From Abundance to Scarcity—to Surreal Blooms
In April 2020, a new "normal" began, and I found myself driving around, looking for food and household goods that were becoming scarce.
Can't Buy Seeds???
I also desperately searched online and retail stores for these items:- Flour, rice, or oatmeal
- Toilet paper and paper towels
- Disinfecting wipes
- Seeds
Confounded I couldn't find seeds to buy, I turned to the next best thing—grow what I already had at home. I found myself avidly watching an Australian Youtube channel, Self Sufficient Me, which inspired me to focus on organic gardening.
David Austin Roses
Years ago, I bought a multi-petaled blooming rose from my local nursery and I really love how the blooms begin with white blossoms, then turns pink and apricot, and ends with pink. During the pandemic, I became intrigued by the English shrub rose, Munstead Wood, due to its polarizing online reputation. While spending a few hours on the David Austin Rose website in early 2024, I realized I had a David Austin rose already growing in my front yard, and wanted to buy more, especially the controversial Munstead Wood. I ordered four bare root roses that were delivered on Feb. 6, 2025: Two parts potting soil and one part compost, and water every other day to get these bare roots going. It's only been two months, and I'm now being rewarded with such beautiful blooms.
Aloe Polyphylla
In 2021, I focused on succulents, specifically Aloe Vera as they are low-maintenance plants. I have the medicinal variety and Aloe Arborescens which has orange-red flowers that rises above my Granny Smith apple tree during winter. I was so fascinated with the Aloe Polyphylla ("many-leaved"), a spiral-growing species which is endemic to Lesotho in the Drakensberg mountains of southern Africa—I bought two small plants as a birthday gift for myself. Unfortunately, only one thrived as the other was left in the rain too long and the soggy conditions led to root rot. Because buying an adult plant is expensive, I'll try growing more from the seeds that I've purchased.
Buy Plants from Your State's Zone
I've read mangos can grow 100 feet high and 45 feet across, and 20+ gallons of water a week for the first 2 years. I was working remotely for the forseeable future and had lots of time at home to take on this challenge. I researched online for hours to find the sweetest mango in the world. After an unsuccessful attempt to buy seedlings from the primary producer of the 1995 Guinness Book of World Record for sweetest mangos (located in the Philippines) called Carabao, I was disappointed, but reconciled with the polite rejection email I received, indicating there is a Philippine government ban, restricting selling seedlings outside their country.Plan B: I bought mangos from Costco and Whole Foods. Curious if the seeds would sprout, I placed them in pots, watered them often, and waited. Yaasss!
Which Mango Reigns Supreme (Besides Carabao)?
Although most of the seeds sprouted, the one mango (in the foreground of first photo above) from Costco flourished while the Whole Foods ones didn't survive when the unpredictable winter rains, winds, and cold temperatures arrived.
Although this mango is still potted, it is now taller than me after two years. I read that it can take 5-8 years for seeds to bear fruit, so I'm deciding whether to plant it in the ground or transplant to a bigger pot this spring.
In the interim, I'm trying to find varieties that can grow in my zone, and will keep the pots indoors during the winter season. Using an indoor growing light, I'm also planning to grow strawberries and vegetables from seeds. Can't wait to see what sprouts!