We all had it all this morning

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

straight from the garden

29 December 2014.

work produced in the iSTEP

Looking ahead at 2015 it is looks exciting Alhamdulilah! The IHYA programme starts again in January 2015 and we have learnt so much from our Mindful Living Project (Mili) and gardening organically. The Skills Training and Education Programme (iSTEP) has taken off and watch this space for the exhibition of carvings with the grace of Allah SWT.

Alhamdulilah we are getting the hang of caring for Leo’s wounds and playing nurse. He has calmed down and understands his limitations for most of the day. The wolverine is content with a visit – Leo gives him a good lick and then he struts outside to catch grasshoppers and things that go scrambling through the bushes. W is a bit spoilt curling up in our arms, against our backs as we sleep and insisting that I accompany him in his morning kaskenades in the garden. I do remember that as a child our cat was knocked by a car and also had pins in his hind leg. I come from an era where we had time for everything including pets but we were a bit more relaxed about their care. We did not spend a fortune on cat food but cooked fish and liver and kept aside a bit of meat and gravy for kitty. A tin of cat food was a bit of a treat. It’s crazy how much money people spend to feed their pets. Just see when you go shopping the trolley is high with bags of cat/dog food and it is expensive.

Yep I come from an era where we wore petticoats – only the prettiest, and some that had a bit of support for our bosom. I come from an era where we did not wear push up bras or bras with excessive padding but we wore front clips and pretty lacy things. If you were well endowed you were happy, and if you were not, you wore it with pride because it’s sensual too. We did not straighten our hair with GHD’s but blow dried and celebrated the frizz (how can you not when the rain in Cape Town makes your hair mince). OK OK I do know of some people who placed their long hair on the ironing board, brown paper on top and then seriously ironed it with a struikyster.  You knew when people straightened their hair chemically, it showed and the application smelt terrible – Wella straightener. Nowadays there is far too much emphasis on straight and blonde being the only beautiful hair. I come from a time where people only coloured their hair to make a statement or because they were prematurely grey and we heeded the warnings of the effects of over dyeing and cancer. I come from a time where we pierced our ears with a hot needle and placed a reed through the hole until it healed. We would rub it with coconut oil only to wear the prettiest hippy earrings.

Anyway, this morning Abu prepared breakfast, I was not in the mood for anything spectacular just some chocolate Pronutro with strawberries. Then Abu read out the ingredients – maize genetically modified and soya genetically modified and I was sommer naar. Bliksem MONSANTO is right here in our house, in our cupboard, in my bowl, in my bowel!!!!! So I chucked it out, not worth recycling. And I went through my groceries just to check how far this has gone. I checked the sunflower oil and the peanut butter and the sugar because I know that the main crops are targeted first. I am thinking “kanala, kanala let the chickpeas be clean I still want to make some humus.” India’s rice industry has collapsed because GMOs affected their clean crops and I could quote continent after continent of examples of this kind of enslavement.

Some weeks ago a friend brought a young man from Spain to visit. He mentioned that his parents comply with government regulation of using seed. Another friend sent me this link,

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/06/05/european-commission-to-criminalize-seeds-and-plants-not-registered-with-the-government/

check it out! So I say bring on the eco freedom fighters who take clean seed all over the world.  Ja, I come from era where we were enslaved by the apartheid government but we are still enslaved. We are enslaved by all kinds of things, from the way we look (genetically modified) to what we eat (genetically modified) to how we think (genetically modified) to how we support ourselves (only genetically modified). And in so many ways our access to water and electricity may as well be genetically modified –   it’s all about profit. 



cucumber trailing

I say enough, like we said then. We must take to the streets and take back our rights given by our Rabb. Come together and each one teach one how to live off the grid; about clean seed and growing clean food, about solar power and wind power, about boreholes, demand the state root out GM crops, refuse to eat GM food, and then maybe, just maybe we can say we are free. We can if we try - all of veggies above came from our garden, planted from clean seed. We made a salad and it really tastes distinctly better! Those cucumbers really come from our garden see?

