Oh, How does your garden grow?

by Jimmy

Have I mentioned that I like my garden? The first couple of experiments have not worked out very well. I grew great weeds, but my beans, and watermelons sprouted then died. My first batch of seeds did not germinate from what I could tell. I did finally get some tomato plants and some corn to grow. These I have just transplanted into the garden bed.

And now that I can get corn and radish to sprout quickly, those are my favorite vegetables. This is Haitian corn, so I am not sure that it will be like the sweet corn we are used to in the States, but at least it will be corn that I grew, and I can always feed it to the chickens.

I have been able to grow exactly two carrot plants in the big buckets, and that is after planting a ton of seeds. I think I have old seed, so I will look forward to updating my supply come Christmas.

I wonder what I can get to produce from 40 square feet of dirt. I water it twice a day, and am really liking it. I have never successfully gardened before in probably 4 or 5 half-hearted attempts, starting when I was probably 10 or 12. The only product that I can remember is tomatoes, and I don't even like tomatoes.

So far, I have 4 different types of beans started, tomato, corn, radish, lettuce, popcorn, squash, cucumber, cilantro, and parsley. Tomorrow, I hope to plant some more herbs, and finish out the square foot garden. And then I can decide on building another bed, or buying the bigger pots to grow more stuff in. (The recycled coke bottles didn't work out so well.)

Speaking of plants and such... Becky and I tried to go for something more of an adventure this last weekend. We attempted to find the organic farm up the mountain. Unfortunately, we did not connect with the owner. Maybe this weekend.

We did however get to eat at the Baptist Mission. It is always nice to go up the mountain, since it is always so much cooler, and just a really nice place to get out, eat, walk around, and feel relaxed.

They even have a small zoo. A Haitian class of students perused the zoo while we walked through, and the small monkey entertained us all. The kids' reaction to the monkey entertained us the most. After visiting the single monkey, peacocks, and goats, we meandered down a delightful path through the forest. Being surrounded by green is a luxury we do not always have in Port-Au-Prince. Though we have the tremendous advantage of the property we live on, our trees have lately been covered with a thick coat of gray brown dust. (I drove the motorcycle this morning and came back with a thick coat of gray brown dust.) Add the heat down here, and the mountains are so much more delightful.

So we walk down the flower flanked trail, large green trees on both sides, steep wall to one side, and a sharp incline down the other. We stop to take a picture.

Pick a flower, and place in the hair of my beautiful pregnant wife.

We continue to enjoy the beauty of God's creation, and around the bend in the distance notice a peculiar construction... Is it a water trough to guide water away?

Upon closer inspection, it becomes more apparent. It is the trash chute used by the mission. I shouldn't and wasn't too surprised. It's juxtaposition threw me however. The view above...

The view from the chute...

The view of the ravine below the chute...

The trash did not surprise me all that much. Some things in Haiti just are. Trash is one of them. I keep trying to find the bright spots. Big trucks pick up trash. Old ladies carry huge bags of empty plastic bottles on their head. Fires are set to trash piles to reduce bulk. Trash on broken sidewalks next to businesses remain swept into the gutter. I compost.

Oh, Haiti! How you continue to challenge my view of things. Just one more thing I get to think about, ponder, and wonder about the possibilities.