From the Editor’s Desk

Hello friends!

Whatever you may like to call it!  You may call it a fad. You may term it as a requirement of the day. Or you may call it that humanity has been forced to do it. But the truth is that people across the land have taken up gardening as a big past time, or as a hobby. And good for the mother earth, good for the humanity.

They may have started with a small planter on a window sill, or a cement bag to plant a local vegetable on a terrace. But they are at least aware that they can, some how, do it.

But the big question remains how long they would continue and not leave in between due failures. And there is no gardening san failures. But failures can be reduced, if the things are well-planned before buying the first plant itself. Else, it is likely to become something akin to a child not well planned.

And one does not have to sit with a drawing board to plan for a garden.

Just look around what kind of planters or pots are locally available. The variety can range from jute bags to fiber to cement to ‘mitti gamlaa’. What kind you choose will depend on the space, the load your terrace can take, and of course your own choice.

Next comes the selection of plants. Of course, the goal can be foliage, fruits or may be a vegetable garden, I suggest one must start with the simplest of the things like Spinach, coriander etc. This will teach you about various facets of gardening, like watering the plant, when not to water, how not to water, choice of location (whether sunny, or shade, or indoors) etc. These are the factors which MUST be considered for basic survival of the plant.

The choice of plants would also depend upon availability of water in the region, summer and winter temperatures, as also the availability of amount and duration of sun light in the area.

Next comes the ease of availability of resources like soil, manures, pesticides, insecticides, etc. One must study various types of soils in the area, manures etc. Ask your neighbors who have been doing it for years. Though Internet is full of free advices on these topics, most of them may not be reliable and may be commercially oriented. Join some local groups who truly believe in the cause of gardening.

Try to get complete knowledge of making manures, pesticides, insecticides etc at home organically and try your hands at that. Do keep a record of how you have made them and their effects.

And at last, but not the least, get hold of seeds from the reliable sources only. Do not go for unreliable sources; else it will result into loss of time, efforts, money, and most importantly, it may cause demotivation if your efforts don’t yield results.

As always, we are there with you in every effort in making you a happy, successful home gardener.

Jai Hind!

JULY GARDENING CALENDAR

July is the monsoon month. Rains start. Plants will look clean and happy. Hope you all have finished repotting of your evergreen ornamentals. There are certain precautions required like:

• Apply fungicide on all plants.
• Check the holes of your pots if they are clogged and open them.
• If you keep your plants out to enjoy the rains, make sure to put them inside otherwise  you will have sun scorched leaves.
• Trim your plants like creepers and vines. Excessive growth of vigorous shrubs should be restricted by careful pruning.
• Climbers must be thinned out and all dead woods removed.
• Ficus hedges can also be thinned and cleaned.
• Cannas should be replanted.

Rain lilies can be planted any time of the year but they flower during rains. Their sprouting is promoted by rain water. Rain lilies should be planted in well drained and rich soil and should be kept in full sun. Light pink lilies bloom even after 7 to 10 days of planting.

Apricot and yellow bloom from June  to August whereas lemon and deep pink are last to bloom in August to October. August is the time when all bloom simultaneously. Don’t plant one bulb in a pot; about 10 bulbs in a 6-in pot look beautiful. Some rain lilies  bear seeds which can be taken and sown for more plants though they will take almost 2 yrs to bloom.

You can also cross pollinate to get your own new hybrids if you have different colours blooming at same time.

Time for grafting, layering and cuttings to increase your collection is now. Cut all overgrown plants and put them in sand to make new plants.

Plants which can be propagated through cuttings include

• Bougainvillea
• Dracena
• Croton
• Aralia
• Syngoniums
• Pothos
• Schefflera
• Ficus
• Eranthemum
• Enermi
• Alternanthera

Etc.

Plants develop roots due to high humidity in the atmosphere.

• Keep on feeding your water lilies.
• Reduce irrigation of lawns to a minimum.
• Avoid overwatering foliage plants and protect chrysanthemums, geraniums and kalanchoes in pots. If necessary protect them from excessive and continuous rainfall.
• Suspend irrigation of Roses.
• Beds and pots should be planted with monsoon flowering annuals like Balsams, cosmos, celosia, morning glories etc.
• Lawns can be given an application of lime and dressing of manure.
• All perennial and fruit trees can be planted now.

Vegetables

Following vegetables can be sown in July:

• Summer Radish, Coriander, capsicum, bhindi
• Beetroot
• Brinjal
• Bottle gourd
• Bitter gourd
• Chilli
• Cucumber
• Maize
• Cholai
• Beans
• Lobia
• Palak
• Pumpkin
• Malabar Spinach
• Ridge gourd
• Tomatoes.

But be careful on direct sowing seeds. Cover the seeds with inverted plastic bottles. Remove the bottles when the seedlings are strong. Or grow seeds inside under protection.

Fruit Trees

Trees which have finished with fruiting can be pruned now and later fertilised .

New plants /trees can be planted. Water on alternate days. Apply appropriate fungicide and insecticide . (Carbaryl-2 grams/Lt)

Bigger trees can be painted with lime or geru to protect them from fungus and pests.

Happy Gardening.

Rama Tyagi

tyagirama1@gmail.com.

VAN MAHOTSAV – THE TREE FESTIVAL

‘Planting a tree is much better than wearing a mask to be safe from pollution’

The Tree Festival, popularly known as ‘Van Mahotsav’ which is a week-long festival celebrated from July 1 to 7 during which millions of trees are planted all over India. It was initiated in 1950 by K.M. Munshi, the Union Minister for Agriculture, with the intention of celebrating it as a festival every year and popularise planting of trees.