Plant food and fight MONSANTO wherever you find them.

Yasmine

 

Whats more fun China or platinum?

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

 

20 years ago

 27 December 2014.

The wind is rather harsh today even the Wolverine makes a dash for the outside and back indoors - he does not like his fur ruffled. We are getting the knack of giving tablets to the Leo and cleaning his stitches. This morning he was so frustrated that he scratched out his entire litter box and rolled around in his stitches. So everything had to be sanitised. And seriously it works - put some national geographic or About a boy on the laptop and he is quiet as a mouse.

Early this morning we decided to finish all the watering early. I cooked another pot of green fig konfyt and left some on a board to air and glace/glaze. I am so excited thinking of our 20th anniversary, where did the time go? I checked that traditional gifts are China and modern gifts are platinum. I think the traditional gift theme is more exciting. So I thought how creative can I be for a gift for Abu. He needs an external hard drive, new laptop, nice cardigans. Hows about a hard drive with a sticker "Made in China"? Heck whatever one buys nowadays is made in China, so I wont have to look for a sticker, nudge, nudge, wink wink.

the red dress

I am dying for a bit of time without garden, cats, kids. So maybe a night out to a restaurant. I want to pull out all the stops because Abu thinks of really beautiful gifts for me. Once he took me to the Hiphop shop and for a beautiful red dress, with sandals and scarf to match and a bottle of my favourite perfume Au du Temp by Nina Ricci. The late afternoon he had me dress up, picked up a meal at Ari Sovlaki and off we drove to a picnic on the lawn in Seapoint on a Persain carpet. It was absolutely wonderbaar. He always buys me little unusual gifts such as Tibetan silver boxes and rose tinted pearls; a blooming wisteria and Pride of India bush.

canvas so he can paint cosmos

I am always buying him things and not moments. So I thought of an entire day of surprise just for him. A budget to go wild in an art shop. A little note tucked into a canvas to meet me at bookshop. Brunch on Greenmarket Square. A makeover for his bakkie. Ja I can actually plan a day. A trip to Diaz Beach memories of some twenty years ago. A potter's wheel experience for a day. No, no I remember I did surprise him once with a treetop abseiling adventure some 10 years or so ago.

Our anniversary is on 1st January. InshaAllah I will think of something its only four more days.

plant food and think of interesting gifts to buy for loved ones.

Yasmine
ps the pageviews have broken the 4000 barrier yay!!!

Boxing Day and Leo's back!

In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful.

 

celery seeds

Boxing Day.

Jumuah Mubarak. I still think of this day as Boxing Day, I wonder why? Early morning I could hear the Wolverine sneezing – he has been a bit offish, chewing on plants, a little bit bilious sommer on the solaah mat. But today he seems upbeat dashing around the garden, creeping up on the canopy poles, hiding when we call out and clap our hands - so we leave him be.

At the breakfast table Abu and I are rubbing dried seed heads of celery stalks to harvest as many celery seeds as possible. I look for little containers and find a few but it is already filled with seeds. No labels. So we play the guessing game – this looks like onion seed but is it brown or red. This is definitely poppyseed. This looks like rocket but it could be cabbage seeds. Abu looks sheepish – where’s the fun if it were all labelled?

The cellphone is ringing somewhere in the house, obviously under the pillow where it belongs. I get the kids to scramble for it saying it may be the vet of the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals. And what do you know? It is. The vet called to say Leo is ready to come home but he has suffered nerve damage to the limb. Nerve damage se voet. Does he not know we shall massage it with the last drops of zam zam and lots of duah and exercise? We are just so opgemaak he is coming home and resolve that limp or not he is out kitty kat and we will give him lots of hugs and cuddles. In fact when we could not get him to calm down and rest in the basket the other day, my daughter placed the basket on her desk next to her bed and put on a movie and he quietened down, so lots of movies while he lies at the edge of the bed – just not Madagascar.

