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Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Xiang Gua Gua

I feel so encouraged to blog now... a little ball of happy excitement sits in the bottom of my stomach as I sit and type this out. You see, a few people (aside from Blur Ting the sunshine farm girl) have been kind enough to tell me they like reading my blog. So here I am, in my pajamas, smiling broadly at my computer screen... blogging.

I haven't brushed my teeth.


The thing about growing vegetables and fruits at home is that one reveals too much. The children have smelled and seen all manner of other creative concoctions that my whim and fancy puts together - worm pee, chicken shit tea, evaporated milk solution, fish emulsion... Most days, my garden attacks my family with smells - sometimes nice and sometimes not. So, when I presented them a plate of xiang gua, they all eyed it suspiciously.


"Come on! Eat!" I said. "It won't bite you! You are supposed to bite it!" And gingerly, under my penetrating gaze, they each take a piece. There were all sorts of ungrateful comments like "Mom, are you sure it can be eaten?" Someone smallish in size even said "Why are you feeding us only the melon skin? What happened to the meat in the middle?"

There IS no meat in the middle, darling! The xiang gua fruit is very interesting. It tastes like honey dew, but its skin can be eaten. When all cut up like in the above, the slices look like left over melon skin to be thrown away.

Anyway, I sat there with my lips pursed and about to unleash the full fury of my " you ungrateful wretches" spiel. The Husband quickly commented how surprisingly sweet the fruit was. The Daughter picks up his initiative with "Ah! Very crunchy mommy!". Little Boy sat there and ate up

So, I guess... 2 months of slushing about with tea and compost and worms and shit was worth it!!

13 comments:

Blur Ting said...

Awww, see how they all love you, regardless of whatever shitty concoctions you make in the garden. And yes! Finally your xiang gua is resting happily in your tummy :-)

You're a good mummy!

Petunia Lee said...

Would you like some seeds dear? I can send you some too! Ivana, if you're reading this, do you want some? They'll grow well in France.

Barefoot said...

Hi Petunia, to add to your ball of excitement, I just want to say I enjoy reading your blog too. I stumbled upon it last week and has been back again and again to read about your gardening experience. I am inspired by your container gardening. My hubby says "no" to putting trees into the ground and I am going big into container gardening too. Oh yes, and worm shit too! :)

Chawanmushi said...

Wah .... xiang gua in your family's tummies .... your happiness can't be greater :-)
I won't be able to make my boys eat it even if I presented them the best xiang gua in the world LOL
They simply won't stomach anything that doesn't look like an apple, grape, banana or watermelon ... haiz!

Petunia Lee said...

The start? That's exciting. World Farm has plants at reasonable prices and a very wide selection. You can get pots and soil etc... too! All the best! Container gardening is actually easier and less back breaking than ground gardening. Weeding is easier, and pest control is easier. I sometimes lug my pots into the bathroom and soap them and rinse them. Gets rid of mealybugs and spider mites too.

Petunia Lee said...

Chawan... yeah lah... these kids! So unadventurous! My whole family is like that.

Blur Ting said...

Thanks a million. I'm rather keen but the area where I grow vines and creepers doesn't get any sun at all, so it will be hard to grow them to a decent size. I have gotten rid of the cucumbers and eggplants cos they were not doing well. The chamomile seeds didn't spout too cos it was too shady (I think).

I really don't want to waste any more of your seeds. Maybe next time, when I have a sunnier location.

termite said...

petunia, termite here if u have not figured out who i am yet. hey don't forget i enjoy your blog and your style of writing as well, i just lurk around to read and enjoy myself through your eyes u know :) so don't stop blogging. btw your worm tea thing is interesting, i am thinking of doing fish emulsion and seaweed from scratch myself soon.

happy blogging pet! :)

Petunia Lee said...

Ting, the xiang gua does not like sun. It does well in bright shade. I have mine in bright shade. Those gardeners I know who have it in direct sun killed them instead.

Petunia Lee said...

Termie, hey thanks for dropping by!! Do share your fish emulsion recipe when you've perfected it. Mwahahahahaha! Another smelly concoction! Mwahahahahaha!

Blur Ting said...

Oh great, then you can send me some seeds! I was just about to start googling for plants that thrive in the shade so I can grow something.

Fresh Fry aka 福星 said...

psst, i came from Blur Ting's blog, and i like your blog too. =)))

Petunia Lee said...

Thanks Fry, for coming by... Hey, that rhymes!