Our horticulturist friend saved the fate of bitter melon (苦瓜)

In response to the inquiry of our question of why some of the Pen-Fu luffa (澎湖絲瓜) are bitter (but, not 米桶 luffa), our good friend, Ching-San Huang, a horticultural expert, had a scholarly post, to which I haven’t got a chance to respond yet; I will show you his article soon.  First I will say he saved the fate of bitter melon (苦瓜).

Some garden friends said it was due to the “genetic cross” between Pen-Fu luffa (澎湖絲瓜) and bitter melon (苦瓜).  It seemed plausible from the genetic point of view.  We can insert the human insulin gene to the E-coli, which will dutifully make human insulin, which is the first biological.

It was a fascinating story of the race of making human insulin by Genentech and Biogen in 1970s (Genentech won the race).  The discovery of restriction enzyme (so that DNA chain can be ‘cut’ open) by Stanley Cohen and Herbert Boyer paved the way for Paul Berg to develop recombinant DNA technology.  Genentech was founded on the knowledge of the discovery of restriction enzyme and recombinant DNA technology.  Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson (the venture capitalist) were the cofounders of Genentech.

If the human and E-coli genes can work together, so can that of Pen-Fu luffa (澎湖絲瓜) and bitter melon (苦瓜).  Besides our Pen-Fu luffa (澎湖絲瓜) and bitter melon (苦瓜) are in the same neighborhood, next to each other.  The bees may carry the gene that makes cucurbitacins (葫蘆苦素, which is responsible for bitter taste) from bitter melon (苦瓜) to Pen-Fu luffa (澎湖絲瓜).

But, Ching-San Huang said that was not the case; the expert has spoken, so it shall be, we thus gave up the idea of no more bitter melon (苦瓜) in our garden.
Bitter melon (苦瓜) plants are delicate and slow-growing.  Being in the same section with Chinese cucumber, they began to flourish only after the Chinese cucumber season was over.

Ox heart tomato is not entirely a failure after all

After picking all the ripe tomatoes, mostly cherry tomatoes (yellow or red), Joy said she has picked all that can be picked.  The large tomatoes, mainly ox heart ones, were not too pleased, since they were basically ignored.  They began to grow more steadily.  These photos were taken today.  The ox heart tomato is not entirely a failure after all.

We tend to grow a variety of tomatoes; some for its sweetness; some for its texture; some for its disease resistance.  I have noticed that all kinds of tomato plants look alike; I can never tell which is which unless I label them.

Vivacious zinnia wishes Janice, Jo and Joy here to see them in their prime

Janice helped weeding while Joy was the official harvester.  This photo showed a few left-over zinnia and marigolds that grew from the seeds I planted.  They were transplanted one at a time.  These were not too healthy and I never got the chance to transplant them.

Janice helped to clean and clear an area so I could plant the snow peas for the second time of the season.  But I regret that I didn’t show Janice and Joy how I transplant the zinnias and Chinese spinach/hollow greens.  These vivacious zinnia told me (according to Emily Dickisnon, flowers have souls and tongues, at least hers and ours) that they wish Janice, Jo and Joy were here to see them in their prime.  Since flowers have tongue, I often let them speak for me.

You may or may not be aware that zinnia was the one that led me to Emily Dickinson.

Joy of weeding

A gardener is one who can derive joy and gratification from weeding, enjoying the ‘work’ (or even ‘art work’ if you allow me) created; thus it is not a drudgery or dread.

We planted six Taiwanese pumpkins too close together in the West End of the garden.  The solution is to let them grow horizontally (in all directions) and vertically (sky is the limit).  These photos show you the difference before and after the weeding.  Janice and Joy saw the ones not pleasing to the eyes.

Before the weeding

After the weeding

After the weeding

We went to a baby shower yesterday I wrote a note, saying “You just change her diaper and she will change everything in your life!” The ‘baby’ never ceases to do that even after the ‘baby’ becomes adult.   Janice and Joy came back for a brief visit and now I cannot go to the garden without thinking about them.  After the weeding, a thought occurred to me, I wish Janice and Joy could see this.

Writing is a catharsis; whatever I didn’t or forgot to show Janice and Joy when they ‘re here, I put it into words to mitigate the regret.

Before the weeding

After the weeding

Cleopatra: Sally’s role model

Smell is associated with love is no less than sight is to love.  If you read how Shakespeare describes how Cleopatra presented herself to Antony, you know Antony has no choice but surrender. “so perfumèd, that The winds were lovesick with them;”  They (the barge and all) were perfumed so heavily that they made the air seem dizzy with love.  Love at first smell, indeed.

And you wonder how Elizabeth Taylor (who played Cleopatra in the movie Cleopatra) made a fortune in her perfumes series.  Who can resist her Passion?

