They have been so busy at the farm lately, attending to another very important project very much unrelated to the farm nor the garden. That's okay though since they have plenty of plants to attend to whenever they can.
Some of the plants in the upper garden are doing well despite the drought and heat.
The plants in the upper garden are now established. Although they still require constant watering, they are now able to survive periods of brief neglects. So far there were no casualties from the transplants during the unfortunate time of drought. But since the drought is still on the land, they are on continued vigilance, which means constant watering.
The continuous dry days were broken by two consecutive days of heavy rain. After that it's back to dry, hot days again. At least the plants in the upper garden got their first drink of fresh water from the sky.
The lower garden (which is the unofficial nursery) is faring much better. With an easy access to water, even the grasses and weeds are very green.
The month of May is when most flowering plants show off their flowers. Mom said it's so nice to linger in the garden, day or night. The fragrant blooms are filling the air with their sweetest scents. During the day, the different Jasmines, Champacas and Ylang-Ylangs are all competing for olfactory attention. At night, the 'Dama de Noche' (Cestrum nocturnum) and Angel's Trumpets join in the fray.
My goal is to fill the garden not just with beautiful plants, but with fragrant flowers too. That way, the garden will not only be pleasing to the eyes, but to the nose as well.
Some of the plants still waiting to be transplanted into the upper garden. They have been moved out of the nursery to make room for other plants.
But, sadly there are also casualties to report of.
The leafless trunks of the Tree ferns tried in vain to sprout fronds but they withered before they could even begin to unfurl. Some just could not take the heat and are now goners. I'm beginning to think that tree ferns are not suited to grow in our garden.
The same fate was met by some of the Carabao ferns.
Comical as they can be, the rambunctious bunch of juvenile goats are wreaking havoc at the garden when no one is looking. They chomp on any plants that look appetizing. They are allowed access to the garden/nursery since the grasses are greener there and there are more weeds to browse on than in their regular pen.
Overall the garden is in better than expected condition. There are bound to be plant losses to incur but they are overshadowed by the gains. And I am delighted.
PS:
The first Lotus seed Mom tried to sow has now sprouted tiny leaves.
