Garlic Chives (Allium tuberosum)

March 30, 2012
Garlic Chives (allium tuberosum)

sewing some of this lovely herb today.

a 5 inch pot, filled with dirt, pour the seeds, spray water, cover 1/ 4 inch, put under light. That's how!
Any questions?

From the seed packet: Organic Heirloom from Seed Savers Exchange:)
Mild garlic-flavored flattened leaves. Beautiful white star shape flower clusters are a pleasant surprise late August.
Perennial: Zones 4-8

This is the website where I purchase my seeds:
Garlic Chives

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

March 30. 2012
LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis) 

Tiny Seeds of Lemon Balm

It is germinated in a 5 inch pot, covered with transparent plastic, put under lights in the basement.

 Few days ago, my life seemed to stop. Or I just stop and felt dead. I went to bed tired, and I wake up tired. Don't know much about it, now...I decide to be alive again. Do you feel that way sometimes? 

Anyways, I am alive now, that is all that matters. 

Lemon Balm - Organic Seeds from Seed Savers Exchange - packet says 250 seeds. Wow! If they all sprout on me, then Ottawa will smell like lemon. 

From the seed packet: A favorite of French King Charles V in the 14th Century. Strong lemon scented leaves are used for making tea. Said to have calming effect and is also soothing for upset stomachs.

Perennial : Zones 4-9.

Done, and done! Wish me Good Luck, germination is 14-21 days. 

 

Bittermelon Recipe ( Momordica charantia) - Bitter Gourd, Ampalaya

 Cooking, me and the Bitter Melon

If cooking a boiled egg is a cooking skill, then I am a skilled cook. If it take more than five ingredients, I am not gonna pass it.

However, I am a great gardener, with a thumb and fingers that can grow any plant. Watch out for my windows this summer, you can see vines coming out as I open them. Yes, my house is full of edible plants, meaning anything we can eat. No, I am not vegetarian yet, but I eat vegetables most of the time, that I never plan to go all vegetables. Where is the fun in that? I want sausage and hotdog for summer BBQ.

Also, I am from the Philippines with tropical weather, so even in Zone 5B Ottawa, I grow my own tropical vegetables: eggplant, alugbati (Basella rubra), ampalaya (Momordica charantia). So, unfortunately I have to learn to cook my vegetables. Hey, I never followed any recipe, I sautee everything, add salt and pepper. Remember, if it is more than 5 ingredients, I am bound to mess it up.

So, I have to search for people who are better at me when it comes to recipe. Who else? Fellow Pinoy's who can cook, right?

So here are 2 recipes that I found online, and I am bound to try them, but no guarantee that I will not mess it up. My only guarantee is that I am a great gardener, and pretty much I can grow ampalaya, bittermelon, (Momordica charantia) in Zone 5B.

LOCAL NAMES: AMPALAYA (TAGALOG), PALIYA (BINISAYA)
In some English texts the plant or the fruit may be called by its local names, which include kugua (Chinese: 苦瓜, pinyin: kǔguā, "bitter gourd"); parya (Ilokano), pare or pare ayam (Javanese and Indonesian), Pavayka or Kayppayka (Malayalam:പാവയ്ക്ക, കയ്പ്പക്ക ), goya (Okinawan: ゴーヤー) or nigauri (Japanese: 苦瓜; although the Okinawan word goya is also used in Japanese), paakharkaai (Tamil: பாகற்காய்), "Hāgalakāyi" (Kannada: ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ), "ma'reah" (Khmer: ម្រះ), "Kaakarakaya"(Telugu), Korola (Bengali), ampalaya (Tagalog), muop dang (Vietnamese: mướp đắng) or kho qua (Vietnamese: khổ qua). It is also known as caraille or carilley on Trinidad and Tobago, carilla in Guyana, and cerasee, "cerasse" or cerasse in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, including parts of South America (although if known in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking areas, will most probably be know by the Okinawan or Japanese names). It is karela in Hindi - and Urdu-speaking areas."कारले (karle)" in Marathi. It is known as तीते करेला (Tite Karela) in Nepali. In Suriname, it is known as sopropo. The fruit is called Kudret Narı in Turkey. "Faaga" in Maldives."Karavila" in Sri Lankan(Sinhalese).


So, here are the recipes: Try it at your own risk, you might like it, and it is good for you, especially if you have diabetes.
RECIPE 1. Ginisang Ampalaya Recipe
Ingredients

    * 2 pieces ampalaya, cleaned and cut into thin slices
    * 1 tbsp garlic, minced
    * 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
    * 2 tbsp salt
    * 2 raw eggs
    * 18 ounces luke warm water
    * 1 large tomato, sliced
    * 1 large onion, sliced
    * 3 tbsp cooking oil

Cooking Procedure

   1. Place the ampalaya in a large bowl
   2. Add salt and luke warm water then leave for 5 minutes
   3. Place the ampalaya in a cheese cloth then squeeze tightly until all liquid drips
   4. Heat the pan and place the cooking oil
   5. Sautee the garlic, onion, and tomato
   6. Add the ampalaya mix well with the other ingredients
   7. Put-in salt and pepper to taste
   8. Beat the eggs and pour over the ampalaya then let the eggs cook partially
   9. Mix the egg with the other ingredients
  10. Serve hot. Share and Enjoy!