(Photos of few of the activities of our members to mark the occasion)

During Van Mahotsav, saplings are supplied by the State Government and Civic bodies to various schools, colleges, NGOs and offices. It is also known as the ‘Festival of Life’.

Van Mahotsav was Started by keeping the following motives in mind to:

• Provide fuel
• Increase production of fruits and add to the food resources of the country.
• Help creation of shelter-belts around agricultural fields to increase their productivity.
• Provide fodder leaves for cattle to relieve intensity of grazing over reserved forests.
• Provide shade and ornamental trees for the landscape.
• Provide small poles and timber for agricultural implements, house construction and fencing.
• Help conservation of soil and prevent further deterioration of soil fertility.
• Inculcate tree consciousness and love of trees amongst the people.
• Popularize the planting and tending of trees in farms, villages, municipal and public lands for their aesthetic, economic and protective needs.

Vandna Bhatnagar

nonofficial@gmail.com

GARDEN PESTS

Late June

Household Insects

• Miller moths: Miller moth activity should slow as most have moved to mountains as favored flowering plants become less available.
• Ant swarms: Winged ants are forced out of colonies during warm afternoons following rainfall events.

Tree/Shrub Insects

• Spruce spider mite: Typical period of peak populations.
• Rose leafhoppers: Peak injury to foliage of rose.
• Poplar borer: Adults often begin to emerge from aspen in late June.
• Peach tree borer: Adult emergence typically begins. Monitor flights with pheromone traps.
• Cooley spruce gall adelgid: First emergence from spruce galls and migration.
• Honeylocust spider mite: Populations begin to build towards their midsummer peak.
• Root weevils: Leaf notching injuries produced by adult weevils start to be noticeable

Garden Insects

• Potato/tomato psyllid: Flights of migrating psyllids arrive in state and start to colonize garden plants.
• Grasshoppers: Egg largely completed. Optimum time for treatment.
• Colorado potato beetle: Peak period of egg laying on eggplant.
• Flea beetles: Populations usually have peaked during this period.
• Two spotted spider mite: Populations start to increase on a wide variety of garden plants.

Early July

Household Insects

Sunspiders/Wind Scorpions: Migrations into homes often peak around this time.

Tree/Shrub Insects

• Peach tree borer: Egg laying typically begins. Preventive sprays should be made at this time to kill newly hatching larvae.
• Black vine weevil: Adult leaf notching injuries are obvious on Euonymus and Rhododendron.
• Leaf Curling aphids: Most species have departed from overwintering host trees and shrubs.
• Leafcutter bees: Characteristic cut leaf injury begins to appear on rose, lilac and other susceptible hosts.

Garden Insects

• Mexican bean beetle: Larvae begin to damage beans.
• Tobacco budworm: Early evidence of injury to flowers may be present.
• Grasshoppers: Egg Laying largely completed. Optimum time for treatment.

Lawns

• Sod webworms: Watch for damage to turf grasses by the second generation larvae.
• Ant swarms: Winged ants are forced out of colonies during warm afternoons following rainfall events.

Late July

Tree/Shrub Insects

• Codling moth: Second, and most damaging generation begins to lay eggs. Monitor flights with pheromone traps.
• Sawflies: Neodiprion autumnalis may cause damage peak in midsummer.
• Pearslug: Larvae damage plum.
• Tomato hornworms: Peak damage by larvae occurs over the next month.
• tomato psyllid: Symptoms may begin to appear on  tomatoes.
• Grasshoppers: Damage accelerates over the next month.
• Mexican bean beetle: Larvae begin to damage beans.

Happy Gardening

Rama Tyagi

tyagirama1@gmail.com.

SOME COOL DRINKS FOR SUMMER

Summer is here though a bit late and it is time to enjoy the summer coolers given below. You also need to balance the ‘pitta’ in your system and provide your body with a cover against energy drain, fever, heat stroke and stomach ailments etc. Here are some ideal summer drinks:

Hibiscus flower drink:

• 4 cups of water
• 1 tbs of dried Hibiscus flower
• Sugar or honey to taste
• 1 drop of essential orange oil or a 1” piece of dried tangerine peel
• Boil the water. Add hibiscus flowers and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from fire. Add a piece of tangerine/orange oil.Cool it,strain the liquid and add sugar/honey to taste. Serve with crushed ice and decorative petals of any edible flower.

It is an excellent cooler which improves your immune system and is very good for hair.

KOKAM SHARBAT:

It is a souring agent for South Indian food and is very good for cooling the liver and will relieve the tensions of hyper-actives.

In the morning, boil ¼ cup Kokum soaked overnight, in water till soft.  Mash the pulp and cool it. Strain the liquid and water to Sharbat consistency.

Add sugar to taste and a little salt. The colour is pink and beautiful. Serve with lot of ice.

Variation : While diluting,add ½ cup coconut milk.

RAW MANGO PANNA:

A common drink that protects you from heat strokes. The heat stroke patient will recover faster by consuming panna 3-4 times a day.

Boil raw mangoes.Peel and take the pulp out. Add some water to make it into a thin drink.Add black salt,sugar to taste,dash of bhuna jeera powder and crushed pudina leaves. Serve with lot of ice. Float some mint leaves for decoration.

SATTU DRINK: 

Barley sattu powder is easily available in the market. Barley is a cooling agent and highly beneficial in summer as it contains highpotassium which will keep your kidneys healthy. It is also a diuretic.

Take 1 TBSP of barley sattu. Mix it in 1 glass water. Add 1 tsp of finally chopped onion, 3-4 pcs of green chilies, salt to taste. Add a little lime juice. Stir it well and serve with lot of ice. It is a filling drink which can be taken in the evening.

