Embracing the Seasons - Tropical Garden Tour

Hello and welcome to the Garden! I'm Amanda, if you are new here and I'm thrilled to share another enchanting garden tour with you. As the seasons shift from dry to rainy, and maybe even hurricane season, my little oasis transforms into a lush haven of greenery. Join me as I update you on the latest garden growth and some of my favorite plants.

The rain has been abundant lately, breathing new life into the garden. I couldn't be happier with the progress. There is always something in the garden that surprises and delights from plants that the birds have sown to discovering some of the ways that the plants can be used to improve on health and wellbeing.

We have a lovely selection of scented plants and as you walk through the space you get wafts of sweet aromas which offsets the  challenges that arise, like dealing with pests, but I take each obstacle as an opportunity to learn and improve. 

As the garden continues to flourish, I encourage you all to find joy in growing, whether in pots or large spaces. Embrace the seasons, and discover the beauty of nature's gifts in your very own green haven.  Do take a look at the video, and thank you for joining me on this tour, and until next time, happy gardening!

Before You Go, Check out this Garden inspired Course - How Does Your Garden Grow 

Enchanting Discoveries in the Garden - Tropical Garden Tour

Hello and welcome, time for a garden treat and you can join me for a stroll in my tropical garden.  I will give you a quick update on what has been happening in the space.

First off, I'm thrilled to share that my passion fruit vines are flourishing. Out of a hundred plants, I'm proud to say that five have managed to survive. These resilient vines have encountered a challenge in the form of spiky, brown caterpillars. I've been diligently picking them off to protect the leaves from their ravenous appetite.

Despite the daily battle, one of the vines has grown quite tall, winding its way up a tropical black sage tree. The plan is for it to eventually hang down and bear delicious passion fruits, minus the catapillars. That would be a tasty sight!

Check out the video and see some of the changes for yourself.  The plants were struggling, but a good rain shower last night seems to have revived them. With a combination of sunshine and rain, I anticipate a lush and vibrant garden in the near future.

One challenge I'm currently facing is the overwhelming growth of my Clammy cherry tree. Its branches have extended beyond my reach, and it's encroaching on my neighbor's space. I need to trim back the branches and maintain its shape. I often repurpose the pruned branches for my deadwood hedge. The tree had another unexpected issue when all its leaves suddenly fell off. However, it has bounced back and is now adorned with lots of fruit.

Now, let's talk about mango trees! One of my mango trees has started to flower for the third time, and I'm hopeful that this September will bring some delicious fruit. I have a few more mango trees in my garden, but they are not mature enough to bear fruit yet. I've been researching techniques to keep them at a manageable height for easier fruit picking.

As we continue our garden tour, we come across a tree that I believe to be an apple blossom tree. I've been investigating its identity for a while, and the flowers seem to resemble those of an apple blossom tree. If you have any insights or different information, please leave a comment and let me know.

Throughout the garden, the lush scents of various plants fill the air. The henna plant, with its tiny flowers, adds to the delightful fragrance. Even the shack shack trees, known for their unique fragrance, contribute to the amazing aromas of my garden. Their delicate yellow flowers and sweet scent create a tranquil and enchanting atmosphere.

A lot of the plants in the garden are good for attracting pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. They love the flowers of the moringa tree, scaevola plant.  It is good to have a variety of plants which provide essential food sources for these important pollinators.

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my ever-evolving garden. It's a place of constant discovery and joy, where nature's wonders unfold before my eyes. Gardening has become my creative outlet, allowing me to express my love for nature and cultivate a sanctuary of beauty and tranquility.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about specific plants or gardening techniques, feel free to ask. Happy gardening!

More information

Garden Freedom Micro Course

The Backyard Homestead

Medicinal Garden Kit

Creative Garden - Creating a Bird-Friendly Haven in Your Garden

Creating a Bird-Friendly Haven in Your Garden

Welcome to my garden, a sanctuary where creativity meets nature. One of my primary goals is to provide a comfortable environment for birds, allowing them to thrive and build their nests. In today's video, I'll take you on a tour of the birds favorite spots. 

One of the key elements in attracting birds is offering trees of varying heights. By doing so, I provide them with options for nesting. The diversity of trees in my garden ensures that different bird species can find their perfect nesting grounds.

Apart from providing trees of varying heights, offering a plentiful food supply is another crucial aspect of attracting and sustaining birds in the garden. In my garden, the tall pomegranate trees have a unique purpose. Some of them have split open, rendering them unsuitable for human consumption. However, these fruits make perfect feeding stations for the birds. Their high water content makes them a refreshing treat, especially during hot days we have been getting - with more to come!.

Observing the birds enjoying the environment as they build their nests is also a fascinating process, and you can witness some of the materials birds use from the garden. They incorporate cotton and grass, both of which I have intentionally placed in various spots and every so often they find some strips of fabric that are also added to the nest. 

