FOUR-O-CLOCK FLOWERS

The name of this plant explains what time of the day to expect blooms to appear. They are prolific bloomers, and they emit a fragrance in the evening that will last all night. This plant has a root much like a carrot. Once it secures the root system, this plant will begin to spread on its own. It is a hardy plant that will grow in any soil condition be it dry in summer, or soaking wet during the rainy months.

Each flower will produce a seed that looks like a black peppercorn. Gather these and store to give to friends or grow some of these Four O'Clocks in different areas of your garden. Once it sets in, the plant will dominate your garden.

Butterflies love this plant and are not toxic unless eaten by mistake, or chewed on by young pets. Every part of the Four O' Clock is poisonous since they are a member of the nightshade family. This may cause vomitting , skin irritation, nausea, so do not plant it near the house, or playground areas where children could pick them by mistake.

THE INSULIN PLANT

Some time ago, a friend of mine introduced me to her sister who had this insulin plant in her 

backyard.  She told me how eating the leaves dsily  of this plant lowered her blood sugar.

I found it interesting because it seemed here in Asia, there are herbal cures for almost

all illnesses.   She gave me a cutting and I went home right away to find a nice semi-shaded

place for it in my garden.

The Insulin plant is clasified as  a Costus.  The scientific name is, Costus Igneus. 

This plant originated in India, and is used as an Ayuvedic  medicinal  cure for the 

common illnesses like colds, and flue,  diabetes, high cholesterol and fatty liver.  The leaves 

reduce inflammation, and promotes smooth airflow in the lungs, relieving muccus in patients 

with bronchitis, and Asthma. 

The leaves can be crushed and drank as tea, or eaten in a salad. The effect is to reduce

stress and damage to healthy cells, and is good for cancer patients undergoing chemo-

therapy. 

HOW TO PREPARE THIS COSTUS PLANT FOR LOWERING BLOOD SUGAR:

Crush dried leaves of the plant to make a powder. Have half a tsp of this powder twice

a day. 

You can also chew one fresh leaf, twice a day.

Tea can be made by boiling  2 cups of water, and dropping one leaf in the hot water. Let it 

seep in for about 10 minutes, then drink a cup of the tea, twice a day.

Flowers of the Costus Igneus plant:

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Various phyto chemical investigations reveal the presence of carbohydrates, terpenoids, proteins, alkaloids, tannins and amounts of trace elements along with flavonoids. 

Medicinal Uses 

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C.cuspidatus is known as Insulin plant. As it is having the virtue of the promoting insulin by human body. 

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Aqueous extract of this plant would prevent the formation of calcium kidney stones by the inhibitory effect on plant growth of calcium oxalate. 

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The dry leaves of this plant show significant control over blood sugar level in laboratory rats. 

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This plant is used for the reduction of post prandial blood sugar levels during fasting. 

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It is now accepted and widely used as an Ayurvedic medicinal herb. 

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It is possible to consume the leaves by drying and grinding the powder of the leaves. 

Pharmacological Activities [4] 

This plant has been proven to posses various pharmacological activities on diuretics, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti cancerous

