Mulberry Trees

Mulberries

What's so good about Mulberry trees?

I have a small plot of land for my little garden. The down side is that there is a big monsoon drain beside it . Sink holes were inevitable, no matter how many times I refilled to seal them with rocks and earth, the holes kept appearing, due to heavy rain pours that washed the soil away and caused some earth movements.

April 2019- holes were found beside the drain next to my garden

 Apart from heavy rain pours,  reptiles like monitor lizards  love digging holes into the soil near the drain to nest. 

This is our new neighbor. A monitor lizard. I have named him "Harry".

 He looks about 3 feet long, at least. I hope not to see him too often. 

This photo was taken by my son. 

Look at "Harry", enjoying his sunbath!😎

One day as I was searching for information on how to manage soil erosion, I came across an article written by Pharma Innovation  showing the ecological values of the Mulberry trees.

What amazed me was the tree has been used for years by many, for their fruits as superfood, and their leaves to release oxygen into the environment and their deep root system to manage soil erosion.

Whether or not it's true, I just need to find out by planting them or I will never know.

I have also read a few articles from different writers to give me a wider view of Mulberry trees.

In one article it says the trees can absorb about 4000 kg of carbon dioxide and release about 3000 oxygen to the environment each year. I am not good in science but from what I understand is, it's a good thing. All trees help improve air quality to our environment.

They have strong deep root systems which help to hold the soil and manage soil erosion. 

Another article wrote that the roots of Mulberry trees release a chemical which may kill the rats and keep them away from the garden, though it did not go into detail of how it is so.

A few articles advised to plant the trees in river sides and slopes because the strong root system that holds the soil well, also conserve water in the soil to prevent soil erosion. So I thought, this may help in my sink holes near the drain. Instead of letting the hole gets bigger, I had better get going to do something about it before they get worse. And I feel that planting Mulberry trees maybe the best option. Not only is it inexpensive but by having those trees, they can give ample shade to my garden.

Rows of Mulberry trees at KOKOL HAVEN RESORT

Last new year eve, I was on a holiday to KOKOL HAVEN Resort which is up the hills of 2,400 feet height, I noticed the owner of that resort planted so many mulberry trees along the slope. Could it be that it does help manage soil erosion and land slide?

Not only Mulberry roots benefit the soil but their edible, delicious, sweet sour, dark blackish red fruits are super food. The leaves can also be made into tea that has traditional medicinal properties.

There are many evidence based articles written about Mulberry leaf for their uses, benefits and precautions. One of them was written by Jillian Kubala in healthline. click here if you are interested to read in details.

Mulberries are very nutritious fruits which has a lot of Iron, Vitamin C, Anti oxidants, and have been linked to lower cholesterol, blood sugar and cancer risk.

Many have made use of the fruits to make Mulberry pie, soup, liquor, smoothie drinks, or just eat raw as fruit itself. 
Looks like it's a God given plant. 

November 2020

More Mulberry trees were planted along the side of the pathway beside the monsoon drain near my garden.

My 1st mulberry tree planted since 2019

Unripe green young fruits

Sign of fruits ripening soon - changing from red to blackish red. They looked like Raspberry. 

Look at this bunch! Clusters of Mulberries!  Aren't they beautiful?  I was so excited when I saw them fruiting for the first time 😂. 

This was taken in November, Christmas is coming and these red fruits made the tree looked so "Chrismassy"!

Mulberry are not a fussy plant and could grow easily in all kinds of soil, in pots and grounds with full sunshine. 

Year 2019 - I  bought a RM12 mulberry nursery plant from local market. Those selling in the market were matured enough to plant direct to the ground.

Dec.2019 - From the market to the soil.

The next day, I was happy to see it was adjusting well to the soil under the hot sun and grow well on moist well drained soil.q

 One of my Mulberry trees at the entrance of my pathway. 

This photo was taken early in the morning of December.

Beautiful morning, isn't it? Clear blue sky and a tree with mulberries hanging all over like a Christmas Tree😂.

Freshly plucked Mulberries from my garden.

 Those with half red and half black fruits has a mixture of sweet and tangy taste. If it's completely red, it's sour but if it's dark blackish reds then it's sweet. Depending what you want. I want to try the Sweet and Tangy!😁

 Mulberries juice

they are easy to make.