The birds also aid in insect control. Birds are natural predators, and their appetite for insects helps maintain the balance in the garden. I am grateful for their presence as they munch on insects, keeping their populations in check. Without them, I would likely encounter more issues with pests in my garden.

Birds aren't the only garden helpers - we have lizards, toads, and at dusk the bats come out. Lizards also play a vital role in insect control. I'm fortunate to have a diverse array of lizard species residing in my garden. They diligently feast on insects, including moths, contributing to the overall harmony.

I am privileged to host an array of bird species, including wood pigeons, hummingbirds, parakeets, and several other varieties. The bird song creates a symphony that resonates throughout the garden in the early hours of the morning.  It's a joy to witness these birds in their element, congregating and making themselves at home.

Thank you so much for joining me on this journey. I look forward to sharing more delightful moments from my garden with you in future blog posts. Until then, remember to take a moment to appreciate the beauty and diversity that surrounds us in the natural world. Happy gardening, and may your garden become a thriving sanctuary for both humans and feathered friends alike.

A Garden of Imagination: Taking a Tour of the Creative March Garden

Check out my latest gardening video, I am excited to take you on a tour of the garden. Here are some highlights:

I currently have growing five papayas trees, one male and four female, but I am having some issues with slugs, snails, and even a monkey is taking bites out of the fruit  The male Papaya has a beautiful scent, and yellow flowers.

You will get to see some other plants in the garden, including, guinep, cassava, and five-fingered fruit. I am doing my best to keep them all healthy despite the challenges of the drier season and pests.  

The Suriname Cherry is in full bloom and looks gorgeous - I expect to see some fruit either later during the year or next year, and the mango tree has been flowering - so we should see some fruit in September, 

Despite the challenges and being on a budget there are so many lovely areas of the garden that helps you appreciate the work you put in.  

Join me in the video and stroll with me around the garden.

Tropical Black Sage - In my Creative Garden

Welcome to the garden! I am wearing my creative gardener hat today and we are going to look at my Tropical Black Sage - also known as Varronia curassavica. Its journey developed from a simple plant cutting to a full-grown tree.  I have it growing within a tyre in the garden and whilst I wasn't going to let it grow into a tree by regular pruning - I am glad I did as it has got a really lovely shape to it. 

As the tropical black sage was growing, it encountered various pests that I have had to deal with. One such pest was a small moth with a lilac color that liked to feed on the tip of the shoots and lay its eggs on the undersides of the leaves. At first, I thought they were cute, but soon I realized they were a real problem and have drifted on to other plants.  Over time I tried different natural solutions, such as spraying soapy water and oil, and even made my own neem oil, and the ladybirds also help when they can.    

In addition to dealing with the pests, I have allowed the tropical black sage to grow in different areas of my garden and it seems to love it, I keep them trimmed regularly to reduce their size. The birds are the ones that have dropped the seeds in different areas and depending on where they are growing some of the leaves have been really large in size.  I use the leaves in tea and for cooking and also create smudging sticks.

Check out the video of the Tropical Black Sage Plant above

Another interesting aspect of the tropical black sage is the wood. It's a fairly strong and semi-hardwood that I'm still experimenting with in terms of creative use. I will keep you updated on what I come up with.  

Also check out some of these gardening resources:

The Backyard Homestead 

Medicinal Garden Kit 

Garden Freedom Micro Course

Gardening Zen in the Tropics

Gardening is a wonderful way to relax and unwind, and today I'm taking some time out to tend to my garden chores. I decided to take a break under the shade of my flamboyant tree, to admire how the garden is looking at the moment. The Flamboyant tree that we are sitting under has lovely red flowers and this tree has grown well in this area.

This flamboyant tree is relatively new, but it is already starting to produce large pods and seeds - I still have to find out more about the properties of this tree - it is used in some countries to line streets.  I have two of them in my garden and will keep them at a particular height, as they can grow quite tall. 

I'm also repairing a hole that my dog Cole made in the Mexican sunflower hedge.  Mexican sunflower needs to be cut back regularly to stay vibrant. When I cut it back, it encourages new growth and keeps the plant healthy. Over the years the cuttings that I have taken have been planted in other parts of my garden. These cuttings will flower in the year that it is planted because has been taken from a mature plant.

Another plant that I'm currently working on is my scaevola. I want to retain the path near my Aloe plants, so I'm cutting it back to a certain height, so it doesn't hang over the path. I'll be using the cuttings as chop and drop in my moringa patch and other parts of the garden.

I've got a lot of other trees to trim and will get to them over the course of the week, including my Shak Shak tree and Clammy cherry tree. I've been documenting my gardening adventures on my Channel, and you can take a look at some of the videos to see how things have grown and changed over time.

