A backyard photo-shoot with this beauty!  One of my fondest childhood memories was catching a butterfly in a clear plastic bag. I remember watching this orange and black insect closely as it fluttered around gracefully in captivity, I admired it. (...don't ask what happened to that butterfly...) For those of you who don’t know, my Rogue Gardening journey began simply because I wanted to be able to look out my kitchen window and see butterflies, free in all their glory. However, all I knew then was that I needed flowers. Over the years I have learned that attracting a swarm of butterflies requires preparation. You must be able to provide their needs through all the life stages of the butterfly from laying eggs to feeding caterpillars (larvae), and protecting them from predators until they form chrysalides. Attracting Butterflies 1. Plant the right flowers - Butterflies are more attracted to certain flowers such as Asters, Zinnias, Marigolds, Oregano, Laven...

If you love okra this blog is just for you! During a trip to Grenada I fell in love with okras. When I got home I served this as a side dish regularly. I boiled them, sautéd them and ate them in sada roti or best of all added some Masala! Soon I realized that they were costly for my level of consumption. Knowing nothing about growing okra I decided to try my green thumb at growing these lady fingers as they are commonly called. Planting Okra I purchased 4 okra seedlings from the plant store and nurtured them in a flower pot for about 3 weeks before transplanting them outside. Okra plants are tall, so be sure to space out the rows 4 to 6 feet apart. Being from Africa, these plants love sunlight, so make sure to plant them where there's lots of it. Harvesting Okra This unique vegetable is easy to grow. They mature between 50 and 65 days and the best part is that they can produce Okra for about 12 weeks! So get your okra recipes ready! Apart from gaining this ed...

Everything has a beginning, I mean even the chicken started with the egg, right? Your garden is no different, you need to start by sourcing seedlings or seeds. SEEDLINGS These seedlings can be affordably purchased at various plant shops throughout Trinidad and Tobago from as low as 50 ₵ ! So for example, a 50 ₵  investment in okra seedlings can earn you over $200 in crops when harvested. Selecting seedlings can make or break your garden so be sure that you: Check the foliage:  Leaves should be a consistent strong solid colour (usually     green). Avoid yellow leaves, it can mean that the seedling is lacking a nutrient.  Buds, not flowers:  Select flower seedlings or small potted plants that have more buds rather than already flowering – you’ll get to enjoy your flowers longer! Check for hitchhikers : Look carefully on the underside of leaves because common garden pests like whitefly, aphids, and mealybug like to hide out...

Like most things in my life, minus my ex, you need to know what you are doing; the same goes for gardening. The delectable crops and gorgeous flowers don’t arrange themselves, you need a plan! I call it ‘Strategic Gardening’ because this plan caters to both your short and long-term gardening needs and it sounds way fancier than ‘Garden Planning’. Here are some useful steps to help plan your garden no matter where you intend to start planting. This way you are more organized and are sure to get what you want out of your time and effort! Step 1- Identify Your Garden Space Determine where would be a great space for your garden. If it’s outdoors it must be located in an easily accessible area that is open to some sunlight. If you’re planting indoors identify the areas where you can easily accommodate flower pots for walls, floors or counters. For me, it’s my backyard. I have four cats so any plants placed indoors, even seedlings are left to the mercy of these savages! ...

  “You’re in the bush again?” I complained to my mother as I watched her labor in the yard sweating and digging in the dirt. When I was little I viewed plants as an inconvenience, another thing you would have to remember to keep alive. Well into my teenage years I felt this way and struggled to comprehend what was so great about gardening. That was until one day I stared into my blank backyard from my kitchen window and it dawned on me that it was a canvas for a gorgeous and peaceful retreat. Although at the time I knew nothing about gardening, I excitedly purchased and planted one sunflower and every time I washed the dishes over the five days that flower survived, I smiled. That was the beginning, during the next four years while I would be the cause of the demise of numerous flowers, I would discover the best 5 reasons why everyone should get down and dirty. #1: It’s peaceful AF! Yes, gardening provides a peaceful retreat away from life’s hectic demands. ...