Let it grow!

It was almost 3 years ago when Ia sent a pine tree as a Christmas gift. 

That time, it was just the start of the pandemic and raising plants and trees were one of the ways that people preserved their mental health. Our home was among those that suddenly had a lot of plants, and that Christmas tree was a perfect addition.

When things started opening up, less attention were directed towards plants, and even the number of plants around our neighbourhood dwindled. 

But the tree that Ia gave us is still growing strong!

It's going to be our 3rd Christmas with this tree, and we're so glad to let it be part of our home and festivities.

Grin and Bear Fruit

There are a lot of trees around our compound, and the ones near the gate - particularly the mango trees and the santol trees are very prolific around summer time.

Around April to June, it's normal to see our neighbours picking fruits and distributing it around the compound. That's why we usually have a steady supply of fruits around that time.

But it was only this week that I noticed that there are also a number of fruit-bearing trees in our part of the compound. Needless to say, I had to take a few snaps:

There's an atis tree which already had a few fruits. They weren't ripe yet, though, so we have to wait a month or two.

Then, there's a dayap tree that also has a lot of fruits on a regular basis. Our neighbours would get them for either juice or their cooking.

Maybe I should walk around the compound a bit more often to look for other fruit bearing trees. I'm sure there are still a couple that have yet to be discovered. Because seeing things like these make me grin.

Planted evidence

While i’m not that much of a green thumb, looking at these make m “grow” with pride.

The plants that both Mona and Ia gave me last Christmas both have grown!

It helps that they’re low-maintenance plants, of course. But these 2 are good evidence that I can take care of plants.

Turning over a New Leaf

Since I've been walking around the compound regularly now, I've been beginning to notice the verdant environment.

One of the things that caught my eye was this particular leaf with a pretty interesting shape.

The leaves are turned over, pretty much like a bowl. It's the first time I've seen a leaf like this. It makes me want to get guacamole or cheese dip and put it in this leaf bowl.

Oh, the things you notice these days.

Green day

While I've been able to avoid the "Plantito" trend during the past few months, it doesn't mean that plants don't thrive at home.

Last Christmas, I received 2 plant gifts, and they're growing pretty well.

This week, we have a new "plant baby" at home. It's Mamu's gift and he actually arrived last week. And he came in a really cool and monogrammed pot. Nifty!

Our house, and my day, just got a bit greener.

Planted!

While I may be far from being a Plantito or having a green thumb, the w plants given to me last year are growing!

Thanks Ia and Mona for helping add some greenery and freshness to our home. 

It’s so Pine!

Apart from clean, purified air, Christmas is also in the air!

That’s courtesy of this live Pine tree that Ia sent!

Fresh Pine scent is very reminiscent of Christmas. So there’s more Christmas vibes at home starting today.

Thanks, Ia! It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!