Mama's office runs a Kitchen Garden project at an orphanage. It's been ongoing since 2008 I was told. Besides exposing the kids to good farming practices (that sounds so grand, eh?), the project has helped reduce kitchen expenses as the orphanage doesn't have to buy vegetables anymore. Mama has been thinking of ways to improve the project, thus her visit there. I was more than happy snoopervising her. Besides, I love the smell of grass, herbs and flowers...not forgetting the bugs (and birdies) available. Here are some of what's growing in the garden.
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| Calamansi is called limau kasturi in Malay. It's smaller in size than the normal lime (limau nipis). Usually used to flavour chili condiments or drinks. Put about 6 calamansi in a blender with about 200ml water, buzzzzz. Then pour into a tall glass, plonk in 1 dried plum, about 10ml sugar syrup, some ice, mix and then drink....slurrrpppp! |
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| The banana patch and pandan in the background. Michael's eyes lighted up when he saw the big clumps of pandan. |
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| The vegie patch - there's snake beans, okra dan bok choy. |
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| The tapioca patch. People here eat the tuber as well as the young shoots. |
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| Aaahhh...I hope we'll get a good harvest of pineapples soon. |
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| Some healthy looking kaffir lime trees. Ooohh....we haven't had tomyam for a while, Mama... |
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| Interesting coloured banana...I don't know the name for this variety. |
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| A closer look at the snake bean plants. They have begun to bear fruits. |
Nicole's 2-cent: A lot still needs to be done. Mama wants to teach the kids composting and start a no-dig patch. We'll start in September, she said.
purrr *giggles*
40 comments:
what a wonderful service your Mama is providing!! It brought tears to my eyes to think of the $$ she is helping save the orphanage, your Mama is truly an amazing woman!
I didn't know that that is where tapioca comes from! (I love tapioca!)
Also, those bananas look like they are red bananas but I bet they have a fancier name than that.
How long does it take pineapples to grow? How do you plant them?
This is so wonderful I want to give your Mama a HUGE hug! Thank you for sharing, Nicole!
It's a good idea to grow vegetable at orphanage! I agree it's a great experience for kids and helps save kitchen expenses. How wonderful of your mama to teach kids composting etc. Garden looks great but I hope it will become even better with her help!!
Wow! This is a great job! I loved seeing that you have lemons, bananas, pineapples and cassava, we have food here in Brazil, too.
Congratulations to your Mom and the children of the orphanage, a great future!
Aunty Caren,
(((((((HUGS))))))) that's from my Mama. She has so many projects in the pipeline besides gardening. So where do you think tapioca come from? Freezer section of Asian grocers? Doesn't take long for pineapples to bear fruits in the tropics, about three months. purrrrr *giggles*
Tamago-san,
What's more challenging is that the kids are of the indigenous tribes where farming is not a norm. They are more used to picking up whatever is edible from the jungle. purrrrr *giggles*
one day I have to hear ALL of your Mom's MANY projects! She is totally amazing and blogs too? Where does she find the time?
LMAO about the tapicoa (smarty pants!!) I never thought about where it comes from and I probably DID think it came from the store! HA!!!!!!!!!!!
3 months for a pineapple? Seems like it would take longer. When I was in Hawaii I missed going to the Dole plant lol.
It's ok to laugh at me...I would say it was a "fake blonde" moment but I have darkened my hair a bit. lol
xoxoxo
Mama has a wonderful spirit. That is a great idea , plenty of fresh vegetables for the orphanage.
Three cheers for Mama and you too, of course :)
Brad
No lemongrass & turmeric?
the garden looks much neater now than it was when I visited two years ago
oh sweetnya...
aunty nur pun nak joinlah dgn mama
tanam pokok pisang...
Wow, you really have some interesting plants!! And how nice of your mom to help the children at the orphanage!!
No Aunty CS's drumstick aka buah kelo? hikhik
Hamboi...your mama is amazing, Nicole! ;)
wahhh bestnya...kita pon suka bercucuk tanam tp tanaman tu tak suka ngan kita, bila tanam tak penah tumbuh huhuu...
eh pelik lah pisang tu br pirst time jumpa..
