Invite birds to your garden

     Be it a garden on your terrace, balcony or land space, you can create an environment that can be a habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and birds. 

    Any place that breathes fresh can hold life, and therefore, read on only if you are an organic gardener or plan to be one. 

In a previous post I mentioned the importance of water bodies in a garden. 

A wholesome garden will have flowers for nectar for bees, butterflies, and other insects, fruits for bigger beings like squirrels, and fruit droppings will be consumed by insects. These insects will be kept in check by reptiles like gecko, garden lizard and spiders. These geckos and spiders may, in turn, fall prey to the visiting birds. Smaller birds will become meal for bigger birds like raptors - Shikra among others. 

A Shikra waiting quietly to prey upon sunbirds in our terrace garden one evening

A complete cycle can be created in your garden and they all will live parallelly with your plants, trees and the water bodies. 

Butterflies are sign of a healthy green space

Some pointers for a healthy garden besides having what you intend to grow in your garden, be it a flower garden, fruit garden or vegetable garden.

1. Reuse whatever possible from home to use as containers. Not only will you be able to declutter, but also reuse and upcycle with creative ideas. Smaller containers can hold plants that are not so needy, like succulents. 

2. Make sure that all containers have holes in them. (A post on Container Preparation will soon be published).

3. Have a combination of plants that have varying stem strength, from soft stemmed grass to woody stemmed trees. 

4. Also have a combination of plants that grow to varying heights, from ground level grass to tall (as much as you can manage) trees. Keep these plants such that all tall trees are not cluttered close to each other and they do not have to fight for Sunlight or space to branch out. 

5. Different plants have different needs. Some need shade, some semi-shade, some full Sun, Arrange them so as to cater to their needs. 

6. Have a combination of flowers and herbs also. Some flowers are better at attracting butterflies. Like this butterfly weed or the Milkweed. 

7. Having made sure that you have a garden that is thriving or doing justice to the space occupied, let us keep one patch for the birds. Birds will come to a garden for one of is needs, water to drink, food, or water for bath. 

8. From your neighborhood, find out what you can attract birds with. Most often small birds need water for bath, if you have sufficient trees around your house, as trees will give them food and protection from predators. If it is an apartment, it'll offer none of their needs. So you may have to provide all. That is water and food.

A green bee-eater with a fly-catch

9. Have sufficient variety in flowering plants, esp. Ixora and hibiscus are very liked by bees and other pollinators. Once pollinator insects are there, birds will automatically follow. 

10. With one or more water bodies in place and garden that offers food for the birds, and a habitat that can support a variety of birds that would either swing on grass blades or need stronger stem for support, next would be to identify one part of the garden from where birds can enter your garden, from some trees in the neighbourhood. So birds can jump off back to the trees when they sense danger. 

11. At such a place, as in point 10, make an arch by bending some plant over, along the waterbody, so that the branches growing out of the arch can act as swinging sites for birds where they enter your garden, bathe, eat, play in the water in your garden

Now wouldn't that be a sight to behold!!! 

Microenvironment - The Unsung Hero of Terrace/Balcony Gardening

Here is an invitation to people who have been wanting to start growing but did not know how to.

Let us start with what we need to keep in mind for people who are starting to grow, in spaces where plants have never been grown before.

When we think of starting growing in spaces other than on ground, there are a few things we have to keep in mind. 

So when we grow in balconies, terraces or in any space where nothing has been grown before, we need to do something called 'conditioning', to make the place fit enough for plants to be able to grow. 

It is not enough to just keep a pot and start growing, we need to first create a microenvironment.  

Flower of a coccinea plant grown on terrace in a container

A 'microenvironment' means to create an environment that can support growth of a plant which will be rich in moisture, supporting microorganisms, not very fluctuating temperatures.

Many passionate youngsters/beginners tell me that they keep a pot in their balconies or terrace, give it all nutrition and water, yet the plant dies. One major reason for that is lack of a proper microenvironment that can support the new plant or sapling.

So how can we create a microenvironment for growing, especially in places where plants have never been grown, like in a new Apartment, a balcony where plants were never kept.

To start with, identify a place where you want to grow. 

Make sure there is at least 3-4 hours sunlight if you are growing vegetables or herbs, 5-6 hours if you are planning trees like mango, curry leaves, or pomegranate. 