Jaljeera with fresh ingredients:

Jaljeera powder is available in the market but with fresh ingredients, the taste  is very good and the flavor excellent.

• 2 glasses of imli water
• 6 crushed black peppers
• ½ tsp black salt
• ½ tsp white salt
• ½ tsp bhuna jeera powder
• 3-4 tsp sugar
• 1 TBSP lime juice
• Pinch of crushed ginger
• 1 tsp crushed mint leaves

Mix everything together and adjust the masalas according to taste. Add lime juice if preferred. Serve with ice and mint leaves.

It is an excellent appetizer. Imli is another good cooling agent to balance the pitta in your body in summer and Bhuna jeera is a good digestive.

Imli- ka – panna or Amalvana:

Extract the pulp from Imli.Add water to thin consistency. Add sugar,salt,bhuna jeera,Serve over a lot of ice. Float some Boondi on top for taste.

Nimbu Nariyal Drink:

Coconut is a very good nourishing drink. It contains all minerals and has a high content of potassium. It enhances resistance and gives instant energy.

• 1 coconut water
• Juice of 1 nimbu
• Sugar to taste.
• 1 tsp grated coconut.

Mix coconut water, lime juice and sugar thoroughly. Serve on top of lot of crushed ice and float grated coconut on top.

Kheera And Lime juice:

Kheera is the king of summer vegetables. It cools the system and its high potassium and alkaline content throws the toxins out. It reduces water retention in the body. This drink will improve your complexion dramatically and is very good for persons who have UTI.

Should be taken before breakfast.

Squeeze 1 lime in 1 glass of kheera juice(approximately 3 kheeras). Avoid salt.

Tal Mishri Sharbat:

Soak 1 tbsp of tal mishri in one glass of water overnight. In the morning, stir properly and drink before breakfast. Tal mishri, made from palm fruit juice, is available only in Khadi Ghar stores.

Bel Sharbat:

Nature gives this fruit just before and right through summer.

Remove the skin of the fruit. Soak pulp for an hour till it is soft. Remove seeds and fibres very gently otherwise it will become bitter. Add some sugar and water to drinking consistency.

1 glass a day will immensely benefit persons with stomach problems, specially in cases of amoebic  dysentery.

Tarbooz juice with mint leaves:

Mint is a very good digestive and Tarbooz a great cooler.  No matter how tired you are, this drink will energise you almost instantly.

Serve with crushed mint leaves on a bed of crushed ice and add a little salt if you like.

Date Shake(sheikh):

Soak 2dates in water for 4-5 hours. Mix in one glass of plain lassi and churn in a mixi till it is smooth. Lassi is a good cooler and dates are very good for anemia. Add powdered green ilaichi just before serving on crushed ice.

Thandai ( with fresh ingredients)

Soak the following ingredients in water for 5-6 hours:

• Kali mirch powder.. 1 tsp
• Rose petals dried/fresh 1 tbsp
• Khus khus..2 tbsp
• Seeds of melon kharbooza,4 tbsp
• Saunf desi.. 1tbsp
• Almonds..10
• Grind to a fine paste. This can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days. Take out the required quantity, mix milk, strain and then add ilaichi powder and 2-3 strands of saffron just before serving with ice.

Mango Lassi

Mix mango pulp and curd in a mixi and sugar can be added if desired. Mango is the emperor of summer fruits, contains a lot of Vitamin A and a good energizer.

Butter milk with ginger:

Churn curd, ginger slices and water. Add tadka of curry leaves and rai for flavor. A great appetizer and digestive.

Water

Of all drinks, water, nature’s bounty, is the best. Drink at least 12 glasses of water every day to remove toxins and protect yourself from heat stroke.

Dr Seema Sud:

Diet and Nutrition Consultant;

Naturopath, Yogacharya

Mob. 9899521492

TALES FROM THE JUNGLE

PART 2

(In Part 1 of this two-part series, the author described his experience when he stayed, along with his wife and friends in a Forest Lodge at Dhaul Khand range in the famous Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand. Now, the concluding part).

In the 1^st part, I described how I encountered a wild lone tusker at the forest lodge.

Being young blood at that time, and i being a traveler by nature, we planned for another jungle trip in the area.

This time, we selected Chila Forest Range, after crossing the great Ganges from Haridwar, and got our booking done for a family room.  My colleague, Flt Lt Gambhir decided to tag along this time also.

So we reached the lodge in the afternoon.  It was summer time and sun was beating on us. This time, the lodge was a decent one, with electricity supply, a small kitchenette and some furtniture.

While my wife decided to rest in the lodge, me and Gambhir took our photographic equipment, the big tripod and a huge tele-lens and set out towards the deep forest.

Rajaji National Park comprises of varied ecosystems like grasslands, river in forests and slopes of Shivalik make it a store house of floral and faunal diversity. The major forests types include The Western Gangetic Moist, Dry Deciduous and Khair- Sissoo forest.

Wild elephants, leopards, antelopes, wild pigs etc are a common sight, whereas equally large varieties of birds, like parakeets, thrushes, owls, peacocks etc can be seen in plenty.

As we entered the forest, the majestic Sal trees greeted us on both sides of the narrow forest lane.  Some trees grew upto, may be about 80 ft, with a girth of about 5 ft. Walking the narrow lane, we found a small water-hole on our right side, some 15 feet down below on a dry river bed.

Since we had only one camera, we decided that Gambhir could sit on the hillock we were on as he would have good sight of any animals coming in for a drink, whereas i could sit near the water hole in hiding. And so we did.

As we kept waiting for a big animal to come, there were plenty of deer, antelopes, wild boars etc coming in herds and quenching their thrust.