AGNES..A NEW HOPE

I am hoping again to revive my farm in Silang, after the last few years have brought me to a standstill. My farm has become a venue for weddings, parties, retreats, and just a place to meditate and pray. There have been many fruitful years, but as the time passed, so did many people, animal friends and pets. Time has been cruel. Losing Gloria, our dearest yaya who became part of our family , was painful. She and I planned and executed some of our projects in the garden and working side by side with our other employees has been both a joyful and fun experience. Our animal friends and pets, I remember them in a very intimate way, a personal relationship with God's creatures that has convinced me there must be an afterlife for them. Ariel, my faithful Belgian shepherd, who lived 10 years then unfortunately died suddenly. Hart, my little yello, brown and white furry cat with a perfectly shaped "heart" on her back begat an entire pride of little felines who guarded us from snakes and rodents. Then there were our goats, Ruffa Goattierez the most charming, and friendly goat we ever rescued from the butcher's block. Then there were the horses. Gretchen our sweet and lovely snow white pony who lived 35 years before she started to lack appetite and then she just wanted to go to the vast green pastures in the heavens. Gretchie was my daughter's first introduction to owning her own horse. She loved to take children for a ride, was always happy to snuggle and be hugged. SHe was a very gentle being. Lani, our Arabian horse, full of mischief and at the same time, obedient when ridden by her master. Alexandra, who was with us for a short time, was a polo pony who would have been my grandson's horse. And of course there was that gallant, robust Shazzie, who gave my children and other young riders confidence they could take a jump safely on his back. All these steeds are all there under the trees and in the bosom of our open fields except Lani. . These mighty beasts now passed on, are enriching the earth with their flesh and bones, but their spirit is running free in the garden. I feel them sometimes when the wind blows, I hear them neighing comforting me in my sadness. I miss them all! I have avoided going to the farm for several months, almost a year when Taal Volcano exploded earlier this year, Jan, 2020 spewing ash as far as 40 miles, and covering our town of Silang with a thick layer of fine sulphuric dust. We had to abruptly stop our plans for this year's launch of a new concept in "Do-It-Yourself" weddings for those who want a simple garden service and reception. Right after Taal calmed down, and we were able to clean up the gray ash, the entire world was faced with anew threat to life. These invisible microscopic viral monsters began to roam the earth looking for lives to consume, as it went from host to host, causing serious illness and even death to it's victims. Again we had to close down after the government imposed a 2 month lockdown. I knew we just had to wait till Almighty God's wrath passed. I started to reflect on my happiness in the early years when I first started the farm...I looked at photos from the early beginnings, and how my husband enjoyed building the cottages and planting vegetables with me. I started my poultry, and had my little duck pond. The days I spent reminiscing brought me to re-read the Dalai Lama's rules for a happy life that I kept in a box with my aging and dusty momentos.

The past few weeks, I have been praying for a sign whether or not I should go on with running the farm, I encountered a lady so devoted to Almighty Father in Heaven, who is willing to move in and live at the farm. She is eager to help me, and it has made me quite happy that she will grace us with her presence and help re-set the farm to make it productive again. I should also regain my enthusiasm to write regular posts, and this time I know with God's blessings, we can start again! Till next time...Peace, and Good Cheer Be Upon Us!

Never Got To Say Good Bye...

The day was just starting to feel warm after the cool season was over. My dog Ariwari came to greet me as usual but there was something about her. I felt inside my gut, that I should take her home with me since my farm's housekeeper was taking a long vacation in her province. A week later I was going to pick her up on a Saturday when I planned to bring the pick up. Ariwari gets car sick and she doesn't like to travel if the windows are not open. She will sit on the back seat with her nose sticking out, savoring all the scents of the air as we pass through the countryside. The week was almost done, it was an early Friday morning that I received a call from my administration worker who had gone to the farm to repair the fence. He asked that I should not go up to the farm to get Ariwari, and then he added that my dog had died...just collapsed in the shed where she and I used to hang out when I am with her outside.

Three months since that time, I have avoided my farm. I realised my dog didn't just die...she was poisoned by robbers who had gone into the farm and stolen electric wires, and an old, but useful manual water pump near the poultry house. I feel very discouraged, hurt and very sad. All the years of my labour and enjoyment at the farm was also because of my animals there. Yet after 25 years, urban sprawl has come in, developers cutting down forests to make golf courses, and subdivisions, and along with those, commercial centers with fast food outlets with their tall signs standing instead of tall narra trees. I never got to say good bye to my beloved Belgian Shepherd, Ariwari. She was my companion , protector and loving friend.

