Tag: flowers

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Unlocking the healing power of plants

Garden as a means of joy and wellbeing

We often, perceive and use plants for their sheer beauty, overlooking their innate potential to nurture all life on earth. 

Beyond providing tangible benefits such as medicine or food, plants play a far deeper role in supporting us mentally, physically, socially and spiritually. Irrespective of how one engages with them – actively, passively or sub-consciously, there’s constant interaction with plants. In our everyday lives, there are countless instances where one directly or indirectly reaps their benefits. Be it the food we eat or day-to-day materials we use or the air we breathe, every single thing we consume is a derivative of plants.

Unfortunately, over the years, the meaning of gardens and landscapes have changed radically, thus undermining their value in our lives today. From being a place of enjoyment to being a platform of appeasement, the inherent ability of a garden has been truncated. The indiscriminate use of templatized and over-commercialized non-native materials such as exotic ornamental plants, lawns, non-biodegradable products, is gradually changing their identity to mere beautiful decor objects.

On the brighter side, a garden full of plants can be many things beyond grandeur. A pharmacy, an orchard, a farm, a meditation corner, a fitness centre, a cultural or social hub – a garden can serve many purposes if designed with a vision and built with the sustainable principles.

3 things that you must consider in your garden to unlock the healing power of plants:

1) Sensory experience:

Several landscaping experts restrict the use of flowering plants in design in the name of maintenance issues. However, flowers are integral to our environment and our health. Fragrance, colour, texture, the process of blooming, every aspect of flowering plants have a deep impact on our emotional and mental well-being. Such stimulation of senses is one of the important and intangible benefit that such a garden offers.

2) Natural elements:

The idea of listening to running water from a fountain, touching or walking on stones, tasting berries or smelling flowers, together create a healing effect on the mind and soul. What is a garden if it’s not a place that is characterized by peace and silence, free of rubbish but just the sound derived from wind, water, birds or insects! By integrating natural elements such as native vegetation that attract and support biodiversity or water bodies that regulate the internal climate, there are several ways in which a restorative garden can have a healing effect on our body and mind.

3) Garden design:

Design of a garden is not just affected by desire of its designers but also by the establishes who organize it. A garden should be shaped functionally and aesthetically in order to attract and fulfil the user’s needs. From deciding the size of a garden, to creating opportunities to interact with nature and reducing the maintenance in the long-run, there should be a balance between aesthetics and sustenance.  

According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 billion people are living with mental health disorders, with conditions such as anxiety and depression inflicting immense human and economic tolls. Several studies have indicated that nature has positive effects on our health and can be a place for restoration from stress. 

In the coming new year, let this be your new resolution. Don’t think of creating a beautiful garden, alone. Think of how you can create an opportunity to restore the joy and well-being at your disposal, a safe space that helps you establish a deeper connection with nature, an ecosystem that makes you feel beautiful from within.

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Plant of the Month – Parijat

Botanical Name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

A marriage of beauty and benefits, Parijat, popularly known as Harsinghar and Prajakta, has many surprises in store.

Native to India and rest of Southeast Asia, this plant has been revered in several walks of life. From blooming in the night to being used as a key ingredient in food, Parijat is integral to India’s rich traditions from medicinal, religious and landscaping uses.

It is known by many names across the world – Night-blooming Jasmine, Tree of Sadness, Tree of Sorrow, Coral Jasmine, Sephalika and the list goes on. A small, deciduous shrub, Parijat produces striking orangish red and white flowers that are highly fragrant in nature that open at dusk and finish at dawn.

In addition to beautifying any garden or recreational space, Parijat offers a host of other benefits too. The orange dye from the corolla, nyctanthin, is used to dye silk. Traditionally, the native people of Eastern India used the plant to help predict weather and rainfall as the flowers were deeply associated with the autumn season. Being a sacred tree, this divine flower is widely used in India for making garlands, and other forms of worshipping.

Talking about medicinal purposes, the leaves have been long used in Ayurvedic and Homeopathy medicines for treating several bone related illnesses.

