20 June 2011

Geography of My Kitchen Garden

When I wrote Lost Path last June our door step was one foot under the sand. I personally witnessed how the flash floods from the farm road covered our campus with sand thrice, and therefore I know that the place I am calling my kitchen garden is sandy.
My First bean.
If you have followed my blog regularly you would know that I had to build fences around my soul before I could fence my garden. And as if that wasn't enough, my sandy soil brought in lots of skeptical advisers kindly assuring me that nothing would grow in my garden. If they are right, then why am I wasting time? Well, geography says sand is not fertile but geography also say that the flood plain in Bangladesh is very fertile. The sand in my garden was brought there by flood and it ought to be fertile as well.
Chili and Egg Plant

Kingdom of tomatoes- I didn't plant on the side of the box!

 Nobody says anything these days, it has only been over a month and my green garden is answer to all their doubts. Spring onion was the first to answer followed by tomato. Garlic leaves and beans are swaying in the wind. Egg plants are growing huge leaves overshadowing my spinach (spinach reminds me of Popeye the sailor man). Coriander leaves, carrot and broccoli are just germinating while maize and ola choto are touching the fence. Chili trees look promising- I have the Indian chili plants. My most favorite plants in my garden are the two Coffee plants and two Dalle plants. Looking at the list, it may seem like I have acres of land but in fact I only have about ten square feet- including the soil in wooden box.
Spring Onion among Egg Plant, and Coriander in the box.
These many plants growing out of my sandy garden assure me that I have read the geography of Bangladesh carefully.
First harvest!
An afterthought:
* Two coffee plants may give me two cups of coffee, or may be more or may be the wind will never let them grow their fleshy leaves. but twenty years from now, when you drink a Bhutanese coffee brand called "PaSsu" please remember to share with your kids how uncle PaSsu began with just two plants of Coffee ha ha ha.
My two Coffee plants- half ragged by wind!

8 comments:

  1. Good things to learn from you. Very impressive initiative you have just started. Now I think I should also start gardening like you. But I am not as smart as you on what to plant on what type of soil and fertilizers. I think I should learn from you.

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  2. Hi PaSsu,

    I hope your efforts does not turn out to be, what I call, Nu.5,000.00 worth of hardship and Nu.500.00 worth of harvest :)

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  3. :) Its a beautiful garden of yours Passu....ha ha if I ever visit Bhutan again I will sure drop in for the coffee :):).

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  4. Thank you Rikku. Honestly, I too don't know much about gardening but as you do things start to occur on its own. I threw so many seeds and I take care of those that sprout. Tomato, spring onion, and Coriander leaves are easy to start with, move over these are the ones we need most. so begin with those.

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  5. Yeshey, please drop by for a hot cup of tomato soup- really my tomato is yielding well.
    My investment so far is almost nil- I got all the seeds and saplings for free... and I happily invested my energy during early mornings and evenings without wasting my working hours and outing times...
    I have already harvested enough tomato and spring onion- there is extra charm in having my own harvest.
    I am looking forward to a season of bounty...
    One thing I can guarantee in gardening- you will never regret!

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  6. Anu, you may have to teach me how to roast coffee beans before you could sip it, or else we may have to prepare a dal out of coffee beans and drink.
    Anyway, thanks for reading!

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  7. I'm pleased I found this content useful, as it offers a lot of information. I normally want to read high-quality content like coffee shop Maumee ​and Thank You so much For sharing, I owe you a debt of appreciation.

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