Looking for a home remedy (concoction) to cure that nagging running nose or cold? I’ve compiled a list of 15 easy to grow medicinal herbs in pots in your kitchen garden. A home that smells as heavenly as a spa. Some aromatic herbs to garnish your dinner – freshly picked from the garden. A herb infused flavorful water to quench the thirst during summer. A heady aroma filling your bedroom that will gradually lull you to sleep. Or, a natural sweetener for your diabetic mom? What if I told you I have more than 15 fascinating herbs growing in all corners of my house from windowsills to terrace and balcony that do all of the above, and more. And they are easy to grow in your garden, too. I didn’t plan the herb garden to begin with. It happened by accident, and then I…
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 …
Kitsch Mandi happened at Pebble, Palace Grounds on Sunday. Cars started rolling in from 1:00 p.m. By the time we left at 3:30 p.m., the crowds started pouring in undeterred by the overcast and the showers that followed; the party had just begun. There was food, crafts, quirky prints, funky accessories, chunky bracelets, kitschy clutches, and loads of artsy staff spread over the 50 odd stalls under one big banyan tree.
We’ve been to Dastkar, Kala Madhyam before. But, what was different about Kitsch Mandi is I got to see creations that one usually doesn’t get to see in the standard handicraft exhibitions. Most of the products stood out; it’s not a imitation of something. There was something individualistic – be it the clutches from Pink Jalebi, or the accessories from 22.c – a form of creative self expression. And, a crowd that appreciated it and was clearly having a good time with food and beer in hand and good music to groove to. Of course, on a honest note, if you ask me, most of it on display was pricey and clearly the target audience were not the masses.
My son at the potter’s wheel at the Culture Trails stall.
In one of the past issues of Good Food, I read about two nurseries in New Delhi – Rajdhani nursery and Joginder nursery that offer good horticultural help. The plants looked a bit expensive ordering online than picking them in person. Delhi readers of this blog: have you had any experiences with these nurseries? If so, please share your experiences. As you’ve seen time and again here, there is no dearth of herbs and vegetables that can be grown in balconies from basil, curry leaves and lemon grass to spinach, okra, chillies and tomatoes. The smile on your face when you spot the first flower and fruit yield every time is priceless; it has to be experienced. But, yes, contrary to what most magazines say that all your vegetable stock for your recipes will come from the balcony garden is not true. The produce is not enough to feed a family of…
Don’t you think “going green” has suddenly become so easy? I mean, with so many resources available and widespread awareness, it’s a lot more easier now to procure and nurture plants. I discovered Wingreens, an initiative by Anju Srivastava of Women’s Initative Network (WIN) that retails herbs and oxygenerator plants at malls.
You may already own some oxygen generating plants in your balcony garden without realizing that the greens are doing more good in cleaning up the air around you than you ever imagined.
The herbs come in fancy planters, so no initial work is needed around them, if you are short on time. Just nurture them regularly by watering and ensuring they get ample sunlight. And see your dream of having a herb garden come true.
If you are new to gardening, here are five vegetables that are easy to grow in pots in a small space such as a balcony. Take this small step towards growing your own food.
herb