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Greetings Hive gardeners. Finally, the rain stopped and I found some time to go around the garden to show you some of the things we have currently growing. We moved about 2 months ago and we love it here.

Peaceful, quiet, no neighbors, and best of all many edible plants growing around us… Oh and stunning sunsets and sunrises.... just breathtaking!

WELCOME TO OUR NEW GARDEN - SEPTEMBER 2021 GARDEN JOURNAL

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera - a must in every garden. We have many plants scattered through the garden. The leaves are great to treat (sun)burns and skin conditions. I often add Aloe pure gel to my clay masks and homemade beauty care products.

Internally it has a soothing effect on the digestive system, it may help decrease irritation in the stomach and intestines. The juice may also help people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other inflammatory disorders of the intestines. Furthermore, it is a great natural treatment for constipation. If have problems with frequent constipation, try incorporating aloe vera juice into your daily routine.

Spicy Chilli Peppers

Ideal to add some heat to many of our dishes or to make chili paste or harissa.

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Papaya

Papaya everywhere. Ever since we moved here we haven’t bought a single papaya… we have even more than we can eat. Friends and neighbors are very happy about this abundance because that means free papayas for them too.

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Banana

We got many banana trees too but this is the only one bearing fruit at the moment.

Field pumpkin

This one we found growing next to the terrace. Though the first fruits rotted due to all the rain, some are seeming to survive… let’s cross our fingers for the rain to stop a little so we can enjoy these garden treats.

Noni

Disgusting-tasting, bitter fruit but it is soooo gooood for you. My friends at “Give Kefir” are going to try and make noni water kefir from our fruits. Let’s hope it taste a bit better.

Noni leaves and fruit are used in the kitchen but noni is also a traditional medicine in many cultures.

Rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants, noni juice also contains good amounts of iron, calcium, potassium, copper, magnesium, sodium, zinc, phosphorous, and selenium.

Ginger

Though our plant app says this plant is ginger - the plant and leaves look like ginger - we are not entirely sure that it is the normal ginger. Its color is more a cross between ginger and turmeric, as is its flavor.

Super yum in tea.

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Lemongrass and Pandan

My favorite tea ingredients growing right next to the house!

Want to learn more about Pandan lemongrass tea, read my previous post about it here: HEALING LEMONGRASS AND PANDAN TEA - OUR LATEST ADDICTION

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Limes

Fresh limes ready to pick. Always nice to have them around for lime juice, tea, sauces/dressings, desserts, or to add some zing to many of our dishes.

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Rose Apple

Not to the biggest fan to eat them as a fruit but they make a lovely addition to our morning smoothies.

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No-name vegetable

This one we had growing in many of our tropical gardens before, though we don’t know the name of these. I should run a picture through our plant app.

They taste a little bitter, but you can add them to sweet curries or coconut milk stews.

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Mangoes-to-be

In the back of the garden, we got many different types of mango trees. Can't wait for the season to start again. A few more months to go though :(

Seedlings

At the moment it is still too wet to get many seeds started. However, the loofah and heart-shaped tomatoes sprouted!

We will have to wait another month for the monsoon to pass to start making full use of the veggie garden. That gives us plenty of time to prepare to raised beds and fertilize the soil.

Arrowroot???

According to our plant app, this plant is arrowroot. Need to investigate a little more and look for ways to start using it, either for food or medicinal ways.