My earliest memory of the Daddy's vegetable garden was floating a pea pod in the water rushing down one of the narrow vegetable ditches. I was about four years old. I remember the garden being tall, green, and wild-like.
Every year, the Daddy put up a vegetable garden for the family, growing many Filipino vegetables that we couldn't buy in the grocery store. We ate a lot of long beans, bitter melon, Japanese eggplants, tabongaw (a type of gourd), Kabocha squash, saloyat (okra leaves), parda (a hairy, bigger, and thicker pea), and kabatiti (a kind of squash with ridges) during the summers. Also into the winters, after the parents bought a big freezer.
When the Daddy came home from a long day of irrigating vegetable fields, he went straight to the garden to see what needed tending. The Mama went into the garden to harvest vegetables for the evening's meal. The Daddy was always getting after the Mama for picking the bitter melon leaves from the top rather than the bottom. Guess who tells me not to pick the bitter melon leaves from the top?
The Mama continued growing vegetables after the Daddy died. It was tough, as she was still working. I suppose being in the garden helped her deal with being a widow.
Today, as some of you know, the Mama works a few hours hours nearly every day in her vegetable garden. Along with the Filipino vegetables, the Mama plants green beans, peppers, tomatoes, chives, and Filipino green onions. Her garden doesn't yield as much as it used to, which is fine with me. There's only so much bitter melon I can eat. The Husband won't eat it and the Mama eats only a bit of it.
Growing vegetables is a fun challenge for the Mama. Her satisfaction comes from seeing other people eat the fruits of her labor.
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Growing vegetables can be so rewarding, but something I'm not very good at. My wife is the gardener at the house, and does flowers and cooking herbs. Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYou and your wife complement each other well then. :-)
Deleteit is difficult to just leave a comment Susiee, I miss the Mama
ReplyDeletehope to be able to visit again
DeleteSweet Lisa, I have a feeling that we will meet in person again. :-)
DeleteSuch nice memories of your parents, and so wonderful that your mama continues to garden. Gardening is good therapy as well as good eating. We are avid vegetable and flower gardeners, too. However, in the last few years the water shortage in Texas has hindered our gardening efforts. We still most always have tomatoes and squash.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations for making it through the fourth week. I am visiting from Co-Host AJ Lauer’s Team.
Sue at CollectInTexas Gal
AtoZ 2015 Challenge
Minion for AJ's wHooligans
Thanks, Sue, for the encouraging words. This will be a tough year, waterwise, for the Mama's garden. The drought here is now so bad that restrictions are being imposed.
DeleteThe Dad was such a handsome dude. They both are because I recall seeing picture of them together.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be neat if I were your neighbor b/c I could eat your left-over bitter mellon. I told you that mine won't even come up and they never have it in the markets.
Tell the Mama I'm going to try to grow it one more year and I'll think of her. Maybe it will be some good energy for the plants. lol
It surely would, Manzi, to be your next door neighbor. Lots of vegetable and fruit trading would be going on. And, if you let her, the Mama would come and have fun in your garden, too.
DeleteWonderful photos of Dad and Mama ~ special people ~ Great post for U !
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend to you,
artmusedog and carol
ps. Internet server down yesterday ~ rerouting lines and some got broken ~ back ~ playing catch up ^_^
Thanks, Carol. :-)
DeleteThat's quite the gorgeous garden! I wish I was diligent enough to raise fresh vegetables, but as much as I love the end product, I never manage to keep on top of the weeds. Plus Michigan has a super short growing season, so there is the enormous hassle of starting any of the good stuff inside.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the Mama in her garden was from 2013. Last year wasn't as luscious because of the drought. We'll see how this year goes.
DeleteThat's quite the gorgeous garden! I wish I was diligent enough to raise fresh vegetables, but as much as I love the end product, I never manage to keep on top of the weeds. Plus Michigan has a super short growing season, so there is the enormous hassle of starting any of the good stuff inside.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos of your parents. A garden gives so much, exercise, food, community and peace. How wonderful for your mom to have that connection to her husband and you.