RECIPE 1 = Source: Panlasang Pinoy.com, Visit his blog for the video of how to cook bittermelons: Panlasang Pinoy

RECIPE 2. Ampalaya Con Carne ( BitterMelon with Sliced Beef)
Ingredients:

1/4 kilo of beef sliced thinly

2 to 3 big Ampalaya

3 big eggs

3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 onion sliced

2 tomatoes cut in cube

some cooking oil

half a cup of beef broth (beef bouillon dissolve in half a cup of hot water)

salt & pepper
Procedure:

The most important part of cookign this dish is taking off the bitterness of the ampalaya.

Start by cutting it into two and taking off the seeds with the help of a spoon. Slice them

thinly diagonally.  Boil some water and pour this over the sliced ampalaya.  Add one big

spoonful of rock salt.  Let it stand for few minutes until the water has cooled down and you

can handle with your hand the ampalaya.  Squeeze off all the water from the ampalaya with

your hands.  Heat off the pan with cooking oil then add up the garlic, onion and tomatoes.

Stir them well add the beef as if you are stir-frying all the ingredients.  Put the ampalaya

, add the water and cover.  Do not stir it for the first five minutes.  Add the eggs beaten

like an omellette.  The turn off the fire.  The eggs will be cooked by the heat of the

vegetable.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Saying has it that stirring the ampalaya during

the cooking process (once they are added) makes this dish even more bitter.  Its up to you

whether you will stir it or not. My advise, do not stir it, for this strategy always work

for me.

RECIPE 2. Source: FILIPINO FOOD STORE : Ampalaya con Carne Recipe at

http://www.filipinofoodstore.com/recipes/ampalaya-con-carne.html

Random Quotes, Random Predictions

  * "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." -- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.

    * "Where a calculator on the ENIAC is equipped with 18,000 vacuum tubes and weighs 30 tons, computers in the future may have only 1,000 vacuum tubes and weigh only 1.5 tons." -- Popular Mechanics, 1949

    * "I have traveled the length and breadth of this country and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." -- The editor in charge of business books for Prentice Hall, 1957.

    * "But what...is it good for?" -- Engineer at the Advanced Computing Systems Division of IBM, 1968, commenting on the microchip.

    * "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." -- Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977.

    * "640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Attributed to Bill Gates, 1981, but believed to be an urban legend.

    * "This 'telephone' has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." -- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

    * "The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys." -- Sir William Preece, chief engineer of the British Post Office, 1876.

    * "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" -- David Sarnoff's associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s.

    * "While theoretically and technically television may be feasible, commercially and financially it is an impossibility." -- Lee DeForest, inventor.

    * "The concept is interesting and well-formed, but in order to earn better than a 'C', the idea must be feasible." -- A Yale University management professor in response to Fred Smith's paper proposing reliable overnight delivery service. (Smith went on to found Federal Express Corp.)

    * "Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" -- H. M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927.

    * "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." -- Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With the Wind."

    * "A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make." -- Response to Debbi Fields' idea of starting Mrs. Fields' Cookies.

    * "We don't like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." -- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

    * "Radio has no future. Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible. X-rays will prove to be a hoax." -- William Thomson, Lord Kelvin, British scientist, 1899.

    * "So we went to Atari and said, 'Hey, we've got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we'll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we'll come work for you.' And they said, 'No.' So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, 'Hey, we don't need you. You haven't got through college yet.'" -- Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and HP interested in his and Steve Wozniak's personal computer.

    * "If I had thought about it, I wouldn't have done the experiment. The literature was full of examples that said you can't do this." -- Spencer Silver on the work that led to the unique adhesives for 3-M "Post-It" Notepads.

    * "It will be years -- not in my time -- before a woman will become Prime Minister." -- Margaret Thatcher, 1974.

    * "I see no good reasons why the views given in this volume should shock the religious sensibilities of anyone." -- Charles Darwin, The Origin Of Species, 1869.

    * "With over 50 foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn't likely to carve out a big slice of the U.S. market." -- Business Week, August 2, 1968.

    * "That Professor Goddard with his 'chair' in Clark College and the countenancing of the Smithsonian Institution does not know the relation of action to reaction, and of the need to have something better than a vacuum against which to react--to say that would be absurd. Of course, he only seems to lack the knowledge ladled out daily in high schools." -- 1921 New York Times editorial about Robert Goddard's revolutionary rocket work. The remark was retracted in the July 17, 1969 issue.