(Photograph courtesy Author. The tusker seen approaching the ridge)

It was that Gambhir informed me of a lone elephant approaching from the ridge side and would in all probability would reach the water in another few minutes. We could not go towards the ridge further as elephant was coming towards us.  So the only way for us was to climb down the 15 feet ridge and run towards the dry river bed. So we collected out heavy equipment and ran towards the river bed and started waiting for the tusker to come down. He came after few minutes, wagging his large ears to ward off the heat, and started having a mud bath.

As we found him busy, we started approaching close to the animal.  However, it was very soon that the tusker realised he was not alone and his privacy was being intruded upon.

Remember, though the eye-sight of the elephant is not too sharp, his hearing power and smelling power are too good. So, if you have to approach any wild animal, you must do it quietly, so as not to disturb even a twig on ground, and you must approach INTO the wind, that is, the wind should be blowing from the animal to you.

So, the mammoth turned towards us, beat its trunk against the earth, and giving a trumpet sound as a warning, started flapping its large ears, with tail straight at the back.

These were all the ominous signs that the charge was coming. So we collected our equipment and ran towards the dry river bed, all that we were worth.  After running for some time, we gathered courage and looked back.  To our relief, the tusker was climbing the culvert ahead of the water hole, and went away in the thick Sal forest, like a black ghost disappearing.

Promising to bring you another tale from the land.

Jain hind!

sushil Bhatia

sush16534@gmail.com

SEED BALLS : A NOVEL WAY OF PLANTATION

Monsoon is round the corner. It is best time for the growth of seeds. We can take advantage to grow trees or plants at remote places .When we are travelling either by car or train, on the way, we pass through a dry patch of land or forests. If we can manage to leave the seeds of native fruit trees or flowers, these will grow in these places and will provide food for wild animals and bees.

I am in a habit to wash and dry seeds after eating jamun or mango and throw them on the way. Although I do not know how many grow but even if one seed grows in wild area, it will be able to produce food for wild animals or if flowers, may provide nectar for the bees.

Bigger seeds like mango or jamun can be disposed off easily but smaller seeds like papaya and  flowers , need to be bonded with soil which we call as seed ball or seed bombs.

Throwing, breaking up or digging ‘seed bombs’ (or balls) into areas in your garden that need a little brightening up is a perfect way of spending an afternoon.

We need the following things to make seed balls-

• Flower seeds or seeds collected from the garden.
• compost.
• Water.
• Clay Soil.
• Mixing bowl.

Preparation of Seed balls-

1. Mix together 1 cup of seeds with 5 cups of compost and 2-3 cups of  clay soil  in a bowl.
2. Mix  water in material slowly with your hands until everything sticks together.
3. Roll the mixture into firm balls.
4. Leave the balls to dry in a sunny spot.
5. Plant your seed bombs by throwing them at bare parts of the garden ,forest etc.

Dispersal of Seed Balls
Seeds balls are not made to be buried in the ground. They need to be dispersed throw them in remote or inaccessible areas, you may launch them by catapult or other means. With rain, the plants will start germinating and growing into trees. Seed balls do not necessarily need to be spread during rainy seasons as they can remain in good condition for more than two years until rains come.

Dispersing with Catapult, Birbhum, W.B.

Seed Balls vs Saplings
The chances of a seed taking root and growing into a tree are much higher than saplings, due to the root structure and size. Saplings are typically grown in small plastic bags or pots or similar containers that restrict the growth of the roots. While seeds that are planted in the ground (such as with the help of seed balls have much stronger roots )Also, trees grown from seeds are believed to be stronger than a planted sapling – the reason could be the difference in the roots at germination and easily accessible food in seed balls and protection from diseases.

So take a pledge to decorate “Mother Earth” with more trees, plants and flowers.

Share your photos of seed balls with me, when you disperse them.

Vandna Bhatnagar

nonofficial66 @gmail.com

ADENIUM CARE

As parents take care of their children at their tender age, we also have to take care of our adeniums, especially when they are the most vulnerable.

Monsoon is the time period when they are often exposed to excessive water. We need special care during this season apart from our regular pampering during other seasons. Although adeniums enjoy rains and quickly fatten up in rains. They grow very fast.

Here I’m sharing some tips for caring during rainy days.

• Stop wetting your plants during rainy days.
• Soil should be very porous, to prevent compaction of the soil, and so the water can flow through the downpour to quickly drain off, only to hold moisture in the soil.
• Check and recheck the drain holes on the pot. Roots can easily jam them.
• rains can quickly kill the plant.
• If plant starts rotting, keep the plant indoors, keep under the ceiling fan. Dry it completely. It would be helpful.
• Please don’t prune and repot your plants in rainy days
• If you’re sowing seeds please keep in shade.

Soil mix during the rainy season should not be mixed with cow dung. Because the manure  tends to increase the acidity of the soil with the rains . But if you really want to put the manure, it should be very old dung.

Another thing to do is to spray a fungicide at the beginning and if it rains frequently, for 3-5 days, then spray once

Try to wash the leaves just after the rain whenever possible.

Hope it’ll helpful to you all.

Manisha Bardhan

dollypihu@gmail.com

TECOMA CAPENSIS

Tecoma capensis, commonly known as cape honeysuckle, is a flowering, versatile evergreen that is suitable as a climbing vine, border plant, shrub or ground cover. It blooms in clusters of tubular, red-orange flowers that are about 2 inches in length in the late summer, fall and winter. Cape honeysuckle grows rapidly and can reach up to 30 feet in ideal conditions. It prefers well-drained soil, moderate watering and full to partial sunlight. Cape honeysuckle is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant( hardiness zones 9 through 11).