1 hour or so if succulents. 

Or shade if you are planning indoor plants.

Next, keep a tub with water at the specified place before keeping any plants. Leave it for a week or two. 

Any kind of container that does not have holes can be used, terracota containers, large takeaway containers... Anything at all that can hold water

You can add some soil into it if you plan to make it a water lily tub; it is a very good idea to have when growing plants. 

A cement container with a water lily, Azolla and Water Cabbage in our Terrace Garden

You can add water lillies, neer bramhi cutting, water cabbage, reeds, or any other water plant into the tub after a week of keeping the tub. 

After two weeks you can introduce guppies or mollies or some such small fish into the water pond. 

Guppies and plants in the pond will support each other, fish poop will support plant growth, and tiny organisms growing on the plants and around it will act as food for the fishes. 

Aim for a self sustained system.

Tub can be of any kind, a clean 20 liter paint can, plastic bath tub, a ceramic container or pot with no holes, a plastic pot with no holes, or even a large bhandli or vessel from your kitchen that you do not want to use but do not want to throw. 

The more creative you are, the more unique your garden will be...

I have eleven water bodies on my 1200 sq feet garden on terrace. 

Another container with Dauben and Bramhi on our Terrace Garden
We have eleven such big and small water bodies on our 1200 sq ft Terrace Garden

The water body helps in ensuring that 

a) There is moisture all the time in the surroundings, to support plant growth. Plants do not do too well in bone dry environments like deserts, which the terrace would tend to get during day times, especially during summers

b) The moisture will hold small micro organisms in the environment, so that when the plant is kept, it'll exchange each others' strengths in withstanding the harsh environment of the terrace or sunny balconies

 

c) Plant will not be quickly infected by the pathogens that can grow in poor growth conditions also and affect weak plants quickly. 

Something like the commensals we have in our gut and skin that protects us from harmful pathogens present in air or sometimes in food or water. We do not drink sterile water, eat sterile food or breathe sterile air, right?

d) Water will attract birds, bees and other small insects that are an important part of the plant ecosystem to ensure pollination, and support other important life supporting activities

e) Water body adds aesthetics to the garden 

f) Fishes in the water body will not allow any mosquitoes to breed

g)  And most importantly, water body can pull away any negative energy that is generated at home and in your environment.

After a month when this water body is stabilized, you can keep your first pot with a healthy plant near it.

There you go! Take care of these and you are ready to grow!!!

In the next issue, I will tell you what to take care of before planting in a new pot that has not been used before to make sure that your plant remains healthy.

All the best.

Cynodon dactylon - When Grass is Greener this side

Drubha - Not Just Mere Grass

This is mere grass to us all, widely spread world wide and the unassuming component of soft lawns.

Interestingly this simple long leaved plant with parallel venetaion is medicinal. It has mentions in our Vedas, and is an essential ingredient in Pujas and Yagnas; no wonder it is also called Anantha and Shataparvika. 

Also called Bermuda grass, and Durva in Sanskrit, the green of Durbha is a treat to tired eyes and is speculated to alleviate stress.

All images are from my Terrace garden, grown organically on compost from wet waste from our kitchen

Growing, Propagation and Care: Durbha is usually found growing wild in most gardens, grasslands and farms. Its a very non-fussy plant to grow and propagate. The plant can be plucked up by its roots from soil and transplanted. Roots are fibrous, and grow to about one foot deep into soil. Transplantation shock is minimal, and can even survive dryness for 3-4 days. Uprooted durbha can be placed in water for a couple of days before planting in soil in ground or pot.

An extremely sturdy plant, it spreads easily horizontally, rooting at each node if conducive environment prevails, and hence minimum care is needed besides regular watering. This plant can become a weed and trouble by using up nutrition in soil if not kept under control. Regular trimming promotes denser growth.

Medicinal Properties: Durbha is a cooling agent; it has a cooling effect on the body. Durbha has almost 10% protein, it also has Soduim, Potassium, Calcium, and Magnesium. 

It's useful in cough and disorders of pancreas. Its good for promoting clotting. 

Uses:

*Young Durbha leaves are sweet and very refreshing. 