My daughter rushes to shower and put on a pretty dress, the rest start cleaning up. Tongue in cheek I say “he must be naar of hospital food, so hows about we do a snoek braai, some pan-fried prawns lightly spiced, a saucer of full creamed milk and what should we do for dessert?” “Not funny Mommy!” “I did air out the basket and wash his blankie!” ha ha. Leo will be coming home a day earlier and we are hoping that it will be a good reunion with his brother. “just no taking him to dark dingy places in the garden!”

Plant food and label your seed jars.

Yasmine

Later this morning



home sweet home



At 11 the Leo came home with a whole contraption attached to his upper limb, Alhamdulillah! The first thing we did was to introduce the brothers to get comfortable with each other. Leo has this startled look but as soon they could, they licked and purred, we gave them two bowls with snacks to break bread together.

And then the hard part. Leo is supposed to be in a room that does not cause any obstruction to the contraption on his limb. It is not supposed to knock against anything or the stiches loosen . He cannot be too boisterous or the break might not heal. Almost like a prison hospital but with many nurses. So we started to clear out all chairs, ottoman and table – anything he can jump on. We will have to take Wolverine out from time to time wanting to frolic and jump round too much. So we figured if we let them fall asleep separately we can let them sleep next to each other curled up and secure.

salaam brother

The Leo is happy to be home smelling everything trying to sidle up against things, on his good side of course. Ideally if we had a huge cage it would be better but we don’t so we have to make use of what we have, follow the regimen of tablets and cleaning the wound and in 4 weeks’ time everything will come off inshaAllah! We are so relieved to have him back healthy besides his injury. His coat is shaven where they operated but the rest is glossy. Lots of patience is needed but more from Leo’s side. InshaAllah I hope he heals completely who knows anything is possible with Allah! RIght now he is quiet watching movies.

A huge shukran to the PDSA for the work they do for the community, for their love, support and compassion and just being there in Leo’s pain and doing their utmost to save his limb. Compliments of the season.

Plant food and donate generously to the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals.

Yasmine

 

Green fig konfyt and fruit teas

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

25 Dec 2014

Last night I could smell the sea on the night air, it nearly always rains on Christmas Day in Cape Town. Today Abu's Aunt Daadi, has come to visit. Before she arrived we scuttled around to clean house, mop floors and prepare a light breakfast.

So earlier on Abu and I were busy in the garden - I was transplanting asparagus into pots, they were not doing too well in the shade of the tomatoes. It will be two more years before the canes are big inshaAllah, but I am so opgemaak I see a small asparagus growth.




asparagus

The guava trees are blossoming - is this the right time of the year? Despite the light drizzle of rain, the bees are happily collecting nectar and the grapevines are doing well entwining with the wire. Abubakr is busy transplanting strawberries and cleaning up branches






Guava blossoms
 



grapevine entwine













After soaking it for 24 hours in salt water, I started the green fig konfyt by rinsing them and gave them a quick boil then discarded the briny waters. I then added sugar of the same mass as the fruit, some dried ginger and slow boiled them.


figs in cauldron




bee in sunflower bonnet

By the time Daadi arrived we had them with brie on Panini, it was awesome. I got some fruit tea from a dear friend and was dying to try it. It is delicious! So after a light breakfast, Daadi and I are enjoying a movie Salmon fishing in the Yemen. We thought it would be a lekker day for a drive and a walk on the beach, but lets see what the weather is like later, die motreentjie maak nat!

To all our friends and neighbours celebrating Christmas today, have a wonderful day!

plant food and try some fruit tea.

Yasmine

 

 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Leo Africanus Shabudien

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

24 December 2014.

(Yesterday)
The weather in Cape Town is superb and should one not water the garden early in the morning or late at night the plants are limp and dehydrated. Gauteng visitors and here and how wonderful, those late night chats and getting up to date with a years happenings.

I am still unable to find where all the phyllo pastry has gone - note to self, should check Rylands Superette. Sumayah brought me some heavenly light pastry that was already rolled and just had to be baked in a hot oven. We filled it with dates, honey and cashew nuts with a dollop of cream and a dusting of icing sugar.

