Tag: native plants

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

FAQ: Where can I get sustainable gardening products?

The answer is simple and within your reach. To create a garden with sustainable materials, you don’t have to travel far.

Buying these products online will certainly give you a variety to choose from. However, longevity and sustainability – especially in the case of plants, remains highly doubtful.

For example, when you buy plants online, they travel from various locations outside the city. The time spent in transit from one location to the other in a cardboard box pushes the plant into shock. By the time it reaches your doorstop, it has already suffered the long journey and transplanting in a new environment becomes lesser conducive.

When it comes to plants, always buy from a local nursery or plant store. It not only ensure good health of the plant but also reduces cost of transportation, carbon emission etc. Plus the entire experience of visiting nursery itself is fulfilling.

Same applies for planters. Each city in India from Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata, Ahmedabad is filled with skilled pottery artisans. Visit any local pottery hub to acquire some unique terracotta planters for your garden.

To sum up, here are two interesting ways
of making your garden sustainable.

Go local

Buy terracotta planters from local pottery artists, native plants from local nurseries, and other gardening materials from local stores.

Not only it will save you the transportation and packaging hassles but you may just find artistic and real products too.

Up-cycle

Reuse, recycle some of your junk / used products into interesting planters. Using empty plastic bottles, glass jars, tin boxes, can be made to grow plants that do well in water and lesser soil.

From money plants to kitchen herbs, such planters can help you make your own style statement.
Needless to mention, we will be happy to assist you in your quest to make your garden fully sustainable by recommending local partners who can fit the bill.
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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Microblog Series: 3 daily routines for you and your plants

There are several similarities between us and plants. Our basic necessities are theirs too. In order to understand what plants need, a gardener must think about his or her own daily wants, such as Hydration, Fresh Air and Health Check-ups.

Hydration

Our water or liquids intake differ from season to season. In summer we feel more thirsty as compared to winters. Same is with plants. To understand how much water they need, look at their leaves. If they’re upright, they’re fine. If they’re drooping downwards, they’re thirsty.

Fresh Air

We all are oxygen loving creatures. A daily dose of fresh air is all we need to keep our lungs healthy. While plants can survive in closed, non-ventilated spaces, they might not thrive. Keeping them in open air or breeze can keep pests at bay, ensuring their good health.

Health Check-Ups

Prevention is better than cure – applies to plants as well. Diagnosing problems at the right time can give them a new lease of life. Whether it is a pest attack or lack of nutrients in soil, such problems when detected in early stages can help the spread and long-lasting effects.

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Myth v/s fact: Maintenance v/s sustenance

One of the most common questions or concerns while creating a garden is centered around its maintenance. For new gardeners or beginners, this alone becomes the single, most important decision-making factor.

So let’s help our friends who are thinking of starting a garden.

Myth: Creating a garden means a lot of maintenance.

Gardens especially indoor gardens require more time, resources, attention and care. We need to install modern technologies such as humidifiers, mystifiers, air conditioners, for the plants to survive.

Fact: The kind of plants one chooses decides its maintenance.

Native or indigenous plants generally doesn’t require as much care, support and interventions as much as exotic or foreign origin plants do. They can sustain themselves easily if the garden is built using the right principles.

Native plants by default become low-maintenance as they’re well versed with the climatic conditions, weather and environment around them. They have spent centuries learning and adapting to it. These plants deploy their natural, in-built defence mechanism against unpredicted weather changes, pest attacks, or any kind of external influence.

Having said that, plants are like human beings. While they need food, nutrition, air, water among other things, they also need a gardener’s love, care and attention in order to thrive and become fully self-sustainable.

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

FAQs: What is the fuss about exotic plants?

If an exotic or non-native plant is introduced in a new country / region, it may thrive equally well like the locals. However, it comes at a cost. Both for you and our environment.

Exotic plants affect the ecological functions in several ways.

Outnumber natives

To survive, exotic plants multiply at a much faster rate than native plants. In the long run, such exotic plants become invasive and push the native plants into extinction.

Degrade soil quality

In the race of survival, exotics end up consuming more nutrients present in the soil. Slowly and gradually, this process deprives native plants of basic nutrition to grow.

Reduce foliage area

Leaf canopy or structure of such plants is usually thin, fragile. Exotic trees such as pine don't let other plants to grow besides them, thus, reducing the green foliage area.