ReplyDeleteBoth the Mama and the Daddy come from a family of farmers. It's in their soul and genes. I was surprised to find that it's in me, too.
DeleteGreat photos of your parents. A garden gives so much, exercise, food, community and peace. How wonderful for your mom to have that connection to her husband and you.
ReplyDeleteI have never tried bitter melon, but I am sure I would like it. I like almost every vegetable and fruit I have ever tried, but I am a bit of an anomaly I guess. Now I need to go purchase some bitter melon and try it.
ReplyDeleteIt's truly bitter, Sweetbearies. Please tell me what you thought after you taste it.
DeleteNothing tastes better than vegetable from one's own garden. I find that you are quite lucky
ReplyDeleteI certainly am, Birgit. When I went off to college in the big city, long ago, I was surprised at how high the vegetables cost. I couldn't bring myself to buy them.
DeleteSounds like a great variety of vegetables!
ReplyDeleteTogether they make a great vegetable stew.
DeleteThere are so many Filipinos involved in the farmers markets in Hawaii. I would love to pick your brain about some of the vegetables and fruits I see. Sometimes I will ask the seller what it is, and how to use it. Sometimes they can explain it in English, but it's hard for them. I'm always fascinated w/ exotic foods. On Maui, we also grow kabocha squash (it grows well here and can tolerate the bugs). I'm still acquiring a taste for bitter melon, but I've heard it's anti-cancerous and super good for you. Figures. Your dad would probably be at home in my wild-like garden plot. I always get a big shock when I'm away from it too long!
ReplyDeleteMaui Jungalow
Try mixing the bitter melon with a bit of sesame oil. I like bittermelon leaves even more than the fruit, especially in chicken soup. Droooooool.
DeleteThe Mama would be in heaven at a farmers market in Hawaii. Once I almost got her to want to visit Hawaii.
Thanks for dropping in to my blog via the A-Z Challenge. I love growing my own food, too, but water shortages are affecting us here in Western Australia as well. We're allowed to hand water but can use sprinklers only twice a week for ten minutes. I still managed to grow enough to provide more than half of our needs though. www.imaginemeatclarion.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWater restrictions have just come out for us. We're allowed to water landscaping twice a week. Nothing about vegetable gardens. It's going to be tough on the Mama to decide where she's going to have to cutback her watering on.
Deletei enjoy your stories, art and photos . . I am super grateful you are willing to share from your heart . . visiting your blog is a healing vacation . .
ReplyDeleteMaggid, thank you. I'm touched by your words. :-)
DeleteLove those memories. My grandparents gardened but not for vegetables. They were into flowers--mainly roses. I remember going about with my granddad pruning those and tending them. It's not easy going on after they pass but like your mama I find some comfort in attempting to garden now even though I'm terrible at it. lol
ReplyDeleteThe few houseplants that I have left would probably like to thump me on the head now and then because I tend to forget to water them. I'm like that little girl with the curl. When I'm good, I'm good. And, when I'm not, I'm terrible.
DeleteGardener since I was old enough to walk. Helped my mother and grandmother and I definitely remember making plenty of complaints. ha Now I am proud of my own yearly garden and inwardly chuckle everytime my daughters 'complain'. Can't wait to see theirs someday. I am confident they will grow something. lol
ReplyDeleteThe cycle of life. I love it.
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ReplyDeleteThat rich garden produce own!
ReplyDeleteYes, there's nothing like eating the food that we grow. :-)
DeleteThere's something viscerally satisfying about eating what you grow.
ReplyDeleteYes, I find working with soil very centering to my soul.
DeleteVegetable garden! Great V-word! Thanks for visiting my V-word, Våffla-Waffles.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Anna
Thanks, Anna. Mention waffles and I think of the Mama's electric waffle maker from my kid days. :-)
DeleteDo you live in California,too? We told the Mama she has to choose between her front lawn and her veggies. So far, she hasn't complain about how brown the lawn has turned.
ReplyDeleteThe okra leaves (saluyot) plant is not the same as the okra fruit plant.