I also did not get to say good bye to my cat Hart, and her two kittens , Nadine and Pia who have also died. Victims of young boys from the area around the creek, who caught them only to slash their necks....what kind of people do these things to innocent animals? No matter how cruel these people are, but I did not go after them because I realize it is pointless. Eventually they will reap karma from their evil deeds. We were told drug addicts in the area were responsible for the rash of robberies and the police are now hunting them down. A neighbour installed electric fences and one night a robber was found electrocuted trying to break in to steal some fighting cocks. I wondered if this man that had been killed on that fence was one of those who hurt my animals? If so, karma came early enough... A lot has been said in the news about the current President going after drug lords, pushers and users. There are truths and also fake news about the President. He is doing a lot of good projects to improve facilities like water distribution, and there is progress especially in cleaning up pollution around beach resorts. This is a beautiful country so neglected by previous administrations who couldn't fix all the problems around the country. This President is trying his best, and as usual, there are haters and supporters...I just hope there will be peace in the land, and cooperation to protect agriculture. I heard from my farm hands that the subdivision next to us has caused a lot of squatters from the big city of Manila to be evicted from prime city land by developers of our country area. Robberies have started to happen to those who owned farms around me. These squatters are poor people from the city slum relocated down the highway from our place. I do not believe that poor people are thieves...but if some of these are into robbing their neighbours, in time, they will be caught and punished. However, I wish the rest of these underprivileged can get jobs, earn an income to better their lives and have their children get an education. It seems our area has turned into a suburb, rather than a rural community because of rapid transition from agricultural land to a multi-zoned area. I am in fact moving back to my own place in the big city of Honolulu, Hawaii. I have since a few weeks ago decided to finally put up my farm for sale, because my animal friends are gone with exception of two old retired horses, 2 old goats, and a few free range chickens. I am ready to leave, and go back to my former home in Hawaii. My children have since moved to California, and married and I have grandchildren now and I want to spend more time with them. Unless there is a change in events, there is little to add to this blog. I think going over what I wrote about the pleasant times I spent in the uplands of Cavite, in the Philippines has made me smile, shed a tear, and also helped me write down a lot of good memories. I won't say good bye, no, not just yet! As we say in Hawaii...ALOHA is both hello and goodbye!

MY CATS...Sadly HART , PIA, and NADINE crossed the bridge into their next lives.

The very first cat I ever had was a white and yellow spotted cat. HART had a heart shaped yellow spot on her shoulder area. She was the only cat that leaped into my arms, and would always greet me when I arrived. She would stay with me, and come when I called out her name. She had a long life of 15 years and populated my place with at least 54 kittens. HART was the matriarch of the farm. Even our dog, a large Belgian shepherd deferred to HART. In fact, since HART was the elder, the dog respected her and in some odd way, tolerated each other.

HART was both the mother, and the great grandmother to all her kittens who then beget more kittens as the years passed. Two of her most recent kittens I named Nadine and Pia, both looking similar to their mother, but all had sort of brown-yellowish eyes, except Pia that had blue sapphire eyes. I neutered Hart, Pia and Nadine, hoping to keep them and bought them each collars with little bells so the chickens and birds would hear them coming.

I felt very sad to know people can be very mean to cats. I knew there were children in the area that tormented cats and HART being very docile and genuinely affectionate, had been abused by farmhands and street people. I describe street people as those passing by who kick or throw stones at cats wandering outside. I saw scald marks often on some of our cats, and I am assuming that HART and her family of kittens and grown ups had wandered into kitchens and had eaten some food they were not allowed to eat. HART was always polite and did not leap up on counters or tables if I wasn't around. Sometimes she just loved to sleep on our granite counter top since the weather was rather warm, and the granite was cool. I miss her, and mourn her passing. This blog has existed for a long time...the story of my farm and all the animals who have lived and passed on have affected me now that I am a grandmother....I am growing older, and find new animal friends, but I can never forget HART, my first beloved cat....may she come again, and let me know she is back! *wink*

GOOD BYE 2017....and farewell my dear friend, a kingfisher named RAMBO.....

Year 2017 Finally Ends

The date : December 31 is eagerly anticipated! I can’t begin to welcome but, perhaps I cannot celebrate the New Year, 2018 unless it is over. I am sure that 2017 was good in one aspect, my family made it through. There were serious health problems of family members, and one of my daughters who lives abroad survived through those horrific fires in southern California. She had to evacuate her home in Santa Barbara City, as fires were surrounding the area nearby. I am grateful to God for all HIS blessings, protection and mercy.