10 ml juice made from a handful Durbha with half a cup water ground and strained well is an excellent drink for energy; this juice is an essential ingredient in naturopathy treatment. It is best drunk first thing in the morning after morning ablutions.

*Durbha is known to be good for alleviating bleeding in general.

For bleeding through the nose in children, esp during summer, nasyam or neti (where typically lukewarm water is poured from one nostril and allowed to flow out of the other nostril. Please learn the procedure from a Vaidyan or Ayruvedic Doctor before performing neti) can be performed with a solution made using powdered shade-dried Durbha mixed well in warm water.

*Durbha is also useful against Dengue in enhancing platelet count. Grind a handful of durbha leaves with Papaya leaves and 2-3 inch long peeled Amruth (for details see here) stem, strain and drink the filtrate. 

So next time you see this plain 'grass', remember, Diamond is after all a rock...  

Ref: *Aushadha Sasyangal by Dr S Nesamani, a book on use of edible medicinal leaves in Ayurveda

        *Personal experience

Amruthavalli: Tinospora cordifolia

Amruthaballi - The Miracle Worker

Just as the name suggests, its Amruth, truly a nectar of eternity.

With very pretty heart shaped leaves and growing as a creeper, its a very sturdy plant, grows easily from cuttings, is an ingredient in many a 'kashayams'.

The stem of the creeper becomes woody-like, tough and fibrous on aging, and gives out long branches from the base of the plant. Stem is known to have great health benefits, and is used in Ayurvedic preparations.

Known as Amruthavalli or Chittamruth in Malayalam, Amruthaballi in Kannada, Amrutha or Guduchi or even Madhuparni in Sanskrit, Gulbel or Giloy in Hindi, and Heart leaved moonseed or Heart leaved Tinospora in English, this creeper truly is a much used plant in traditional medicine. Its also known as Indian Quinine.

Amruthavalli leaves are heart shaped, and stem is strong and becomes fibrous as it ages

Charaka in Charaka Samhita called this plant "The plant that kills jaundice" and "The plant that removes poison"! Indeed, regular use in small quantities delays aging.

Growing and Propagation: Cuttings can be planted directly in soil. Soil mix can be as weak as 1:10 of Compost to Soil mix. The plant sends out long strong creepers that is sturdy. 

Care: A very easy plant to grow, needs no special care. Just insert a cutting on soil and water regularly. Grows well in pots as well as ground. When the creeper starts elongating, give it a support on a tree, fence or some preferably woooden support. 

All images are from my Terrace Garden, grown organically on compost from wet waste from our kitchen

Amruthavalli creeping on an old cane chair

Amruthavalli or Giloy can also grow from seeds. Seeds are produced typically during summer; seeds are beautiful pinkish maroon, which turn black on drying. Dried seeds can be sown to produce saplings. 

Amruthavalli or Giloy seeds

Medicinal properties:  The stem of the plant is most potent. It helps in regulation of body temperature, purification of blood, improving digestion, improvement in overall body health, and is also useful in controlling diabetes, and cleaning kidneys. And lots more, enhanced immunity, delaying aging, throat health... 

What more can we ask from one plant!

Using Amruth:  Clean peeled stem is to be used.

General health: 3-4 inch long stem is to be crushed well with very little or without water, squeezed to extract the juice and drank for good health.

Against Dengue: Grind 3 inch Giloy stem with a handful Durbha (Cynolon dactylon) and papaya (Carica papaya) leaf with little water. Filter and drink.

I have used this for me and my daughter, and it worked like miracle. 

Happy Growing

Make sure you grow on Compost prepared from wet waste from home

So there's something to look forward all the time... 

Bacopa monneiri: Bramhi

Bramhi: The Memory Enhancer

Bramhi, also called Neer Bramhi, scientifically called Bacopa monneiri, is very rich in flavanoids, that have been implicated in Ayurveda for enhancing memory, healthy digestive system, and  promotes hair growth. It won't be wrong to call it a Wonder Plant!

Bramhi is a small leaved creeper, with about half to one inch between leaves. Leaves are small and spongy, and can root at each node, into either water or soil. 

(All images used are from my Terrace Garden, organically grown)

Bramhi growing alongside Dauben, in water

Long stems of Bramhi creeping down

Bramhi growing happily under water

In water, with some soil at the base. This form of growth gives best growth, thick and lush

Bramhi growing in soil alone. 