Water cape honeysuckle plants deeply about once a week. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between waterings.

Fertilize cape honeysuckle once in the springtime before new growth begins. Use a 10-10-10 granular slow-release fertilizer spread in a thin, even layer around the base of the plant.

Train a climbing vine cape honeysuckle plant on a trellis or other supporting object using plant ties to support the vines. To maintain the shape of shrubs, prune long or unruly branches back to a side branch or bud with sharp pruning shears. Cut off old, damaged or dead branches at their base and remove them. Do this in the springtime before new growth begins.

One of the pests to which it can be subjected has to do with the humidity mentioned before. Is about the white fly and mealybugs. With moderate watering and not having excess moisture in both the branches and the ground, we will avoid the spread of these unwanted pests.

Spray cape honeysuckle thoroughly with insecticidal soap once a week if you notice whiteflies, mealybugs or scale. Stop spraying when they’re gone.

Cape honeysuckle comes in a blazing orange color that is sure to brighten up your tropical garden. It is used as either a shrub or liana. Due to its color and sweet nectar, it attracts hummingbirds. Not only is it versatile in looks but it also is easy to maintain, which makes it a perfect idea for a splash of uniqueness in your garden.

The name cape honeysuckle came about because the native region for this shrub is in South Africa by the Cape of Good Hope. It is a bit misleading as this is not true honeysuckle. Real honeysuckles belong to the Caprifoliaceae family and are found in the Lonicera genus. Other members include the desert willow, northern and southern catalpa, and jacaranda.

Each pinnately compound leaf is made up of five to nine diamond-shaped leaflets. Whether they are evergreen or deciduous depends on how cool the climate gets in winter. Cape honeysuckle is a fast grower that can gain anywhere from 13 to 25 inches in its first year after a successful spring planting.

• Botanical Name          Tecoma capensis
• Common Name          Cape honeysuckle
• Plant Type       Flowering evergreen shrub
• Mature Size     3 to 10 feet tall as a shrub; 25 to 30 feet long as a vine
• Sun Exposure Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Type         Well drained
• Soil pH            5.6 to 8.5
• Bloom Time    Fall, winter, spring
• Flower Color   Orange to orange-red
• Hardiness Zone       9 through 11; it can survive in zone 8 with some protection.
• Native Area     South Africa

How to Grow Cape Honeysuckle

The shape of this plant depends entirely on how you let it grow, as it can either be a shrub or vine. As a shrub, it can be anywhere from 3 to 10 feet tall, depending on how consistently you prune it. In vine form it will travel a lot farther, reaching lengths of 25 to 30 feet or more. Usually, the cape honeysuckle is treated as a shrub and clipped into a box shape. However, this plant also likes to vine, so consider it for your trellis or pergola.

During the fall through spring (possibly the entire year), the cape honeysuckle will be covered with an abundance of orange (sometimes reddish or yellow, depending on variety) blooms in the shape of a trumpet. Once the flowers have been pollinated, long capsule fruits are produced.

There aren’t many problems with this plant. If your zone gets some frost, this can cause damage to the leaves and branches. You may run across problems with too little or too many nutrients, which is usually most apparent in the foliage. There may be other environmental problems like leaf scorch. Overall, though, this shrub should stay happy and healthy over its lifetime with little maintenance.

Light

Cape honeysuckle is a tropical plant and does prefer full sun. Some light shade, however, is acceptable, though shaded plants will produce fewer blooms.

Soil

Don’t fret about the pH of your soil too much, as this plant can handle both acidic and alkaline soils. It also grows in salty locations like coastal regions and can handle gusts of wind.

The soil where we grow it must have good aeration and drainage. We must not forget that the vast majority of plants drown when the ground gets flooded. Ideally, when we water or there are prolonged rains, the soil has good drainage to avoid an excess accumulation of water that can lead the plant to rot and die.

If the soil is alkaline, the plant will suffer from chlorosis. Therefore, you will need a neutral or slightly acidic soil. If this happens, we can add iron chelates to the soil to modify the pH.

Temperature and Humidity

Cape honeysuckle is a tropical plant that thrives in hardiness zones 9–11. It is heat and drought tolerant, but its branches and leaves tend to die back at temperatures under 25 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pruning

Pruning depends on the shape you’ve chosen. If you’re going for a hedge, trimming may be required on a regular basis since this grows fast. Cut it back to the ground every three to four years in the spring (or as needed) to help keep it from sprawling. You should also prune away branches that were damaged by frost at the start of spring.

This plant does produce suckers. Clip them away if you don’t want them to spread. Less maintenance will be needed if you are using it like a vine. You will just need to keep it trained on its support system.

. The ideal is to fertilize with manure once we have done the pruning so that the plant has the necessary and sufficient nutrients to be able to grow again and have more productive branches with more showy flowers.

If we want to multiply this plant, we can do it at any time of the year by the cuttings or seeds method. You have to know that the seed method is slower than that of cuttings.

I hope that with this information you can know more about the Tecoma capensis.

Varieties of Cape Honeysuckle

Cape Honeysuckle comes in three color-related cultivars:

• Aurea produces golden yellow flowers.
• Coccinea’s flowers are bright red or scarlet.
• Salmonea produces orange or pink flowers.

 Happy Gardening

Rama Tyagi

tyagirama1@gmail.com

NATURAL FOOD – NATURE’S BOUNTY

Food produced on fertile land, without chemical fertilizers and pesticides and other chemicals, is natural food. Strictly speaking, pasteurized milk and refined flour products are not natural foods. During production of maida, the good proteins of wholewheat, natural oil ,vitamins E and B and minerals are mostly destroyed.

