Tag Archives: bitter melons

Good House Keeping

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August 13th. I’m glad it’s a Thursday and not a Friday. I am superstitious. I used to cross my slippers when I go to bed to ward off ghosts. I was plagued by nightly visits then. You have to remember I ‘saw’ them when I was a child. I no longer do but I still sense their prescence and give them due respect.

It’s another grey morning. I made my daily visit to the garden and greenhouse. I did some housekeeping there yesterday. The bitter melon vines were overgrowing into every space possible. They were blocking the sunlight and air flow. It’s hard for me to trim them as I like to hang on to them for more fruit. It was creating a lot of humidity which led to red aphids on the pepper plants. Some of them were on the bitter melon leaves also. I sacrifice the pepper plants that had no fruit on them. I sprayed the others with soapy water. I trimmed off all the affected bitter melon leaves. Thank God they were just on one side.

After a severe pruning of the vines sunlight can get in and there is better air flow. It’s a lesson in letting go and not hanging onto every little things. More could mean less. This morning’s count of bitter melons is 22 big and small. hanI have given away 6 to friends at coffee, 2 to my father and we’ve eaten a few. I shall blanch and freeze some for winter.

I’m applying the ‘pruning’ rule to my closet this morning. What use are my high school grad and bridesmaid dresses hanging in the closet? They are taking up space and gathering dust, not only in the closet but also in my head. Yes, I take pride in that I made them both. Then there’s my mother’s 3 dresses also hanging there. One of them still have the price tag on it. She had not worn it. The original price was $100.00 marked down for $50.00. I was surprised that my mother did this. This was a dress from a long time back. I was happy that my mother valued herself to buy that dress even though she never wore it.

Against well given advice, I did try on my mother’s dresses. It did make giving them up harder. Two fit very nicely. They made me feel beautiful and elegant but where would I wear these dressy dresses to? I decided that they would all be donated. They would make nice gifts for someone. They do not look dated as I had thought.

A Healthy Obsession

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Most days I am in the greenhouse first thing in the morning. I love to take in the sweet scent of the bitter melon blooms. This year I am blessed with 13 healthy productive plants. This morning’s count was 20 melons that I could see. Now there’s one less. I cooked photo #7 for lunch with an eggplant from my sister.

I haven’t master the art of growing eggplants. I am still waiting for my first eggplant. The blossoms keep falling off before becoming a fruit. I looked into reasons why. Too hot, not enough water, severe pruning, etc. My best bet was unsuccessful pollination. It’s flower is like the tomato’s. It contains both male and female organs. I had been shaking it once in awhile. That hasn’t worked so I’ve been hand pollinating it with a small brush. I have only one bloom left. Cross my fingers and toes.

Talking about tomatoes, I have one ripe one on the vine. So far I’ve always had a big crop of tomatoes because I plant a lot of tomatoes except for this year. I’ve cut back. I might be sorry because this is the year of not great results.

However, we do have alot of beans. Buckets, buckets and buckets. I’m up to my ears blanching and freezing. I’m taking a little rest break to write this post.

Gardening Woes

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I hate how everything takes time, energy and effort. I’m in a complaining mode already. Not a good way to start the day. It is what it is. I must be feeling the ups and downs in the weather and temperatures. I woke up to 1℃. I wondered how my little tomatoes under the hood of the raised bed. Was I foolish planting them yesterday knowing the low was going to be 2℃? It was useless wondering since the deed was already done.

I need not have worried, for now at least. The tomatoes looked fine. Meanwhile, in the greenhouse, not everything was. The bitter melons, all four of them, had red aphids on them. Then I noticed that the peppers I hadn’t planted also had them. So it was squishing with my fingers and squirting soapy water to wash them off all. Now hoping the bitter melons will survive. Maybe I should start a few more. There’s still time. This is what I get for not paying attention.

To make matters worse, I found the bed of peppers planted a couple of days ago all had red aphids on their under leaves. I’ve just finished squishing them all by hand. The hopeful thing is I spy some ladybugs present. They do eat aphids. I’m surprised to learn that ants and aphids are symbiotic. So woe is me for I do see them in the bed, too. I’m feeling a little/alot overwhelmed. I set a dish of sugar laced with borax to kill the ants. Then I sprayed the pepper leaves with soapy water.

Now I have to sit back and try to relax. I do have alot of pepper plants. I have taken appropriate measures. I have learned a lesson. You can’t neglect without a cost. You have to put in the time one way or another. Some ways are easier than others.