But I am rambling ne? Abu and my daughter took the Leo to the PDSA for his operation to repair his limb. A whole mixture of emotions and resolve and lots and many duahs that Allah restores him to a better state. As they got into the bakkie Wolverine made a long dive jump onto the seat next to the wicker basket wanted to give his last mew. Eh that Wolverine, he thinks he is a puppy. When we are out in the morning he slinks around the corner and makes a dash and runs parallel to me to race to the door. He also jumps up in the air to catch like a puppy.

Anyway just thought an up update would be nice. I sold a lot of plants yesterday Alhamdulilah which made it possible for the operation and support from family and good friends. And the woman who gave the kittens to Waseemah for us was here too and showed us pictures of the Mom of Leo and Wolverine. She has Leo's elegant long neck and bearing and Wolverine's rich coat.

In fact the vet thought that Leo was female because cats that are white, ginger and black are always female. But then he noticed that Leo's black and ginger are actually striped. No garden work for me today. Konfyt making and other things that will be relaxing. Oh Allah, ultimately you are the Healer - so we beseech you to help heal our sweetheart kitty and bring him home in a better state inshaAllah, pins in the leg and all.

Plant food and have a relaxing day.

Yasmine

Today

Yesterday when we called for Leo Shabudien the doctors gave us the good news that the operation was a success, it was a risk for such a small kitty. And this morning at exactly 9.30 my daughter called and he was well and eating but not using the limb yet. That means he has to stay till Saturday so they can be sure that its not the nerve in the limb that is injured too. Tough Kitty - thought to call him Leo Africanus.


striped Tabby

Anyway my daughter explained to me that Leo and his brother are both tabby cats because they have stripes. I did not know that was what tabby means. Do you see the stripes on Wolverine's back?




variegated lettuce seedheads

coriander seeds

We sommer all have energy today Thank you Allah. Early morning Abu gathered more coriander seed enough to fill a long Tupperware; also the variegated lettuce which was from clean seed while I lifted the iris corms from the soil to store in a cool dry sawdust.

 

I don't feel much like cooking so thought a chicken pie with the rest of that awesome pastry would be lekker with baked potato - halved and filled with a remix of the soft potato, chives and cream cheese. Then to drizzle some cheese and grill it a few minutes. Hmmmm. And of course a garden salad the - cucumbers are so sweet! Cucumbers are so delicious and cool particularly in this weather and have more nutritional value that we give it credit for.

Local sweet cucumber

But that will happen later. As soon as the weather cools this afternoon I am so looking forward to a long walk on the beach inshaAllah.

Plant food and eat lots of cucumbers.

Love and peace

Yasmine

Coriander seeds and foxglove

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

22 December 2014.

Subhanallah, there is none like unto Him.

Yesterday I woke up to a cat purring against my cheek, ticklish but completely understandable. Wolverine seems to be insomniac now that Leo is not here, he was stomping his feet to be outdoors. It was just Subuh and sometimes I give him some milk but breakfast a bit later. Everyone woke up; lessons were rehearsed; watering of the garden at five. This is also the time my son does his archery practice while the world around us is in slumber. Soon it was time for a consultation at the SPCA doctor to hear what they decided. We all miss Leo and we are impatient to get him back.

Leo I am tired of waiting

I was so close to despairing when the doctor at the SPCA told us that the orthopedic vet will only be able to operate on our Leo at the end of January and we should consider having an amputation of his limb. What? No way, but what to do, a private vet is unaffordable. My daughter was just quiet. We reminded each other to beseech Allah’s help.

In the meantime my friend Safiyyah was visiting and we swopped some Darun Naim lectures for Hamza Yusuf.  While we talked plants my mind would stray all the time to what to do about Leo, imagining him limping along. After Safiyyah’s boot was packed with plants and fruit trees I went to lie down a bit because after Asr we needed to attend the Tamat of our nephew. So I was listening to Hamza Yusuf, hoping for some inspiration. By chance he was talking about despair and being perturbed and examples of the Prophet Mohamed SAW who never became perturbed, even in a battle and never despairing of Allah’s mercy. If we stay true to Allah and keep strong our belief we will not become perturbed or despair. I needed to hear that. He spoke about allowing our buttons to be pushed.  We get disquieted when we undergo difficulty because we do not understand what the wisdom of the difficulty is from Allah SWT.