Religious and mythological stories around the flower are abundant too. It is being said that this flower has the bark of gold, leaves of copper colour and bears a fragrant, rejuvenate fruit. In Hindu mythology, Parijat was one of the five trees that emerged during the legend of the Samudra Manthana as described in the Mahabharata and the Puranas.  

Parijat can be easily grown at home in pots, provided the plant receives full sun – 4-5 hours of direct sunlight. It does wonders in an outdoor environment, if planned well.

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3 ways to transform your terrace

Let’s be honest. To have a terrace space in a space-starved city like Mumbai, is a blessing and privilege, both.

Beyond serving as a hang-out zone or an unused corner, a terrace can fulfil several lifestyle goals for its users, be it a personal or society space. With a burgeoning concrete jungle around us and rampant felling of trees, creating your own green sanctuary could be a good idea for your long-term health & well-being.

Here are a couple of ways in which you can transform your terrace into a multi-functional garden space:

1) Edible Garden

To have a sun-kissed space and not utilizing it to generate your own organic food, can be a big oversight. While several experts may argue that a vegetable or herb garden doesn’t meet the aesthetic goals of a terrace landscape, the fact is that there are ways on which it can accomplished.

From creating neat garden beds around the walls to raised beds which can serve as a central courtyard, an edible garden can be wisely integrated with the other elements. All you need is the intent of plucking your own food, at your convenience, at your doorstep. Be it a herb garden or your favourite fruits or the daily veggies you consume, such a terrace garden can become the purest source of your health journey.

2) Fitness & Wellness  

If the idea of an edible garden seems overwhelming, then you can consider balancing it with something more suitable to you. If you’re a fitness enthusiast, imagine working out in an open environment which is free of pollutants, fresh air and perhaps a degree or two cooler than its surroundings.

Yes, this can be made possible by integrating nature thoughtfully in your space. For instance, in place of using exotic hedging plants, one can create a border of tall, dense fruiting and flowering trees. Just the corners while keeping the central space free for your gym equipment or yoga mat. This way you can ensure two things a) create optimum shade in the central space while ensuring privacy from the surroundings b) maximize therapeutic benefits with the fragrance of fresh flowers in the mornings and fruits, edibles that you can relish. 

3) A Green Extension 

Still looking for something simpler? Then, consider having a simple green space which could be an extended space of your interior. Sometimes having even a smaller patch of green is good enough. Several studies show that people who spend time gardening or in garden, tend to have a better quality of life with improved physical, mental and social abilities.

From selective potted plants to an open lawn space with a comfortable outdoor seating, a water feature or just simply a green carpet, are a few ways in which this minimal green space can be created.

However, before you embark on this green journey, there are a few thumb rules to follow. Fundamentals of setting-up a terrace garden starts from waterproofing, drainage channels, structural strength and weight-bearing capacity are paramount to creating a low-maintenance gardening effort.

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Plant of the Month – Thunbergia

Climbing plant that produces blue bell like flowers

Thinking of creating a vertical garden? Then, ditch the commercial systems and bring home Thunbergia.

While the green walls look beautiful from the outside, they often require heavy maintenance. Even the initial set-up costs for a vertical garden can be daunting as much as the post set-up maintenance. Moreover, the constant upkeep that’s required to keep the plants healthy in the small pocket-sized planters can be discouraging.

On the contrary, setting up a vertical garden with the help of natural systems can not only bring down costs but also enhance aesthetics and sustenance in the long-run. Plants such as Thunbergia grandiflora can fulfil this desire with ease.

An evergreen vine, Thunbergia is a fast-growing climbing plant that produces thick green foliage and vibrant bell-shaped lavender coloured flowers. It is best to create a green façade anywhere in no-time with negligible maintenance. All you require is a trellis or chain-like fence or arbors for the plants to climb on and they will do the rest without your intervention.

Native to Asia, this plant is known by many names in different regions. From Bengal Clock Vine, Bengal Trumpet, Blue Trumpet Vine, this plant can be easily grown in any region in India.

Besides the beauty, Thunbergia also finds its place in spiritualism and medicine. Symbolizing the colour of Lord Krishna, it is known to create a calming effect on the mind. In ancient medicine, several parts of the plants were used to treat headaches, piles, and early rectal cancer, depression, skin problems, joint pain, etc.