2017 is over in a few hours, and though I am feeling apprehensive about certain circumstances, being sad about these problems that will carry over into the new year is not a good thing. Crying over spilt milk is not something I do. I am just happy me and my family made it through alive, and everyone is doing good.

I do want to mention and honor an animal friend that passed on.... I want to pay my respects, by remembering a beautiful wild and intelligent, kingfisher, named Rambo, that lived on a mango tree in the area where my garden is located. I remember that Rambo always greeted me when I would stroll about at my garden. He recently passed on around October, and my farm hand showed me his lifeless body, with his bright red and incandescent blue coloured feathers still beaming. He was found lying beside the chair I normally sit in to watch him perch on the metal bars of the horse stables.

I will miss him very much like all those animal friends that have passed on, but he like them are part of the good memories I have.

The day I met Rambo, he was a curious little kingfisher, about 12 years ago, when I started a lotus pond at the south end of my garden. I placed the lotus plant in a rubber pot, and set it in the center of the pond. Then quite unknowingly, I added tiny fingerling guppies to keep the water clean of mosquito larvae and other falling insects. I noticed on one of the bamboo plants near the pond, a small, juvenile kingfisher. His parents went fishing in the nearby creek. He did not go with the others of his kind to the other side of the creek. Instead, he watched me. He was like most birds, he trying to understand what I was doing. He would come closer, flying from bush to the bamboo, then stop, cock his head towards me. He was curious as to why I carried a transparent plastic bag filled about 30 tiny guppies floating in air and water. He knew these tiny creatures were fish by their shape and movement. My workers filled the pond with water, and laid the lotus plants in the center. I then lowered the bag of guppies and set them free to swim about, sheltered from the heat by the lotus leaves, and all the fish hid under rocks I provided for them at the bottom of the pond.

Next day, I went to see how the lotus pond was coming along. I heard the piercing shriek coming from the top of my water tank, about 15 feet high, on the northwestern side of the property. I looked up to see the kingfisher poised with wings slightly open to take in the breeze, then it dived down directly towards the ground, picking up an earthworm that made it up from the shallow depths of the compost pile to get air. Well, Rambo swooped up his morning meal, and flew right back up to enjoy his breakfast on top of the water tank grid. He was eyeing the pond, but he knew that I was busy with installing the fixtures and arranging other plants within the perimeter of the pond. Rambo then disappeared into the forest, but he knew there were delicious treats hiding in the soft, damp bedding of the horse stables.

I saw Rambo flying up to the coconut tree beside the stables, and the sun was rising directly over the stables, and squinting, I saw the flash of his stunning, glossy blue wings as he landed on the metal fence of the horse stables. He had swallowed the earthworm earlier that was longer than his entire body, and now he was hungry again. Perhaps he flew away into the fruit trees of my neighbour Magno, and had a family to share his meal? I wasn't sure how much a kingfisher can eat, but a few minutes later, Rambo cocked his head, and was eyeing something on the grounds of the stables. The horses ignored him, like the chickens that were rummaging through the sawdust which was the bedding for the horses, searching for the moth larvae from the giant Atlas moth. The adult moth dies within a week of its life, right after laying eggs that will hatch into caterpillars and grow about 6 inches long. These caterpillars eat the sawdust soaked in the urine of the horses, and they will wiggle out, much to their peril to be seen by predators like Rambo. The caterpillars will live for about as long as they can eat enough to begin to form a chrysalis but won’t emerge at fully formed moths for up to a year. These Atlas moth larvae are easy prey for hungry chickens, and birds that know where to look! Rambo was peeking with his keen eyes on any movement on the sawdust, then seeing the white head of the larvae pop out, he would plunge into the horse bedding, yanking out a very fat caterpillar, clamp it with his beak, then fly off again to the mango tree to eat his meal.

Rambo was aloof to everyone, but he seemed to be an observer of my farm, fascinated that a human like myself actually gave him his very own pond. He would wait for me to arrive and my workers would point at him sitting by the rails of my stables, watching me, and I would sit on the terrace and enjoy seeing him hunt and fly about.

