Edd comes back to the US in three weeks for his friends' wedding. Do you know what he is most excited to eat when he's back? An enormous salad. Leafy greens are not a part of the staple diet in SMT. So as we've been talking about what to bring back with us, we discussed the possibility of bringing back seeds (if that is permissible with Guatemalan customs) to plant a garden and have some of those greens that he's been missing so much.
Interestingly, Edd and Juana (the mother of the family Edd eats with), were talking about trans-genetic seeds and food last week. Juana was getting fired up about the implications that has on the people who eat the foods and her response was "Well, when Audrey gets here we´ll expand our little garden and she can help us grow our own food." How perfect that I've been thinking about having a garden and Juana has been thinking about me helping with the garden!
Except here's the thing: I don't really have any gardening skills. My dad - yes. Master gardener. For anyone who has ever been to my parents' house, you know that they make raspberry and cherry jam, grow apples and peaches, and have enough braided garlic hanging in the garage to keep Edward Cullen's entire family away. I think it's because I shared with Juana and Teresa that my dad grows garlic and makes a fantastic garlic soup that they believe I may also be endowed with that gardening gift. I am not sure it is hereditary.
The pictures above are examples of my attempts to grow plants/keep them alive over the last year. From the left - an African violet my mom got me in August. I'm pretty sure it's dead but I water it now and then just in case it's still alive. Second, a fern - who doesn't want to have a lush, green fern cascading on their porch? I tried. Really. But I think there must be something special about the fern that draws my cat Fiona to eat it and the poor fern has never recovered. I also still water it, just in case it's alive. Third, Kate and Ryan gave me this beautiful ginger (?) last year. It IS still alive - see how the green leaves keep growing? But the pretty red flower has shriveled. I keep thinking that a new flower will emerge but it hasn't happened yet. The redemption? Philodendron. The best plant ever. You pretty much cannot kill it. Even if you forget to water it for a long time, add some water and it comes back! It's super resilient AND you can clip its leaves and put them in water and they grow roots that you can eventually plant. This plant is the one that makes me believe there may be some hope for our SMT garden yet.
If you have any gardening tips or tricks, send them along!
For more information about the benefits of garlic: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/unlocking-the-benefits-of-garlic/
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Special thanks to Joy who brought me "Gardening Basics for Dummies".
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