Plantita Saturdays: Backyard Refresh!

Things weren't going right for our garden. Experienced flooding, all the grass died and nothing seemed to flourish, even the bamboo trees started to look sad. With all the grass gone, it soon became muddy and it became harder to keep the sliding doors clean. A huge rat also burrowed and we got scared it might gain entry to the house. 

After a month of work, the drainage issue has been addressed. The bamboo and other plants has been corralled. We were lucky that the foreman who led the team had extensive gardening experience. He really took care of the plants and properly transplanted those that were "in the way". He also made sure that the plants were watered twice a day. The plants all look greener and happier now. 

Downspout water had to be directed to the drain and drain pipes had to be re-aligned.

The biggest change we did was to prep the garden for turf grass. We don't exactly know why the grass died, but we suspect it may be because of the bamboo and the soil. Maintaining grass is hard and expensive. You need to be really committed to maintain grass. I even tried growing grass to fill up the bald patches, but it didn't work. We decided to use turf grass so we can spend more time tending to growing plants. Also, no more muddy garden. 

Things are slowly taking shape. I'm really happy with how the refresh turned out. They added drains, realigned the pipes, fixed the downspout and even moved the faucet for me. The plants are also happier and we saw new bamboo growing after proper loam soil was added. We still need to finish the other mini-projects before we have the turf grass installed. 

Maybe I can finally start planting again :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Plantita Saturdays: My Ambitious Gardening Bucket List!

I have more misses than hits in my gardening adventures last year. The only plants that I grew from seed that are still alive are the carrots, blue ternate and sili (dying though). The ornamental plants from my Mom and Ate Rose are still thriving. The ginger and tumeric I propagated from kitchen scraps are still growing (hopefully). The succulents I have are dying because of the cold (except the kalanchoe). 

Someday my garden will be as lush as this!

It was a challenging gardening year, but I think I have a better idea now of what grows well in my garden. I understand better where the sun is, what fertilizers and soil to use. The thing I have to curb is, over-watering! My Mom told me that she waters everything everyday. What I did not realize is her garden gets much more sun than mine and I should really check the soil before watering my plants. I also need to make sure I only have enough plants I could take care of.

Here's my plan this year for my garden:

1. Prepare the garden properly. Our garden is flanked with bamboo. They were the right size when we moved in, but didn't realize they'd grow so tall! Well, it killed the grass because it couldn't get enough sunlight. We'll have to tame the bamboo and do something about the grass coz it's gotten very muddy. 
2. Address drainage issue in the garden. 
3. Assign an area for growing veggies so they get enough sunlight. 
4. Assign an area for ornamental plants. 
5. Get some indoor plants that are low maintenance. 
6. Cultivate veggies and herbs that are useful for cooking (onions!). 
7. Don't get overly excited over acquiring seeds. 
8. Study first before planting anything so your effort is not wasted. 
9. Be consistent with fertilizers and pesticides. 
10. Be always well so you can take care of your plants!

Gardening has been challenging, but a good activity to calm one's mind. I hope to have a better 2023 in my garden!

#BeKind #StaySafe