Being an indigenous plant of India, it is very hardy in nature, requires very little maintenance and can survive the worst of all seasons. One can easily grow this plant in balconies, terraces or larger outdoor landscapes.

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Plant of the Month: Aboli

Botanical Name: Crossandra infundibuliformis

Who doesn’t like a perennial, bountiful garden! In this quest, selecting the right set of plants that balances both seasonal and perennial outcomes, is paramount. At the same time, ensuring that it’s hardy, lesser-prone to pests, and vibrant, could make this task a bit harder.

But not with Aboli! Crossandra infundibuliformis easily checks all the boxes with ease. Native to India, it has rightfully earned its position in our botanical heritage, owing to its abundance of bright orange blooms. From embellishing hairstyles of Indian women to becoming an integral part of daily rituals, this flower continues to win the hearts of many.

Once a state flower of Goa, Aboli is gradually and sadly evading the Indian landscape and botanical heritage to its foreign / exotic counterparts. Interestingly, this plant is also called Firecracker flower since its seed pods tends to explode onto the ground like a firecracker when nearing high humidity or rainfall. 

Also being high in medicinal properties, Aboli’s extract is widely used to treat minor headaches, aperitif, fever, pain, and also wound healing. This plant is best suited for people who are looking to create a low maintenance, perennial garden.

Being native to our environment and surroundings, it is better placed to fight pest attacks or diseases. Like any other flowering plant, Aboli likes direct sunlight of at least 3-5 hours to produce those vibrant flowers.

Maintain your garden’s perennial beauty with Aboli!

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Plant of the Month: Ixora

Ixora

Botanical Name: Ixora coccinea Linn.

Everyone loves a perennial garden! A garden, which can stand the test of changing weather, places, people, etc.

In garden planning, the choice of flowers and foliage plants makes a lot of difference. For instance, the simple humble Ixora promises perennial flowering with a colour blast in your garden. A native of India, Ixora coccinea is known by several names that characterises it. From Flame of the Woods, or Jungle Flame or Jungle Geranium, this plant produces flowers that looks a mini bouquet of delicate flowers bunched up together.

Being a native, it is an extremely hardy plant that grows profusely in a medium sized shrub. Though there are several hybrid and dwarf varieties available today to fit your garden as the case may be. For hedging, this is a perfect plant owing to its thick leaf coverage as well as striking flower bunches that make a statement in any garden.

Ixora has been widely used in traditional medicine i.e. Ayurveda due to its richness in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Owing to this, most parts of the plant from flower, leaves to roots are used to treat conditions such as arthritis, asthma, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic illnesses. It is also consider to purify air and increase humidity levels, making them ideal in drier climates.

This low-maintenance, happy-go-lucky plant is a gardener’s favourite, which you may find growing throughout India. Hard to believe that one plant can check all boxes, isn’t it! After all, gardening is all about trying and trying until you grow it!

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Why should housing societies invest in a sustainable garden?

An evening stroll in the garden and came back with an itchy skin? Your pet accidentally chewed on some leaves and felt uneasy? Maintaining the health, look of your garden is digging a hole in your pocket?
If any of the above scenarios read familiar to you, then it’s time to transform your society garden into a sustainable garden. As pretentious as it may sound, it is just about going back to our roots.
1) People-Friendly:
Since society gardens are used by everyone, especially the vulnerable – children, senior citizens, pets, one must be conscious of the plants being used in such spaces. A few plants are known to be highly toxic for the above groups such as Dieffenbachia, Lantana, Morning Glory, Croton, etc. Instead using native plants can create a safer space for all.
2) Environment-Friendly:
What is the purpose of a garden without its residents? The sight of butterflies and the melody of birds makes a garden pleasurable. By using chemical-free, organic fertilizers, pesticides or any other plant care materials, every small space can do its bit in protecting biodiversity. At the same time, using such natural products enhances soil health, longevity of plants and reduces its carbon footprint.
3) Pocket-Friendly:
Can we create a garden which is aesthetic and low on maintenance at the same time? Yes, of course. Replacing exotic plants with native / indigenous and hardy varieties can not only increase your garden’s lifespan but also reduce maintenance costs to a considerable extent. Native plants are well-adapted for our local climate. This means, they’re more resistant to pests – hence, reducing the use of pesticides. They contribute more towards soil nutrition – hence, reducing the use of fertilizers. They’re hardy in nature – hence, they tend to survive better in harsher weather conditions – hence, reducing the replantation efforts.
To sum up, the choices that we make in our gardens make them sustainable. Choices that put self-sustenance at the centre of garden design. Choices that create a balance between contemporary aesthetics and traditional wisdom.
If any of the above scenarios read familiar to you, then it’s time to transform your society garden into a sustainable garden. As pretentious as it may sound, it is just about going back to our roots.Be it the colours from flowers, the vibrancy from birds and butterflies, the joy of growing your own organic food or a cooler sense of surroundings, a garden has much more to offer than one can think. From improving our physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, to even social health, it can enhance our quality of life. Not just for us, but everyone around us.
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blog Native Plants of India