    * "You want to have consistent and uniform muscle development across all of your muscles? It can't be done. It's just a fact of life. You just have to accept inconsistent muscle development as an unalterable condition of weight training." -- Response to Arthur Jones, who solved the "unsolvable" problem by inventing Nautilus.

    * "Ours has been the first, and doubtless to be the last, to visit this profitless locality." -- Lt. Joseph Ives, after visiting the Grand Canyon in 1861.

    * "Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You're crazy." -- Workers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil in 1859.

    * "Stocks have reached what looks like a permanently high plateau." -- Irving Fisher, Professor of Economics, Yale University, 1929.

    * "There is not the slightest indication that nuclear energy will ever be obtainable. It would mean that the atom would have to be shattered at will." -- Albert Einstein, 1932.

    * "The bomb will never go off. I speak as an expert in explosives." -- Admiral William Leahy, U.S. Atomic Bomb Project.

    * "Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value." -- Marechal Ferdinand Foch, Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre.

    * "There will never be a bigger plane built." -- A Boeing engineer, after the first flight of the 247, a twin engine plane that holds ten people.

    * "Everything that can be invented has been invented." -- Attributed to Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899, but known to be an urban legend.

    * "Louis Pasteur's theory of germs is ridiculous fiction." -- Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, 1872.

    * "The abdomen, the chest, and the brain will forever be shut from the intrusion of the wise and humane surgeon." -- Sir John Eric Ericksen, British surgeon, appointed Surgeon-Extraordinary to Queen Victoria 1873.

Reference: rinkworks.com

Impatiens Balsamina/Rose Balsam (Edible Flowering Plants)

Kamantigi
Impatiens balsamina Linn.
TOUCH-ME-NOT
Ji Xing Zi

Scientific names Common names
Impatiens balsamina Linn. Balsam (Engl.)
Impatiens triflora Blanco Rose balsam (Engl.)

Kamantigi (Ilk., Tag., Pamp.)

Salonga (Bis.)

Solonga (Bis.)

Saungga (Sul.)

Suranga (Bik., Bis.)

Thian-ban (Thai.)

Feng Hsien (Chin.)

Jewelweed (Engl.)

Rose balsam (Engl.)

Touch-me-not (Engl.)

Ji xing zi (Chin.)

Pictures above are from my front yard garden.:)

source: stuartexchange

This plant is called sulangga in cebu, and I am planning to plant some in my garden this year. I got few seeds already.
so, common snow .,..melt...melt...melt

Note: Leaves, seeds are edible. I am definitely collecting garden plants, that are also edible.

March 19th, 23C and wondering about it?

march 19, 2012 - 23C here in Ottawa City, Ontario, Canada

it is march 19th here in ottawa, and it was still cold last year, and full of ice. this year 2012, it is nice, all snow melted already in the front yard.
no, i am not complaining at all, just saying this make me think.:)
bumper crops, flowers, all that very interesting stuff.
i am a crazy gardener you know.

so, do i sow the marigolds now? Do i sow the beans now?

and spring forecast this coming weekend?

see what makes me think?

God has a sense of humor...if you believe in God, or if not, whatever your Atheist belief tell you. But hey, it is sense of humor, and i have 20 pots of coleus out. if they died because well...weekend snow, i got 100 more pots. so, very funny!

kids are enjoying this weather and I love it too.
so, here we are yesterday outside.

List of Bohol, Philippines Flora and Fauna

While there is no list for Cebu, the species of plants/trees/flowers are about the same, so I am listing here what I find in the Wikipedia. Hopefully, I can use this as reference guide as I am trying to plant edibles in my own backyard, just like my childhood plants in Badian Cebu as a kid.
I added few that needed botanical names and personal pictures that I have taken in Badian and in my new home in ottawa, ontario, canada.

This article is from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bohol_flora_and_fauna

