Summer crops

This summer was an amazing season for the edibles in my garden. All of the crops grew like crazy and even thought I got a couple setbacks there were still a lot of vegetables and fruits with every harvest. Not bad at all for a small balcony garden.

Every harvest gave me a full platter of food

I had four big harvest out the plants, and every time I got to fill a big plate with all the produce. I also got a lot of minor harvests because every time I needed herbs or more fruits all I needed to do is pick them from the balcony.

I got many fresh beans from the garden

This year there were many plants in the garden. The tomato plants were definitely my main crop, I had tree big plants, they grew a lot and gave a many fruits. I also have basil and some more herbs that took very well the summer and grew many new leaves.

The strawberries were few but good

Pumpkin flowers taste great with cheese

The chilies also gave a big crop although a bit skinny. I had my first batch of blueberries ever and a bit of strawberries. And the pumpkin, even thought it didn't fruit I got many flowers to eat.

Not bad for a very small balcony garden

It was amazing having so much fruits and vegetables, I had never grown so much food. I deeply recommend to anybody with a garden to grow at least a little corner of edibles. It is very rewarding, it saves a bit of money and it gives you very tasty fresh food to eat.

My Seeds

Part of the fun of having a garden is all the planning involved on it. Being able to decide what we would grow next and where it would go is very exciting. One of my favorite parts is choosing among the infinite varieties of plants to grow.

My seeds box

I always get carried away imagining how it would be to grow this and that, and I always want to add a new plant to my garden. The only problem is that here in my little garden in Japan, we only have the very restricted space a balcony garden can provide.

Of course, this didn't stop me when getting seeds. Adding the ones I brought from Mexico and the ones I got here, now I have ended up with way more of what I would be able to have. I really doubt I can fit even a quarter of all this in my little garden. So, I am sure there will be very tough decisions to make next year, when I would have to choose what to sow.

I like to keep my seeds in jars instead of envelopes

Here is a peek into my seeds box for this year. That way you can help me decide.

• Chives. I just got this ones, I will sow them this week, hopefully they still can catch the season.


• Thyme I cave in to my impatience and I bought the plant, so probably I won't need these after all.


• Alyssum I have the plant too, but I doubt it will stand the winter, so they are my back up plan.


• Cactus A little bit of Mexico's flavor, but I have three bags, so I will give some away.

Komatsuna, Cilantro and Chile de arbol

• Chile I have chile serrano, chile ancho, chile guajillo, chile pasilla, chile poblano, chile de arbol y chipotle. It will be impossible to pick only one.


• Zempasuchitl The Mexican marigold, with a much stronger scent, I like this flower and it is very good for the garden, so this one is a keeper.


• Epazote An annual herb, good for condiments.

Alyssum, Cactus and Lettuce

• Komatsuna The one I am growing now is doing very well. So I think it can be a keeper for next winter as well.


• Cilantro Must have for Mexican food.


• Beans The beans I had this year didn’t do well. Even when they flower they did not got fruit. I brought some from Mexico, hopefully they can do better.

Chamomile, White flower and Beans

• Lettuce Another of my winter vegetables that is going great.


• Chamomile This one might go well on a planter with the Epazote, It would be a nice addition to the herb corner.


• Unidentified white flower I picked this one up from a sidewalk in shibuya, no idea what it is.

Beside all of this, I want to grow some pumpkin, some tomato, possibly blueberries. Also, I know there will be more plants that I won't be able to resist next year.

It is definitely too much for me, anybody want some extra seeds?

More seeds!

Ok, I just come from the store and I got a new batch of seeds, now it is definitely official, I cant sow all these. A giveaway will be a must, so keep on touch!

This is the complete collection so far!

Here is what I got this time

• Chile Ancho Thick red 15 cm chilly pepper also a must on Mexican food.


• Chile Pasilla Another chilly variety, good for sauces and stews.


• Chile Guajillo Yet another cilly, this one is for red sauce, and mole.


• Chile Serrano This chilly is used on the green sauce, along with green tomatoes.


• Alyssum I think I could get this one in japan, but I haven't seen it much. Plus seeds here are a lot cheaper. I just love the scent of this flower cloud on the morning.


• Camomila Good for teas, in Mexico we are also aware of its medicinal properties.


• Thyme Another herb for the kitchen, good for cooking with meat. This will go along the little herb patch I have.

I am worried about the seeds being only adapted for Mexican climate, but I think they will grow very good in Japan, my area has a very nice weather for growing plants. My other concern is if they will take them away at customs, but it should be ok too.

My time in Mexico is coming to an end, I don’t think I will be able to work deeply in the garden, I only pruned a little of the Bougainvillea, and took out some weeds, but that garden is really in need of a makeover. Maybe next time I come, probably in six months.

I really wish I could have had time to introduce much more of what we have here in Mexico, it is really a cornucopia of nature. Hopefully, next time I come I won't have so many things going on and I can give a relaxed tour for gardening. Also I am planning on going to south Mexico for next time, and if I have that chance, that will be quite something.

Still, I will do one post to introduce the plants we have around the garden before I leave, it's not much, but I really like them. Hope you guys will enjoy as well.

Seeds from Mexico

I have a delay on working on the garden because my fish tank suddenly got a leak, so all my attention was on that. For now the fish are Ok, but now I don’t have much time left for the garden and is almost time to go back to japan.

Yesterday I was finally able to do something garden related. I went to shop for some seeds. This city doesn’t have that much of a "grow yourself from seeds culture", so I had some trouble finding some. We usually buy the grown plant from the nursery, by trades or even collect plants and seeds from the wild. After some looking around I was able to get some nice seeds at little stores and supermarkets. I still have one more place to go, so I will probably get some more.

Here is what I got so far

Seeds from Mexico

• Desert plants (Cactus, Nopal, Maguey, and more) It would not be Mexico if you don’t have a fair amount of cactus.


• Zempasuchitl The Mexican marigold, this particular type has a very intense scent, I hope it can get me some butterflies.


• Chile poblano A very common Mexican type of chili pepper, one of Mexico signature dishes is made with this, I don’t think I can recreate, because I still need so many other ingredients, but I can have a bit of Mexico flavor at home.


• Epazote This one is a common herb in Mexican food, is a bit spicy and goes well with stew.


• Chile chipotle Other of Mexico signature chili, this one will require a bit more preparation since we usually have them dry, but I hope I can learn how to do it and get me some good sauces.

I hope this plants get to grow in Japan, I think they will with proper care, but I won't find out until next year.

I got way more that I could have in japan, so you will probably hear about a giveaway some time in the future, keep on checking.