It prefers creeping on ground level and towards organic matter and moisture, looking to conducive environment to root.

Root formation at a node, as a mode of self propagation

Growing Bramhi: Bramhi can be easily grown in water, soil, or in a soil-water mix. Pots of height 6 inches is more than enough. Cuttings can be rooted easily in either water or soil. Little compost, some organic liquid compost or Bokashi leachate once a month will make the plant very happy, though it can grow well without it as well.

Bramhi is strangely a very purifying plant, it makes not only the air feel fresh, but also makes water clear. Add a stem cutting of Bramhi into slushy water and see how it becomes clear in a day or two.  

Care for Bramhi: Bramhi is a hardy plant, grows with minimum care. It grows well in full sun light, but may also grow in semi-shade. It gives out long creeping stems, which tends to root if it finds some organic matter and moisture. The more the cutting off of such long creepers, the bushier the plants become.

Uses: Bramhi is an active ingredient in fortified Hair Oil, and promotes hair growth. Fortified oil (see this for recipe) with Bramhi as a constituent can be made at home as well, using your favourite fresh oil. 

Bramhi is known to be a good memory enhancer and excellent for a healthy stomach. 
Leaves of Bramhi can be collected and used in chutneys as fresh leaves along with either coconut or dates or almonds, consumed with milk or porridge in powder form. 

Some recipes are there in this blog. Check it out. 

 Regular use of Bramhi also enhances immunity towards diseases, and some studies have shown that Bramhi has anti-cancer properties. 

So make Bramhi a regular in your diet and you will see a difference in the quality of your life.

Happy Growing

Make sure you grow on compost from wet waste from home.

So there's something to look forward to each time... 

Enriched Hair oil with fresh ingredients from your Garden

Fortified oil: Healthy Hair for a Healthy Body

Grow your own ingredients and make your own Fortified Oil

Medicinal plants can be used for making fortifies Hair Oil. Application of  herbal hair oil regularly helps promote hair growth with respect to its volume and thickness, making hair stronger, longer and healthier. It also helps prolong greying, and prevents early greying of hair. 

Materials needed: Seven Golden Ingredients, all can be grown easily in your garden. And three more, easily available in stores that sell Ayurveda stuff: Triphala.

So that makes it 7 (Medicinal plant leaves + 3 (Triphala churna) = 10 

What are these seven medicinal plants that can be grown easily in your garden?

(All images used are from my Terrace Garden, organically grown)

1. Brungaraj - Easily propagated from seeds. More about the plant here.

Needs sunlight

Medium water
Horizontal creeper

Part used: Leaves only

2. Bramhi - Easily propagated from cuttings.

Grows in water as well as soil
Horizontal creeper

Part used: Only leaves

3. Aloe vera - Propagates from side buds

Medium water
Care level - Zero

Part used: Jelly inside the leaves

4. Dark Holy Basil - Propagates from seeds.

Care level - Zero

Part used: Only leaves

5. Rosemary - The only difficult plant to grow

Propagates from cutting
Needs hard soil with woody chips
Medium watering
In pot, medium sunlight
On ground, grows in good sunlight
Maintenance - Regular pruning and compost

Part Used: Only leaves

6. Hibiscus - Propagates from cuttings

Grows well in sunlight
Care level - 10%. Regular pruning and compost with pruning.

Part used: Leaves. Petals of flowers can also be used in addition to leaves.

7. Curry leaves - From plant generated saplings, or seeds.

Care level - 20%. Loves dilute butter milk and responds very beautifully to Bokashi leachate.

Part used: Leaves

8,9 and 10: Triphala Churna. This is available in all stores that deal plant parts, Ayurveda ingredients.

Triphala is made of 3 components: 

Emblica officinalis (Amalakki in Sanskrit, Amla in Hindi and Nellikya in Malayalam)

Terminalia chebula (Haritaki in Sanskrit, Harra/Harrad in Hindi and Kadukka in Malayalam)

Terminalia bellirica (Bubhitaka in Sanskrit, Baheda in Hindi and Tannikya in Malayalam)


You can also prepare the fortified oil without Triphala, only with wet ingredients if Triphala churna is not available.

