Tag: therapeutic plants

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Plant of the Month – Shatavari

Closeup fresh green bush of Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus Willd.)

Botanical Name: Asparagus racemosus

Creating a low-maintenance and beautiful garden is an ambitious combination for many. But not when, one chooses sustainable gardening practices, starting by choosing native plants.

However, a constant challenge is to find native plants who can help us in fulfilling this vision. Today, commercial plant nurseries are flooded with exotic species and information about our native plants is minimal, if not rare.

If you’re thinking of landscaping your large outdoor spaces or greenscaping your smaller indoors such as balconies or terraces, then one such plant that can be easily found is Shatavari aka Asparagus racemosus – “the plant with hundred roots” in Sanskrit.

Often confused with Foxtail Fern (Asparagus aethiopicus), Shatavari is one of the most underrated and underutilised plant in the world of landscaping. Packed with medicinal qualities, it can add both environmental as well as aesthetic value to any garden. It’s beautiful, pine-needle-like foliage coupled with its pretty little white blossoms makes it a winner almost everywhere. One may use this humble plant as a filler in hedges to add that touch of glamour while balancing simplicity among other plants.

In several walks of life, Shatavari is known to be associated with something. For instance, it derives its name owing to its ability to increase fertility and vitality among females “who possesses a hundred husbands or acceptable to many”. In Ayurveda, it is known as the ‘Queen of Herbs’ as it promotes love and devotion.

A native plant of India, one can use Shatavari not just for greenscaping but also for its rich medicinal properties. From treating serious illnesses to enhancing moods, Shatavari is known to a remedy for almost 100 types of diseased conditions. 

If you’re thinking of adding greens to your garden, don’t miss out on this green gold.

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

Native alternatives to popular exotic plants in India

Native climbing plant of India

You might be wondering why I need alternatives to exotic plants? What harm will these plants bring to anyone? The fuss about exotic plants isn’t just about their aesthetic appeal but sustainability – for you and our environment at large.

Worldwide, developed nations are now realizing the value of native, indigenous plants in their ecosystem and working hard to reintroduce them. This realization has come at a heavy price though. From heavy garden maintenance, biodiversity loss, degrading soil health and erosion, reducing green cover, rising temperatures and the list goes on.

In the short-run, effects are hardly felt. Though some are visibility evident such as the movements of birds, butterflies, bees. For instance, birds use their intelligence to recognize exotic trees and avoid building their nests on them. Non-native or exotic trees are weaker in the rooting system as compared to the native trees and are more prone to falling. A good example of this is Mumbai’s popular Gulmohar tree, which dot our cityscape but also pose as a major threat during monsoons.  

Like Gulmohar in the city, our homes are filled with exotic species too. Be it indoor plants such as Monsteras, Pachira, Bird of Paradise or invasive outdoor species such as Lantana, Bougainvillea, Morning Glory, these pretty plants can take up a lot of your time, space and effort if left unchecked.

Here a few alternatives to exotic and invasive plants while planning your home garden which have near similar aesthetic appeal:

Ixora (Ixora coccinea) – Alternative to Lantana

Popularly known as Jungle Geranium, Ixora is a perennial flowering plant with striking clusters of flowers available in different colours

Madhumalti (Combretum indicum) – Alternative to Bougainvillea

Attractive flowers, which blossom like a bouquet of different shades of pink, red and white, can fill your garden with a sweet, unforgettable scent unlike its global counterpart Bougainvillea.

Thunbergia (Thunbergia grandiflora) – Alternative to Morning Glory

Creating a natural green wall couldn’t be easier with Thunbergia. It’s thick green foliage coupled with beautiful purple flowers can create a sturdy green barrier in no time.

Kaner (Nerium Oleander) – Alternative to Thevetia

Drought resistant, perennial, flowering and bushy – what more can a garden demand!

Son Champa (Michelia champaca) – Alternative to Plumeria

A highly underrated, hardy, fragrant plant that adorns our festivities every year. Son Champa can be a great addition to any garden – big or small.

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.

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

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blog Sustainable Gardening Basics

3 reasons why you need garden therapy

We are surrounded by jargons. Especially in the green world. From biophilia to sustainability, every concept seems convoluted. Though if one tries to dig deeper, the simplicity behind such complexity can be truly uncovered.

To understand, we first need to revisit the basics. What is a garden? What is it meant to do? Why should I have one? Before we deep-dive, we must remember that there’s no right or wrong answer, it’s just a matter of our own interpretation.

There are several definitions of a garden. A plot where flowers, plants, fruits, herbs are cultivated. A place meant for enjoyment with plants. A planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display with grass, ornamental plants.

Well, a garden is all of it and much more. It is a collective of people and plants, where they come together to celebrate life, appreciate beauty, harvest bounty and above all, share joy.

A garden is also one such place, that embraces every kind of gardener – one who is actively involved in planning, observing, nurturing, sharing insights, being physically involved in the act of gardening or making use of the garden for leisure, recreation and other purposes.

And it takes care of the passive ones too – who don’t engage themselves in the process but yet reap the indirect benefits by being around. From the calm and cool of green to the scent of flowers, plants have this magical, intangible impact on everyone.

Here are top three reasons why everyone should consider garden therapy:

Holistic well-being: It is a known fact that plants can heal our body. And, they can also heal our mind and soul. From reducing stress, improving mood and memory, enabling social skills, promoting emotional growth in form of self-esteem, to making one self-aware, a garden has a lot of offer for us.

Pollution-free environment: Every plant exhales oxygen and inhales carbon dioxide. It’s a natural phenomenon called photosynthesis. By doing so, every plant contributes towards cleaning the air we breathe, bringing the rainwater we drink and cooling the climatic conditions we live in.

Health and lifestyle: By adopting organic and sustainable methods of gardening, one can produce his/her own food chemically-free. From herbs to vegetables, an organic garden can help increase vitality, longevity of people while also inviting beneficial pollinators to pollinate our food naturally. After all, a healthy body and mind can enjoy life to the fullest.

A garden is more than a place of past-time or a hobby. It has the potential to heal our body, mind and even soul. This form of therapy is the most pioneering, pure, and powerful gift of nature for us.

Try it to believe it!