Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Resurrection (After a Long Hiatus)

Something about New Year's Eve that makes me go mushy, even sad.  And it makes me want to write. When I was much much younger I always looked forward to the incoming year with excitement - always anticipating something wonderful will happen to my life.

But now that I am older I looked instead backward to the year that passed. Is it because there is no more anticipation of new things to happen? 

For posterity, I took pictures of the flowers that populated my garden this year. I realized I couldn't take very good care of them anymore.  I am dependent on hired kids to weed and water the plants for me. 

Nanay dreamed of Rosal blooms in her garden.  I bought her 2 seedlings when she got sick hoping she will be able to smell the flowers when we sit on the porch.  But my seedlings bloomed late, only after she passed away.

I have always loved these violets since the  first time I saw them in my Auntie's garden when I was a teenager.  

They could be indoor plants too. And they are hardworking, they bloom regularly.


Ahhh... Lemon Grass!  I usually asked the kids to cut their tips, because for me they looked beautiful that way, not messy. I used them for Tinuwa, to stuff whole chicken for lechon manok, sometimes even as tea.  I have Pandan and Oregano too, but was not able to take  pictures of them because they grow unruly.  The Pandan is great for Buko-Pandan Salad, a family favorite.  And the oregano always send out a minty smell when you water them.

Actually these are ripe seeds from our Palm Tree.  They are bullies in our garden because they edge out the plants that sprout beside them.  Their seedlings grow in places where they fall, very prolific.
My sister and I are planning to put cobble stones in our garden instead of plants for lesser maintenance.  When that happens I will be missing my plants.