Induce pest attacks

One of the common problems with exotic plantation is frequent pest attacks. Native plants have the immunity to fight known and unknown pests as compared to exotics.

Bring new diseases

Plants from different countries may carry along certain organisms and viruses. Such scenarios can give birth to new diseases among plants on a foreign soil.

A simple observation related to the movement and settlement of birds can give us an idea of this impact.

For instance, birds use their intelligence to recognize exotic trees and avoid building their nests on them in the absence of an alternative. (non-native or exotic trees are weaker in the rooting system as compared to the native trees and are more prone to falling).

On the other hand, invasion, predation of birds is higher when they settle down on exotic trees v/s native, displacing species and eventually leading to their extinction.

Exotic plants are not bad by themselves. They are just plants after all, but happen to be in a different place, unknown environment, and more often bring along a host of issues. The human endeavor to introduce and multiply exotic plants in non-native conditions creates a negative impact on the local ecology.
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blog Client Project Sustainable Gardening Basics

5 native alternatives to popular houseplants

In our earlier post, we talked about the top five exotic houseplants. But what do we use in their place?


Here’s a list of native or indigenous plant that can serve as alternatives to exotic plants in your garden. Such plants are not just similar in terms of size, shape, colours, formation but are pro local environment.

Start by adopting these hardy, low-maintenance indoor plants that can serve as great alternatives to exotic plants.

While creating a new garden or adding plants to your existing one, choose plants wisely. Building a home garden with native varieties has several benefits – for you and our environment.
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blog Native Plants of India

5 houseplants which are disruptive for our local ecosystem

When it comes to choosing houseplants for indoor gardens, exotic plants dominate the decision-making. However, these beautiful plants come at a cost – financially and environmentally.

Today we are uncovering top 5 exotic plants that are invasive in India. Exotic plants means plants that are introduced from foreign regions.

These are common houseplants that belong to different countries and have been cultivated in India to beautify our homes. In the process, they have also proven to disrupt and destroy local habitats in and around us.

These pretty plants are making our environment fragile due to their invasive nature – that means, they can reproduce at a greater speed than native plants, thus,
  • Taking away from nutrition from the soil as compared to native plants
  • Outrunning the growth of local plants
  • Degrading soil quality and causing soil erosion
  • Breaking the food chain for local biodiversity
  • Disturbing the micro-climatic conditions and ecology in the long run

Making a conscious choice of creating gardens with local or indigenous plants can not just save costs but also our environment.

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Flower of the month – July – Kaner

Kaner
Oleanders or kaner are one the most talked about flowers – for good and bad reasons both.

Kaner or karavira (Nerium indicum) as its popularly known in India, holds a special place in Ayurvedic medicine and Hindu religion. Strong bushy structure, colourful flowers and deep green leaves make it one of the most favourite ornamental plants in landscaping throughout the country.

It is a paradox plant. On one hand it is considered to be highly toxic for humans, pets, birds, etc. On the other hand, this indigenous, hardy plant of India is loaded with healing properties too. Almost all parts of the flower from its roots, barks, leaves have rich medicinal quotient. From skin disorders to treating life-threatening diseases such as cancer, diabetes, etc, Kaner is nothing less than a miracle herb.

As per Vastu Shastra, the white kaner flower is considered to bring wealth and prosperity as its associated with Goddess Lakshmi. On important festivals, kaner is offered to Gods for eternal health and happiness.
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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Top 5 issues related to home gardening in India

Place of birth

Who doesn’t like Monstera or Pachira? These gorgeous, top-dollar plants have left a long-lasting impression – not just on us but also on our environment.

Native to the Central and South Americas, such plants when brought to a foreign land needs a lot of help to survive. After all, change of place doesn’t impact our health alone but of plants too.

Understanding nativity or place of origin of plants can help you make conscious and cost-effective decisions for your garden.

Build your garden instead with native plants such as Champa (Plumeria), Chameli (Jasmine), Balsam (Rose Balsam) and so many other aromatic, medicinal ones.

They will not only uplift your senses but also support the friends of our planet aka bees, butterflies, birds.

Special Growing Conditions

Lucky Jade and Aloe escaped the scorching heat of Africa’s desert to make their way into our tropical and humid climate.

To make such succulents survive, one has to invest in a special soil mixes, growing conditions, etc. to replicate their home environment.

