These Are My Plants

Today I want to show you the plants I have at home; some are purely ornamental, while others are highly beneficial—whether as food or natural medicine. Since my patio has a concrete floor and I cannot grow anything directly in the ground there, I had to reinvent my approach. How? By recycling. For instance, I decided to repurpose an old, broken washing machine: I filled it with soil and planted various plants in it. This way, I can make good use of the space and give a second life to an object that would otherwise have ended up as scrap metal.

This is one of the plants I like best; I don't know what it's called in other countries, but in Venezuela, we call it "orégano orejón." My wife uses it for cooking, and it adds a wonderful touch to dishes. However, it isn't just good for food; it also has medicinal uses. It is an excellent anti-inflammatory and antibiotic; for instance, many people use it to treat earaches and toothaches.

This is my favorite—the chili pepper plant. It is a variety we call "Ají dulce" in Venezuela because it isn't spicy. Although my plant only produced a single pepper, I care for it with the same affection and respect as if I had many; it is the fruit of perseverance.

This other plant is called *nopal* (prickly pear cactus), and it is excellent; while it usually has spines, this particular one doesn't, and my wife uses it in her cooking. Inside, it has a mucilaginous pulp—similar to aloe vera—but it isn't unpleasant when combined with other foods like grains. As far as I know, it has many healing properties and health benefits; for instance, it contains vitamins A, C, and the B-complex, as well as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron, making it one of our most prized plants.

Last but not least, I have aloe vera plants and this variety of oregano we call "common oregano" or "European oregano"—the kind typically used to season dishes. However, it is usually used dried rather than fresh; my wife cuts the sprigs and leaves them to dry in the sun, and once they are sufficiently dry, she crumbles them by hand and adds them to whatever dish she is preparing. It is perfect for pizza.

I hope you really enjoyed my post and the plants I grow with such care; thank you for letting me share them with you.