The Flowers and Fruits in My Cojimar, Havana Garden

Photo Feature by Nike

HAVANA TIMES – Ever since I was a little girl, I have been very interested in plants and the fruit trees in my backyard.

I have always enjoyed planting things, even if it was just cacti or flowering and fruit-bearing plants in tin cans. I planted almost all the plants in my garden myself. I remember the mango I bought from an elderly man who was sitting on the porch of his house. I liked it so much that I told myself: this is the mango tree I want to have in my yard. And there it is beautiful and leafy, with its delicious fruit. I have been enjoying its bounty for more than 10 years.

I also have two avocado trees, two very valuable trees that bear lots of fruit, and there is a story behind one of them.

It turns out that my grandfather only wanted banana plants in the yard because he had discovered that on an Asian island people lived on bananas alone and didn’t get sick. Since banana plants need a lot of sunlight, he didn’t want any tall trees because they cast too much shade over the yard. So he went out with a machete to cut down one of the avocado trees. When I saw what he had done, I found a piece of cloth and tied it around the avocado tree’s trunk like a suture. Fortunately, he hadn’t cut it too deeply, and the tree continued to grow. It became so beautiful that even my grandfather ended up eating its fruit.

So that his banana plants could enjoy the sunlight, I planned to transplant them to the back of the yard, next to the fence. That way they would be protected from the wind while all the plants could get some sun.

Another of my favorite plants is the guava tree, which is covered with little guavas all year round. My soursop tree grew from some seeds my sister gave me, and its fruit is very sweet.

Having a yard with actual soil is a wonderful thing, considering everything you can grow there. That’s what Carlos says, a good friend whom I care about very much and who also loves plants and gardening.

Every few years I plant other edible plants, such as passion fruit, which I love. It is packed with vitamin C, and its juice has an exquisite flavor. I also like medicinal plants and have quite a few: several varieties of basil; lemongrass, which helps control blood pressure; and chamomile, which is relaxing, good for the stomach, and magically clears up heat rashes.

When my children got sick with “la China,” I bathed them with that plant, and thanks to it their little rashes dried up. With Aloe vera, the plant of life—you can cure just about anything by consuming this plant. One of my favorites is Cuban oregano, which has many culinary uses. What would a good pot of black beans be without a few oregano leaves? And it has medicinal uses as well.

I have two types of mint, which are excellent for digestion and other stomach ailments, as well as helping you relax. Cordovan is a plant used to treat all kinds of respiratory ailments. I also have caisimón de anís, (The root beer plant) which many people ask me for because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

In general, we use these plants at home. They are our pharmacy for all kinds of ailments, and if I don’t have what I need at home, I look for it in the few patches of woodland that remain in my town. I am always happy to help neighbors, friends, and anyone else who needs my medicinal plants.

Last year I planted several pigeon pea plants. They have many beneficial properties, and I have already harvested my first crop. I made my first congrí (rice and beans Cuban style) with them, which I highly recommend because it has a delicious flavor. Pigeon peas are also high in protein, as well as containing other vitamins and minerals.

Of course, I couldn’t leave out the coconut palm. A very dear friend gave it to me when she got married. She thought it was an ornamental areca palm, and when I saw it, I told her, “But that’s a coconut palm!” It has been bearing fruit for me for 20 years.

And I couldn’t finish without mentioning the bananas that my grandfather defended tooth and machete! They are delicious, sweet fruits from the Johnson variety, and everyone who tries them is fascinated because it is a variety that is no longer seen in the markets.

My friend Carlos gave me a seed from a plant called sacha inchi, which comes from Peru. Its seeds contain all three omegas, it grows very well in Cuban yards, and it is delicious.

The rest of the plants in my garden are flowers, cacti, and a few orchids and ferns.

I invite you to enjoy my treasures.

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