 

He also spoke about - if you believe in God you will live in a world of God.And if you don’t believe that Allah is with you then Allah will not be with you. So do not despair in the mercy of Allah. And I smiled and thought I needed to be action driven and to call our good friend Mac Mohamed (kitty whisperer) who brought the children their first kitties, how to bath them, get their shots - he would know what to do. So we went to the Tamat of Uthmaan Shabodien in Kensington - mabruk, how honoured were we to be at this gathering where teenagers had completed their studies of the memorization of the Qur’an. And then off we went to the kitty whisperer for help. Today Abu and my daughter are consulting with the SPCA and hoping for an appointment with the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).

In the meantime I busy myself with trimming the old leaves of the spinach and harvesting coriander seeds. I take a walk to get a glimpse of the butternut, but they are not ripe for the picking. I take a peep into the box where the carrots and beetroot used to live and the brinjals and basil that I planted there are lush and huge. Its because they are protected by the wind of course. You won’t believe how calming it can be. And then my son and I take a brisk walk – we pop in to buy brown bread, smoked mussels, tuna and crackers. Today we will eat lovely light meals with lots of salads and fruit.  I cannot believe that there are no plain sardines on the shelves. It’s either smothered in peri peri or tomato or something or the other. I am still unable to find phyllo pastry – I have to make the baklava. If I don’t do it soon I fear all the cashew nuts will be pilfered away. I am so chaffed that I got at least a carrier bag full of green figs from my friend. I will grate off smallish patches of skin at the bottom and cut criss cross at the base and soak it overnight in salt water. Tomorrow seems a good day to make fig konfyt.

Alhamdulilah, the SPCA cared beautifully for our Leo and gave us a referral letter for the PDSA who agreed to do the operation tomorrow morning inshaAllah. Shukran Maghdi! Duahs please. So Leo is at home for the night, he has to stay in the basket for fear of worsening the humeral fracture. They will put pins into the upper arm inshaAllah.  When they came home we put Wolverine out of the room for fear of his boisterousness while we placed paper and tray in the basket.  When I kept the saucer for Leo to drink he licked my hands and I don’t know who was more pleased to see the other, Leo or me. We fed them both and Wolverine sits loyally at the foot of the basket. He could not understand the hissing of the Leo when he came close the first time. And then they were familiar with each other’s scent and started purring. It’s going to a long summer’s night. I must not give in to the temptation to take him out of the basket to stroke him.

Plant food and allow your coriander plants to seed.

Love and peace

Yasmine

new butternut

 

 

 

 

 

 


Brinjals and basil



 

 

Picnics and walks on the beach

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

20 December 2014.

Alhamdulillah, I love this weather – it’s balmy, kind of hot and overcast but pleasant. Grey clouds loom overhead and the kind of weather that makes our kitties frisky. First I consider a day for a picnic, but alas there is building so will have to wait till this evening for a beach walk. Very early morning and I take Wolverine outside where he runs the gauntlet at breakneck speed, darting in and out of the strawberry plants, chewing grass, investigating what could be interesting under the pallets and in between stones.

Leo where are you?

I stand like a sentry on watch, just in case another cat is lurking. Last night we could hear the cat fights all around us so I guess cats are in season.  Wolverine calls out for Leo, but no reply. A rumbling truck passes by and the thunderous sound makes him dart for the doorway like The Flash. Today inshaAllah we go and visit Leo at animal care, hoping the break was not too severe and fixed up, they will also sterilize him, poor baby.

I can’t believe they arrived when they were 3 weeks old and now they are 3 months. The hospital said in two days we could call. Yesterday we called but a woman who does not understand that I have R12 on my phone drones on about pressing 1 for an emergency, 2 to find out about kennels blah blah blah and then I am patched in to the switchboard and she starts droning again.

