Papo's Garden

As a kid, I remember pulling weeds out from the backyard, working alongside my grandpa, Tatay--as we called him, who tended the backyard of my parents as well as the ones on Drytown Court. He planted different vegetables and fruit trees, kept weeds out. Those hot and sunny days spent outdoors, helping my grandpa are still some of my most vivid childhood memories. I can still remember squatting for hours, digging into the earth, getting dirt under my nails, finding caterpillars, grasshoppers, and garden spiders. I'm glad I got to help him and work alongside him as a kid. It's pretty cool watching Miles, being so interested in plants and trees, take an interest in the same backyard I tended to as a kid with my grandpa--Tatay, except today, the backyard is now worked by Miles & Darrien's Papo. His labor of love.
It would be nice to live next to the ocean again. And it would be cool to have a redwood forest behind our place like how we had one in the Presidio. But stepping out in nature can be as simple and as satisfying as stepping into a garden--small or big. It's no wonder why Papo spends so much time out there. It's so peaceful. Makes me want to just whip out a book and read under the shade of the fruit trees. Miles loves checking out the different plants Papo has in his garden, noticing all the fruit that is ripening on the trees too. He reminded Papo, who's leaving soon for another trip back to the P.I., "When you leave, I'll take care of the garden Papo." I'm sure that would please Papo too! When he came back from a 2 month vacation, everything was overgrown and even dried out. But within a few days of non-stop gardening, he restored it's beauty!
The other day, Miles and his older but little brother, Homie, explored the backyard together.

Miles spotted some really cool succulents.

"Ooh, look what Papo has!"

He's peepin' the cactus.

"Succulents everywhere!"

Miles got to pick some fruit...

While Homie sifted through the apples that fell from the tree.

Then they walked through the backyard and found...

A Persimmon Tree

An Orange Tree

A Calamansi Tree

Before Papo leaves back for the P.I., I'm going to ask him to help Miles and I re-plant some of our house plants that have outgrown their little pots. Miles has been wanting to make his own succulent garden so that would be a cool project he could do with Papo too. He is the one with the green thumb after all. I have no idea what to do but would love to learn with Miles too!