The back yard garden is flourishing thanks to Jeremy. He is in charge of construction and waters every morning as soon as the sun is up unless there was rain overnight.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n DECK GARDEN<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The upstairs garden flourishes as well. Bob shares the watering chore and keeps his eye out for harmful pests. The cucumbers blossom, bear fruit and whither and we aren’t sure why. IN addition to cucumbers, we ate the first vine-ripened tomatoes and plump okra pods.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n DECK VIEWS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The deck garden and the bird trees to the south. The neighbors to the north and their moringa tree hanging its pods over our compound wall. These folks have been working hard improving the place with windows and paint. They made cement bricks and dried them in the sun, then built a two room shed with them, roofed it and dug deep holes in the back yard, presumably for a pit latrine.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n OUT FRONT<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Outside our front gate, the new puppy from next door approaches cautiously. Jeremy and Camille ‘built’ a cement block stool for sitting or putting groceries on when we stand on tippy toes and reach over the gate to unlock it from the inside.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n HARD WORKING GUYS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Justin and Jeremy help the driver unload a truck full of compost for the garden expansion. Jeremy spends a lot of time with a pick in the back yard, loosening up the soil and removing rocks. Sometimes a bit of dirt makes it into the house with him.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n FEEDING THE UPSTAIRS GARDEN<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n After receiving the compost, Jeremy filled several empty paint buckets in the best way he knows how. By hand with a piece of rope. Bob transplanted pepper and eggplant seedlings into the buckets.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n ARMANTROUT DIGS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The stairs to our quarters at sunset and a piece of art that we’ve pinned to our bedroom door.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n MORINGA OLEIFERA<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n We first heard of this miracle plant in Cape Coast while dining at the Baobab House.<\/a> Next Camille heard about it from friend Elodie. She promised to bring a branch of the quick growing and\u00a0nutritious\u00a0tree. Bob looked outside and said, “I think that’s a moringa growing in the neighbors yard.” It was, so he cut one of the branches that was hanging over our laundry line and planted it in a bucket. Before the year is out, we’ll be eating moringa leaves instead of spinach and in smoothies. The smaller pods and flowers and even the roots are edible, too.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n BEAUTIFUL AND BENEFICIAL<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Moringa is full of\u00a0protein, iron, calcium, amino acids, potassium, vitamins A and C, balances sugar levels, stimulates metabolism, boosts the immune system and has anti-bacterial properties.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n BIG CRITTERS<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n This old Agama lizard likes to hang out on top of the front wall by the gate. He measures about ten inches long. The snail is also of an impressive size, measuring close to six inches in length.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n TERMITE SWARM<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n On the last day of the month, we were astonished to find it suddenly raining termites!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n TERMITES THAT FELL TO EARTH<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0 The ground was quickly littered with fallen termites who soon lost their wings and many of whom were locked in a mating embrace.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n FEASTING ENSUED<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The ants quickly\u00a0seized\u00a0hapless termites and dragged them into their dens while the lizards scampered about feasting on fallen termites.<\/span><\/p>\n ____________________________________________________________<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n ____________________________________________________________<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" <\/p>\n September, 2012 – Moringa discovery, fencing, flourishing plants and more <\/p>\n <\/p>\n THRIVING BACKYARD VEGETABLE PATCH<\/p>\n \n The back yard garden is flourishing thanks to Jeremy. He is in charge of construction and waters every morning as soon as the sun is up unless there was rain overnight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/troutsfarmtoo.com\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/20120902JeremyBobFenceBuilding.jpg\" "\\"20120902JeremyBobFenceBuilding\\"")
<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0![\"\"](\"https:\/\/troutsfarmtoo.com\/latest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/20120908Garden1.jpg\" "\\"20120908Garden\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n[Latest]<\/a>\u00a0* [Troutsfarm]<\/a>\u00a0*\u00a0[A Two-Birthday Month]<\/a>\u00a0*\u00a0[FS2BD Construction Continues]<\/a>\u00a0*\u00a0[A New Goat]<\/a>\u00a0[Around the Yard and Gardens]<\/a>\u00a0*\u00a0[Wetland Walk]<\/a>\u00a0*\u00a0[Bopping Around the Kumasi Markets]<\/a>\u00a0*\u00a0[Ayoum Village]<\/a><\/h4>\n