Our mango tree

We like to tell people that we are very happy to have a mature mango tree in our new home. The tree seems to be an old one judging from its trunk. When we first saw it in November 2012, it looked gaunt and missing some branches (likely from natural causes like typhoons) and our contractor actually asked us if we wanted to get rid of it. We decided against cutting the tree as mangoes are strongly linked with our families. The Clairvoyant's family on her mother's side comes from Zambales and have had mango trees in their lands for as far back as they could remember. On my father's side in Iloilo we also have had mango trees in our lands. It was a "no-brainer" to have our own mango tree.

The mango tree the first time we saw it back in November 2012.

Our mango tree - photo taken last April 12, 2014 with its branches decorated with lichen and mangoes ripening everywhere. We poured a bottle of water we got from Dauis Church in Bohol in 2012 and afterwards, the tree seem to have come to life, rewarding us with lots of fruits.

Orchids and other plants now adorn our old mango tree

Among the orchids are sanggumay, which is an indigenous specie that's popular with its large flowers. Ours were given by close friends and already have buds hanging. My mother is also growing sanggumay in her garden and has told us that she will give us a few for our garden.

The harvest from our kalabaw mango tree - ripe and green mangoes just the way we like them.

Our mango tree now stands as a sentinel for our home. We like to think of it as an ent (ref. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings) guarding us from unwanted elements and that it comes alive when we are asleep to keep watch of other trees and plants in our home.

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