9/25/21

The Moonflower is a vining plant that blooms at night. The beautiful large white flowers have a glossy sheen to it and are poisonous to humans and animals alike. I started this tropical plant indoors and she’s survived quite a bit of negligence, yet here she is blooming bright. There are moments where I think the garden isn’t growing quite like I imagined, but it’s taken on a life of it’s own and the rain tends to it most days.

The days grow shorter and the Bed-stuy block parties are dwindling. At one point there were children riding ponies outside my window – what a special neighborhood I live in. I’m happy to have this blog, to reflect on and feel the warmth of the garden in wintertime. We’re not quite there yet, but I’m trying to look ahead with peace, rather than feeling ominous about the cold (I’m a summer gal, can you tell?). Last year I didn’t continue the blog through the winter, but I’m thinking of dedicating a post to my houseplants, to keep the spirit of it alive. Perhaps if you live in Brooklyn, we can share plant clippings <3 

The most successful plant this year has been the mighty cucumber. It sits in a DIY garden bed, made from found cinderblocks and cardboard. They’ve been vining up the fence, growing a bright yellow bloom, and then fruiting a cucumber. The variations in color and the organic shapes of the cucumbers make me think they’re from another planet altogether. Far from the grocery store in both flavor and shape, it’s been fun snacking on these summer treats. Right now it’s the season where cucumber plants start to die off, but the ones in the garden are still trucking along.

The tomatoes are growing, but they didn’t do quite as well as I’d hoped. I’m learning to tend to the garden with patience, both for myself and the plants. Not everything is a success, but everything is a moment to learn from. Last year, I grew pinto beans and it amounted to half a mason jar! Ha. Either way there’s something really fun about growing plants from a seed and seeing it mature. Other plants that are doing well is the mint, a variety of peppers (mostly hot, jalapeno update is soon to come), and the pinto beans are doing better this year ;P

Cheers and happy gardening.

︎Mercedes Padró