Ayo! How are you!

It’s funny how this pandemic has given me all the time in the world to update this blog. Unfortunately, being the lazy person that I am, I could not create content for this.

But anyways, I hope you are all doing good.

A lot of things have changed, right? I mean in terms of gardening as a thing. Like, there are terms now like #plantio and #plantito. Plus this pandemic-induced craze has helped a lot of people to discover their greenthumbs. Yay! Welcome to the club y’all! And oh, I love it when they call it #plantdemic! Cool, right?

One bad thing that came it, however, is the sudden hike in the prices of plants and pots. Golly, the price of everything I need for gardening, went up. Good thing, I am resourceful and creative. lol

Just to give you an update, I have grown my garden and my collection so much in the last five years. I have I guess over 600 pots of plants plus a few hundreds I have planted already directly on the ground. I also made a few extensions to my garden. I can’t wait to give you guys a look at my new garden, but again, I’m too lazy to take pictures. But I promise to give you a proper and complete update of my gardening adventures.

Keep safe everyone! Peace to the world!

HELLO (after 5 years?) Please follow @lestersplanters on IG! :)

Hi guys! Yes, I’m still alive and gardening! I know it’s been years that I haven’t posted anything here at BHGA. I can’t wait to tell you a lot of my adventures. By the way, my garden has grown so much for the past years and I’m sorry I was not able to share with you its growth and development.

I promise that one of these days I will be back here blogging again. For the mean time, please check out my Instagram account dedicated to my gardening adventures. Follow @lestersplanters to check out photos of my plants, our family’s mini farm, as well as the healthy food and drinks I prepared.

By the way, I started being a lacto-ovo-pescetarian on January 1 this year. It means having a no-meat diet. I only eat fruits, veggies, fish and seafood, egg, milk, and cheese. But I do have cheat days once a month, hihi.

Let Me Explain: Why I Find Black Plastic Seedling Bags as Eco-friendly Planter Options

I mentioned last time that I like to reuse various types of materials (mostly considered garbage by many) as eco-friendly planters and alternatives to traditional clay pots. I do this not only to save cost but also to contribute in the worldwide effort of preserving the environment through reusing and recycling.

I also wrote that I bought a pack of small black plastic bags for my planting endeavors. I understand that plastic is widely known as enemy of environmental conservation advocates and I did mention in my previous post that I help save nature through my own simple ways.

The biggest question you could be asking me right now is ‘how on earth can buying and using plastic bags be considered an environment-friendly move?’ Read on for my explanation and my views on how plastic should be used.

Back in 2014, I bought a pack of the small-size bags and started using them for my seedlings and cuttings. Once the plants are too big for the bag or once the cuttings already have enough roots, I transfer them to bigger pots to allow growth. How about the used black plastic bags? Never did I tear nor discard them. I use them for next batches of seedlings and cuttings.

  

I keep on using them; that’s how things roll in my garden. Basically, it’s still recycling and reusing. Here are some of my seedlings and cuttings happily finding their home in these black plastic containers.

    

I believe there’s nothing bad about using plastic products as long as they give you long-term benefits and you know how to recycle them. In the case of these plant containers, I have no reason to throw them because they give me various benefits: they’re durable enough to serve as temporary homes of numerous batches of my new plants (if it’s true that they are highly durable and resistant against outdoor elements, then maybe I can use them until the next decade); they’re obviously way lighter than clay pots; and unlike clay pots, they don’t absorb water that is meant for the plants.

I’ve been asking Mama to buy me a pack of the bigger plastic bags but whenever she comes home from the market, she would tell me she forget to get me one (well, that’s at least what she often tells me). Perhaps her shopping money is not enough. Or wait, is she a strict environmental conservation advocate? Hmmm…

I want to end this post by saying that just because you’re using plastic does not necessarily mean you’re promoting the deterioration and destruction of the natural environment and of the planet at large. As long as we know how to reuse and recycle plastic, we’ll be able to get its numerous benefits repeatedly, without harming nature. This is only my opinion. I’m afraid this might be my most controversial post so far. (Wait, how many posts do I have so far, again?) lol.

Seriously, I would like to know how you think about this belief of mine. Again, I am only an amateur when it comes to gardening and I don’t consider myself an expert in environmental science.

Furthermore, I am currently looking for biodegradable plastic bags like the ones used in major supermarkets and stores that are also slowly embracing the use of greener and more earth-friendly options.

Thank you for visiting my blog! I hope you learned something from me. Til my next gardening adventure!

Turning Old and Used Materials into Earth-Friendly Planters

My love for plants also taught me to love nature in general. That’s the reason I’m also a fan of recycling and reusing materials, especially those that one day could be the reason for the destruction of our planet. Honestly, I’m afraid to think that when global warming comes to its peak, it could also be the end of our planet’s lush and green flora, and eventually, the fauna.

In my own little way, I help save the environment by reusing different types of materials as planters.

Here are some of the not-so-conventional yet earth-friendly planters I am proud to use:

Milk Tin Cans. These old cans not only look rusty, they also exude this rustic, vintage feel that makes my garden more interesting. Can’t wait for the new cans to start corroding! 🙂

When I was in grade school, I remember our teacher telling us to bring potted plants and fresh cuttings to root in pots. Most of my classmates brought plants in tin cans, and believe me, some even brought the small sardines can. That time, I found it silly and cheap but now, in the age of environmental conservation, I realize that it’s one practical and eco-friendly option.

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PET Plastic Cola Bottles. I bet these are not at all new to you, but I would like to emphasize that they do make great plant containers. This purple aster planter is made of the upper half of a plastic bottle that was cut into two (the lower half is also used as a planter). All I did was flip it upside down, add soil, place three pieces of wire as support, and I had a pretty flower hanger.

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Old Colored Plastic Glasses. Pretty much like the PET bottles, all you need to do is poke holes on the bottom and you have environment-friendly planters, not to mention colorful ones!

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Yes! Even cups of instant noodles and yogurt make great planters for the eco-friendly (and cheapskate) gardeners. I feel bad whenever I see such cups thrown in our trash bins. My Santan (Ixora) cuttings and that healthy Bromeliad look like they have found their homes in these reused cups.

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Ice Cream Containers. Kids’ birthdays don’t just mean food to me. They also mean empty ice cream containers that I could use as spacious planters. Aren’t they pretty with these Spider Plants and Christmas Kalanchoe?

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Old Glass Jar and Plastic Food Container. I use them as planters for my aquatic plants, which my grandmother gave me late 2014.

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Paper Cups. Yes, even paper cups! I use them for my seedlings and for rooting my cuttings. They are not meant for long-term use, of course. As you can see in the photos, (sorry for the poor resolution) I used them for my young purple asters and for my small arrowhead vines. These photos were taken back in 2012 and these plants have already grown big and healthy. I still have some of these plants now.

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Piece of Driftwood. In 2013, I tried planting succulents in holes that I carved from a piece of wood. It worked for the sturdy Mother of Thousands, and until now I still find it charming:

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Meanwhile, sometime in 2014, I thought of buying small black plastic bags that are usually used as planters in commercial gardens and plant shops. A plastic product, you ask? Perhaps, you’re now questioning my eco-friendliness. Let me explain. I will have a thorough discussion on the wise and environment-friendly use of plastic bags as plant containers.

I hope you learned something from my fondness for using earth-friendly and useful planters. Til my next post!

What’s Nice about Clay Pots

When I was just starting with this hobby, my mother would always tell me to put my plants straight into the soil and not in pots. According to her, that’s the better way to allow plants grow faster and flourish better. Not that I don’t believe in her view, in fact I think she’s right on that. However, I prefer planting in pots.

I love to change the look and feel of my garden by constantly rearranging the plants. There was a time when I was still working in Makati that I would rearrange my plants every weekend when I come home to Batangas. Sometimes, I group the plants according to type or color and next time arrange flowering and non-flowering in alternate fashion.

Planting in pots gives me the freedom to move my plants wherever and whenever I want, but of course the bigger ones, like my gardenia, golden duranta, and other vines, have to be planted on the ground.

I am lucky because I live near Palahanan, San Juan, Batangas, which is known for its pottery industry. There are a number of potteries here and I can get there in just a few minutes from my place in barangay Putingkahoy. Another great thing about it is that clay pots are on the cheap here. They are available in different sizes, shapes, and designs.

I usually buy the size-4 and size-2 pots. I don’t like the fancy designed pots because I want my plants to be the stars of my garden, not the plants.

My grandmother also keeps on telling that I should paint my pots to make them look more beautiful. And yes, I don’t follow her advice. I want to keep my pots’ earth color because I want my garden to look as natural and earthy as possible. Plus, I love to see green, brown, and black mosses grow on the outer surface of my pots, which is often not the case with paint-coated ones. For me, they add to the vintage and natural charm of the pots.

Early 2015, I was able to visit one of the potteries in Palahanan. Oh yes! It was a dream come true to me. The family of my cousin’s wife runs a pottery and during the Buhos (pre-baptismal rite) of their son, which will soon be my inaanak (godchild), I was able to see for the first time how pots were made.

Honestly, I was like a child sent to a playground that time. I was not able to take many pictures because was too excited watching the people put raw, wet clay on the mold and amazingly turn them into pots. I was too shy to try doing it because I was afraid I might not do it properly and just delay the workers’ job. Here are some of the few photos I have taken.

 

I did not bother taking photos of the manong workers because it was a bit awkward. Besides, for some reasons, they looked like they’re not really happy that I’m there. Haha.

Thanks for checking out my new post. Next time, I will be telling you about the other materials that I use as planters. Please watch out for it!

Crazy for Coleus: My Growing Collection of Mayana Varieties

Currently, I have eight varieties of coleus. This plant is easy to grow and propagate, not to mention, interestingly available in numerous varieties.

The first coleus that I had was this common red variety, which I think is what most locals identify as Mayana. This variety’s leaves have lovely maroon color with yellow-green edges. I planted it a long time ago; I can’t remember where I got it or whom it was from.

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My second variety was almost identical to my first variety. However, its leaves are darker. The foliage is almost red-violet and the yellowish edge design varies from pale to almost unnoticeable. This one was from a small cutting I got from my cousin.

Placing the two varieties side by side lets you see the difference:

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The third one used to be my favorite because it was so different from the mayanas that I used to see in local gardens. This coleus’ leaves are coarsely jagged and have yellow and green colors, surely an eye-catching treat in a garden of dark-colored plants. I bought this one (I forgot for how much) in a garden in Lipa City. I was able to plant many of these through cuttings from the mother plant back in 2013. However, most of them died. Only one survived and in 2014, I was able to get three new plants out of that. Here they are:

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My fourth coleus is rather different from the previous ones. Its leaves are brownish green with purple lines. It has scalloped edges, another interesting feature. The foliage might not be as brightly colored as the other varieties but its uniquely-shaped leaves are enough reason to give it a spot on my growing collection. I bought this variety from a small garden in Palahanan, San Juan, Batangas while buying clay pots.

 

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Early February, 2015, my father gave me a small cutting of another coleus variety from his work. This one is lovely as it has streaks of pink and yellow matching perfectly with the leaves’ jagged edges. I managed to have two small cuttings from it and they are currently developing roots on these small plastic bags. Can you see the small leaves coming out from the cuttings? I can’t wait to see them grow into a mature coleus with stunning pink and yellow foliage.

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My sixth, seventh, and eighth varieties are the newest in my collection. I only have them late February, 2015. My father gave me cuttings of three different varieties, which according to him were from our relatives in the nearby barangay of San Isidro. One of these varieties have big plain green leaves while the other one also has green leaves but with pretty purple patterns near the edge. The other has crumpled leaves with green edges and pinkish purple center. I can’t wait to see these three new coleus varieties grow into lovely, healthy plants with stunning foliage.

  

Hopefully, I will be able to find new varieties to add to my collection of coleus and other plants with colorful foliage. I promise to have a new post once I get a new addition to my collection.

My Love for Uniquely Interesting Foliage (Part 2)

Last time, I highlighted four plants with uniquely-colored leaves: coleus of different varieties, a plant with green, orange, and pink leaves; a plant with green and white leaves; and a vine with the same features as the previous one.

Here are some more plants with interesting foliage that add charm to my garden. Please help me identify them.

