Fresh and Seasonal
One of the things I really miss is all the fresh seasonal tropical fruit from my childhood. It’s hard to come by a really good mango in Ohio and Maine. Though you can occasionally find a passable piece of fruit, they’re just not the same as the ones plucked right from the tree.
While we were in Colombia, I was able to enjoy lots of delicious seasonal fruit. We enjoyed watermelon, mango, pineapple, guanabana, mandarin oranges, oranges, mangoes, limes, pomarosas and star fruit.
I also enjoyed seeing all the trees blooming. This star fruit tree, or carambola as I know it, was blooming and fruiting at the same time. When I was a kid, I didn’t notice the blooms or the foliage, I was mostly interested in the fruit. Now, as a gardener, I can appreciate those aspects of these fruit trees. Growing up, mangoes were my favorite tropical fruit, I have very fond memories of eat green ones with salt and plucking ripe one from the tree.
Do you have any fruit that you remember from you childhood?
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Quote of the Day: Carol Deppe
Before you were a gardener, you might have filled your schedule. Most non-gardeners do. But anything unexpected then results in overload. And most of life in unexpected. So you were always overloaded. You never had time for anything spontaneous or unscheduled. (And when a friend or family member needs you most it’s likely to be spontaneous or unscheduled.) You also seemed to live from crisis to crisis. You might have even thought your going from crises to crises “putting out fires everywhere” was because you were so important. In actuality, being always too busy for anything unscheduled or spontaneous are signs of a life not being lived as well as it could be, a life full of missed opportunities, a life too full of busyness for most of what makes life worth living.
Carol Deppe from The Resilient Gardener
Mr Chiots and I have spent the last 4-5 years trying to cultivate simplicity in our lives. Simplicity doesn’t mean uncomplicated, it just means that you’re focusing on this things that truly bring you joy and happiness. Even though we don’t have much time to sit back and relax, the things that we spend our time doing are relaxing in their own way.
Have you found that gardening helps you manage your time better?
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The Gardens at Monserrate
This past Sunday, we spent the afternoon taking the cable car up to Monserrate, in Bogotá. Monserrate is a cathedral built on top of the mountains that surround the city. It is located 10,341 ft above the sea level.
The gardens surrounding it are quite beautiful, filled with all sorts of plants, both tropical and familiar to those of us that live in the north. It’s quite wonderful to see banana plants intermingling beautifully with hydrangeas.
We took the cable car up the mountain, it’s a half mile journey. From the top, there’s a fantastic view of the city below. Bogotá is a sight to behold, it’s one of the largest cities in Latin America, it’s expansive spread from high above. The population density of the city rivals many Asian cities.
The gardens surrounding the church are spectacular. It’s quite amazing because you can’t really walk through them, you have to take them in from the cable car, catching small glimpses here and there. You can hike up to the top, I haven’t done that since I was in high school. Here are a few of the beautiful plants and gardens I spotted while we were there.
Our tip to Colombia was a working trip, thus we spend most of our time behind our computers and behind the camera filming. I was happy to be able to spend at least a few minutes enjoying the beauty of the tropical climate. It was a refreshing change from Maine, which received 3 feet of snow in our absence.
Do you have a favorite tropical plant?
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A Special Delivery
Last week, Mr Chiots and I were in Colombia, South America. It was a work related trip, we were producing videos for the non-profit I work for, which was founded by my parents. In addition to missionary work, my parents do a lot of benevolent work, trying to improve the lives of the poor refugees, those neglected by society. One of the things we did while we were there, was deliver soap.
This isn’t just any soap, it’s 100% all natural handmade soap, some of the best soap money can buy. You see, Wendy, traveled to Colombia a few years ago. Deeply moved by the poverty and wanting to help in a tangible way, she started Lavemé Clean. She makes all natural soap, for each bar that is purchased, a bar is donated to an impoverished area. Some bars of soap go to Honduras, other to shelters here in the US.
This is her story in her words:
HOW IT ALL BEGAN…
It all started in the summer of 2011. My oldest son Caleb and I went on a mission trip to an impoverished barrio nestled beneath the Andes Mountains in the heart of South America.
That experience broke us.
Completely.
Shelter was nothing more than small shanties with bare packed-earth floors; walls of wood pallets, corrugated tin, or whatever material was to be found. For water, the slum area had one well; one small well for many people to drink from, bathe in and wash clothes in. Lice and mange were running rampant.
In North America, for most people, it’s not terribly challenging to procure a bar of soap somewhere. In the slums, it’s simply not readily available, and if it was, it would not be affordable. I watched a construction worker labor from sun up to sun down, working for a monthly paycheck of $100.00, in an economy where a bar of soap costs as much as it does in the States. read the rest of the story on her website
Mr Chiots and I delivered many bars of her soap on our trip. It’s encouraging to know that there are people like Wendy, who are moved enough by the pain and suffering around them to do something proactive. In a world where liking something on facebook or signing a petition is seen as action, it’s refreshing to meet someone who is actually doing something. A big thanks to Wendy for making this soap, we were honored to deliver it for you!
If you are in need of all natural handmade soap, consider purchasing from Lavamé Clean. Mr Chiots and I are particularly fond of the Eucalyptus Cold Care.
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A Garden of Hope
Most of you know that Mr Chiots and I own a business and part of that business involves video production. One of my college girlfriends works for Girl Power 2 Cure, an organization the supports families of girls with Rett Syndrome. My friend Kelly’s daughter Brooklyn was diagnosed with Rett many years ago (to read more about her, head on over to her blog Special Mommy X2). Mr Chiots and have always donated our time and talents for non-profits. Last spring we traveled out to Indiana to make a video about the Girl Power 2 Cure Garden of Hope. Here it is:
Today we are traveling back to the States from South America. We were in Colombia for the past 10 days filming a video for my parents non-profit. Perhaps I’ll share the video soon that we produced while we were down there.
Do you make an effort to donate your time and talents to charities?