Blend the fruits with a cup of cold water for a minute or two at high speed.

If you like Mulberries Smoothies, add a few ice cube to blend together.

A very refreshing morning breakfast juice!

The next day, I plucked another batch of Mulberries ( 500 gms) from my garden.

One of my friends advised to make Mulberry Jam. 

I asked them to share some tips about the recipe but none of them has done it before😅 .

 So I went into google and Utube to find out more. I was excited but skeptical about it at the same time because this was my first homemade jam! I  came across "give recipe" by Zerrin and Yusuf from Turkey. The recipe was so simple and easy to follow. I decided to follow their recipe using only 3 ingredients- Mulberries, sugar and lemon juice. The jam turned out well.

Those who are interested to know how to make the jam can click on the above "give recipe".

Mulberry Jam

Successful Mulberry jam

Using sterilized bottle will keep the jam longer in the fridge.

My morning breakfast 😂

Toast bread with my homemade Mulberry Jam and a cup of hot tea!

Tea Time 

 Cracker biscuit with homemade mulberry jam and fresh cream. Yummy!

What about the leaves? Is it edible?

Some research claimed that drinking Mulberry Tea, 3 times a day in long term, helps to lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides and good for those with hypertension and type 2 diabetes. 

I plucked some leaves, dried the washed leaves in open air.

When the leaves are dried and dehydrated, they can be made into tea leaves.

Dried Mulberry leaves for Tea in a unique strainer

A cup of Tea with fresh Mulberry leaves

A friend shared a recipe on how the leaves were boiled together with bones, red dates and black bean to make soup which the magazine claimed, is good for the knees of the elderly. I have not try that yet BUT recently I tried making half ripe papaya with mulberries pickles and surprisingly it was ooooo amazingly delicious! 

If u want the recipe, you can ask for it through the comment and I will post it to you. 😊

References

The wonder of the mulberry trees

Root system of mulberry

Journal of pharmacognosy and phytochemistry

The Pharma Innovation Journals

Mulberry: An ideal plant for sustainable development

Mulberry for environment protection

All you need to know about Mulberry

Uses,Benefits and precaution

Super food

Mulberry Leaves

Black Mulberry

Mulberry Jam without Pectin

My Garden Bench

A garden bench can make a big difference to our surroundings.

It is something that we can sit comfortably on, at the same time we can relax on it, then we are able to enjoy the beauty of the surroundings.

At night when it’s not raining, sitting outdoors, feeling the cool atmosphere and enjoying the moon and stars in privacy. Having a garden bench in your own garden, makes us feel safe compared to sitting in public, especially now with Covid-19 still on going.

Picture of a Garden bench on display at our local superstore with a price of Rm400 each.

Wooden bench for customers who need a break while shopping at our local shopping Mall .

After seeing these benches, I began to look into google for ideas and inspiration, to see if any Website will attract my eyes. There were so many styles and ideas, but I was attracted to Ana White website "Over the big moon". It's simple, beautiful and looks easy to make.  

I decided to use Shorea wood also known as tropical hardwood which has many trade names.  Our locals called it "Seraya".  Not only is it cheap but it's easy to find too, because these timbers come from our Borneo rainforest.😊 Shorea wood is similar to Teak wood. Just a matter of interest. Shorea trees can grow up to 300 feet in height!😅

Shorea is well known for it's durability and resistant to damage from insects, fungus, and moisture decay. That's why this type of wood is ideal for outdoor furnitures.

I have linked here her website on her plan, so anyone interested can click on it and check it out. I can reassure my friends that it's really easy to make one. I have tried, so I can comment😜. Just follow her plans and instructions. Not only me, many have tried and commented also that it's good. I even painted my bench the colour ( as near as ) she used, since I can't find her colour of "Sparrow by Behr", I just chose any sky blue colour.

So on 14th December 2020, I started to go to a wood warehouse to get some timber for the project😂

I bought the necessary wood for about Rm150 and extra Rm3 for labour charge for them to cut the wood accordingly to the measurements I gave.

I took my time and did it slowly. No rush for me. haha...

 

As instructed, i predrilled holes on all the wood pieces before attaching with screws

 

Assembling the wood starting with the seats first

The legs, arms and bottom legs as per instructions.

Bit by bit, stage by stage until the whole bench was completed, now ready for painting.

