okra
Six okra in full view
6 okra from the top
Okra, known by many names is a flowering plant valued for its green edible fruits. Most would identify them as lady's finger, the locals here will simply ask for "bendi" when they want to buy okra in the market.
Six okra or Abelmoschus esculentus the scientific name, seem to be happy on that vegetable bed. I let spinach grow in between the rows. Those spinach are fantastic. We don't know where they come from, everytime the vegetable bed is loosened up, in a few days time baby spinach will appear. There must thousands of spinach seeds all over the garden from the previous attempt. Spinach is so prolific.
Another 4 are placed on a different vegetable bed,
a pair tucked near white chili plants
and the other pair near sunflowers.
I remember how okra grow and grow at this stage, and blooming is so quick.
But after a couple of harvest, pests start to hover around
like crows with a roadkill.
Just to share, Okra is a traditional food plant in Africa.
In a language spoken in Nigeria, okra is okuru .
That's where the name comes from.
~ bangchik
Okra, known by many names is a flowering plant valued for its green edible fruits. Most would identify them as lady's finger, the locals here will simply ask for "bendi" when they want to buy okra in the market.
Six okra or Abelmoschus esculentus the scientific name, seem to be happy on that vegetable bed. I let spinach grow in between the rows. Those spinach are fantastic. We don't know where they come from, everytime the vegetable bed is loosened up, in a few days time baby spinach will appear. There must thousands of spinach seeds all over the garden from the previous attempt. Spinach is so prolific.
Another 4 are placed on a different vegetable bed,
a pair tucked near white chili plants
and the other pair near sunflowers.
I remember how okra grow and grow at this stage, and blooming is so quick.
But after a couple of harvest, pests start to hover around
like crows with a roadkill.
Just to share, Okra is a traditional food plant in Africa.
In a language spoken in Nigeria, okra is okuru .
That's where the name comes from.
~ bangchik
Dear Bangchik, How really fascinating. This is a plant which you do not see in Great Britain, so all the more interesting for that.
ReplyDeleteHi Bangchik. Your okra is looking so good. Growing right along.
ReplyDeleteI love okra. Especially if it's fried or put into stew to thicken it. :D
ReplyDeleteHow lovely, I didn't know they were from such pretty plants. The 6 are so very pleasing together.
ReplyDeleteI love crops which grow quickly, it's nice to get a fast return.
ReplyDeleteI admit (with a little shame) that I find okra revolting to eat. It's a good thing...we can't grow it here anyway. Yours, however, looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteChristine in Alaska
Interesting that your okra gets pests. Here, okra is rarely bothered by insects. Kept harvested, it produces well into the fall. I eat it boiled and buttered, fried, in soups. You might appreciate what my father-in-law used to tell the little boys: 'The thing about boiled okra is, when you get up from table, it's in your chair.'
ReplyDeletePersonally I'm not a fan of eating okra, but I have seen the plants in bloom, and they have the most lovely flowers! I can't wait to see your okra in bloom.
ReplyDeleteI haven't really tried Okra before, but I do love Spinach :^)
ReplyDeleteI really like the flower of the okra but not the vegetable...ugh. My friend, many years ago, had never heard of okra and thought it was orka (orca) the killer whale. Hahaha
ReplyDeleteOh... they are leafing out so lovely... sweet little plants. I love Okra too! Yummy!! I have never grown it ... though I believe my grandparents did. Good luck keeping all the naughty critters away! ;>)
ReplyDeleteI wish all these cute little plants will grow up to give you those wonderful and yummy okras! I take okra very often :-D
ReplyDeletehi bangchik .i also had planted okra last time. the fruits were tasted better whn u grw it by yr own.
ReplyDeletecome n visit me to see my collections of pitcher plants at
http://walizgarden.blogspot.com
Looking them growing up, and starting to pluck the leaves, and ....
ReplyDeleteThe cycle turns.
Okra is sooooo yummy!! They look wonderful!
ReplyDeleteBanchik, Okra is not common here either. The season is too short and cold to grow it and supermaarkets don't stock it either.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you, Bangchik! I'm growing okra for the first time this year and had no idea what the seedlings look like! I sowed the seeds about a week ago. I'm growing the red variety and may end up putting it in a container. Can't wait to see the flowers!
ReplyDeletewow, yours are getting big...i really need to get my seeds in the ground now....i love okra too, i like the red ones for their color in the garden and the stems are beautiful red.
ReplyDeleteOkra is one of my favorite veggies! Mine's not in yet, but I am already hungry for some gumbo after reading your post!
ReplyDeleteEdith Hope
ReplyDeleteHocking Hills Gardener
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Thanks bloggers, friends and gardeners. Thanks for your comments on a plant originating from Africa, with name that evolves around OKURU, in a language in Nigeria, The plant really travel far and wide across the globe and ends up in many menu.
A thick liquid oozing from the fruit is the trademark of okra. With a slice or two of okra, the soup or gravy will thicken. Having okra, eggplant, and tomato is the standard for curry in Malaysia.
After a couple of attempts with okra during lunches, we may begin to acquire the taste. Everything seems to be very simple about okra... the seeds germinate fast with days, they rate of growth is fairly quick, no wonder the plant is very prolific and become the traditional food plant in many parts of Africa.
Now, readers are telling about red okra... so this is the beginning, to explore the bigger scope of okra and bring back the glory it used to enjoy which is "the traditional food plant"...
~ bangchik