Earthy smell. Green sight. Distinct textures. Taste of nature.
You have a free ticket to explore nature, will you acquire it?
It is a big yes for me because it calms my mind and allows me to appreciate the beauty of life.
Join me as I tour my grandparents’ garden.
My father’s parents’ place is located in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, Philippines. It is a spacious area, surrounded by plants and trees, and near the Sawaga River. It is a good place to be because it is far from the city so the view is mostly green and you cannot hear loud cars and neighbors.
When I was younger, my cousins and I would go there on weekends. We seldom visit there today because of the pandemic. Thus, I felt like I was in a new place because I am not used to seeing their place.
I was welcomed by plants and sunlight.
An area to sit and relax.
Vegetable and Fruit Plants
My grandparents’ have planted vegetable and fruit plants. They obtain some of their foods from their organically grown plants. They also share with us and sell some.
Eggplant
I took a picture of a grown eggplant, and there were a lot. We make tortang along or eggplant omelet with this, and it is delicious in the morning.
Calamansi Tree
It is a Philippine lemon. My favorite drink to make is calamansi juice. It would be nice to have your plant so that you would freshly pick it up when you want to drink some.
Dragon Fruit Tree
Have you tasted dragon fruit? It is a fruit grown from a cactus. It is one of my favorites! I cannot clearly describe the taste of it but it is sweet and succulent. It is expensive in our place, so I am grateful for the free ones.
Drumstick or Moringa Tree
We call it malunggay in our place, and it is a leaf vegetable used for soups. It is nutritious that is why my parents include it in our meals.
Green Onion
When we do not have red onions, we use them as a substitute. It also adds flavor to soups.
There are more vegetable and fruit plants, but I failed to take pictures of them. Others are Rambutan, Mangosteen, Durian, Lanzones, Pomelo, Siniguelas, Bitter Melon, and Lettuce. I think there are more but I do not know the names.
Flowers
Aside from vegetables and fruits, there are various flowers around.
Bougainvillea
There are pink and white kinds.
Anthurium
Butterfly Pea
You can make tea with this plant and it has a lot of benefits.
Succulents
Leaf Plants
Crown-of-thorns
Wishbone
Goldshower
Bengal Trumpet
And I saw some cute mushrooms that grew on the wood.
There are more flowers but I did not take a picture of them all. I would make an album if I would.
Did you enjoy the tour of my grandparents’ garden? I hope so!
I had fun wandering around and capturing the magnificent objects of nature.
It was a restoring experience worth my walk!
I have learned that I should not take nature for granted because it is beneficial not just to me but to everyone. I can make use of it such as planting vegetables and fruits that will make me healthy. I can also plant flowers that will make me calm and happy. In addition, they produce oxygen that helps me to live. There are so many helpful things to do in nature, so I should take care of them because I cannot survive without them.
I have realized how beautiful it is to be alive because of my time in nature.