The weather is getting warm here. Blantyre’s winter weather felt like a California spring, so I’m a bit worried about the summer heat to come. The summer is also the rainy season and I am looking forward to seeing how green it gets!
On Saturday, August, 24, we used the tropical spring weather as an excuse to shop for plants for our patios. Kathy Beach was a dedicated gardener at her Maine home and here marvels aloud often how well everything grows. I had gotten a tip about a good plant nursery from Gladys Gadama, and knew it wouldn’t be hard to talk Kathy and Chris into coming with me to check it out. (Shelley was working and she missed the fun.)
The recommended nursery had a good selection of plants and we picked out a few favorites. But then we wanted some locally-made pots to plant them in. That morning, Kathy’s neighbors had recommended a place to buy pots – a road-side shop about 30 kilometers away, on the road to Zomba. Normally, we might balk at the expense of the trip, but it was a beautiful Saturday morning, we needed pots, and it was a chance to see a new area.
Zomba is reportedly one of the prettiest towns in Malawi and is about an hour’s drive from Blantyre. The drive to the pot shop had been pleasant and we were feeling both spontaneous and hungry, so our driver, Bright, agreed to take us about another 30 kilometers to the town of Zomba for lunch. TripAdvisor helped us pick out a local restaurant and we ate a delicious lunch while enjoying the view of their beautiful garden, including a hammock where monkeys and baboons were playing. We could see the Zomba Plateau in the distance and it looked inviting. We were running out of daylight and couldn’t continue traveling to the Plateau, but I hope to see more of it soon!
A Physician Educator in Malawi 
Glad that you are venturing out to see more of the country. A road trip is always fun.
Big hugs
Deb Hesse
PS Thanx for the photos.
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Love to you and Andy, Deb!
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Your photos of the gardens are beautiful. Your food choices look “adventurous”. Thanks for the update. Best wishes, Gene
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The raviolis were filled with a white fish and garlic. It was all cooked in olive oil. Healthy and delicious!
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Yum! Is that a ravioli?
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Good eyes! It was my lunch.
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Good eyes, Sheryl! I’ hope to take you there when you come visit.
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hi Kathy. Your sister Sheryl is a dear friend of mine. i am so thankful that she has shared your blog with me, Keep posting! And thank you for letting me follow along on your wonderful adventures! Kristi
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Welcome, Kristi.
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Oh Kathy, you are really enjoying your time there and becoming more adventurous. Your stories are wonderful. In looking at the gardens and plants, do they also have herbs there? What kinds? Their flower pots, are they basic clay pots or decorative? The food looks luscious. Is it spicy?
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HI Elizabeth! Yes, they have many of the same herbs here that we would grow. I saw basil, rosemary and mint plants at the plant place. The pots I used are actually traditional clay water-carrying pots and the man drilled holes in the bottom of the pots for me when I bought them. The Malawi food is not very spicy, but you can order spicy food at the Indian and Chinese restaurants in town. The food shown in this story was made at the restaurant, which is actually owned by an Italian family, so the pasta was delicious!
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The pots are beautiful, and I am sure the plants in Malawi are stunning. Your plants will do well, you are a nurturer. Hope your are well, and happy.😊
On Sat, Aug 31, 2019, 2:13 PM A Physician Educator in Malawi wrote:
> drbakermalawi posted: ” Plants and pots The weather is getting warm here. > Blantyre’s winter weather felt like a California spring, so I’m a bit > worried about the summer heat to come. The summer is also the rainy season > and I am looking forward to seeing how green it gets! ” >
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The plants are still alive (so far). I have to admit that after I planted them in the pots, the gardener who looks after the lawn decided that the plants would look better if they were arranged differently, so he repotted some of them. He was so proud of his work, I couldn’t tell him that I wanted them to stay the way I had originally potted them. Lol.
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