He laid claim to my lotus pond. I was very upset to know that Rambo finished off all the guppies by the end of the month. I did not expect what came next. Rambo had plans for my lotus pond. This intelligent bird amazingly had his own ideas how to use the pond, he would dive in the creek across my garden's south walls, and pluck out a fish from the water. I first observed him flying overhead, and noticed he dropped something into the lotus pond. I did not know why he was doing this about three times that day. I thought, the fish must have accidentally fallen from his beak. Then it became apparent that he deliberately dislodged the fish from his beak and drop it alive into the lotus pond. He was flying up to the water tank grid, and then to the bamboo near the pond to watch the stunned tiny fish fingerlings swim about. He would then disappear into the forest, then come back, only to watch my pond from the safety of the water tank. Eventually, I figured out, Rambo was intelligent enough to understand that his deposits into the lotus pond of fish, was like stocking his very own refrigerator of food, he intended to save for a future date!

Rambo was with me for 12 years, and he continued to stock the pond with his favorite fish. Some even grew about 8 inches long, and matured, to spawn and produced more fingerlings. Rambo would eat the fingerlings, and leave the adults to continue to breed, and lay eggs beneath the rocks. I enjoyed seeing him, swoop down, for grasshoppers, beetles, and a variety of insects, even small snakes. Years passed, and one day, I got the bad news. Rambo's passing was very noticeable. I stopped hearing that familiar shriek that I had come to relay on as a greeting from an animal friend, that I had come to know and love. I knew something bad had happened to him, but my workers said, it was early morning, and they found his remains by my chair. No sign of foul play from the cats, or my dogs. He was 12 years old or more...it was his time.

So, this is one of the many stories of my experiences in my garden. I hope to write more, as I can , because time is cruel, when those animals we have befriended leave us. I can remember all my animals, and the people who made this garden a lovely place to come and enjoy the vanishing countryside. My farm has become my sanctuary, and my place of refuge from the fast enroaching, metropolitan sprawl of Manila.

DORMANCY...URBAN DEVELOPMENT ENROACHING ON MY FARM PERIMETER

The year has passed so I can be forgiving of whatever menace has been done to my farm. However, as I offered all the troubles to God, I have had to admit, I cannot do anything to fight a politician who thinks he can do anything, even hurt other people's property in this town and get away with it.

My daughter wanted to get married and have her reception at the farm. The wedding had to be held elsewhere at such an exhorbitant cost just because a politician, whose name I will not mention, rented out his land which is adjacent to mine to the Bureau of Highways to use as a dumping ground for soil dug up while expanding the highway next to our properties. The politician allowed this, and in so doing, raised the level of the land to the point, the soil dumped on his property, was higher than my wall. This posed a security risk, and eventually, two gas tanks were stolen, and vagrants could just hop on my wall and walk in.

My farm handss caught sight of someone, or maybe more than one person huddled in the dark, early morning last December, trying to break into the house. Our dog, a Belgian Shepherd barked furiously, but was wise enough to remain in her unlocked kennel, for fear there were more than 1 intruder.

I could not risk holding a wedding party that would last into the night, with this situation. During the day, the dust from the soil would fly in the air, causing a health hazard for my people.

Did I sue? I should because the weight of the soil dumped by the ton, was pushing against my wall, and causing it to bend. I was so distraught, and rather than spend for a lawyer considering I probably could not win against the politician, or the government in power at the time, I am just glad, the year passed, and now tall grasses and shrubs are growing over the soil, preventing the dust from flying into our faces, but the security problem is still there.

I am now afraid to spend a night on my farm. A neighbor is suing the congressman, and I am hoping I can reach a decision to do the same when I know the costs of litigation. Small farmers like myself, cannot afford to go up against these powerful, and very corrupt political lords that act like they can do no wrong. One day, I hope what he did to me will be remedied.

Anyway, the wedding of my daughter was beautiful, and she was so happy with the way things turned out. She married the most wonderful man, so her happiness was complete inspite of these obstacles.