We love the tropics. With 57 inches of annual rainfall in Kumasi, you can plant a toothpick in the ground and it will grow. All year round we pretty much wear the same thing – shorts, tee shirts or skimpy-to-no top and flip flops or bare feet. And all year the gardens flourish.
DECK WITH A VIEW
Here’s the view looking Northwest from the second floor deck. Bronze Mannikins have made their home in the eaves of the deck roof.
CALADIUM
Camille is pleased with the success of her transplanted Caladium garden outside the office. There’s some nice basil peeking around the corner as well!
NORTH WALL
This is the view looking east towards the back yard. The lawn mower has revolutionized the yard, turning weeds like the ones growing on the left into lawn. The neighbor’s crumbling cinder block wall rise above the north wall of our compound, complete with TV antenna. We have a roof and no antenna. They have an antenna without a roof.
DOING IT RIGHT
We recently began adding wood shavings to the compost pile, transforming it from a mound of rotting food into something that will cook down into compost. The enormous squash plant is a volunteer which sprouted out of an older compost pile. When the shaving bags are empty, Bob goes to the wood village and get’s them re-filled.
MANICURED
Bob trims the lime basil. This is the view of the garden looking South. Jeremy weeds and waters, Camille mows and Bob trims. Another huge volunteer squash plant flourishes along the east wall of the house.
LOOKING WEST
The view looking West from the back yard towards the front of the house on the South side (left) and the North (right.)
AMY’S LEGACY – TURMERIC AND LEMON GRASS
Amy brought a piece of turmeric root and planted it. It grew into a huge plant and Bob has begun splitting the root and sharing it with fellow expats. Here is a small piece which we had for dinner along with these cocoa yams that Bob grew. Before leaving Kumasi, Amy transplanted two pieces of lemon grass and they are happily thriving on the other side of the garden fence.
LOOKING FOR BEANS
Camille searches for winged beans on a exuberant vine, peppered with cute little pea-like blossoms.
WINGED BEANS
Cute and tasty and capable of growing to over sized over night.