Hello, good day Hive friends! Hopefully, we are all safe and sound as we welcome another year. Stay fit and enthusiastic everyone! This is my first time posting in this community, it’s a pleasure to know and be friends with all of you. Today, I will be sharing with you my simple garden – the love of my life.
I love gardening so much. Gardening makes my heart and soul happy. It helps relieve my stress and all the negativities in life. When I am in my garden, I feel so alive. The taught of taking care of a garden and suddenly seeing it bloom will give your soul a delightful feeling. Though it requires a lot of activity to make your garden look good and healthy, it is very satisfying to see them grow.
When I am so busy doing paperwork, and I need to have a break, I usually go and see any green color. And look! my feet will always drag me to my garden. It feels so relaxing doing some extra chores like cultivating the soil, cutting off dried leaves, or watering the plants. Gardening requires so much attention. It will not grow well if we will not nurture it and will not keep an eye on it.
If I will do a comparison on which one would I finish first - paperwork or gardening, well, honestly, that would be gardening. It is really fun working on my garden rather than doing paperwork.
To make my garden healthier, I put some animal manure on it. Mixing a small amount of animal manure into the fertile soil will help the plants grow and nourish. Do not put too much animal manure on the soil during your early planting for it will damage the plants. As much as possible wait for 3-4 weeks after application before planting anything into your container for it will lessen the salt contained in the mixture.
I usually visit my garden every morning so that I could water the plants and cultivate the soil. Going into my garden early will also help me monitor my plants for any insects that eat the leaves, and gives me the idea to think of whatever is needed in my garden to make it better.
MY SCHOOL GARDEN
I do have a mini garden in school. Together with my students, we take good care of the plants every day. The plants that we usually planted in the garden are cucumber, lady finger, spring onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper.
During the soil preparation, I always mix the soil with some animal manure. This will help my plants to grow faster and healthier.
Afterward, the preparation of the seedlings must be carefully handled. Seedlings are so delicate. It must be handled with so much care. According to one of the teachers in the school, seedlings should be handled with T-L-C - (Tender-Love-Care).
Because of the smaller space on the school ground, during planting, we usually use recycled containers or used tires. After the plantation, the seedlings planted, will be put in a huddle space so that they will not die easily from the heat of the sun. What we usually do is find solutions to the problem in a way we can handle it. We are very much creative and innovative. Instead of buying nets, we always put cover above the seedlings using a banana trunk until the seedlings will be mature enough.
Sometimes, we put pesticides. It will lessen the possibility of the plants being eaten by insects. Putting pesticides will be done in the afternoon so that the leaves of the plants will not die of the stronger chemicals.
During harvest, we usually do it in the afternoon so that the vegetables will remain fresh when sold.
Usually, my colleague will just be the one to buy the product. The product will be sold at lesser prices compared to the market price already. So we are hitting two birds at the same time - gardening as a daily routine as a sort of exercise, and as a way of raising funds for students. The rewards get from the products will be used for feeding purposes of the class.
Luckily, I am chosen as one of the best implementors of the "Gulayan sa Paaralan Program" (one of the programs of the Department of Education to encourage and establish understanding regarding food insecurity). As a reward, the principal gave us a simple act of kindness - a Tupperware. So happy to be chosen as one. My hard work paid off.
Last month, I was chosen as one of the judges in another school for their gardening. You know what, I was also amazed at their garden. The beautification and recycling in the garden amaze me. Of course, their plants were also very healthy.
Gardening at home or in school is very important. It is not just for competition or for decoration purposes, but most importantly, a way to survive. There are areas where the source of living is only planting. We are lucky that we can do other things aside from planting.
Some people make it a habit of planting because it does not only give them money in return but also is their way to lessen the expenses of buying daily needs. You are also making your family healthier and stronger.
Thank you so much for reading and supporting my blog. I hope a lot of readers and sharers will now love gardening just as I am!