Instead of beautiful flowers to grace her home; Peace Byamahoro Byabamazima’s abode in Bweyogerere, Wakiso district is surrounded by herbs and vegetables.
The exuberant green herbs and vegetables breathe life into her home.
Byabamazima’s home was not always like that while she worked in Kampala.
“My home had only flowers and some areas were vacant like on the walls,” she says.
However, when she relocated her business, in her free time, she started gardening.
She also wanted to supplement her husband’s income by curbing the expenditure on vegetables and herbs at home.
Even though her space was small, Byabamazima got creative and yanked flowers out of it, replacing them with garnishes, herbs, and vegetables.
“I grow kale, lettuce, cucumber, chayote,” she says. “This is because they supplement our meals.
“I concentrate mainly on vegetables because it is healthy for my family to have something green every day.”
However, her best vegetable is lettuce.
“I like lettuce because it grows very fast,” she says, “within four weeks; you are already harvesting it.”
Besides that, Byabamazima says lettuce is not easily attacked by pests.
Consequently, she does not spray it hence making it safe for consumption.
“I use it for my green juices and salads daily,” she says. “Imagine if I were to buy that from the market, how would I spend?”
For kale, Byabamazima reveals that one must spray it once in a while.
However, within one month of transplanting, they are ready for consumption.
In the containers, Byabamazima reveals that kale does not do excellently, but on the ground, it grows wildly.
Furthermore, Byabamazima grows cucumber in her home garden.
She says it takes about two months. Just like Sukuma wiki, cucumber does not flourish in pots. It grows favourably in the garden.
As you enter her home, beautiful chayote cascade from the concrete hedge that surrounds the house welcomes you.
“I bought three chayotes each at sh1,500,” she reveals.
“I planted them in July last year, but we have harvested baskets from it. We eat it every day, but it never stops growing. If I am to convert the chayote we have eaten, it would be too much money. If I were to sell it, I would still get a lot of money.”
Chayote does not need any grand soil to sprout. Within three months, you are already eating the vegetable and the leaves.
Byabamazima also grows mint, lemongrass, onions, and garlic in her backyard garden.
