Nasturtiums, orange blossoms and irises

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

14 September 2014.

nasturtiums in vase

 Verily all praise to our Rabb for strength. We have been working really hard taking full advantage of pleasant weather conditions to weed all around the property, extend a compost dressing and start the mulching process to subdue weeds; protect the soil from wind erosion thus saving on having to water so much.

orange blossoms

So all of the hujjaj have arrived safely and we are happy when they send us pictures of Madinah Munowarrah, Alhamdulilaah. I am so thankful for all of the helping hands without which none of this is possible and the bounty it brings, the more the strawberries are picked and enjoyed the more they fruit. The orange tree have small little blossoms and apricot blooms have transformed the tree into beautiful foliage and small little apricots, thank you Allah. There are at least a handful of almonds that made it to young fruit - not too shabby for a first flush on so young a tree.

blue berries

The blue berries will offer its third crop of blue berries, inshaAllah since we planted it and I am waiting with bated breath for the blackberries to follow suit. The gooseberry bush has developed from a small bush into a grand bush heavy with unripe berries and the granadilla creepers as well as the grapevine are ready to intertwine with the slats close by.

irises

As for the flowers, the garden is such a sight to behold now and vases are filled. Good thing that I pinched out the lavender bushes because they are blooming so much stronger and taller and the air is filled with their aroma, especially so when it gets a bit of a watering. The irises are blooming too although not in tandem but I await their blooms patiently. When I planted the poppies I threw a whole variety of different kinds and although the California poppies are nearly spent, a strong double headed variety has buds twice the size. The nasturtiums are so delightful in their arduous embrace of anything they can entwine with, so I cut down some of their tentacles and stuff them in vases and eat the blossoms in garden salads.

broad bean blossoms

So all is well with attracting bees to the area and the vegetables are in various stages of growth. Beautiful blossoms from the broad bean bushes, the red swiss chard stems are bloody, the red cabbage is almost ready for that awesome coleslaw and lettuce are going bos.

swiss chard

 I tried to calculate the savings we have made for a month so I backtracked to what we ate from the garden. Four cauliflowers (2 as gifts) , two kale bushes and two as gifts, potatoes for a two weeks every day; onions (brown and red); spring onions and leeks; at least three bunches of beetroot (8 at a time); leeks (twice in soup and two bunches as gifts; celery in soup as well as gifts; loads and loads of spinach as gifts in sauces and tarts and samoosas; chillies and garlic for foods; loads and loads of danya and flax seeds for breads and herbs (oregano, sage, chives, rosemary, thyme), oh and four small brinjals. So if for 14 days I have not spent R25 (modest gestimate) on buying vegetables that’s a heck of a saving in 14 days, yes? R350 is not too shabby, plus so much healthier. I do urge you to start grow food even in a small way, with danya and chilies and herbs, make your niyyah and I can reassure you that you will not regret it.

It is wonderful when youngsters come by and 

red cabbage

ask me to buy seedlings and herbs and some plants. Alhamdulilaah I think this love for the soil is rubbing off somehow. Abu started with offering visitors dates and asking them to keep the seeds and plant it in a grow bag, here is a sunnah to perform and what do you know at least 20 small date plants have emerged.

new poppies

We are exploring with different kinds of vegetables now such as the artichokes from Algeria, some clean seed – tatsoi and  pakchoi, red swiss chards; brussel sprouts,  red Russian kale, mustards and I really would like to recommend that you plant flaxseed/linseed as borders. Sommer buy some at the spice shop and make shallow furrows and sprinkle them in. Today I used our seeds on the baked bread and it is such an attractive border and wind break, tall and elegant and wistful (The plants grow up to a meter in height). Besides you will be improving the soil, grows well with potatoes and carrots. It makes a useful stake for climbing peas. Flax's stems are used for making paper and linen too. Artists use linseed oil in oil painting and it is widely used as a wood protection. Flax is also known to be a laxative (flaxative ha ha) and a poultice of flaxseed assists in drawing out boils.

Linseed oil added to the diet in combination with cheese or yoghurt is great for easing creaking joints in the body. When I buy those slices of wood stumps to use in path ways I soak them in linseed oil so they will be hard and strong, Abu always has some that he uses for his painting.

So there you have it.

Plant flax and grow food, and maybe make our own linen and paper?

Yasmine

 

more pics

 

almond fruits

apricots new growth