Aunty Marilia,
Oh yes. Brazil is also tropical, that's why we have similar vegetation. purrrrr *giggles*
Brilliant idea! Our orphanage doesn't have one and I have black thumbs but will think of a way to organise this... thanks for the idea!
Wishing you Happy World Cat Day.
Your mama is awesome ! Anyway, another benefit of doing this is making those kids love their vegetables ! I saw many kids refuse to eat vegetables and that irks me, they should've been introduced to the awesomeness of vegetables and fruits from early age !
Aunty Caren,
Heaps of research and development have been done on pineapples in this country. Would you believe it that we have a variety called "yankee" here? We've had it around since the 1970s.
Maybe you can help fundraise for Mama's project especially children related issue. purrrrr *giggles*
Brad dear,
Every little savings helps...purrrrr *giggles*
Aunty Pi,
Ada. Tak tunjuk gambornyer aje. purrrr *giggles*
Your Royal Monyetness,
The garden went through its ups and downs. And Mama has only just come back for good. We'll improve. But there's plenty of pisang now. purrrrrr *giggles*
Aunty Nur,
Bila balik sini singgahlah, boleh kita ke kebun. purrrr *giggles*
Island Cats,
If you live on a tropical island, you can plant similar variety. purrrr *giggles*
Aunty Lili,
There is one I saw but it's not part of the garden. purrrr *giggles*
Aunty Meoww,
Tangan "panas" kot? Imagine the jebons frolicking here. purrrrr *giggles*
Au &Target,
Please email us. Mama can lend a hand and we can send our team of volunteers. Been wanting to expand to other homes too but must have commitment from the kids, and home management as well. purrr *giggles*
Tante Sandy,
Here the kids are excited to eat their own planted vege. I guess they appreciate it more coz they're involved. purrrr *giggles*
as you could see from my inability to collect much money from the Chip In I had on my blog in June (I had a goal of $1000 and collected a whopping $52 lol) I am the WRONG person to ask for fundraising! Thankfully I won the $1000 that my charity will be getting (God works in mysterious ways for sure) I would post a link or something if you would like though
Your Mama is a very kind lady, what a wonderful thing to do for the kids and the orphanage. Thanks for the interesting post Nicole and all the great pics!
What an amazing garden! Happy World Cat Day!
Aunty Caren,
It's the thought that counts, OK? purrrr *giggles*
Heya Cloon,
We're not rich so we used other resources...like human brains...to contribute to society. purrrr....*giggles*
Hie Cat Wisdom! Welcome to our crazy and very unwise world here. purrrr *giggles*
Way to go, Mama and the other volunteers! What a productive activity for the kids to engage in, too. A hands-on science lesson plan each day.
Great Garden but Today is World Cat Day !
and I'm Mr. Puddy love to make a request for my furry bootiful friends ...and You can't say " no" to da cat today because It's world cat day..heh..heh..heh
We Cats Need " Cat Nip " in the garden !!!!!
Happy World Cat Day : )
Interesting project to be a part of. Orphanage seems like such an old fashioned word but sadly there are still many orphans in the world! Luckily these kids have a place to go.
the critters in The Cottage
I have 2 pineapples plants here that has been growing more than 2 years but has not bear a fruit for us at all. Too cold for them here. Lovely idea of projek kebun for rumah anak yatim. Wah banana...we have been banana fasting for months.Banana at the moment here $10perkilo.
CO78,
Thank you but you're too kind. Our objective was to engage the kids in activities that are different than the norm. Besides savings for the kitchen. purrrr *giggles*
We hear you Mr Puddy! Mama has gone looking for cat nip seeds. purrrr *giggles*
Cottage Felines,
I'm amazed at the long list of orphanages in this country. So we have to make the best of the situation. purrrrr *giggles*
MKG dear,
Pineapples don't thrive in the temperates. You'll need to move to Queensland. Has there been any typhoon or devastating storm in Queensland that bananas are expensive? There was once when bananas were $12 a kilogram in Sydney. purrrr *giggles*
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