Son Champa: A perfume that spreads joy

Magnolia champaca aka Son Champa or Son Chafa is a native tree of India, and is found in abundance throughout the country.

It is popularly known as the joy perfume tree in English due to its strong aroma and attractive yellow petals, which is a key ingredient in perfumery.

The flowering season usually starts from May and stays until December. From a large, evergreen tree to a bonsai shrub, Son Champa is one of the most fragrant and aesthetic flowers indigenous to India.

It holds immense ornamental, medicinal and religious values. From anti-cancer to antimicrobial, antioxidant properties, Son Champa is an all-rounder plant to ensure one’s wellbeing. In Indian scriptures, Son Champa is revered as a sacred and divine flower. From Lord Vishnu to Lord Krishna, son champa finds it way in almost all mythological stories in India.

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3 reasons why you don’t need a lawn

A lush green, perfectly manicured lawn is something we all plan to have one day. But what if we told you that you could have something better along with it and that too, with minimal maintenance?

Yes, this is possible. Using sustainable gardening techniques, you can transform your lawn into any lively space you can imagine. From growing your food in small patches or creating a colourful and fragrant flower garden, your lawn can be an oasis of life.

Starting a lawn garden may seem difficult. A little bit of planning and investment in laying the right foundation can make it self-sustainable in the long-run.

Here are the 3 things you could start in your lawn:

Start a small vegetable or herb garden with the help of contemporary raised beds.

Create a colourful border with different flowering plants that are rich in aroma and beauty.

Use your lawn as a green hangout space for the friends of you and nature.

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Myths v/s Facts: Bigger the better

Myth:

Size of pots determine plant growth.

Can we create a garden which is aesthetic and low on maintenance at the same time? Yes, of course. Replacing exotic plants with native / indigenous and hardy varieties can not only increase your garden’We often, think that our plants need more space than they have currently. Larger and bigger the pots, proportionate will be the plant’s growth.

Especially, potted houseplants need more space to grow. This may not be necessarily and entirely true.s lifespan but also reduce maintenance costs to a considerable extent. Native plants are well-adapted for our local climate. This means, they’re more resistant to pests – hence, reducing the use of pesticides. They contribute more towards soil nutrition – hence, reducing the use of fertilizers. They’re hardy in nature – hence, they tend to survive better in harsher weather conditions – hence, reducing the replantation efforts.

Fact:

It is important to choose the right size and kind of planters depending on the plants you have.

Every plant has a different root system. Some grow deep, some remain shallow.

When smaller plants are given extra large planters, they may in fact not survive owing to dispersal of water in the soil. Hence, understanding the space requirement for plants is very crucial for their healthy development.

One easy tip to check if your plants need more space – tilt your pot and check underneath for any roots coming out of the hole. If yes, then your plant is wanting to be repotted in a slightly larger planter. If no, then it is okay with its current home!

For instance, Orchids like airy planters while palms can remain pot bound for a very long time. For shallow rooted plants such as houseplants or indoor plants small sized and wide shaped planters would do just fine.

However, for deep rooted and fast growing plants such as flowers, edibles, etc you must invest in deep or tall height planters.

So before, you start repotting your houseplants, look at the signs and choose the planters wisely.