Koh Sumoi, Thailand

Last spring while in Thailand I sampled, then obtained some gorgeously spicy peppers. When I say obtained – I mean I stole them right off the plate the waiter gave me. He had just picked them off of the growing bushes that surrounded the inside of the veranda I was seated at. I thought the foliage was just for show. I grow things, so this excited me. The fact that I asked for extra spice in my curry and was given spice straight from the bush itself tickled me. “I CAN DO THAT!”, I said to myself. I used a few of the peppers then wrapped the rest in a napkin and secured them in my handbag.

Once I returned home to Harlem I left the seeds in the napkin on the windowsill for a few weeks to dry out completely. The images below show the progress from seedling to pepper producing. Be INSPIRED by this beautiful progression.

The first seedlings

At peak height – about 3 months in

Green before red – I thought I would have a mix of both

and the first “harvest”

SEEDS provide MORE heat

then i dry them on the windowsill for a week or so!

i also thought they would grow a little larger

easy storage, pick-dry-drop

these peppers do not like the sun … they grew better in the winter, surprisingly

thriving