My grandson helped to smoothen the edges of the seat before painting, making it more comfortable to sit on. Sharp ends of wood can be catching and cause cuts to our skin.

7.1.2021

Completed 1st coating of paint. 

10.1.2021

2nd coating of paint completed and letting it dry under the sun.

11.1.2021

DIY Bench ready for use in the garden!

It's not perfect but comfortable and secure enough to sit outdoors, especially at night when we can watch the moon and stars. 

I did some modifications. The wood size I used were smaller 1" x 2" wood instead of a 2" x 4".  As for the planks instead of using 6 inches I used 4 inches.

The advantage of making your own is that you can customise it, according to the size you like and finish it with any favourite colour you want.😂

The outcome is very rewarding and satisfying. I am over the moon for my achievement!😍

The good thing about creating and making things in our daily life is, we feel proud to have achieved something we had personally made. This feelings are very healthy for our mind and body.  😂

Ana White has been using her garden bench for about 8 years and still using it now. I will see how long my garden bench lasts.

It's also an ideal place for a family photo taking 😂!
Everyone in the family loves squeezing into it, to get a share of the seat including my children, children in law and grandchildren😅😅

The garden bench won't be complete without an outdoor coffee table!

I used unwanted cracked seat plastic stool and a cracked mouldy condemned chopping board😂

Using "no nail glue", the board is stuck to the chair seat permanently.

Then I painted the chopping board with the left over paint from the garden bench.

A very observant friend of mine, noticed there were still a little bit of paint left in the tin so she suggested to paint the legs of the chair as well. My husband thinks ,putting all same colors will lose it's jazzy looks. Both opinions were good. So I .......😏

painted the legs of the chair with the remaining paint😄

But turning on the other side is maintaining the point of view of my husband . 😁
Win Win Opinions 😂

Now I have a coffee table for free!😊

Photo during a rainy day

The Bench has been a popular photo taking site for family members and friends. 

Surrounded by nature, giving the opportunity for vibrant photos😂

Daughter's in-laws 

updated photos of my garden bench- April 2021

Too serious this posing lah!😵, Come on! Let's have some fun!

Creative writing group since 2013 - only 4 of us are in constant contact till now👍💪.

updated photos of my garden bench- April 2021

That's better! 💪👍😂

References:

DIY garden bench-Ana White

Shorea 

Transferred to a luxury prison after landing!

The plane landed at 9pm at Kota Kinabalu international airport. I was escorted to the Health authority who gave me 2 options. Free Accommodation (hostel type) or a hotel at my own expenses. I chose the latter. After all the paper work done, I was transferred to a government van,  escorted by uniform guards and then "handed over" to another uniform guard at the entrance of the hotel.

It was almost 11 pm when I arrived at the Capital Hotel entrance.

 The concierge was very helpful upon my arrival with my luggage. Before entering the hotel lobby, I had to register with the policeman who was sitting next to the entrance.  A photograph was taken by the police, with both of my arms and legs spread out like a "criminal".😜

Then I was sprayed from head to toe, including the soles of my shoes with disinfectant and temperature taken by the concierge  before entering the hotel lobby to proceed to the reception. 

Staff at the reception were also helpful and gave me the card-like room key and internet password.

 I was reminded to follow the Quarantine SOP strictly which I knew wouldn't be a problem for me😉

After arriving in my room, I  sanitized as many surfaces as I could find, including door knobs, bathroom handles, toilet seat, table, chairs, desk etc. Even though the room had been cleaned and sanitized before I checked in, I still wanted to do it, just to have some peace of mind. No harm in minimizing as much viruses as possible, that might have settled on the surfaces in the room.😏

 Room was clean and comfortable.There was sufficient toiletries and clean bath towels.

 

I went straight to bed after a shower.  The moment my head hit the pillow, I went off like a light to the Land of nod.

Ever since  Covid 19 hit the whole world, it is now in chaos . Every one suffers. The rich and poor, the healthy and sick, the young and old. everyone, everything. each moment is .. unpredictable.

Covid 19 is life changing to us all. Many began to appreciate more of precious times and loved ones.

The 14 days quarantine may not be as terrible as some have described, depending on the condition of accommodation. I was lucky that I got a nice comfortable room with WiFi, TV channel and a small window, So at least I didn't feel so claustrophobic. It's more like a holiday than a detention.

