Am here again to notify you all members of this beautiful community known as hive garden about some of my farm-gardens and their produce. On my last but first post in this garden community, I notified you all my blog viewers of how I harvested cassava from my farm. The work of my hands gives me abundant joy and satisfaction. Hope same is applicable to you all?
In today's article, please, tie your seatbelt as we are going to make a long sweet journey to visit some of my garden and their produce. The first to visit is:
Plantain garden
The garden is located in our compound. We planted it nearby our house for proper care. If we should plant it far away from our house, thieves can easily steal it because of great hunger and starvation affecting most Nigerians. Lolz.
Alright, let me give you a brief information about plantain. Plantain is an iron builder. Each year, I do harvest about 10 bunches from it. Now, let's take a closer look at the plantain.
The one you're seeing above is about to mature. Meaning that, I will soon eat plantain. In our household, it's hard to sell out a bunch of plantain. That is to show how valuable plantain is to us. Honestly, we have up to 3 plantain orchards in our compound. And each produces more than 10 bunches per anum. If am to sell all of them, that gonna be huge money. Isn't it? Hahaha. But am not going to sell out any. My body need iron more than any other body. I think so. Lolz.
The next in line is.....
Banana
Banana is a different specie belonging to plantain family. lolz. The difference between plantain and banana is that banana fingers are shorter than that of plantain. The picture below is an example. What you're about to see is a bunch of banana from my banana garden/orchard. Take a look at it.
Did you notice the difference? I mean, the difference between banana and plantain? In the next few weeks, approximately 2 or 3 weeks from now, I will harvest the banana. Who is interested? Please raise your hand up. Lolz.
Now, let's move over to one of the seasonal fruits in my garden. Would you like to know what it is? Hopefully, yes is your response. Now, let's move. As we're on our way to it's garden, let me give you an overview. The one we're going to visit or see now is a tree producing seasonal fruit which we planted 5 years ago. It produced it's first fruit last year. This year, let's see how it produced. Below is the name.
Pear
There are 2 different types of pear here in my city. The first one is known as Ube bekee (English pear or avocado) While the one you're about to see from the picture below is known as Ube Igbo (Local pear).
Today, I plucked some just to enjoy it with corn from my new garden. Tomorrow or next, I will visit the new farm and I will bring you guys the latest informations concerning the farm. But before then, this is the pear (local) I plucked today.
Let me tell you some of the difference between English pear (Avocado) and local pear or bush pear (Ube)
English pear(Avocado)
- Is a rich source of vitamin E
- You can enjoy it together with bread
- You can use it as butter
- You can enjoy it with rice
- It serves as hair mayonnaise etc
- It's more expensive
- It also contain Anti-cholesterol
- Contains Phosphorus
Local pear
- It's cheaper than Avocado (It have different sizes. So, the size determines the price) For example, if one avocado fruit costs 200 NGN, 20 fruits of local pear will mean same amount. Hope, you've seen the difference right?
- Best enjoyed with corn
- Can be eaten raw
- Contains phosphorus
- Abundant in mineral and vitamins
- It's potassium content is higher than that of avocado
Let me drop here as am heading to another direction. Yea, let me show you another part of my garden. Let's goooo....
Alright, welcome to another part of my farm or garden. In this area, you're going to see something quite different from all the above mentioned gardens. Let's peers forth...
Yam garden
Do you like eating yam but haven't see it's plant before? If yes is your answer, cool down. With me by your side, am assuring you that you must see and know what produces tubers of yam. Now, let me ask, when was the last time you ate yam?. While waiting for your response, the picture below is my little yam garden.
I planted them few months ago. Precisely on March 2023. That's approximately 4 months ago. By next month, being August, am going to harvest the first set of tubers. When I say first set, see what I mean. Yam produces twice yearly before kicking off the bucket for the year. Lolz. So, as I planted it on March, I will harvest the first ftuits by August. Then, I will leave it to produce again. By December, the leaf will become dried which is a sign that the tuber have mature. By then, I will harvest the final products/tubers. Ohhh, I wish December is here already because I prefer eating those one I will harvest then to its first set of tubers. But why? See, the second products are sweeter than the first ones. So, I am seriously longing for that very time.
The last we're going to visit today is my small vinegar garden.
Vinegar, popularly known as King of Bitters serves many health related purposes and people suffering from diabetes, high blood sugar, sugar in urine, malaria, typhoid, stomach ache and many more do get a measure of relief after taking it orally. And I noticed how far people do travel from my residence in hunt of this leaf. Therefore, to lessen the load for them, I made it my priority to plant and grow the leaf in my compound. Today, my dream have become a reality because, people from my area now do come to our house to collect the leaf whenever they wish. And that gives me excess joy. At least, I have relieved them of that stress.
Conclusion
It's good to have a garden round the house. Although it yields money, it also reduces cost of living while adding joy and happiness to one's heart.
Am glad you visited my blog today. Please dear friend, how do you see my presentation, pictures or images and my content generally? Do you think there should be room for adjustment? If yes, please, am all ears. Express your mind through the comment section of this post. Am a humble servant always ready to adhere to directives and counsels and same time, ready to make adjustments and corrections. So, feel free to correct me.
Dear sweet friends, this is where am going to stop for today. On my next article, we will make a journey to my latest farmland. So, expect it soon. But before then, am saying a big KISS to you all my friends. Byeeeee. I love you all.