Philippines: A Quezon City housewife engaged in urban gardening as a way to feed and bond with her family
“This time, I planted chili, ampalaya, ginger, and pandan leaves so we can have more fresh produce to enjoy,” she said.
By Patricia Bianca Taculao
Manila Bulletin
July 8, 2020
Excerpt:
Jacie Buenafe Libunao, fondly known as Jas, used her free time during the general community quarantine and their home’s balcony and decided to grow pechay, among other things, for personal consumption as well as practicality.
“It’s an enlightening feeling to see your plants growing after all the care you’ve given [them]. Harvesting is fun and you get to enjoy its benefits,” Jas said.
Jas first planted pechay seeds that she purchased along with some garden soil in small pots. When they started sprouting, she turned to using makeshift planters made from used orange PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, pipes which were made by her husband, Ross Libunao.
First, he cut a rectangular hole in the middle of the pipe then smoothened its edges. Two stands were attached to each end of the pipe in order to keep the planter up.
“Making the planters was a bit challenging because it was hard to create the base but we helped each other out to make it work,” Jas said.
Lastly, holes were bored into the planter itself to serve as drainage for the soil to keep the plants from drowning.