Gardening is a great way to take time out and relax. It's an activity that allows you to be present in the moment and focus on the task at hand even if you are doing chores in the garden. Check out the video above to see the work I'm doing in my garden today.  You can also check out my Amazon Gardening Guide for details of some of the plants that I have in the Garden.  Check out my online course which takes lessons inspired by the garden.  You can check it out HERE or click on the image below.

 

Creative Gardener - Growing Henna

 Growing Henna

Come and join me in the tropical garden where we are looking at the Henna plant, also known as Lawsonia Inermis.   It is a tall shrub tree and is used to create the dye henna for skin as well as fabrics.  There are also medicinal properties in the leaves that I will be looking into.

It is a lovely plant to have the flowers have a very sweet fragrance and I would love to have more of the plants dotted around the garden

The leaves are what is crushed and makes the dye.  Check out the video above.

Grow Your Own Course

Are you interested in growing your own, and making your time in the garden fun and efficient?  Check out the course below, click on the image for more information

Gardening Behind the Scenes and Planning

In today's video I share some plans in the garden.  I will be sharing the update as this video was taken 

Welcome, you get a bit of the behind the scenes in the Garden today. This are of the garden was a space that I am working on creating a hedge. It is besides my recycled tires in the garden and want to create an area that I can possibly place a bench and relaxing area as well. It is a work in progress and all the projects take a while to come to fruition. I will be sharing an update to this area of the garden next week.

You can check out the video below

If you would like to check out some of the things I am working on in the garden that was seen or mentioned in the video: Yard and Garden Furniture - check out this book to create your own - https://amzn.to/3NksXUN DIY Garden projects - https://amzn.to/3SRKTqT Composting made easy - https://amzn.to/3UeBOcU Wheel Barrow - (on my ideas list) - https://amzn.to/3DqBQHz Lattice Fencing - https://amzn.to/3Ds6Nv2 https://amzn.to/3SOYSh3 https://amzn.to/3Fw5bmI The Secret Garden book - https://amzn.to/3DnfDKM

Because the garden has practically no budget, it is important to look at ways in which I can either use what is growing, found objects and swaps. I have found some of the trees that grow really fast, like the 'river tamarind' - can be cut and the branches used for projects, pallets are things that my local hardware store gives away, so I may be able to make use of the wood - it would need to be treated as we have an issue with termites in the garden.

Do let me know if you have any queries or comments about the garden and stay blessed. You can check out some of the other gardening videos - HERE

Previously on Creative Gardener......

Garden Stroll - Time to be Present

 

In todays video we take a stroll around the garden.  It is important to spend time just being present, seeing how things are growing, watch the bees as they make their way round from flower to flower, see the birds chase one another and hear their chatter.

Awaken the senses in your green space where you can, combined with the sunshine and a cool breeze all make for providing you with wonderful therapeutic benefits.

While you are there check out some of the other videos of plants that are growing in the garden.

How Does Your Garden Grow

Check out the Self-Directed, life-time access course How Does Your Garden Grow .

We take our inspiration from the garden, and the plants that you find, looking at the shapes and patterns and then we take what we have into our studio spaces and create mixed media art designs.

You also get a selection of background pages and downloads of images - plants, coloring book, patterns, and a digital print of the art produced for use in your own creativity

Check it out HERE

Stay blessed and be a blessing!

Growing Lemon grass - My Tropical Garden

 

Lemon grass in the Garden - it loves tropical environments

Growing Lemon Grass

I go out in my garden several times a day, choosing to do the bulk of the work that I need to do first thing in the morning - about 6.30am, it is cooler at that time so if you have any thing that might be strenuous you can get more done.

I have been growing lemongrass (also known as Fever Grass) and it's official name is Cymbopogon citratus and it is used widely around the Caribbean,  Asia and South America.  I started off with a small shop brought plant, and then it multiplied giving me 3 in total.  They don't like to dry out so I need to make sure especially in the dry season that I am providing it with water.

It has many traditional uses, can be used in cooking and a variety of dishes with the leaves and the stem being used and it also makes a delicious tea on its own or added to other teas.

Being in the garden for me is a very therapeutic activity - even when you have tasks to do.  It is important to reflect on progress and just enjoy being around the plants taking in the aromas, hearing the birds chattering and feeling the sun and the breeze on your skin.

When you break off a piece of the lemon grass you get a gorgeous scent, and it can also be dried and used later.  The oils are also extracted from the lemon grass and used in many cosmetic preparations.

I hope you enjoy taking a look at the state of play with my lemongrass plants and if you have any tips for care please leave your comments on the video.  You can also check out some lemon grass products HERE

Blessings, stay blessed and be a blessing.

100 Day Project - 100 Days of Foam Stamps

If you would like to see the stamps daily you can check out my Instagram HERE

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I am also taking part in the Ultimate Blog Challenge and you can check out the previous posts HERE

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Mixed Media Art Courses to Check out

SALE - Enjoy $10 OFF all courses until 30th April Click on the image to see the course.

Use the Code at the checkout - create2