2 Months of Gardening!!

I arrived on the 20th of April and started planting on the 21st (Paul's birthday). I started with seeds that I "nursed" into little seedlings and had the gardener put together the raised bed kit and stuff them in there. After some weekend minding and two months of experimenting with my green thumb, I am eating some yummy green beans straight from my borrowed dirt.

We now have a few papaya and banana trees as well. Also on a whim a few weeks ago, when we concluded the gardener wasn't quite meeting the grade, I made it known by way of spending about 4 hours in there making over the flower borders and potted plants; they have passed the intensive care stage of almost dying because I uprooted them too violently, to starting to sprout flowers again. Success.

The front yard still needs some love, but stuff grows SOOOOOO fast here, that I'm not too worried.

The carrots and beets are looking good, the sweet peas should be in bloom by July/August, and I'm looking forward to the late "winter" blossoms in the garden.

Things worth remembering...

• Lisboa, the gardener took out the two decorative trees that I said I didn't want - by hacking them down instead of re-planting them....lesson learned
• The peanuts somehow have stuck around... I should probably make another go at the whole roasting affair
• We have sweet potatoes - which, apparently, all good gardens in Angola have
• I'm somehow still thinking that all my Canadian Summer favorites will prosper here.... Nostalgia is a very powerful motivator and the enabler of hope
• Don't give Lisboa a full envelope of seeds. He will use them all in one go... see beans.
• Banana trees grow very quickly - bats eat them if you don't cut the banana chandelier when it is still green...six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch!
• I put my plants through a torturous re-org..to prove a point to Lisboa (you aren't doing much for the 16 hours we are paying you to be there each week).. and we had liftoff...
• Herbs are awesome - I'm digging the amazing access to basil every time I need it. Basil and bananas. 
• My favorites happenstances are the Dahlias that landed in the raised veggie bed and the beans that have attacked the entire back wall. I will have to do something with those other than snack on them after work every day. 

Yay!

Here are a few pictures to share the lushness.

We have some kind neighbors who loaned us their extra grille. We are so lucky! Paul went out to buy charcoal with Emiquilson - a story for him to write! Notice the stepping stones missing - the gardener made a grille pad with them,  and it leaves us with some fertile veggie soil, of which I will be taking advantage!

The patio is looking a little greener with the herbs closest, and the flower pots far away. I've used the cilantro on bbq chicken pizza, the basil almost any time I cook, and I'm looking forward to using the thyme, tarragon, and dill at some point soon!

Sweet potatoes on the left, banana tree in the middle, basil bush in back, peanuts on the right

Our baby banana tree!!! Just sprouted last week!

I've been able to pick more than a handful of beans each day... probably because the entire back fence has a stalk planted every 10 inches. Dilly Bean Time!

My mom's garden bed always had nasturtiums framing it. I decided to do the same... with a pepper plant in the middle... tomatoes are in the back behind the bed against the wall, brussels sprouts and beets are in the back (left and right), and , carrots and... Dahlias in the front.. Excited for the Dahlia's; my uncle Duncan grew them at my grandmother's house, and Paul's Grandfather grew some too. Dunc's were in Crescent Beach, Canada, Paul's grampy's were in Benguela, Angola. :-)

Beets and Dahlias.

One of our two Papaya trees... And some peas in the back

Carrots up close

Brussels Sprouts

We will have a pretty lush area around the patio at some point... I'm excited!

Front yard needs some TLC - I've been focusing on the oasis I need to pay attention to, not the neighbors' but it will catch up... we'll get there!

xx