Hardwood and other tree species

1. abihíd
2. Acacia - Rain tree; Samanea saman Merr.; Other scientific names: Mimosa saman Jacq.; Inga saman Willd.; Pithecolobium saman Benth.; Enterolobium saman Prain
3. almáciga - Agathis philippinensis
4. bagakay
5. Bagalñga (C. Bis.) - Lygodium japonicum; Paraiso
6. bago
7. balete - Indian rubber tree; Ficus elastica
8. bánaba - Lagerstroemia speciosa; Queen's Flower or Crepe Myrtle and the Pride of India;
9. bangkal - Nauclea orientalis; Leichhardt tree, yellow cheesewood
10. bangkaw - Nauclea subdita; bulobangkal, bongkol
11. Batinô - Alstonia macrophylla
12. bitaóg - Calophyllkum blancoi; Calophyllum wallichianum Vidal
13. bujangjang - Prayer beads; Arbus precatorius Linn.; saga
14. bulí - Corypha elata Roxb.; buri
15. kawayan - Bambusa spinosa; Bambusa vulgaris
16. dapdap - Erythrina variegata Linn. var. orientalis (Linn.); Indian coal tree
17. Date palm - Palmae (INTRODUCED)
18. dorol - also called doldol; kapok (Tag.) ; Ceiba pentandra
19. Eucalyptus - Eucalyptus globulus (INTRODUCED)
20. Gemilina - Gmelina arborea (INTRODUCED)
21. Ipil-ipil - Leucaena leucocephala Linn. (INTRODUCED)
22. lauaan - Diptecarpus thurifer
23. lubí - niyóg - Coconut - Cocos nucifera
24. madre de cacao - kakawate; Gliricidia sepium (INTRODUCED)
25. mahogany - Philippine Mahogany; Swietenia mahagoni (Meliaceae) (INTRODUCED)
26. mangga - Mango; Mangifera indica (Anacardiaceae); Bohol mangga
27. mangrove - Rhizophora mangle; red mangrove; pagatpat; manggal
28. mangrove - Avicennia nitida; black mangrove
29. mangrove - Sonneratia
30. mangrove - Brugiera; red mangrove
31. mangrove - bakhawan babae; bakhawan lalake
32. mangrove - piyapî
33. mangrove - piyag-aw; bigî or tabigi; Xylocarpus moluccensis
34. mangrove - Bigî (Tagb.); Xylocarpus granatum
35. maribojoc - agoho; Casuarina equisitofolia
36. molave - Vitex parviflora; tugás
37. narra - Philippine cedar; Pterocarpus indicus; Pterocarpus santalinus
38. Neem tree - Azadirachta indica (INTRODUCED)
39. ninô or linô - Indian mulberry; Morinda citrifolia; apatot (noni juice)
40. nipâ - Nypa fruticans; nipâ palm
41. nitô - Lygodium japonicum
42. oliva - olive; Cycas revoluta
43. pitogo - Cycas
44. papuwá - annato; Bixa orellana Linn.; suetes; atsuete (INTRODUCED)
45. rattan - Calamus
46. Rubber Tree - Hevea brasiliensis (Euphorbiaceae) (INTRODUCED)
47. teak - Philippine teak; Tectona philippinensis
48. tipó - Antipolo; Artocarpus blancoi Merr.
49. talisay - Terminalia catappa; almond
50. yakál - Dipterocarpus plagutus

Note: very highly regulated species in the Philippines: lauaan, narra, Philippine mahogany

[] Fruit Trees/Plants

1. alibangbang - Bauhinia malabarica; butterfly-shaped leaves from a tree used for souring
2. atis - sugar apple; Annona squamosa Linn.; anonas (INTRODUCED)
3. Avocado - Persea americana; avocado (INTRODUCED)
4. balingbing - Star fruit; Averrhoa carambola Linn.; also Averrhoa pentandra Blanco (INTRODUCED)
5. batuan - Garcinia morella, a small sour green fruit with a large seed
6. bayabas - Guava; Psidium guajava (INTRODUCED)
7. boongon - pomelo; Citrus maxima
8. bugnay - Antidesma bunius Linn.; bignay
9. cacao - Theobroma cacao (INTRODUCED)
10. kapeng barako - Philippine coffee; Coffea arabica; Coffea canephora or C. robusta (INTRODUCED)
11. kaimito - caimito; Chrysophyllum caninito Linn.; star apple (INTRODUCED)
12. chico - Achras sapota Linn.; Sapota achras Mill.; Sapota zapotilla Coville (INTRODUCED)
13. chico- Manilkara zapote, a brown sweet fruit with black seeds (INTRODUCED)
14. Chinese holly - Ilex cornuta (INTRODUCED)
15. Curcuma domestica, turmeric (INTRODUCED)
16. dayáp - Citrus aurantifolia, lime (INTRODUCED)
17. duhat - Syzygium cumini, Java plum
18. durian - Durio zibethinus
19. granada - Punica granatum; Pomegranate (INTRODUCED)
20. guyabano - Soursop; Annona muricata Linnaeus or A. muricata L. (Annonaceae); guyabano
21. ibâ - Averrhoa bilimbi; kamias
22. joló; koló - bread fruit; Artocarpus altilis
23. kamátsile - Pithecellobium dulce, kamachille, Madras thorn fruit
24. kapayas or kapajas - Papaya; Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae) (INTRODUCED)
25. kasúy - Anacardium occidentale, cashew (INTRODUCED)
26. lanzones - Lansium domesticum
27. lemoncito - Citrus microcarpa; kalamansi
28. lemoncito - Citrus madurensis, a small lime indigenous to the Philippines; also called Chinese orange, Panama orange
29. linga - Sesamum indicum
30. lomboy - Black plum; Syzgium cumini; duhat in Tagalog
31. macopa - Syzygium samarangense
32. mangga - mango ; Mangifera indica (carabao, pajo)
33. manzanitas - datiles; ratiles; Muntingia calabura; a little cherry-like wild fruit (INTRODUCED)
34. marang - Artocarpus odoratissima
35. nangkâ - Jackfruit; Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.; langkâ (INTRODUCED)
36. orange - Citrus aurantium; local orange; dalandan in Tagalog (INTRODUCED)
37. orange - Mandarin orange; Citrus reticulata (INTRODUCED)
38. orange - tangerine orange; Citrus nobilis ;dalandan (INTRODUCED)
39. orange - local lemon or lime - Citrus; dayap in Tagalog (INTRODUCED)
40. orange - Citrus medica (INTRODUCED)
41. passion fruit - Passiflora incarnata (INTRODUCED)
42. pili nut - Canarium ovatum
43. pinya or pinja - Pineapple; Ananas comosus
44. saging tundan - Banana; Musa; (Musaceae)
45. Saging sab-a - Banana variety; Musa (Musaceae)
46. Saging cavendish; Banana variety; Musa (Musaceae)
47. Saging senyorita; Banana variety; Musa (Musaceae)
48. Saging morado
49. sambag - Tamarindus indicus; tamarind; sampalok (INTRODUCED)
50. Santol - Sandoricum koetjape Merr. (INTRODUCED)
51. siriguelas; sineguelas in Visayan or sigarilyas in Tagalog Spondias sp
52. suwâ-suwâ - Triphasia trifolia P. Wils.
53. tambis - Syzygium malaccense; Malay Apple; Tersana Rose Apple
54. tisâ
55. Tree fern - Cyathea spp. spp.
56. watermelon - Curcubita citrullus Linn.; also Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.; pakwan (INTRODUCED)