The process of storage also destroys most of the nutritive properties of food –half of the properties of vitamins C,B1 and B2 are lost in in refrigeration and deep freezing. All the enzymes of milk are lost in pasteurization.

The nutrition destruction process is completed in cooking habits. Always wash vegetables thoroughly in warm water because they are sprinkled with pesticides.

The best is to grow your own vegetables, at least some of them, You can get plenty even in a small patch if  grown vertically. Use only natural compost and avoid chemicals and chemical fertilizers.

Dr Seema Sud,

Diet & Nutrition Adviser,

Naturopath and Yoga Achaya.

M- 9899521492

Rain Garden

Water is vital to the economic and social development of any country. Water scarcity and groundwater pollution are issues being faced by every city in India. Ironically, according to global standards, India receives abundant rainfall. So, where is this ‘Abundant’ water disappearing? Let us investigate.

The problem lies in rainwater getting polluted and hence, causing groundwater pollution. Urbanization has led to the creation of impermeable surfaces like building rooftops, pavements and roads. Such surfaces do not allow rainwater to percolate into the ground. During rainfall, water flows from the rooftops of buildings and paved areas, washing away dirt, dust and pollutants, thus getting contaminated. This runoff enters storm-water drains. These storm-water drains often lack maintenance and get choked during the monsoons because of accumulation of garbage. Rainwater that could have gone through these drains accumulates on roads, causing water-logging.

The runoff pollutes natural bodies too, as seen in the rivers like Yamuna and Ganga. The pollutants also enter the ground.

In the last few decades, however, with an increase in frequency of extreme weather events such as high-intensity rainfall, water-related research has gained traction. Pluvial flooding — rain-driven flooding that results from the excess of natural or engineered drainage capacity — has emerged as a critical issue in urban water management.

Many contemporary cities are vulnerable to pluvial flooding and associated risks are projected to increase with global climate changes and urban populations growth.

To address the concern, the concept of slow, spread, sink and store runoff has been adopted by many cities to cater to high rainfall events and avoid urban surfaces turning into water-logged areas.

Several cities have opted for rain gardens, rooftop gardens, retention ponds and permeable pavements, which can reduce runoff to at least half. The efforts are known as water-sensitive urban design (WSUD in Australia), low-impact development (LID in North America) and sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS in Europe).

These concepts generally represent more holistic approaches with more attention on urban planning, ecological quality and local conditions.

Many countries have begun to consider the necessity for such practices in their cities and settlements, particularly in the wake of climate change.

What Is a Rain Garden?

A rain garden is a landscaped, shallow depression that captures, filters storm water and recharges our water sources.

A rain garden is, at its core, a garden that is used to collect and hold rainwater. It collects this rainwater from impervious surfaces like roofs, pavements, driveways, patios, parking lots, or waterlogged yards for a limited amount of time, allowing the water to seep back into the ground, preventing runoff from reaching waterways.

Installing rain gardens in our communities is essential for the health of our water. As our green spaces become overdeveloped, rain gardens will become vital for the environment. They play a huge role in guarding our waterways from runoff which allows nonpoint source pollutants to enter.

Rain gardens are often misunderstood, with many misconceptions around what they are and why you would have one. Maybe you’ve heard rain gardens are important for the environment, or you’ve heard that they are little gardens that go in soggy areas in your yard.

It’s true that rain gardens are eco-friendly, but there’s so much more to this great garden project that would make you want one in your own yard.

What Are Nonpoint Source Pollutants?

 Nonpoint source pollutants (NPS) are pollutants that are picked up and carried to waterways by runoff (water, melting snow) flowing above or through the ground. Examples of NPS include:

• Motor oil
• Gasoline
• Fertilizer
• Herbicides and pesticides
• Pet waste

Characteristics of a Rain Garden

A rain garden is your individual way to practice environmental stewardship. These specialized gardens all have some features that make them distinct from your typical flower bed. A rain garden should reduce runoff, so it should be placed in a location enabling the garden to collect water.

The plants used in a rain garden should all be native species. Native plants control erosion by stabilizing soils and increase the recharge rate of water.

Finally, a rain garden should recharge groundwater. When installing a rain garden, you are not looking to create a pond; ideally, the garden should drain within 24 hours after a storm.  

How Does a Rain Garden Work?

The principle of how rain gardens work is pretty simple. You have seen water run downhill before and have seen a puddle on a lawn slowly disappear. A rain garden creates a channel to an artificial depression or serves as an artificial depression, where water will be able to collect and enter the ground slowly. The rate at which water is absorbed is controlled by estimating the amount of runoff entering the rain garden. The amount of runoff determines the depth of the depression and the size of the rain garden. Absorption will be aided by adding native plants with deep root systems or amending the soil if it is not ideal. A simple test can be performed to check your site’s soil drainage before you start working. The native plants and soil will also filter any contaminants in the runoff before it enters the groundwater.

How to conduct a water absorption test:

Dig a hole at your rain garden site, 12 inches deep and six inches wide.

Fill the hole with water and then let it stand until it has all drained into the soil.

Refill the hole so that there is water one inch from the top. Push a pencil into the side of the hole to show the starting water level. Check what time it is and measure how deep the water in your hole is with a ruler.

Measure how deep the water is with a ruler every hour for at least four hours.

Figure out how many inches of water drained per hour. 

Considerations Before Making a Rain Garden

Putting in a functional, aesthetically pleasing rain garden won’t require you to bring in a landscaper or environmental scientist.

Budget

Expect to spend around Rs 300/ a square foot on the project. Most of your budget will be spent on plant material. Shop at local govt nurseries specializing in natives or grow your own from seed to save money on plants.  . By installing the rain garden yourself, you will save a good deal of money compared to paying someone to install it for you.