Views from the room

I woke up the next morning, sun shining through the window. My room was No 806 on the 8th floor which has a beautiful  panoramic view of the city, this included the sea and distant islands.

City view

 
 Sea & island view

 Hills view

 It feels good to be home again even though I needed to undergo the 2 weeks quarantine in a hotel.  Health authority would come to do a nasal swab on Day 2 and D9. Blood test would be done on D13 which was just a finger prick. The list of names for the test and those for discharge would be sent to our group chat which was set up by the hotel management on your phone. That was how we all communicated with the hotel staff and everyone staying in the hotel.

I monitored my temperature every morning and recorded in the form provided by the KKM.

At Night

Night view from the window at 8 pm

When night falls, the road was much quieter but the shopping mall's vibrant night lights were lively to watch from my room.

I slept with the curtain wide open. Sometimes when it's not raining, the night sky was so clear. I could see the half moon in the sky from my bed surrounded by thin scanty clouds, making it look so romantic.

  

The hotel I was staying was superb because there was a little window where I could keep it open, or opt for using the AC.

Meals were served 3 times a day and the doorbell would ring to indicate that meals had arrived which were left on a white table outside the door. No direct contact was allowed with anyone

 

Some pic of the meals. I did not snap photo of  every meal😏. The white table was basically a delivering and receiving point for anything between the person who was quarantined and the hotel staff.

 

Every morning a bottle of drinking water and toilet roll would be placed on the little white table. For other stuff such as coffee, tea, shampoo, shower jel, soap bar, pillow covers, bed sheet , towels etc they would be delivered on request. 

Sometimes, I didn't fancy the breakfast provided by the hotel,  so, I decided to make my own hot oatmeal with condensed milk for my breakfast.👍👍😂 

Varieties of beverages I brought with me😜 Nestum, Milo, Horlicks aside from coffee and tea provided by the hotel.

Bin were emptied every  9 am and 5 pm 

There were many self activities we could think of, to keep ourselves busy and it all depends on our "mind set" of how to keep ourselves occupied. Even if I was not busy, I made myself busy. That was how time passed by fast for me during my 14 days detention in my Luxury Jail😅😅😅

Early in my quarantine, I turned to thoughts of  one of my hobbies, ie plants.

Rare plant - yellow dragon fruit plants

These plants had been with me since March, 2020. I planted them from seeds in Singapore and brought these babies back with me 😁. 

It was lovely to see them every morning in the room.They looked pretty and their greens did cheer me up  inside the room. 

Laundry service was not provided. Fortunately, I prepared a little bucket and a hanger for self laundry😁

When my laundry had dried, I further dried them on the window sill to  get some sunlight.

Families were allowed to bring in sealed food. These were my comfort foods😋😋

Surprised visit by my family 😁

And I could only see them from the window 😂

When it's raining, it's lovely to just lie down, relax and listen to the falling rain on the glass window 😊

Some kind of "exercise" to pass time😜 By the time I was done with my tasks, I  was sweating cobs😅💪

Tidy my own bed was a good start, first thing in the morning to get organised 😄

Alternative activity - continuing my unfinished knitting

Thanks to the high tech era that now E newspapers and E books are available on line so we don't have to carry heavy books in our bags anymore.

Lord of the ring was a good ebook for me to read. I searched for this novel through Google at novels 80.com

Lastly, a very IMPORTANT activity, sitting on my arse or lying on my back, watching DRAMA for up to 16 to 18 hours per day with REST in between and this is for the MIND and SOUL.🤭

So after 2 weeks you should remain sane and healthy (as no gym equipment available in the room)😜

Remember that during all this high activity you need to eat every 1-2 hours .😅😂😁 "High end Health Foods" are freely available online at KFC, Mac Donald, Burger King and Pizza hut, all were delivered with a smile from Panda or Grab😜🤣

Watch drama or any interesting hobby that you may like. For me, gardening is interesting and is my passion😊 

Netflix is another source of watching HD movies and dramas

Unlimited prepaid internet on standby

I had my prepaid internet on standby , just in case i was enjoying my drama and the wifi was crappy which could happen. No use moan or groan because it's not going to solve anything and  likely to make us more frustrated and going loony😈😈😈 unless you have the patience of a saint🙏, then it's ok😊

On my 2nd week of detention, I decided to start writing my story about my quarantine. Honestly speaking, I was "having a ball" on my 1st week of my detention😂.

