Lagundi Gardens

Aside from angiosperms and bonsai trees I'm trying to develop, that small patch of land in front of our house also has vegetables and spices growing flush. Spring onions, chilis, tomatoes, okras and leaves from a curry tree raised in this quaint yet verdant space found their way into dishes for the fam. A dash of farm life in the city!

𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 (𝐁𝐚𝐮𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚)

Bauhinia purpurea is a deciduous tree which can grow up to 17 feet (5.2 m) tall. The leaves are 10–20 centimetres (3.9–7.9 in) long and broad, rounded, and bilobed at the base and apex. In the Philippines, where it is commonly known as alibangbang, its leaves are used as souring agent for sinigang and similar dishes. The flowers are conspicuous, pink, and fragrant, with five petals. The fruit is a pod 30 centimetres (12 in) long, containing 12 to 16 seeds.

We were able to grow these three alibangbang trees at the garden which we plan to propagate and raise (as mother trees) in the province. The tree is known to have medicinal and health benefits and used to treat fever, stomach ailments as well as swelling and bruises.

𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱𝘴://𝘦𝘯.𝘸𝘪𝘬𝘪𝘱𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢.𝘰𝘳𝘨/𝘸𝘪𝘬𝘪/𝘉𝘢𝘶𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘢_𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘢
𝘩𝘵𝘵𝘱://𝘸𝘸𝘸.𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦.𝘰𝘳𝘨/𝘈𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨

Lagundi propagation project update:

Photos taken a week apart showing the progress of our Lagundi cuttings. Shoots are starting to develop and flourish; these cuttings will be replanted on individual seeding pots/containers in two weeks time. Free for pick-up by early or mid November.

Clinical trials have shown that lagundi can help COVID patients with mild symptoms recover.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1145548
https://cnnphilippines.com/.../Lagundi-trial-COVID-19...

Stay safe, everyone!

What used to be my SOHO/remote work corner at home has been transformed into an extension of our small garden where the wife has been affectionately raising aglaonemas, hoyas, philodendrons and ivies. Gardening, yes I know it's a cliché, has been therapeutic and has helped us deal with the stress and anxieties brought about by the pandemic. It is also through our little garden where we are able to sell some of our plants for fund-raising initiatives. I may even be able to convince the wife to sell her plants in the picture so I can get my old stomping ground back.

Dwarf red ixora on a Japanese terracotta pot with akadama and riversand soil mix.

So the garden is coming out of hibernation after a while. We will try to post more in the coming days showing how some of our plants and trees are faring in this second lockdown, or bubble or call it whatever you may. We hope everyone is safe. Please observe health protocols so we can help bring down the number of cases in the PH. Boost your immune system, eat more veggies and fruits. Like our Surinam Cherry for example.

Sambal kangkong (stir-fried water spinach in prawn paste and chili sauce) is a very popular dish in Singapore and Malaysia. A die-die must try dish, I often prepare this topped with fresh chilies from our small garden. For a twist, I pair this with fried danggit, dilis (ikan bilis) or dried pusit (sotong kering). 👨‍🍳🦑🌶

Lagundi Gardens together with a very generous donor and good friend donated a total amount of PHP 7421 to Matubog Elementary School (through Teacher Rosalyn Bautista Guting) and Nagserialan Elementary School (through Teacher Ester Bautista De Guzman). Lagundi Gardens will continue with its efforts to help our teachers and their students during these challenging times. The garden is getting crowded, it is time to sell (for donation, of course) again. 🌵🌿🌳🌺

https://youtu.be/-HE7-Az3Qts

Lagundi Gardens - Ficus Retusa, Pink Hibiscus and Water Jasmine (for sale) These plants were air-layered from my small garden. These are currently posted for sale and ALL proceeds will be donated to needy students from Matubog Eleme...

Selling for a cause.

Up for sale are the following (all were from air-layering):
- 6 ficus retusa (bonsai materials, as forest or can be fused)
- 1 pink hibiscus
- 1 water jasmine

ALL proceeds will be donated to Matubog Elementary School (through Teacher Rosalyn Guting) and Nagserialan Elementary School (through Teacher Ester Bautista De Guzman) in Camiling, Tarlac.

Price: 1,200 for the set (for pickup or delivery via Lalamove only)

Once sold, I will DOUBLE the amount (PHP 2400) to be donated to the 2 schools.

Ficus retusa?

Cooking and gardening are two of my favorite pastimes. And what better way to enjoy these than getting ingredients from our small garden and whipping up a few cool dishes. One of our "babies" at the moment is a young curry tree (murraya koenigii). Here, I have used its leaves to add flavor to my chicken curry with roti prata and gara masala soy chicken (with fried curry leaves). For recipes/cooking instructions, drop me a PM. 👨‍🍳

Lagundi Gardens updated their website address.

Lagundi Gardens updated their business hours.

Working from home has become the norm for many as the pandemic continues to affect millions of workers globally. My WFH soho setup was, however, recently taken over by the Culiat plantita whose rapidly growing brood of succulents require more and more space. So off to the kitchen or living room or the garage or whichever free area I could use at the house. Haha.

Space is always a challenge in our house. As the plant brood grows, so does the need to maximize every inch of available space. From a few palochina boards scored at one of the woodworking shops along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and some 2x2s and 1x2s, this simple plant rack was built and has found a quaint little spot at the small balcony. It is now home to a few shohin and mame bonsais (bougainvilleas, chinaman's hat, fukkien tea, chinese perfume plant, water jasmine, argao taiwan, bignay pugo), a medium-sized yellow doggie and one medium-sized lemonsito (lime berry). Oh, and a few cactus and succulent squatters.

It's now easier to send Lagundi Gardens a message.