Site Selection

The most important thing when planning a rain garden is site selection. Putting your rain garden in a spot that gets no water or too much water defeats the purpose. You want to look around and pick a spot between two impervious surfaces, for instance, a roof, a lawn and a street. Examine where the water runs off the roof and exits the lawn, and runs to the street. These pieces of information will give you the location of your rain garden and your inlet and outlet.

Planning

To design and layout your garden, you will need to determine its depth and size, estimate the runoff amount, and use the soil percolation test mentioned above. Placing plants need to be done specifically to allow for water uptake and optimum plant health.

Choose a natural, rounded shape for your rain garden, like an oval, teardrop, or kidney shape. If you’re starting from scratch with an excavated garden, outline the potential area with a hose or rope first, and view it from all angles as well as from inside your home to envision the finished product.

Replace heavy soil with one-half sand, one-quarter compost, and one-quarter topsoil—a fast-draining mixture.

Pile stones and extra soil on the downhill side of the garden to act as a berm and create a bowl where water can pool to a depth of about 6 inches.

If water does not naturally flow to your rain garden, dig a shallow (3- to 4-inch-deep) trench from your downspout to the garden, line it with landscape fabric, and cover with stones to create a streambed effect.

Plants for rain gardens

Choose plants with deep fibrous roots. They are the most beneficial for the environment. Typically, rain gardens have natives or native cultivars because they adapt best to a locality. However, you can also have ornamental horticultural plants that are non-invasive. A well-designed plan makes space for herbaceous perennials, woody shrubs and trees. This does not mean that annuals aren’t a good choice for such gardens.

• Grasses
• Oleander
• Ferns
• Iris
• Daylilies
• Umbrella Palm
• Grass
• Lotus

How they help

A rain garden creates a wildlife habitat for your family to enjoy. Many of the plants in such gardens are native to the region and have deep roots that absorb rainwater better. Rain gardens can cut water pollution reaching water bodies as much as 30%.

On the very edge of the garden, plants will need to tolerate dry conditions. Plants installed along the slope should be plants that can thrive in conditions that are sometimes dry or wet. In the deepest section of the rain garden, known as the base, you can place plants that can handle wet soil for an extended time.

Rain Garden Care and Maintenance

Although rain gardens require less maintenance than a typical flower bed, they do benefit from some of the same care practices. Rain gardens may require more care in their first year as they establish their root systems. Water deeply but infrequently during times of drought to encourage healthy roots.

Rain gardens need to be kept free of weeds, both for plant health and aesthetics. The best time to weed is after a rain, when the soft soil makes it easy to uproot them. A three-inch layer of mulch will further suppress weeds. Use a fine hardwood mulch, as it’s less likely to float away after a heavy rain.

Other benefits include:

• Attracting butterflies, birds, and other wildlife.
• Saving money by reducing the lawn space one needs to maintain.
• Recharging groundwater. Rain gardens capture rainwater directed from roofs or other surfaces.

So plan in advance and help to be a change in making our environment clean.

Happy Gardening.

Rama Tyagi.

tyagirama1@gmail.com.

RAIN CHAINS – KUSARI-DOI

Rain chains are a functional alternative for the manhole downspouts. It originated in Japan, and are called as kusari-doi. , they have been used for hundreds of years to direct and collect the water from the roofs of both homes and religious temples. Rain chains are a perfect mix of functionality and beauty. They are available in all kinds of shapes, colours and link styles. We can choose any design, shape or material that suits our design

aesthetic.

How They Work

We all have downspout to guide rain water from the roof of our houses to flow in the manhole. Instead of using PVC pipe for the purpose we can beautify it by replacing with rain chains. The rain wateror any other water from roof which travels inside a pipe will be visible and will add beauty to thehouse.  We have to remove downspout and add a V shaped bracket. To this V bracketchain is attached. The rainwater flows off the roof into the gutter system and through the hole. It goes down where the downspout was and travels through the chain and into whatever we are using to collect or redirect the water. It can be used to collect water.

A basin, barrel or French drain is the best way to catch water runoff from a rain chain.

A ceramic or cement jar at the bottom of the chain can also be used to accomplish the same thing.

We can also use plastic drums to catch the water. Drums usually come with a tap and hose can be attached to it at the bottom of the drum. In this way the water can be used to water plants in the garden. Later on we can increase number of drums, by shifting chain we can collect more rain Water as it is really good for plants.

We can make a Water Lily pond or lotus Garden also as it beautifies our house.Rain chain can be used to feed water to it.

While these options look very pretty, they aren’t always big enough to hold all of the water if there is heavy rain storm. So we’ll need to make sure there is a way for the overflow to drain properly.  Attach the bottom of the chain to the ground so that it doesn’t move freely to change direction of flow of water.

Different Designs of Rain Chains are available in the market and you can use your own imagination to create on your own.

Reasons to have Rain Chain

Aesthetics: They add beauty to your house. Whatever type we choose they will look beautiful in our outdoor space!

Sound: Rain chains sound really melodious when the water is flowing down them. We will never get that annoying dripping noise that sometimes happens with downspouts when the water hits the bottom of the spout. Tingling sound gives soothing effect.

Low maintenance water feature: We do not need to clean mouth of the pipes or clogging in them.

Collectionof good quality water: Rain water for watering plants later on when no rain can be collected.

Rain water harvesting: It helps in Rain water harvesting and guiding water where we want it to go.

Try to use Rain Chain and beautify your houses, do rain water harvesting.

Enjoy Monsoon………Happy Gardening.