[edit] Vegetables

1. ahos - Garlic; Allium sativum; bawang
2. Alugbati - Malabar nightshade; Basella rubra Linn.
3. batong - string beans; Bataw; Dolichos labiab Linn.
4. carrot - karot; Daucus carota L.
5. kabasâ - kalabasâ; squash; Cucurbita maxima Duchesne; Curcubita sulcata Blanco
6. kamatis - Tomato; Solanum lycopersicum or Lycopersicum esculentum
7. kamunggay – malunggay; Moringa oleifera
8. katuray - Sesbania grandiflora, a white flower used in salads
9. kinstsay - Apium graveolens, Chinese celery
10. kolis - Pisonia alba, lettuce tree, also called maluko in Tagalog
11. kulitis - Amaranthus viridis, slender amaranth
12. kundol - Benicasa hispida; wax gourd
13. kutsay - Allium odorum; Chinese chives
14. Lagundî; Vitex negundo
15. laurel - Antidesma bunius; Chinese laurel
16. luy-a - ginger; Zingiber officinale; luya
17. munggos - munggo; Phaseolus aureus; green mung bean
18. mustasa - Brassica juncea v. integrifola; mustard greens
19. okra - Abelmoschus escuclentus Linn.; also Hibiscus esculentis Linn.
20. pandan -Pandanus odoratissimus; screw pine
21. paliyá or palijá - Bitter melon; Momordica charantia; Ampalaya
22. patola - Luffa cylindrica; sponge gourd
23. patola - Luffa acutangula; Loofah
24. pechay - Brassica chinensis; pakchoy; bokchoy
25. pipino - cucumber; Cucumis sativus
26. pipino - Cucumber; zuchinni; Cucurbita pepo
27. radish; Raphanus
28. repolyo - cabbage; Brassica oleracea
29. saluyot - Corchorus olitorius; Jew's mallow
30. sayote - Sechium edule; chayote; mirliton pear
31. sibuyas bombay - Onion; Allium cepa
32. sibuyas dahon - Allium sativum
33. sili - Capsicum annuum; chili
34. sili'ng kulikot - Capsicum frutescens; siling labuyo; Cayenne
35. sili- pepper; Solanum capsicum (Solanaceae)
36. singkamas - Pachyrhizus erosus; yambean
37. tangkong or kangkong; Ipomoea aquatica; swamp cabbage, potato vine
38. tawong or talong; eggplant - Solanum melongena
39. Ocimum sanctum - holy basil
40. upo - Lagenaria leucantha; bottle gourd
41. Corindrium sativum - coriander leaf

[edit] Flowering plants

1. adelfa - Oleander; South sea rose; Nerium indicum Mill.; Neroum oleander Blanco; Nerium odorum Soland.
2. alas kuwatro- 4 o clock Mirabilis jalapa
   