Overwatering and wrong soil mix issues among succulents are the most as compared to other plants,. Such issues reduce their survival rates to negligible.

Instead, choose native succulents such as Malayan Spurge (Euphorbia antiquorum), Indian Spurge / Dog’s Tongue (Euphorbia neriifolia).

Such plants are well-versed with the local environment. It can be a good start to opt for such native, hardy succulents, if you love such plants.

Toxic Content in Plants

Talking about mindless gardening and not mentioning about Dumb Cane will be really dumb on our part.

Dieffenbachia, popularly known as dumb cane, has the potential to render someone speechless. It is one of the most toxic houseplants commonly found today. With its poisonous raphides, it can give someone infectious skin allergies to both people and pets.

Similar to dumb cane, most exotic houseplants today such as ZZ (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum) etc have toxic elements which can harmful to humans and animals upon ingestion or exposure.

When you think of creating an outdoor garden, replace such plants with native varieties that have numerous health benefits.

From nettle to neem, select plants that are useful to you, not harmful for your kids, pets or anyone in the family.

Depletion of Resources

Imagine one day you wake up in a city taken over by aliens! As crazy as it sounds, growing exotic plants, especially outdoors, is just like inviting an alien invasion.

In order to survive in unfamiliar, sometimes hostile conditions, such plants reproduce in abundance to create their future generations. In the process, they not only take over the local habitats but also erode soil quality over time by sucking out groundwater, essential nutrients, etc.

Lantana, Morning Glory, Bougainvillea, Eucalyptus, Pine are a few examples of invasive species in India which have outrun several native plant varieties.

Native alternatives to these plants such as Ixora, Thunbergia, Madhumalti (Rangoon Creeper), Sal, Deodar are beneficial to both – your garden and our environment.

Barrier to Biodiversity

Plants which have originated in some other parts of the world and introduced in an unknown place are known as exotic plants. Such plants are cultivated in controlled environments to make them survive on foreign soil.

Some of the favourite houseplants Pachira, Dracaena have originated in the West and introduced in all parts of the world. Such cultivation not only disrupts the local environmental cycle but also degrades the foreign habitat.

Instead adopting and using plants which are native, originated or endemic to your region can help preserve soil health, biodiversity, among several other benefits.

Keep this is mind the next time you choose plants or seeds for your organic farm or lawn.

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blog Native Plants of India

Flower of the month – Lotus – June

Lotus

Popularly known as the god’s own flower, Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera) marks the onset of Jyeshtha ritu in India. From its beautiful pink, white petals to its stems and roots, the lotus is considered to be one of the most important flowers in the country.

This delicate flower has touched several walks of life from architecture to textile, botanicals to recipes. Even in this century, lotus continues to inspire design in every aspect.

It also symbolizes various aspects for different cultures. In ancient Egypt, it was considered to be a symbol of sun, rebirth and creation because of its unusual behaviour which marks the beginning and the end of the day.

For Asian communities, it continues to a symbol of wealth, prosperity, purity and fertility. Its unique traits of submerging every night into river water and miraculously re-blooming the next morning, sparklingly clean is a symbol of hope to many.
Its stems known as Kamal Kadki in Hindi or Lotus Roots in English is used to prepare several delicacies in Asian cuisine.
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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Microblog Series: 3 things that make your plant happy

Plants may not be demanding your attention most times. However, like us, they also need suitable environment to flourish and grow in life. A little insight in their likes and dislikes can help you cultivate a happy and healthy garden.

Here’s a list of three basic and simple routines that are beloved to your indoor and outdoor plants:

Planters that are made out of natural clay are both plant and environment-friendly. Such material is breathable as it allows oxygen’s inflow and outflow.

Additionally, terracotta let’s the water dry out as compared to other materials hence minimising the chances of root rot in plants. In short, plants love and thrive in terracotta v/s other materials.

Watering is the most important aspect for potted plants. How we water them makes a huge difference in their growth stimulation.

Showers make them nostalgic of rains – something that they eagerly await for every year. Watering cans with shower-heads work best for plants as they spread the water evenly in the soil.

Nutrition in plants mainly comes from soil. While good organic soil is good enough to provide essential nutrients to plants, they do need top-up dozes too.

Fertilizers derived from desi-cow breeds such as cow dung cakes, jeevamrut are beloved to plants, more than even vermi-compost and other forms of bio fertilisers.