This one has slightly glossy dark violet leaves (please refer to the one on the left yellow container). I found it outside the yard of Nanay Meding and Conching (my father’s relatives; they’re old maids and they have a vast collection of plants in their wide yard). I got some cuttings and planted them because I thought they’re different from most plants with the typical green leaves. I also find these plants in the wild. They live abundantly in the banks of the Lawaye River, which is only a few kilometers away from our house. Those that are planted in the clay pots don’t look healthy here but they’re bearing white flowers.

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Unlike the first one, the red-violet leaves of this plant is rather velvety in texture. I have to trim these regularly to stop the stems from growing too long and because I want them to bear more new shoots and leaves. Aren’t they cute?

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These plants with green and pink leaves are new to my collection. My father gave them to me last February 2015. I’m already imagining how beautiful the foliage will be when they grow big.

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These are some of my crotons. They were also given to me by my father. If I’m not mistaken, the cuttings were from his former employer. As you can see, some of the plants are not looking healthy here because these photos were taken right after the cuttings were planted. I find their colors uniquely interesting, though.

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I’m not sure if I should count this one as a croton. Looking at its stem, I guess it has similar properties and features as the crotons. Whether it’s a croton or not, I find its glossy green leaves with the small yellow dots that mimic splattered paint really pretty.

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Here’s another one. It’s a type of tree with leaves of varied colors. My father gave me around six stems and told me to plant it. Now, young leaves of different colors are sprouting from the stems.

And here ends my list of plants with beautifully interesting leaves. Please let me know if you know the names of these lovely plants.

Thanks for dropping by my blog! Next time, I will be telling you about my Coleus collection.

The Story of the Mysterious Orange Blooms (Part 2)

As I don’t know the name of the mysterious plant with orange flowers, I researched about it. I googled it using barely the plant’s descriptions and features as keywords. My search terms brought me to various gardening blogs and a long list of plants with orange blooms. I realized that finding out the name of a particular unidentified plant using the internet is no joke. Not at all.

Not long after, however, I found that this flowering plant is called Crossandra! (Thanks to my impeccable research skills and my knowledge on choosing the right search terms.) For some reasons, I did not read any further about the plant. Perhaps, I was already happy to learn about its identification.

A year later, when I was de-weeding my garden, I discovered a small seedling with familiar glossy leaves in a corner. I readily knew it was a little Crossandra. It shocked and bothered me at the same time. Where was it from? How did it get there? An idea sparked in an instant – maybe the plant is self-propagating. I’m not really sure. If it does self-propagates, how? Through seeds? It doesn’t even bear fruits for it to have seeds.

(wild crossandra in ground)

As I go on with clearing my garden of unwanted grasses and plants, I saw another Crossandra seedling. I remembered that the areas where I found the seedlings used to be the place where I put my two potted Crossandras. Maybe my theory is right.

I pulled the two seedlings off the ground and planted them in small pots.

From then on, I did not bother trying to propagate my Crossandras because I know they do the job for me. Every now and then when I clear my garden I would see one or two seedlings in some parts of my garden.

(Crossandras in the middle of Vietnam roses)

Now I have several Crossandras in pots.

Lately, I examined the columnar leaf-like structure from which the flowers come out. I noticed that it contains hard particles. Maybe these are the seeds!

Until now, I haven’t tried planting these seeds because I am busy with other things. Besides, I don’t need to make any effort because this brilliant beautiful Crossandras reproduce by themselves.

Indeed, nature has its own ways of keeping itself alive and flourishing.

Thanks for reading my post. Please watch out for my new blog entry. I will be sharing with you guys my vegetable gardening adventure back in 2014.

The Story of the Mysterious Orange Blooms (Part 1)

When I was young, Inay (my lola) had this robust plant with orange flowers that bloom from green columnar leaf-like structure located at the tip of the stems. Its green leaves were glossy and the stems were woody. That was during the glory days of her garden in their old house. I don’t remember if she knew back then what that plant was called. Through the years, however, her garden became less and less maintained until all her plants, including that pretty orange flower and even her collection of orchids, died. All that’s left are these pretty pink bougainvilleas that were used as fence. These plants are regularly trimmed. According to my lola, these thorn-laden vines were thriving there for approximately 40 years already. You can tell that by the size of their trunks. (bougainvillea) Back to the orange plant, I haven’t seen such for a long time. In fact, I already forgot that a plant like that exists. Until sometime in 2012 or 2013 (Yes, I don’t remember dates very well. I’ve been wanting to keep a gardening journal so I can keep records of my planting adventures, but unfortunately, procrastination is more powerful than that desire of mine.) my lola gave me a green plant with glossy leaves. Just a look at it and I instantly knew it was the same as the orange flower she had many years ago. I was right. The plant grew fast and bore lovely orange flowers. However, it’s currently not in the pink (or should I say orange?) of health. Here it is now.

 

After a few months, I tried to get some mature stems and planted it in hopes of growing new plants. I was not successful. I tried to do this three more times and I failed again. I don’t know what I did wrong. Was it the soil? Was it the choice of stem? Was it the season? I had no idea. Then one rainy Friday back when I was working in Makati, I saw the same plant on the street. The poor familiar plant was thriving in between two pavement blocks under a Narra tree. Despite its small size, unhealthy stems, and not-so-glossy leaves, it has pretty orange flowers. I wondered, for a while, how the plant grew there. Perhaps it was from one of the landscaped gardens near the buildings there, I thought. What did I do? I got a small plastic from my backpack, leaned down and carefully unrooted the poor little plant from the soil. I had a hard time because it was raining hard and I was holding up an umbrella. I put the plant in the plastic and placed it inside my bag. A lady passed by and saw what I was doing. She gave me a strange stare. At the back of my mind, I was like, ‘hey I’m just saving an unfortunate flora here.’ Well, I don’t really care if she found me weird. Good thing I was heading home to Batangas that day. When I got home, I immediately planted it in a pot. Since then, it has grown healthy and bore beautiful flowers. Here it is now. (second biggest Crossandra) I did not dare try propagating it because I know it will be another failure and it will only cost a precious stem that could later bear lovely orange blooms. Placing its pot next to my first and oldest orange-bloom plant is truly a delight for me. (Two biggest Crossandras) Will I ever find out the name of this mysterious orange flower? Will I ever find a way to grow more new plants from these two? Find out on my next post.

My Love for Uniquely Interesting Foliage (Part 1)

As a green thumb, I am interested in almost every single type of plants, but if you would ask me which type I adore the most, I would say those plants with interesting foliage. I’m not particularly fond of flowering plants (though I have plenty of them) because I think their beauty is only seasonal. If you go for plants with colorful and uniquely shaped leaves, you get to enjoy their beauty all year round. Of course, their seasonal blooms are a bonus.

Some of the plants that I love for their interesting leaves are coleus (Mayana), Ti plants, croton (which I guess is locally called San Francisco, not sure about this), and other plants which names I don’t really know.

Here are some of my plants whose leaves could be as beautiful and charming as the loveliest flowers there are. Help me identify some of them.

Coleuses

I always see coleuses (locally known as Mayana) as gorgeous plants endowed with beautiful leaves. Another thing that makes them interesting is that they come in incredibly numerous varieties. Too bad local plant shops and commercial gardens don’t have a lot of coleus. While they’re pretty much common among local homes, what you will usually find is the common reddish variety.

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Help me identify this plant that I got from Makati. Their leaves have different colors ranging from greens with hints of white, to yellowish oranges and pinks and even purplish red like the topmost leaves. I think they make good landscaping plants because they are eye-catching and they grow abundant foliage.

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This one (also unidentified), I believe, belongs to the same species as the previous one. I find the combination of green and white in its leaves charming. I have several of these planted on the ground and they grow really fast. They also bear small white flowers.

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I bought this cute vine for Php 75.00 from a garden at SM City Lipa. I was able to get cuttings from it and grow several young plants. They’re pretty easy to plant and take care of. Its green-and-white leaves are pretty similar to that of the previous plant. I also don’t know the name of this plant, so if you know, please tell me.

These are only four of my garden plants with beautiful leaves. Please wait for my next post for some more plants with interesting foliage.

PS: I apologize if you find the visuals of my blog a little bit off. I’m an amateur blogger and I’m still exploring the options when it comes to design and format of my blog pages. Thanks!