When you feel like giving up on someone, there is a second chance.

I have this jasmine shrub in my garden for over three years now, and it barely flowered. Despite regular care, manuring, putting it in a larger container, changing spots - it didn't seem to do well. It was blighted, the leaves would wilt and fall with no sign of recovery for good three years. We didn't know what we were dealing with. Disappointed, we decided to get rid of it last autumn to put the container to better use. We soaked the shrub to wrench it out of the pot but it didn't budge, troweled to scrape off the roots sticking to the sides and tried yanking it out again. Having failed, we brutally chopped off the shrub (about 3 inches is all that remained) and planted some cuttings into the same pot. Seven months since then, it shriveled and we were reasonably sure that it was finished until one morning in early April. The stem sprouted sending off shoots in all directions. I was amazed. In the middle of scorching summers (111 F), it grew sparkling waxy green large leaves, long branches and restored itself into a healthy bright shrub when the other plants begun to wilt in the heat. In blistering May, it started flowering profusely like never before. It's incredible.

Moral of the story: Don't give up on those who let you down. Don't stop hoping for a change.

"Don't give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying." -Nancye Sims

Saving seeds to have the same colors in the next season

To collect Petunia and Phlox seeds, I let a few of the blossoms die back naturally and did not deadhead them. When the flower dries and falls off, the calyx swells (this is the seedpod), turns brown and dry and splits open. The pod contains numerous tiny little dark seeds. Put these seeds in an airtight container or paper bag for storage.

Finding Peace in Nature

These pictures are from my peace preserve :)
Looking at them I realize that Nature has no worries about the future, no stress, no fear or anger - it's about being in the present.

Gloom to cheer!

Last couple of months were a bit of a roller coaster. I felt glad that I could still maintain my container garden despite the chaos. I was juggling relationships, health matters in the family that left me depleted to spend time on blogging. I don't think it was insufficient time, I think it's more about my mind and what goes on in it. I have never been good at compartmentalizing my life, and my head. Therefore, a problem in my personal life pretty much affects all facets of who I am. On a bad day I would typically end up staring at the screen wondering what to post. That's when the inertia set in, and I never managed to get over it for a while.

My husband usually says that when something goes wrong in life, it's an easy downward spiral from thereon. And during these times does one really gets to figure out the person one is. While one would like to hold out but personal questions are unsettling unless the mind develops enough skill to field them gracefully. It took me good 3-4 months to find answers or make peace with myself, and with people and situations around me.

I feel better, brighter and life is beautiful again. By the way, my pansies and petunias did their bit to dispel gloom and bring cheer. Thank you colorful buddies.

Homecoming...!

It feels like a homecoming. Echoing a saying here: "Homecoming means coming home to what is in your heart. "

I have a lot to tell. While I organise my thoughts and make more sense, I'll leave you with some spring shots from my balcony garden.

I hope to be more active here though I have a whole lot to check out on all my favorite blogs. And a big thank you to each one of you who stopped by my blog and sent me messages.

A few from my foliage collection!

These are my eternal garden companions. They never fail me, nor are they fair weather type. Hardy and resistant, they make pretty combinations when arranged with flowers and other plants.

Banana leaf special

This post on recipes is at the risk of being ousted from the gardening community. But then this could be accommodated well within the value chain of gardening - making the best out of garden harvest- a result of sustainable organic gardening for food :)
Here's to my container banana tree and for my blogger friend Helen.

Fish with mustard smoked in banana leaf

Marinate hilsa/ shad fish (8 pieces) in fresh coconut paste(2tbsp), mustard paste(2tbsp), garlic paste (1/4 tsp), chopped green chillies (3), turmeric powder (1/2 tsp), salt and mustard oil for about an hour.
Clean the banana leaves by dipping it in hot water and allowing it to dry. Fold each marinated fish piece in a banana leaf and tie it with a thread to hold it together. Steam cook for 15-20 mins and serve.

Fish in green paste

White fish fillets (750gms/1.7lb). Marinate with salt and 3-4 tbsp lemon juice for half an hour. Grind grated coconut (1 cup), chopped coriander leaves (1cup), coriander seeds (1tbsp), cumin seeds (2 tbsp), chopped garlic (2tbsp), lemon juice (1), 4 green chillies and salt in to a thick green paste. Marinate the fish again in this green paste for another half hour. Place each marinated fillet on a separate banana leaf piece and cover it with the marinade. Wrap tightly and steam for 20-25 mins. Once done, garnish with lemon slices.

Fresh out of my garden - lemon grass!

Lemon grass is a recent favorite for me. Ever since I tasted Thai food, I'd been looking to grow this one in my garden and experiment with any dish I prepare in the kitchen.

Lemon grass is a popular herb and quite easy to grow. From a small rhizome I got, it has now grown into a perennial sedge in full sun and with regular watering. The long leaves have a strong lemony scent and has a great flavoring property. You can use it fresh or dry it to make lemon tea.

Here are some tried and tested recipes for dishes I made for Sunday dinner and everyone loved it.

• Steamed Hilsa/Shad fish in mustard sauce

Marinate fish with salt, turmetic powder, green chillies, yellow mustard and poppy seed paste for about an hour. Wrap it in lemon grass and steam cook for about 15 mins. Unwrap and ready to eat.

• Baked pomphret or White fish wrapped in lemon grass

Marinate fish with salt, pepper and ginger garlic paste for about an hour. Wrap it in lemon grass, sprinkle worchestershire sauce, olive oil and bake for about 15 mins with fresh vegetables. Unwrap and serve piping hot.

