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My garden-orchard is constantly changing. Whenever I think I am done with planting trees, there is always one more thing to plant. Now, I've realized I should accept that I will never be done with the garden. There is always something to add or delete. I've decided that I have enough fruit trees (over seventy) in the orchard. Now my goal is to add a few flowering trees in the orchard to bring color in the spring and summer. In the fall, the ripening fruit provides plenty of color in the orchard.
Summer is the most exciting time in the garden. Everything looks so luscious!
This is the site from the side entrance
Fig tree is filled with candy striped figs
This particular apple tree never fails to produce a bumper crop year after year.
Jujubes
This corner is filled with avocados to the left, bananas, strawberry guavas and papayas
For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes),please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.
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Today, I am sharing my front garden. Even though my garden is a mature garden, I have been tweaking, deleting and adding throughout the years. As I was walking into the house today, I thought this front garden was almost to the point where I wanted it to be. Well, for the time being, or until I find an another plant I can't wait to grow.
My front garden is mainly made up of many palm trees, bird of paradise, proteas and agapanthus. My idea is to build a tropical themed garden. The main color theme is orange and yellow, which is striking against green foliage. Recently I added an accent of color with Japanese maple. Now that all the bird of paradises are done blooming, the color is peeking out from the hibiscus and bougainvillea.
For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes),please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.
Even though it is the middle of winter, I am already dreaming about my spring/summer garden. This year I am planning my Spring garden with vibrant colors. I am more of a foliage lover. I like to have colorful plants throughout the garden especially on my patio. The reason I like foliage is because when you plant interesting foliage plants you get to enjoy beautiful colored and unique foliage throughout the season.
To plan a spring garden, one of the thing I do is make more plants from the existing plants. Rooting plant cuttings is the easiest technique to make more plants. It is a more economic way to plant opulent garden.
I have decided to make more plants from my favorite plants coleus, geraniums, Persian shield and blood coleus from my patio.
Soft wood(fresh and new growth) cuttings are the best for rooting. I use a sharp pair of pruners to make cuttings from the mother plant.
Before you make the cuttings look for the nodes. Nodes are the place where the leaves and branches grow. The cut should be just below the node. Clip the leaves off the lower third of the shoot so you have a bare stem to insert in potting soil.
Fill small pots with a drainage hole with well-drained soil and pre-moistened soil. Make a hole with a pencil in the middle.
Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone (rooting hormone such as Rootone is available in nurseries. This will help cuttings to root more quickly). Immediately insert cutting in the hole.
Some plants are easier to root than others. Keep the soil moist all the time. It will take anywhere between 6-8 weeks to root. Patience is key.
First, I started with my favorite plant: Persian shield
Keep some of the leaves on the cuttings for photosynthesis purposes
Blood coleus is ready to go through major trimming
and coleus
Gathered assorted cuttings
Hope all of them root and survive!
For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes),please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.
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1.
As much as I enjoyed the rain forest and beautiful flowers in Costa Rica, it was nice to come home and be in my own surroundings. When we came home, we were treated with a bounty of fresh vegetables from my kitchen garden. Since then, we have been indulging in comfort food (vegetarian curries).
My kitchen garden is still prolific and producing gorgeous vegetables through the fall.
Our bitter melon is going stronger than ever, so luscious and green (thanks to our homemade compost). Bitter melon is known for having many health benefits.
Ripened bitter melon on the vein. I am reluctant to waste even a single thing from my kitchen garden. These seeds will be saved, dried and used for my next years garden. The rest will be added to vegetable stews.
Ivy gourd vine is an invasive tropical vine that produces small fruit and resembles a baby water melon. It is also known as tindora (in Hindi) and donda kaya (in Telugu). It is my favorite vegetable to stir fry and to make chutneys with.
Doesn't it look like a baby watermelon? Ivy gourd is rich in beta-carotene.
Kale is a very popular vegetable right now. I use tender kale in stir fry's, smoothies, soups, and salads
In case you are wondering why I am having this many tomatoes in the fall, it's because my original tomato plants are way past their fruiting season, which have been removed and discarded. When I added homemade compost to the garden in the Spring, these tomato seedlings sprouted up unexpectedly. Instead of removing them, I let them grow. Now they are producing the tastiest tomatoes.
Chilies have slow down considerably, but I am still getting few for day to day cooking.
Eggplants
I brought the harvested basket into the kitchen and left it on the kitchen table as an edible centerpiece, which inspired me to create many family meals for the next few days.
For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes), please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply
Though out my garden, I like to create vignettes using potted plants and statuary to bring interest to the garden. However, combining the right combinations of plants and shrubs is always challenging. Well, I am not a professionally trained landscape designer. I try by trial and error. Whenever I am having problems growing something in one area, I create vignettes with pots filled with contrasting foliage. Pots with plants in the garden gives that architectural lift for the plants. Vignettes through out the garden forces me to pause and enjoy my surroundings.
Caladium in the black pots create a vignette in this shady area in the garden
Buddha statue in front of house
Blueberry patch in front of the citrus orchard is another vignette
Another vignette on the patio of Goddess Lakshmi with a maiden hair fern
Another vignette right outside my kitchen window with different ferns and foliage
Of course, my favorite vignette is of limelight hydrangeas with coleus
For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes), please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.
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Snake gourds, botanically known as Trichosanthes cucumerina, are snake-like vegetables which make a stunning display hanging from the trellis in any kitchen garden. There are two different types of snake gourd seeds offered by US seed companies. One variety is a large gourd which develops a hard shell as it matures and is simply a different variety of opo squash. The variety that we are discussing here has a waxy skin and tastes more like a cross between a zucchini and cucumber. This particular snake gourd turns into a red mush with brown seeds when it matures. There are different varieties of snake gourds, some green striped long ones and others that are shorter and dark green.
Snake gourds might be something new and exotic for many American gardeners, but they are very popular among vegetarians in south India. It is supposed to be a cooling vegetable long associated with Ayurvedic medicine. It has been a part of my mother's diet for as long as I can remember. You can make stir frys, chutneys and curries with it. I get a lot of compliments from garden visitors when they see my Indian snake gourds. When you want to grow something to wow your garden visitors, think of Indian snake gourd.
Doesn't it look like a real snake sitting on the trellis
For more memorable centerpieces, tablescapes, and recipes (including vegetarian, gluten free and vegan recipes), please check out my books, Entertaining From an Ethnic Indian Kitchen and Trader Joe's Simply Indian at my website komalinunna.com.
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