|
The Vegetable Potager
 A potager is a French design for the kitchen garden- an
ornamental, formal garden in which herbs are grown together with
vegetables and fruits. The beds are geometric in shape and carefully
delineated. Paths are straight, well defined and can be made attractive
by paving. Any structures for climbers ought to be strong and well
built.
Vegetables
such as lettuces and spinach will make attractive beds when planted in
rows. Sweet potatoes and pegaga will provide good ground cover while
supplying the daily ulam or salad. |
|
Of Arbors and Pergolas
 In our climate where the tropical sun can be extremely hot
and bright, an arbour or pergola in a garden is a welcoming refuge. A
commonly seen design in our homes is the pergola attached to the house
to give shade even to the rooms inside.
Whether
attached to the house or freestanding, the siting and size of the
pergola is important. If it is to cover a path which is not leading
anywhere, then there should be a focus point at the end of the pergola.
A statue, a seat or even an arbour would make a suitable focal point as
there is nothing more disappointing than walking down a pathway to a
dead end! There are simple rules to take into account when siting and
constructing pergolas and arbours. |
|
|
The Japanese Home Style Cooking
 After many occasions of enjoying lunches prepared by our
friend Mrs. Kasuko Hatori, I asked her to share her recipe with us. Out
of her usual large spread, we chose the following favourites:
1. SOBA SALAD
2. CALIFORNIA ROLLS |
|
|
Making Good use of Annato
 Annato or its scientific name Bixa orellana is a popular
landscape plant especially for roadsides and avenues. The shrub is
noticeable through its bunches of red, hairy fruits, resembling that of
rambutans. There are various varieties of annato with fruits of varying
sizes and shapes.
Research
at MARDI has enabled the annato fruit to be turned into beautiful
preserved flowers. The various varieties of annato may be made into
various product ranges; for example the small annato may be used in
potpourri while the big annato may be turned into flowers of various
shapes. Certain varieties of annato may be used as bouquet of flowers.
The
process of annato preservation begins at harvesting. The bunch of
fruits must be harvested at the right stage, that is, when the fruits
have turned dark brown. However one has to be careful not to collect
fruits that has already begun to rot. These harvested bunches of fruits
must be cleaned by removing its seeds before bleaching. If they are to
be used in potpourri or to be refabricated, then the stalk should be
removed for a more efficient bleaching. Soaking the chosen fruits in
sodium hypochlorite for a few minutes may do bleaching. |
|
|
<< Start < Previous 1 2 Next > End >>
|
| Results 7 - 10 of 10 |