Sonia Agrawal

Sonia.agrawal6@gmail.com

GARDEN MANAGEMENT IN SUMMER

(synopsis of webinar held by Mr Mahesh Mishra, 06 Jun 2021)

1. WATER MANAGEMENT: It is most important during this period. Water the plants thoroughly in the morning before the sun rises and top up/shower in evening.
2. MULCHING: Remove 2 inches of soil and add a layer of vermicompost/ cowdung manure. Top up this with dried leaves/broken pot pieces/ jutebag etc. Jutebag will be best as it will maintain moisture too.
3. CLUBBING PLANTS: Try clubbing the plants. Put a Pitcher/bucket filed with water in between so that it creates humidity around the plants and they can survive the harsh heat. Those who have water lily, they can put their plants around them.
4. BOUGANVILLE:  Best time to propagate through cutting. Use Sand for propagation. Skeleton Pruning a week or 10 days before the monsoon starts in your area.
5. Best time to propagate scented creepers like juhi, chameli, mogra through air layering.
6. Oleanders can be propagated during this time.
7. Remove extra branches in Ficus plants. It will not only help in its growth during monsoons but also prevent them from spiders making webs inside them.
8. Sterilize the soil media that has to be used in coming season for growing veggies n flowers. It will help in curbing soil borne diseases. There is no need to sterilize the compost.
9. Keep winter seeds in area where there is heat but not under direct sun for 1-2 hours for 2-3 days. Store in zip lock / air tight container to avoid any fungus etc.
10. No repotting during this time as it is too hot.
11. Spray soap solution (mild soap like handwash) or neem oil spray weekly to avoid any pest/insect attack.
12. Weekly give good shower to plants.
13. Plumeria: Best time to prune is Jan/Feb. Never in rainy season.
14. Cuttings of Dahlia to be sown just after the rains.
15. For Heavy Fruiting in citrus fruit plants use solution of fermented curd/ chaas in ratio of 1:5 (curd:water) every 15 days.
16. THUMBRULE FOR FRUIT PLANTS: FEEDING BEFORE FLOWERING AND PRUNING AFTER FRUITING
17. GRAPES: Prune during Dec/Jan when the plant has no leaves. Use 50% compost when repotting in soil mix. No extra fertilizer at that time. Give micronutrients and balanced fertilizer when flowering starts.
18. PROBLEMS WITH CYCAS:
19. It can have red mites problem. Use any systematic insecticide like imidacloprid/ media.
20. It is host for blue butterflies which lays its eggs in this plant. On hatching, the larve eat new leaves. Spray water heavily to dislodge them.
21. Also host to scales and mealybugs which can be removed by hand , thorough washing and applying neem oil.
22. Sooty mould, rot, yellowing , caterpillar are some other problem with cycas. Butter milk dilution can be used for treatment.

HAPPY GARDENING!!

Sugandha Singhania

sugandhacpsinghania@gmail.com

VEGETABLE GARDEN ON TERRACE:

MAKING AND MAINTAINING

(it is a synopsis of a webinar, dt 13 Jun 2021, jointly presented by our members: Mrs Shashi Kamra, Mrs Punam Tayal, Mrs Jagriti Bhatt and Mr Rajinder Lohia)

• Soilless growing media composition –Coco peat ,sand ,vermi-compost 1:1:1, neem khali, bone meal.
• Soil composition—Soil ,Compost /vermi-compost 1: 1,, neem khali ,bone meal.
• If possible use grow bags other wise plastic pot or vegetable crates can also be used.
• Use liquid manure after every 15 days .
• Mustard cake liquid fertilizer- Soak a hand full of mustard cake in water for two days ,then dilute with water. ( Summer  1: 20  Winter 1:10).
• Spray regularly insecticide like neem oil with dish washing soap.
• To avoid menace of monkeys -use bamboo or iron cage.
• Use kitchen waste to make compost to reduce waste and provide nutrients to the plants  .
• Layer decomposed compost before filling soil in pots .

Compiled By

Vandna Bhatnagar

BOOK RELEASE

We are proud to announce that one of our members, Sushil Bhatia, has become an author by releasing his first book, titled “Kuchh Aks Ret Per”, on 26 Jun 2021 which became Amazon #1 Best Seller just after 2 days of release.

The book is a collection of fifty one poems, Nazm etc authored by Sushil Bhatia.

HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS AND MANY MORE !

Sushil Bhatia

sush16534@gmail.com

ADDENDUM

In the photograph published in Jun edition, name of Master Nilay was wrongly spelled, which has been corrected now. Error regretted.

BEST TERRACE GARDEN COMPETETION

HELD BY THE HFSOG

In the Pandemic time, many new gardeners have come in this field and already those were in gardening, they have honed up their gardening skills.

So Home Gardening by HFS arranged Virtual Competition to show their skills.

The competition was Judged under 3 categories by Esteemed Judges Mrs Deepa Pasricha of FSN & Mrs Ila Sharma who is well known Horticulture Expert.

The categories were :

1. Beautifully landscaped and well maintained Terrace. 
2. Garden with self sustaining and diverse features.
3. Good narrative and inspiring

 All the presented entries were excellent and it was tough to take decision for the Judges ,anyhow competition means result.

Results of The Competition

Catogary 1–Beautifully landscaped Gardens

FIRST POSITION: Ruchita Aggarwal

SECOND POSITION: Mr Akash Verma

Category 2–Gardens with self sustaining/ diverse features

FIRST POSITION: Sonia Agarwal

SECOND POSITION: Sonali Gupta

Category 3–Good narrative

FIRST POSITION: Archana Pramod

SECOND POSITION: Sushma Bansal

Consolation Prizes:

• Poonam Tayal
• Sushil Bhatia
• V.K.Sekhri
• Sarika
• Mr Rajinder Lohia

HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS