Chillies seem to love me as much as I love them! My chillie plants were bought because they remind me of my dad. I miss him so much, everyday. But when I go by the chillie plants in my garden, I seem to feel that he is walking right beside me. And then I begin to smile: he would be so chuffed with my garden! It was after all his excitement at the thought of growing something that got me on this path.
We had a beach for a yard. It really was just beach sand. I'm still amazed how folks can garden in places where very little seems to have any chance of growing at all. My mum dug up the front yard, and mixed in as much compost as possible to grow her flowers, and her herb garden at the kitchen door. She always seemed to be such a natural. Everything she touched grew; no matter how far gone they seemed...to this day, I pass on my dead and dying plants to her, and she miraculously brings them back to life!
My dad was always more interested in planting something we could eat. Which, of course, I loved. Midnight snack always seemed to include a baby potato from his tiny backyard garden. And although the chillies were in my mom's kitchen garden at the front, they were his! Homemade pickled onions always had my dad's chillies plopped right in. Now...they have mine.
My chillies don't seem to need much attention. I give them water, but not too much. And even in this drought with our water restrictions, they have produced plenty. And then they need sun, naturally. I have planted them in my sunniest spots and they seem to like it very much. They aren't the hottest chillies, but that suits me just fine...for now. I am thinking of getting other varieties, but will wait until I've dug up my winter garden at the bottom of the house. The plan was to start a potted garden there..so as soon as I can find enough second hand pots that are big enough for my chillie plants, I'll be visiting a few nurseries. Until then, I'm sowing a few seeds under cloches to get them going, so that I won't have to buy plants that I can germinate and propagate by myself. We spend so much of our time shopping, and not enough time enjoying our space. Gardening has become my motivation to stay put, and grow plants from whatever I already have. And chillie plants can be surprisingly easy to start from seed; it just takes time. So, the next time you buy some chillies from the grocery store, why not deseed a couple and try to germinate them: remember to keep the soil moist, and cover with a recycled cloche (take an empty juice bottle with the bottom cut off and turn it upside down to cover the pot you've planted). This helps keep some of the bugs out, and creates a cosy environment for seeds to germinate. It does take a few weeks, so best just to get on with something else while you wait. When your seedlings are ready for transplanting, choose a warm spot with good drainage, and water moderately.
Well, I'm off to garden in between the much needed downpours; hoping that the rain will help me ready the soil for next season.
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