Amla (Embilica officinalis) (one of the three Triphala churna ingredients) can be ground and added with other wet ingredients).

Amla is cooling and keeps the head cool, which is the preferred state, but not very cold. If the body type is such that the indivudial catches cold very often, use just one amla for 1 liter oil. On the other hand, if the body tends to hot quickly, 3-4 amla can be added to 1 liter. 

If after using, if you observe any changes, catching cold too often, esp after applying oil, reduce time of keeping oil on head, or amla can be completely ommitted.  

How to prepare Enriched fortified oil

a. Separate out only clean dry fresh healthy leaves from all the seven plants

Bramhi leaves

Brungaraj leaves

Curry leaves

Aloe vera jelly

b. Grind all the seven together into a fine paste. Can use oil to grind well. Do not add water.

c. Add the paste to oil and mix well (I use fresh coconut oil) to make it smooth. Also add Triphala churna, @ two teaspoons for 1000 ml oil. Mix well by stirring.

d. Transfer to a heavy bottom pan and heat to boiling. Keep mixing while boiling. 

e. Heat until bubbles cease, the oil becomes calm and solid particles settle to the bottom, just before smoking point.

f. Cool. The solid debris will settle to the bottom.

g. Filter

g. Store enriched hair oil in cool dry place.

What about what's remaining in the sieve? The leaf waste?

Rub on hair. Keep for 3-4 hours. This promotes growth of new hair follicles.

Wash off with hibiscus leaves paste. (make a paste of hibiscus leaves with half cup water in a mixer grinder. Use whole as  shampoo. 
Rub well and wash off.

Nothing is wasted.
Everything can regenerated.

Isn't that what organic life is all about...

Let's bring back our ancient knowledge, for now we can, and we know how to grow each ingredient.

We have been at the mercy of commercial products for a long long time now, until they started to feed us even poison, and we devoured it because it was all to easy
Buy Use Suffer...

Now we can make our own, healthy and safe. 

It's not rocket science. It's our heritage.

Let's do it!

Eclipta alba: Brungaraj

Brungaraj: The Hair Promoter

A seemingly simple plant; nothing stunning about its looks. Plain white flowers, really small. 
But with its role in hair growth, it is a wonder plant.

Commonly known as Brungaraj, it can be used as fresh green leaf paste, dried powdered paste with water, or mixed with oil while making hair oil with supplements. 

The plant may grow to a maximum height of 4-5 inches, and then begins to spread at ground level. Deep rooted and strong, its a hardy plant that can withstand small periods of lack of water and nutrition. It can be easily propagated through seeds or cuttings.

(All images used are from my Terrace Garden, organically grown)

Though plant can be propagated through cuttings, best plants come from seeds. 
When the petals of the flower shed and the seed pod dries, it can be identified by the visible black seeds. Seeds can be gently pulled to collect seeds in hand. 

For recipe on how to make fortified oil, see (Blog Id)

Growing: Seeds can be sown in pots or ground in soil mix with compost ratio as low as 4:1, and grows well with minimum care. Of course big healthy leaves will appear with good soil, but is not mandatory. Saplings appear, and can be transplanted at 4-6 leaf stage. Leaves of juvenile plants resemble that of adult plants. 

Care: Brungaraj is a very simple plant to grow, its fuss-free, does well in full Sun as well as semi-shade. It spreads well and can do well with watering once a day. 
Leaves can be harvested by cutting off the mature stems and the leaves plucked out. The more you prune, the stronger and longer the plant will grow. 

Making of hair oil  in another blog. Fortified hair oil needs other ingredients also.

Hair care with Brunharaj: Brungaraj is excellent for healthy hair. Prolonged use with oil and as hair mask delays greying of hair. It also arrests hairfall and promotes hair growth. 

Hair Mask: One cup brungaraj leaves, one fourth cup of aloe vera gel (Peel open aloe vera leaves with the tip of a knife, scrape out the gel with a spoon. You may need gel from three to four leaves to make it one-fourth cup), curry leaves and hibiscus leaves each, can be ground well together in a mixer with little water and applied on hair as hair mask. Leave until dried. 
Wash off well with water. No need to apply shampoo. If shampoo really needed, apply after a day or two. 

Happy growing... 

Make sure you grow on compost from wet waste produced at home, so there's something to look forward to each time...