Can you guess how old these flowers are? Four days. Yep, four days. And, will last probably for another three days going by last two weeks’ experience. Want to know the trick? The resident florist (read: the husband) buys me fresh flowers every week, or let’s just say there are always fragrant rajnigandhas and these colorful beauties in the home. I used to add just a dash of sugar to keep them fresh and they would stay for about three days, after cutting the stem in running water by an inch every other day. A few days ago, I added lil vinegar and salt to the water, and voila, they have stayed through the week. Try it out and tell me if it works for you! Image courtesy: taken at home
Wish you all a very Happy Diwali. The evening is yet to begin. Here are some random pictures of the rangoli I made today.
This is a virtual tour of Vriksha Nursery in Mumbai.
Every store owner I’ve spoken to has exhibited that one quality that sets them apart and keeps them going day after day: passion. But, at Vriksha, it was a tad different. The e-mail exchange was full of life, energy to go on, and enthusiasm to do more – it felt as if I were there in Mumbai amidst the greens. I felt happy knowing Vriksha. Yes, happy, was the word I was looking for to describe my virtual experience of Vriksha.
I wrote to Shaan Lalwani, horticulturist and nurturer of Vriksha nursery. His parents created this green heaven in Mumbai 34 years ago. Yes. 34 years. Gardening is close to my heart and I know for many of you too. There’s tons of priceless information, here, in this post from Shaan, that comes with experience. So soak it all up and let’s put it to good use in our gardens.
Snippets of my conversation with Shaan:
A little background about Vriksha in Shaan’s words: “Vriksha has 100 different herbs fruits and vegetables (local and exotic) all for sale at the nursery. The idea here is to make gardening interactive: carnivorous plants, insect repelant plants, edibles, aroma plants etc. I’m 26 years old and thankfully have a team of 45 people willing to try (sometimes fail) new things.
Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Mom is into the 6th year and next year she heads to japan to give her teacher level exam under the grandmaster in japan. She arranges flowers in offices, hotels, events in mumbai and thankfully she still after 25 years in the line still wants to do something diffrent…”
1. What would be the ideal potting mix – soil and cocopeat and in what proportions for a balcony?
Every nursery has their own little concoction when it comes to garden soil ….some say 50-50 some say 70-30…our soils at the nursery are a family recipe 30-mud-30-cocopeat-30-coal-10 sand(leached). Reason we do that is it keeps the soil light and airy…also I’ve been playin with the idea of wood chips in india for a while results are awaited …
I was happy to discover Swedish home fashion site SIA. As lovly as the products are, the site is also a mine of styling and home decor ideas that can be easily adapted here to up the glitz and glamour quotient this Diwali. From what kind of flowers will look good in what kind of vases as centerpieces to how to mix and match candles, you’ll find it all.
So, are you ready for some quick exploration?
If you have a silver jug, you could turn into a vase with two or three stems of scented flowers like Rajnigandha to bring richness.
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Colored candled in a metallic container on a wooden table completes the picture. A cluster like the one below, or even a single piece like this, coupled with some bright flowers will look attractive.
I saw a peacock feather inspired centerpiece and was floored by the vibrancy and the life the colors brought to the table. Not too many colors, but the color play from blue and green has a stunning effect over all against the dark wood table. It’s fresh, nothing like you’ve seen before. The silkiness of the fabrics, ribbons coordinate well with the peacock feathers. The simple white vase accentuates the beauty. Would you use this idea for your Diwali setting? Combine this with a few floating candles and the picture is perfect. Craving for more? Stay tuned for more styling ideas tomorrow. Pat: This is for you. I’m sure you loved it. Image courtesy: Love and weddings
It finally feels bright and cheerful. After a damp weekend, the summery sun is back – shining on Bangalore. Before September is over, it’s time to wish Sharon and Rekha of The Key Bunch who are celebrating their second blog anniversary. What a nice way to bring in their blog’s third year through flowers. I share a few corners of my home decked with flowers in recent months… Can you smell the fragrance of Jasmine flowers floating in water? Nothing better to liven up a dining table than bright flowers and fresh fruits. A bouquet from my husband for my birthday A serene corner of the drawing room Another bouquet – for my husband on his birthday. Yea, we are a family of florists :).
A wedding anniversary, a birthday, and the day for professing love world wide – all fall in the month of February. In other words, the house is smelling fresh of flowers and bouquets all round the month. My husband used to be once called a ‘florist’ dearly by friends for the amount of money he spent (umm, invested!) in buying flowers. I’m not fond of red roses, so they never find a place in our flower arrangements. Rajnigandha is a personal favorite. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day and much to my surprise, this year, my husband walked in with a huge bouquet containing a dozen Rajnigandha sticks nestled in pink and white roses held together by lavenders. How do you forgive/forget and bury a argument? Flowers have always done the trick for me; they are also a cheap and instant way of decorating and bringing cheer into a home. As the…