The barge she sat in, like a burnished throne,
Burned on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumèd, that
The winds were lovesick with them; the oars were silver

             Antony and Cleopatra,  Act 2 Scene2

NOBARBUS

Upon her landing, Antony sent to her,

Invited her to supper. She replied

It should be better he became her guest,

Which she entreated. Our courteous Antony,

Whom ne’er the word of “No” woman heard speak,

Being barbered ten times o’er, goes to the feast,

And for his ordinary pays his heart

For what his eyes eat only.

(The modern translation)

Upon her landing at the port, Antony sent an invitation for her to come to supper.  She replied by saying that it would be better for him to be his guest instead.   Our courteous Antony, who has never said “no” to any woman, after spending plenty of time being groomed by the barber, went to the feast.  For that simple meal, he paid with his heart—even though it was only his eyes that were satisfied.  

(“For what his eyes eat only”, if the Bard knew Chinese, he would have used a Chinese idiom, 秀色可餐.)

AGRIPPA

Royal wench!

he made great Caesar lay his sword to bed.

He plowed her, and she cropped.

(modern translation)

Royal seductress!

She lured Julius Caesar lay down his sword, into her bed, and she bore him a child.

(“He plowed her, and she cropped” is matched by a Chinese idiom, 藍田種玉)

Are these “the couple of things” that Sally found out  about Cleopatra? I wonder.  There went a role model for an innocent girl.

Revival of the Dickinsonian garden

These dwarf snapdragons are the only survivors of the many that we planted in early and mid-June.  They obviously need full sun and well-drained soil that we couldn’t offer in the month of June and early July.  Many perished for lack of sun and too much rain and literally drowned.  These luckier one are in higher ground somehow survived, but grew poorly until now; revival, so to speak.

It is not entirely inappropriate to talk about garden in religious terms, as Emily Dickinson noted that we are “closer to God in a garden than anyplace on the earth.”

“Gardening: tills the soul” and “Flowers feed the soul” are just two of the many signs that Janet gave us that fit well in the Dickinsonian garden.

The gardener of a Dickinsonian garden needs “The Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson”—a thoughtful birthday gift from my daughters.

 

 

 

How the peace is maintained in our garden with two Queens (rose and lily)

We have two queens (rose and lily) in our garden; they bloomed and reigned in different times.  On rare occasions had they bloom in the same time, they were the ones far away and couldn’t see each other.  This is how the peace in our garden is maintained.

This photo of rose was taken yesterday (9/3/15); some of the photos were taken on June 3—three months apart; like queen they may reign on different time.

9.3.2015

6.3.2015

These photos are dated so you have a better idea of what I am saying.  They told me I am not supposed to date them; like art work, they are supposed to be timeless, or so they thought.

With not even three full days of visit, I wonder whether Janice and Joy stop to smell the rose in our garden.  Why not stop to smell the lily; they are even more fragrant.

7.20.2015

7.25.2015

8.16.2015

8.5.2015

8.6.2015

7.25.2015

8.4.2015

New England Aster bloomed for New Englanders

Anticipating the visitors from New England, these New England Asters began to bloom days before Janice and Joy came home.  Four days after they went back to Boston, these asters are approaching the full blossom.

Vivacious though they may be,
They are not too happy;
Their hearts are heavy;
Looking around, they couldn’t find Janice and Joy.
Kept asking “where are thee?
One said, “take a photo of me!
In Facebook they will see me with joy
     or even ecstasy!

I think
These asters are missing Janice and Joy,
Like me!

Enjoy another aster poem: Robert Frost’s “The late walk”

And when I come to the garden ground

. . . . . . . . . . .
I end not far from my going forth
By picking the faded blue
Of the last remaining aster flower
To carry again to you

Facebook friends: I found out why my sister was not calling me

While at Jo’s place in Michigan a few weeks ago we’re browsing my Facebook page, Jo noticed I have many requests to be a “friend” of so many people and I never responded; one of them is my 4^th sister.

I am hoping Opal Pickles didn’t send the request to me, otherwise she will never speak to me again.  Then again, may be that’s why my sister was not calling me then.  Thanks to Jo, my dear 4^th sister is now my Facebook friend.

“I love you!” in comic strip and in my life: comic strip is life

In recent weeks I would LINE my daughters the moment Pirates beat whatever team they’re playing and they would respond with a sticker.  Each win was unique, so was the sticker.  Pirates must have won more games than the number of stickers they have amassed; that is probably why Pirates lost the last 2 games, lest they would exhaust their vast collection of stickers.

We at times communicated with stickers in LINE; one time (The LINE in my iPhone says it was August 22) I sent a sticker of teddy bear with the words of “I Love You” embedded.  They were surprised and thrilled as they never heard I said “I love you” to them.  I responded “So reserved a man I am, I can never utter ‘I love you’ to anyone, even the loved ones; may be the sticker made it easier to say.”  Janice wrote, “this is interesting . . . I wonder if that’s the appeal of the stickers” in LINE.

A few days later this “I love you” thing was running in Pickles comic strip. (Sylvia is the daughter of Earl and Opal Pickles, Roscoe is their dog.)  Enjoy them.