I visit the rows and rows of strawberry plants that are still bearing fruit albeit not as much and not as big, they are delectably sweet. I pull off the growth scorched by the sun and pat up mounds around the plants. I check up on the plants in grow bags because this weather dries them out quickly. A solitary snail glides up onto the wild garlic; birds are swoop down low in the cool morning breeze collecting worms in the grass and the strawberries I tossed out of the beds.


delphinium blues

I look up and make duah for rain, the garden can do with a good drenching. I am so chaffed because the delphiniums are in various shades of blue. There is a cascade of fuchsias on the stoep. This is their season. When I trimmed the bushes last week, I stuck cuttings in soil which have all sprouted new growth and the young plants are all starting to bud Alhamdulilah. I am relieved that the bougainvillea have taken and are starting to crawl up the walls. The cosmos daisies are going to bloom soon. Cosmos is such a hardy plant and quick to grow too for a splash of colour against a wall.

sweetpea, flax and coriander seeds

I work quickly because today there is so much to do - I want to replant garlic and asparagus. I want to shake seeds off the coriander and flax bushes and catch lettuce seeds too so I can redo the beds with lettuce and rocket and basil for summer salads and savouries.  And I would like to remove the iris bulbs from the soil - I always forget where I planted them thus, hurt them with the spade.

 

In this weather we can work in the garden all day – no scorching sun! I glance over at the white fig and notice the branches are filled with figs.

 

white figs



cosmos

I also want to do some baking to store for beach days, visitors and snoeping. I have cashews and honey for baklava and made some botter beskuit. My kids want to bring back an old favourite - coconut nests of way back. “Only on condition that you help roll the small balls and dip in egg whites and coconut!” So ja, I guess they have fallen out of love with Oreos. Home baked cakes and biscuits are the best. It’s also more cost effective.

I have to say goodbye to my wicker picnic basket because it has been appropriated by the cats. In fact it was the perfect vehicle to take Leo to hospital in and now Wolverine has made it his nest. Later.

Plant food and make delectable things for the holidays.

Yasmine

 

Kitty hospital

In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful

18 Dec 2014.

So Leo has a broken front paw and he is being kept overnight for xrays and op tomorrow. We are relieved it was good seeing him after a shot of morphine and left in caring hands but miss him already. Alhamdulilah.

When we came home with the empty basket Wolfie jumped in smelt everything and lay down with sad eyes. What's your problem says my daughter? You're an only child now. The only thing is that we have to play with him!!!!

Now we are a bit neurotic about letting the Wolverine out when it gets dark. So  we show Wolverine his pics.

plant food and have a wonderful vacation.

Yasmine

 

 

Growing up Leo.

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful.

 

 

 

18 December 2014.

It was a horrible night, it was an awful night, a sad night. Could hardly sleep a wink, dozing off for an hour and then a peak at how the Leo is doing.

In the late evening we were chatting all of us, not checking the whereabouts of the kittens, when we heard shrieking a dreadful shrieking. The door was ajar. We all rushed outside, Abu put on the bakkie lights because there are no front lights and we knew the inevitable. The huge ginger from next door had come to pick a fight. “They’re not your size!” We were frantic could not find Leo. On our knees we looked under the pallets and there he sat not making a move, shaking, too scared to come out. Who wouldn’t be scared of such a scarred war veteran, bearing the battle scratches of many a cat fight?

After about forty minutes, after we tapped the tiling with his saucer and tried to coax him with soft gentle sounds, he creeped out and into my daughter’s arms. We did a quick examination- no blood, no patches. But his forepaw hung limp, his eyes were sad and nervous. He seemed to have escaped the jaws of the Gruesome but the cucumber trailing was deurmekaar, so he must have run for his life and scraped through the cast iron and through the cucumbers. Wolverine came closer and smelt his fear and licked his fur “you OK buddy?” and then stretched himself out and politely went to sleep without any pestering.

So here I am sitting quickly typing for the blog as the Leo tosses and turns to find a comfortable position. He scoots in reverse to find a way to lie on his good side and mew as he hurts. I put my best blanket against the wall and he leans over to doze off. Then I realise that the mosquitoes are having a go at him and place the chair overhead and drape the cake net over the chair.