Vegetarians could try these recipes replacing fish with cottage cheese. Lemony scented coconut rice or a fresh cup of lemon tea in the morning are others. It's absolutely refreshing.

Green corner in my living room

This is a sunny corner in my living room.
On the left, you'll see two brass vessels (antiques handed over by my grand mom). These were used to cook rice in olden days and were lying around unused. I've propped one of them up on a slice of a bark which is not clearly visible in the picture. I picked up the wicker hanging baskets (those on the window) from Thailand and found them to be really nice ones for tiny, slow growing succulents. I'll put those up on another post.
The earthen lamp on the side lights up the place in the evening. I re-arrange a lot, so I'd clicked this one to share before I move to something else.
Wish you all a happy and bright weekend!!!

I am back with a flowering bonsai

My husband has a passion for bonsais, so I dedicate this post to him. He has immense patience needed to deal with bonsais, resilience to experiment and energy to keep learning. So there is a lot I've picked up from him when it comes to good gardening practices.
Here is one from our collection of bonsais-in-making, a flowering one. It's been flowering profusely this season. Exposure to full sun and limited watering has worked wonders.
We'd be re-potting it soon after it slips into dormancy post flowering. The soil is compact and caked with the roots crowding around the side. The caked on dirt will be brushed away, the pot scrubbed clean, and the wire mesh would probably need a change and new wires to thread, twist and hold the roots together until they are settled in. More importantly, it's when we prune the roots and branches to encourage new growth.
I'll come back with more pictures from our bonsai collection, and keep writing on our tried and tested ways of gardening.

a plant for hanging baskets

I have no idea what this plant is called. I had spotted it as a creeper in a hanging basket and it looked really nice. The plant has thick fleshy leaves, and flowers at the tip of the main stem. I took a piece to plant and to my surprise, it rooted quickly and flowered in less than 4 weeks. I'm waiting for it to grow more and be shifted to a hanging basket.
In case any of you identify this plant, do let me know what it's called.

another garden nook

I love teaming up plants, and terracotta figures. And that's what I do here. You'll see ferns, Dracaena, spider plant and foliage (that turns purple at cooler temperatures) in the picture. Next, accommodated the frog and the tortoise planters to complete the picture.

dazzling desert rose aka adenium

Adenium is an evergreen succulent plant ideal for a houseplant. What strikes you is a pot full of twisted gnarled stems with red and pink flowers. It's an owner's delight. It needs full sun but less water, and turns out fab. I'm looking for the deep pink and the red ones now.

Blueing succulents

Been a couple of days since my last post. So, here's a section of my teeny weeny garden on succulents. Didn't I tell you how much I fancy blue?These containers that you see here are from Khurja (small town in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India). I'll write about that another day.
Happy gardening!

Phlox tips

This was phlox bloom last spring. Phlox makes for a bright border plant and grows well in containers. It's a beginner's delight since it's relatively easy to grow. They are available in wide range of colors like pink, red, lavender, purple, and white. You could plant it with ferns or vines or other herbaceous perennials to make it more attractive. See the bright green sweet potato vine in the picture. Isn't it beautiful?
Phlox grows from seeds and need shade, moisture and loose soil to germinate quickly. The seedlings can be transplanted in 3 weeks into containers and window boxes. A well-draining potting soil mixed with organic compost works best. Phlox thrives in sun and needs to be well watered but not allowed to sit in water-logged soil. Left to dry, phlox wilts and the leaves turn brown. As the plant grows and the tips are pinched, flower heads will be more. The plant might need to be staked as they grow unless you like the trailing effect. They begin flowering in 2.5-3 months from sowing, and bloom for 2 months.

Farming broccoli and cabbages

My father is an avid gardener and here you see his labor of love. He's a pro at raising cabbages, broccoli (leafy plants in the picture), tomatoes, carrots, spinach, radish, turnips, onions, aubergines, cucumber, beans, coriander, mint and practically everything you can possibly imagine. He has sent me tips on growing cabbage and broccoli in containers and here is how he does it.

• Seeds are easily available and late monsoons are a good time to sow, once the showers end or are a few and far between.
  
• Soak the seeds overnight, strain and sow them an inch deep in dry and loose soil. Make sure the seeds are well spaced out and the soil is not compact. No fertilizers needed at this point. Partial shade and very light watering is advisable to enable germination. The seeds sprout in about a week, and are ready to be transplanted to bigger containers in about 3 weeks when they are around 6 inches tall.  
  
• Soil to be well-draining and mixed with compost. As the plant stabilises, full sun is essential. Broccoli needs regular top ups of organic nitrogen fertiliser in every 3 weeks. Use neem cake (Azadirachta indica) as a natural fertilizer and pesticide once a month in very small quantities. 
  
• Cabbage is usually ready for harvest in 2.5-3 months.
  
• For broccoli, as the plants grow taller you may need to stake the plants. Your first harvest is when the broccoli buds of the main head (central stem) look compact. Don’t wait for it to loosen and form yellow flowers. Cutting off the main spear will produce side shoots/florets. As these shoots grow, you can harvest them for over 6 weeks.
  
• You will not need many plants as each plant will produce continuously over time, but you may need to plant successively for an harvest until summer.
  

Now that you have a guide here, I would like to add that you don't need to get everything right. We try and learn from our experiences. On this note of broccoli inspiration, I picture an amazingly delicious broccoli soup with mushrooms.

It's worth a mention that studies have shown that cabbage and broccoli have anti-cancer benefits.