3. antuwanga - Gumamela; Hibiscus; China Rose; Shoeflower; Hibiscus rosa sinensis
4. Asparagus (genus) - Green fern, for bouquets; Asparagus plumosus
5. Aster
6. bahug-bahug - Vernonia cinerea; bulak-manok; Billy Goat Weed
7. banaba - Lagerstroemia speciosa
8. bangka-bangkaan - Rhoeo discolor
9. Bird of Paradise (plant) - Strelitzia reginae
10. bombil - bougainvillea; Bougainvillea
11. Bromeliad
12. bunga - Areca nut; Areca catechu; Areca alba (lubi lubi)
13. caballero - peacock flower; Caesalpinia pulcherrima Linn.; bulaklak ng paraiso
14. Comfrey – Symphytum officinale L (tambal sa nuka)
15. cosmos - Cosmos (genus)
16. cosmos (bahô) - Tagetes erecta
17. Chrysanthemum - Chrysanthemum sinense; manzanilla
18. Daisy
19. Dancing lady
20. Dandelion- Taraxacum officinale Weber; Leontodon taraxacum Linn.; Taraxacum dens-leonis Desf.
21. Dendrobium
22. duranta - "Duranta repens Linn."; golden duranta
23. Ginseng
24. Ground orchids
25. ilang ilang - also known as Ylang-ylang; Cananga odorata
26. Japanese rose - Rosa rugosa
27. kalachuchi - frangipani; Plumeria; Plumiera rubra
28. kataká-taká - Kalanchoe pinnata (synonym: Bryophyllum pinnatum)
29. kalanchoe - Kalanchoe sp.
30. kamantigi - mantigi; Touch me not; Impatiens balsamina
31. kutsaritas - Althernanthera sp.; (Amaranthaceae)
32. kulitis - Amaranthus spinosus; uray
33. kumintang - also tsitsirika; rosy periwinkle; Catharanthus roseus
34. lirio - Crinum latifolim Linn.
35. Maiden’s hair plant - Chlorodesmis sp.
36. Marigold - Calendula, tagetes
    
37. mayana or majana – Coleus sp.; Coleus blumei
38. Million flower-kalanchoe
39. pamintâ - Piper nigrum; black pepper
40. pandong pandong - Celosia cristata Linn.; cock's comb
41. Paragayo - san francisco
42. Poinsettia - Euphorbia pulcherrima
43. quiapo - kiapo; water cabbage; Pistia stratiotes
44. rosál - Gardenia jasminioides; Gardenia
45. rose - Rose; Genus: Rosa
46. sabila – Aloe vera
47. sagisi - Anahaw
48. sagusahis – used as sandpaper for desks
49. sampaguita - Jasmine; Jasminum sambac Linn.
50. santal ?
51. santan – Ixora sp.
52. sunflower - Helianthus annuus
53. tsampaka - Michelia champaca
54. Verbena - Verbena officinalis
55. violeta - bayolota; violets; Viola odorata L.
56. waling-waling- Vanda
57. yellow bell - kampanilya; Allamanda cathartica

[edit] Bohol endemic species

1. Arygyreia boholensis (Convolvulaceae)
2. Blumea stenophylla (Labiatae)
3. Dendrocalamus sp.- large bamboos; kawayan
4. Dischidias (Asclepiadaceae)
5. Hoyas -hoya spp
   
6. Imperata cylindrica
7. Ixora littoralis (Rubiaceae)
8. Macrosolena mcgregorii (Loranthaceae)
9. Saccharum spontaneum
10. Several Compositae
11. lukdo - ferns

Source: ^[4]

[edit] Grasses/Herbs/Weeds

1. abacá - Musa textilis; Manila Hemp
2. acapulco - Cassia alata
3. amor seco - Love grass; Andropogon aciculatus
4. Bahô-bahô- Utot-utot; koronitas; kantutay; Lantana camara
5. bilâ bilâ - Eleusine indica L.; dog's tail; wire grass
6. bugáng - talahib; Saccharum spontaneum
7. butones butones - Cyperus rotundus
8. cogon - kogon; Imperata cylindrica
9. Euphorbia hirta Linn.
10. fern 1 - Athyrium esculentum; pako
11. fern 2 - bird's nest fern; Asplenium nidus Linn.
12. fern 3 - Drynaria quercifolia Linn.
13. Gulasiman - Portulaca olearacea (Linn.); Purslane
14. Hibî-hibî – makahiya;hiyom-hiyom, Mimosa pudica (sensitive plant)
    
15. humay - rice; Oryza sativa; palay
16. Kana (Bis.) - Cardiospermum halicacabum; Heart Pea; Balloon Vine
17. Kanding-kanding - Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
18. maís - corn
19. Oregano - Origanum vulgare; Wild Marjoram, Mountain Mint, Origanum, Wintersweet and Winter Marjoram
20. oregano - Coleus aromaticus Benth.
21. peppermint - Clinopodium douglasii
22. Quisqualis indica - Chinese honeysuckle; "niyog-niyogan"
23. sábila - Aloe Vera; Aloe barbadensis Miller Liquid
24. Sambong- Blumea camphora ; Blumea balsamifera L.
25. sinaw sinaw or sida sida - Ulasimang Bato; Peperomia pellucida; pansit-pansitan
26. tangad or tanglad - lemon grass; Cymbopogon citratus; Cymbopogon spp.
27. tawá tawá - Euphorbia hirta; boto-botonis; gatas-gatas
28. tubó - sugar cane; Saccharum
29. Tubá-tubá - Jatropha curcas; also known as Tubang Bakod in Tagalog; Physic Nut in English or interchangeably tubá-tubá or Jatropha (Tuba-Tuba Plant Seeds (Jatropha) to Bio-diesel Fuel)
30. Wild Tea - Ehretia microphylla Lam; Tsaang Gubat
31. Yerba Buena - Mentha spicata

