman ko na lalo na kapag naglalabas ng daily updates about Covid-19 here in our country. In addition to that are the non-stop bickerings and politicking about the current situation. So, how do I address it? For my mental health's sake, I usually stay out of social media or any news on TV, cook, watch my Korean dramas(finished Itaewon class, Black Knight, Single Cunning Lady), tend to my plants, listen to music, exercise via Youtube, and most important of all, pray to avoid unnecessary anxiety. 

I do understand him because he has a lot on his mind regarding his work and all. Hindi rin siya sanay na hindi nagtra-trabaho. Most of the time he keeps himself busy watching series on Netflix, de-cluttering, doing cardio exercises 2x a week, or cleaning our backyard. He also gave a fresh coat our house's roof by spray painting it three weeks ago. 

He also goes to the market for some errands using one of his trusted bikes.

He even gave himself a haircut last week. I gave him a hand to trim the hair beside his ears and at the nape part. Today, he cleaned his collection of action figures by vacuuming them one by one.

• I celebrated my birthday last Monday Quarantine style. I thank God that my family and nearest kin are healthy and Covid free. Yun lang masaya na ako. My husband went to Landers early morning and endured the long lines just to buy me a cake, a big pizza and a few groceries by himself. I cooked Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta in addition for my birthday noodles.

Cranberry cream cake...

My son ordered KFC chicken thru Grab food. Yun na daw ang gift niya. He later on paid for the pizza, too. Thank you, anak.

My birthday wish is that this pandemic will be over soon and wish that the families who lost their loved ones will be embraced by God's love and grace for them to endure the sadness and grief they are experiencing right now.