But towards Day 11 it's getting a bit difficult to contain.  Someone from previous batch had warned us that by Day 10,  we would be a bit "lunatic". Judging from what he said, he may be right, I did feel a bit restless by Day11. 

To make things worse, knowing that some had completed their quarantine period and were going home, this  did affect me a bit. Even though it would be my turn soon but I just couldn't help feeling a bit envious and down 😥😔😕😌😭

 

No wonder previous batch said I would eat my plants by Day10! 😅Oh No! that's bad😨

But I won't eat my plants😜😝😛

My poor darlings were also affected by the mood😒😩😟

Signs of a lunatic,  ie, a messy room with unwashed cups, plate, spoons and rubbish all over the floor. I was not bothered to clean up , tidy or do anything, I just lost interest in everything😞

So to brighten up my mood, I started to order fast food😘😘 and lots of it too.hahahah

Such Luxury food can only be ordered once a day and only from 3 pm to 5 pm.😜

Day 13 -  Last day for the final test- a blood test.

Psychologically,  I was in good mood😂. knowing that it won't be much longer for home😁

My darlings also brightened up😂😎

Health authority staff with full PPE came around 1 pm with a test kit

Only a drop 💧 of blood was needed for the test.

I was informed the result would be out in 15 mins

Wasn't able to take this pic well. Anyway, it's just like the pregnancy test kit.

1 line means its negative. 2 lines means positive.

And My Result was...NEGATIVE!!!  HOORAY!💪👍😂 But I could only go
home in 2 days time ( 14 nights must be spent in quarantine )😕😒😞😞😞.
So actually it's Day 15😥 that i was finally  able to leave

Day 14

 High Tea to mark the last afternoon of my quarantine stay at Capital hotel 😁

Not because my eye is bigger than my belly but it's because I could only order such delivery once a day! So it's Tea time, Dinner and Supper! 3 in 1 !!!😛😜😝

Kiasu!!! Singapore famous word😅💪

Then I got the mood to start packing 😀

Bags were packed and ready to leave for the next day😏. 

I cleaned the table and cleared my rubbish which were left for days. 

Normally, when I came back from Singapore, the luggage was always full of  souvenirs BUT this time, they were full of stuff to entertain my 2 weeks quarantine that includes packets of beverages, food etc. 😅

My Last evening at Capitol Hotel, 

A Tidy and spotless clean table😂😁

Before it was like this...😅😈😆😆

The last night had fallen and I tried to sleep early around 8.30 pm but couldn't do so. Probably due to feeling of  excitement for going home the next day😅

So I watched telly

movie: The Avengers 

Finally, I manage to fall asleep before midnight.

Woke up a bit late than usual, about 8.30 am. Maybe it's a feeling of missing the pillows, bed and the room and  wanted to sleep a bit longer . Mentally after staying in the room for 2 weeks, we are bound to have some sort of bonding with the bed and room😅😅???

Packing done including my "babies" back into the transporter.

Around 11.30 am, the hotel receptionist  informed that the letter of release had arrived and we would be called one by one to come down to the lobby to receive the letter.

Letter of release

The letter was shown to the police at the desk near the entrance of the lobby door and after he took a photo of the letter, I was free to go, Hooray!!😷😂

All of us leaving on the same day, were very excited and elated with family members waiting for their release. It was indeed a happy occasion.

Everyone loading their bags hurriedly into their family car as if couldn't wait to get out of sight from quarantine experience😅

It's really a good feeling of freedom. That euphoric feeling was wonderful.

Can't put fully into words. So many emotions going through my head

I was still in a shocked state as I was adjusting with freedom. So when  everyone was waving excitedly to say good bye, I just sat there smiling like in a stance, as if couldn't believe my eyes that I was to go home!!😅😅

Until my husband came around 11.40 am with "Betsy", our loyal car.😂 Awww... so good to see him after so long with Betsy.😍

Concierge helping with my bags to my car😊.After waving everyone at the hotel good bye, we set off  in a car , I shouted out of window "Freedom"!

 I had a good comfortable stay at the hotel but home is still the best😂

Transferred my 4 babies from the bottle to a new home. 😂😍

The End of my prison "Quarantine" sentence.🙆💃💃