[edit] Root crops

1. apale
2. balanghoy - Cassava; Manihot esculenta Crantz; kamoteng kahoy
3. camote - Sweet potatoes; Ipomoea batatas
4. gabi - taro; Colocasia esculenta Linn.
5. patatas - potatoes; Solanum tuberosum
6. singkamas - Pachyrrhizus erosus Linn.
7. Ube kinampay - purple yam; Dioscorea alata
8. Ube- yam; Dioscorea alata
9. other cash crops

[edit] Seaweeds

1. Acetabularia
2. ambáng
3. Chlorella
4. Codium fragile
5. eelgrasses - seagrasses; thalasia
6. guaman - Gracilaria compressa
7. gusô - Eucheuma spinosum
8. kelp - Macrocystis
9. Laminaria
10. latô – Caulerpa racemosa
11. Laurencia
12. lukót
13. Porphyra
14. Samô – Sargassum
15. Ulothrix
16. Ulva - sea lettuce

Propagating Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia) Ampalaya

march 21, 2012 - i wake up this morning with a surprise, my paliya seeds are sprouting. Very happy. you can see that the picture is sort of dark yet, it was like 7 am when i took it, but hey......they sprout...they sprout!




bittermelon fruit

March 16, 2012

Propagating :
Momordica charantia - Bitter Melon
Ampalaya in Tagalog
Paliya in Cebuano

bittermelon seeds


I am getting my seeds from a bitter melon I got from the grocery store, and it is the Chinese phenotype ( pale in color).

I took the seeds out and cook the fruits.

I am lazy to mess up with soil, so I am using the coir pellets from Jiffy again. :)

According to Wikepedia:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_melon
Momordica charantia, called bitter melon or bitter gourd in English, is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits. There are many varieties that differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.

In some English texts the plant or the fruit may be called by its local names, which include kugua (Chinese: 苦瓜, pinyin: kǔguā, "bitter gourd"); parya (Ilokano), pare or pare ayam (Javanese and Indonesian), Pavayka or Kayppayka (Malayalam:പാവയ്ക്ക, കയ്പ്പക്ക ), goya (Okinawan: ゴーヤー) or nigauri (Japanese: 苦瓜; although the Okinawan word goya is also used in Japanese), paakharkaai (Tamil: பாகற்காய்), "Hāgalakāyi" (Kannada: ಹಾಗಲಕಾಯಿ), "ma'reah" (Khmer: ម្រះ), "Kaakarakaya"(Telugu), Korola (Bengali), ampalaya (Tagalog), muop dang (Vietnamese: mướp đắng) or kho qua (Vietnamese: khổ qua). It is also known as caraille or carilley on Trinidad and Tobago, carilla in Guyana, and cerasee, "cerasse" or cerasse in Jamaica and elsewhere in the Caribbean, including parts of South America (although if known in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking areas, will most probably be know by the Okinawan or Japanese names). It is karela in Hindi- and Urdu-speaking areas."कारले (karle)" in Marathi. In Suriname, it is known as sopropo. The fruit is called Kudret Narı in Turkey. "Faaga" in Maldives."Karavila" in Sri Lankan(Sinhalese).















Update: March 27, 2012. I took more pictures of my bitter melon, since the 2nd container started to come alive. I have remove the cover to allow growth, so this has to be watered everyday now.

 Update: march 27, 2012 the 2nd container starts to germinate.

March 27, 2012. Container 1 and 2 both seeds germinated.

How to grow Colocasia esculenta (eddo, taro, dasheen, gabi)

This picture was taken April 7, 2012.
It looks like I need to pot this one anytime soon.




This picture is from Wikipedia (1)


Propagating Colocasia esculenta (March 11, 2012)

Common Names: taro, dasheen, elephant ear, cocoyam, eddo, eddoe Family: Araceae (arum Family)

I added Gabi as the common name, because it is called Gabi in my language (Cebu Philippines).

This propagation method worked, and it was by accident.
The formula was humidity & moist soil = root and bud formation.

Two weeks ago, I planned a soup for supper. Asian soup is mostly a little bit of pork bone, then vegetables are added to it. It is very common for us to use gabi (in my language) and it commonly known as eddo, or malanga or taro in Loblaws, Walmart, Produce Depot.

I bought maybe 5 pieces of it for a decent soup. Please note, gabi are not to be eaten raw. It will cause you to rash, and itch like crazy. I know, I tried that as a kid, and it was a form of child lesson I will never forget. This root vegetable should be cooked very well, I personally recommend boiling at medium for at least 30 minutes with the soup stock. It is a yummy nutty flavor, thus this gabi is my favorite, instead of using potatoes.