I did not expect to feel so worried and concerned, so tearful. They are in our care and protection and he must have been frolicking through catnip and unexpectedly the Gruesome showed up. I walk around the house asif he will still be hanging around with a stone in my hands, “just you come close again! Alhamdulillah,  they are such a joy to have, shukran Waseemah.

So as the sky turns lighter and blue I want to get a bit of shuteye before we take the Leo to Kitty doctor, I do hope they can fix it and take away his pain. Make duah.

Plant food and take good care of your kittens.

 Yasmine

 

Never underestimate the power of a seed.

In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful

coriander seeds drying

16 Dec 2014. 1.30 am

 Everyone’s on holiday so the tempo has changed. Late breakfasts, early supper, snacks and movies – but first chores and holiday programmes to adhere to.

I am tossing and turning, it’s too hot to fall asleep. I have to close my door because the kittens are also unable to sleep and mew for milk and attention and scurry around. This morning the Wolverine brought us a live gift of a small frog, everytime Leo wants to come closer he has this deepthroat growl that even scares us. He paws it around and nips at it until it is dead. Then sits and looks at me with eyes that say: “do you like it? I caught it for you.” “Bad Kitty!”

Early this evening Abu and I went to check on the squash and butter nuts growing at the back of the property. A school building is being erected there now. So we started picking the squashes because they are so big. We just could not stop lifted up the leaves we picked 24 squashes from one bush only. Imagine that – from only one seed that I planted in the winter. The butternuts are not ready to be picked yet but just as many and the makataan melons are running the gauntlet with yellow flowers all over their tentacles which will be pollinated and then bear more fruits inshaAllah.

It never ceases to amaze me - the power inside the seed. We plant many plants from seed – linseed, artichokes, danya, spinach, parsley, lettuce, cabbage, radish, turnips, rocket, onion, basil, tomatoes, peas and beans. Mind you, we also bought some plugs of chili and pepper, brinjal and asparagus, okra and herbs, I am always on the lookout for something completely different.

red chard seeding

Seeds are so much cheaper to plant. All one has to do is to eat from the vegetables and leave some to sprout like this and dry out and then harvest them.

 

But of course it takes a bit of work and patience to see it sprout from the soil. At the moment, I have many vegetables seeding such as red swiss chard, chinese cabbage, coriander, linseed, lettuce, chives, onions, fennel, rocket. The flowers attract the pollinators to the garden and as a bonus I have many seeds when they dry in the summer heat and next week I will gather them in different little containers ready for next year inshaAllah.

apricot from seed

1 yr old lemon

We have planted lemon trees from pips, an orange, an apricot, a plum, avocado, mango, litchi, all just with a bismillah and they sprouted and are growing so well. All of the cucurbits – water melon, cucumber, squash, calabash and butternut are from seeds I kept aside.

The magnificent poppy flush we had in late spring, early summer was from one dried head of seeds from a friend. Now I have a box full. The sweetpea pods are also dried and waiting to be collected. The linseed was a handful of seeds that I sowed and I have an entire patch still waiting to be harvested after I picked and cleaned ad rubbed out the seeds between my hands; given many to friends and family, hoping they will experience the same joy of watching the seeds sprout, grow taller and bloom those tiny purple flowers.

date seedlings

One can plant strawberries, figs, loquats, pomegranate, pawpaw, dates and many other fruits from their seed but because it takes a bit longer we bought some trees from the nursery about a metre tall – this what they look like now. And these are the ones that were planted from seed and these were the ones that just germinated in the sand where someone stood and enjoyed fruit and threw the seeds in the soil.



lettuce seeding

Best of all I love the little surprises that the wind brings such as the feverfew, random tomatoes and peppers and lettuce and the beautiful marigolds. The seeds of the nasturtiums and borage are coming up everywhere after we took the old plants out that were overcrowding the strawberries.

Grow food and plant seeds even when Qiyaamah is imminent.

Yasmine