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| Grown last year |
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| Capsicum in a kyari |
In the last summer vacations, my sons wanted to do some gardening. Since my plants don’t thrive that well or the monkeys come and wreak havoc, I had almost given up on planting anything. We had earlier grown capsicum, chillies and brinjal in a thin bed or “kyari” and pots. Seeing the enthusiasm of the kids, I played along and planted sunflower seeds, tomato, capsicum and some flowering plants.
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| Gautam: The proud nurturer |
My younger son, Gautam, has been diligently caring for the tomato plant, and his delight knew no bounds when flowers appeared and now small fruits are forming. He checks every day to see when they will turn into nice, juicy, red tomatoes :). See the pictures here.
We use spray bottles for watering plants. That uses less water and is more effective especially for herbs and tiny plants. You can also use plastic bottles and drill some holes. Now invert it and put them in pots or soil for a sustained watering system. I am using water from my kitchen, after washing veggies, dal, rice etc. for watering the plants. That helps me conserve water and also provides nutrients to the plants.
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| Tomatoes and flowers |
I also want to share my way of making organic manure at home. I no longer use plastic liners for any of my bins. The kitchen bin has kitchen waste usually veg peels, egg shells, tea grounds etc. These can be put in a large pot or a closed pit if you have the space. In this pot, I put in dried leaves, cut grass or fresh leaves that fall off the plants. One layer of wet waste from the kitchen and one layer of brown or green plant waste are put alternately till the pot gets filled. It must be covered at all times. It should be slightly damp, not wet and keep stirring it every few days to expedite the breakdown process. If it gets too dry, sprinkle a little water. In 4-5 weeks, you will have a pot full of brown, organic manure prepared at home that can do wonders for your plants. You can keep repeating this process and make your own manure. You end up reducing your waste and especially plastic usage if you stop using bin covers.
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| Coriander, fenugreek and mustard seeds |
Another way of growing greens is in these tubs in a multi-level structure. Here we have planted coriander, methi and mustard seeds. The plants have just started sprouting. This structure has been constructed by hubby. It saves space and is convenient in growing herbs or greens.
Also, these days I remember to carry my jute bags or reuse my previous plastic grocery bags every time I go grocery shopping. A good way of conserving water in toilets is by taking out the cover of the cistern and manually operating the mechanism that stops the flush when I want it to and not flush the entire cistern for every flush.
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| Ajwain plant. Leaves are very good for cough |
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| Curry leaves! |
Hope you have enjoyed the pictures and maybe picked up a tip or two from my efforts. I would love to hear about your plants or gardening tips!
Rachna says 
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