Picture 1. An empty cat little box which I re-use to keep my indoor potting soil.

So, to keep the item safe from my 3 young kids, I end up putting it in an empty plastic of cat litter box. This box is where I keep my moist indoor potting soil, which is nice because it has a lid.

Because I have amnesia, I forgot where I put my eddoes/gabi and the soup was serve with noddles in it. No one cares anyways, except me.



Picture 2. Aha, this is where I put my eddoes 2 weeks ago? Well, roots and buds are coming up already, oh darn!


Two weeks later, I was looking for garden soil, and to my surprise, I found my eddoes in a different state. All of them have roots and buds coming up.


Picture 3. I took them out of the box, and here is what they look like.

So, the pinkish buds are coming out, and roots coming, so I have no choice but pot these babies up and plant them out in spring. Maybe I can harvest them by fall and make some soup out of it.
Again, if I can remember where I put them.




Picture 4. A close up picture of the buds and roots that formed within 2 weeks.

HOW TO PLANT THE TUBERS:

Well, get a decent soil mix, use at least one gallon pot just to keep this alive until spring.
The have to put the brown part on the bottom, and the top is the reddish bud. That bud will stretch and become the first set of leaves.

By spring, buy a big big pot because these lovely eddo, taro can be a nice specimen tropical plant. If you have a big backyard, plant it in a sunny corner, with plenty of water. These are nitrogen hungry plants, and they need lots of compost.

Stems and leaves are edible too, but I won't recommend you try it. There is a certain way of cooking it. Again, it has to be cooked very well done, otherwise, the leaf toxins can cause FOOD POISONING. Trust me, I experienced this myself, I was too hungry and I grab some from the boiling pot, and I vomited like crazy because it was not yet fully cooked. At least grandma was a good doctor, every time I vomited, she hand me a glass of water, until it all came out. I was not hospitalize but the feeling was just awful. Okay, believe me, do not try this at home.

THE VALUE OF COLOCASIA ESCULENTA IN MY GARDENING ZONE 5b:
OTTAWA, ON, CANADA.

Start early like mine about March, then harvest by Thanksgiving about October. Taro is a very elegant centerpiece for any garden, put it in a the largest pot you can find, and give it lots of water. When the temperature starts to cool down in fall, you can let the foliage die naturally or cut if off. Dig the tubers, it is edible when cooked. Or store it in a brown paper bag for next years gardening season.
I personally dig them and cook it right away.
For the next season, i get new tubers at Loblaws around Feb or March.

How to cook it? Simplest way is boil it like a potato with the skin on. These tubers are not easily cooked, it may last 20-30 minutes on medium heat. You will know that it is cooked when the brown skin starts to flake, or by simply picking it up with a fork. Dumped the water, let it cool down. Then, peel the brownish skin off like peeling a potato. Maybe cut it in cubes, drizzle some maple syrup for snacks. Or make a potato salad, same ingredients just replace the potato part with taro.

While there was no maple syrup in the Philippines, I dipped my freshly boiled taro in brown sugar, and eat it for breakfast.
Another popular use of taro/gabi is to peel it when raw, cut into cubes, and add to your soup recipes in your slow cooker.

PICTURES: Picture 1 to Picture 4 belongs to me. Picture on top belongs to Wiki, see reference below.

Reference:
1.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro

Hosta Canadian Blue

Hosta Canadian Blue
Harry Van Vliet/AHS/Walek 2009

small to medium clump

I found this hosta at Artistic Landscape at Bank in spring of 2011. The name Canadian just make me pick it up. I am a sucker for anything Canadian, being transplanted to Canada myself at an early age.
Nothing much on The Hosta Registrar, except this one is breed in Netherlands. This plant reminds me of Halcyon, probably the same family. Now that I thought of it, I should have bought Halcyon for a cheaper price. Oh well, who knows?

According to Hosta Library, this is a sport of Halcyon. Now, I don't know when will I find the difference between Halcyon and this one? Maybe a mature clump in 3-5 years from now.

I love the deep blue of this hosta, sometimes it looks blackish dull. Unusual for a hosta and worth the wait, it grows slow...so probably from the species tardiana?

Hosta Kifukurin Ko Mame (mini hosta)

I got mine from Anne last May 2011, and it is enjoying my backyard. Fast grower and just graceful.

'Kifukurin Ko Mame' is a sport of gracillima, sometimes seen incorrectly labeled gracillima 'Variegata'. It is a "mini" from Japan, displaying shiny, dark green, wavy leaves with creamy margins. In Japanese Ko means "small" and Mame is "a pea" so the name translates to "gold-margined, very small hosta." A mature clump will be only 3"-5" wide. Flowers are a lovely purple (1)

H. gracillima 'Kifukurin Ko Mame'.

This hosta will set seed on a green pod according to the Hosta Registrar. (2)

REFERENCE:
1.hostalibrary.org
2. hostaregistrar.org