Update

I know, I have been missing in action for a month now. But if you read my blog, which has moved to wordpress, you'll catch up on all that I have been up to. Just a note to let you guys know Ive posted.

Let it be known

That I have moved. Please update your bookmarks.

Inspirational video

you guys have to watch this video. I really really Really admire these guys.

What a shame

Its shameful,
I know
I agree
..... Absolutely disgusting that I have completly neglected this blog of mine for ages. But do know, I have not been neglecting my garden.
So much has been happening in my life... its a topsy turvy world. I am planning a show at the end of the year, and much of my time goes into art. For more on that bit, check out my art blog .http://www.artatzazuta.blogspot.com. Yes I have an art blog too. I am a multi faceted personality... what can I say. ;)

Anyways, I was at my hairdresser's the other day and she gave me great tips for vegetable gardening. Firstly, I made a huge mistake sowing chinese cabbage in december when I should have done so in October. Secondly, When the cabbage is about 4-5 inches high.. you cut off all the leaves at the base of the plant and cover the remaining bit under a mound of dirt. I did not know that.

Also, my tomato plants died because ..
a) planted in may, when I should have planted in April
b) too much direct sunlight at 40 deg C
c) too much water
d) No sand in dirt.

The local nursery also said that if I sprinkled ash or charcoal ash from the BBQ even, it would do the soil good.

I shall tell you what is doing well though.

I have baby plants in three's. I planted 3 of each plant

1. gourd
2.pumpkin
3.musk melon
4.lemon tree
5. capsicums
6. chillies
7. 2nd batch of tomato plants
8. beans
9. okra


The other are still taking their time and I am writing this post from out of town. I have my hubby to water the garden.. but who'll talk to them?????

Who'll welcome new baby seedlings into this big bad world???

Not me.

To plant a seed where an egg lay...

Buy eggs, keep carton.

Pretty little bean seeds

They sprout really well in the bathrooms, as its nice and humid there. Once they start to break the earth, out they go
Guess where they go when they're 2 inches tall?Make holes at the bottom for drainage and cut out the tops. These cartons will not decompose at the rate you want. So I use them until the plants are at least 12 inches tall. And then transplant into the soil or a bigger container... which I also try to salvage.
I have and still have celery in Bisleri water containers. It has done wonderfully. I have also cut the plastic soda bottles like Coke etc in half. I use the top half as a funnel for pouring liquids and the bottom half needs holes made at the bottom for a planter.
Have fun re using, re thinking and re cycling!

Weekend @ the Nursery

I did exactly what I have been planning on doing for the last few weeks. Go to the nursery., buy veggi seeds and a couple of flower seeds and plant away for weeks. Ahhh!

Here's my haul at the local nursery. I also bought a sprinkler.... Just like that.

My Flowers- to- be

Vegetable Delights

Im not quite sure what kind of bean this one is...

Or this.... Its a native vegetable here and I only know the local name which is ' Gavar'

Isn't this a pretty sight?

Calling all Green Bloggers

In my quest to move to a simpler, cleaner and greener life, I am inviting all green bloggers, irrespective of class, gender and nationality to share their space and their little green world with me on my blog.
If you are interested in having your blog featured here for a greener cause or just 'cause you want to, email me at

zazutg@gmail.com

I would love to feature you, your world and all things green and planet friendly on my space.

To hail or not to hail....

We had ourselves a bit of a hail storm the other day, luckily nothing was damaged. Although I bruised my little toe when I ran out to get some hail...not very bright.

Of leeks and horrid summer

I say horrid summer, because after the mercury has crossed 35 deg C...believe you me.. it is horrid to be gardening outside. Actually, I'd say the perfect weather for outdoor gardening , for me, is between 10 deg C- 20 Deg C. Another 6 months to go for that.
In the meantime, I have moved shade loving plants all over the garden trying to find the best shade spots. The Mulberry tree is very handy these days.
I am using the ground area underneath to transplant the leeks, from the containers ( since last winter) to the soil directly. This way the roots can stretch. I also had to do a mini landscaping to accommodate more leeks. They're in lovely smelling, fertile, dark, airy soil... the kind you like to smooth out in your hands.
I also sowed some.. okay maybe like 60 oregano seeds..I'm waiting to see how many plants come out. The tomatoes are flowering already and I expect fruit by the end of the month. I expect to harvest by about august.
The chillies are happy and are now at least 4 inches in length and about 1 inch in thickness.
The other really spicy chillies, the long thin ones, are just starting to break through the soil.
Remember the 3 cement pots I composted and sowed with seeds? Well, the 2nd Tomato batch is already 2 inches high.

Note: things grow fast when it's 40 deg C!

Next in line for today, if I have any strength left... (heat saps the strength).. is to transplant the onions, go to the nursery, buy another 10 packets of seeds and let my garden go crazy in bloom.
Have not planted any summer flowers.... don't like bees.

I was trying to find one of those seed sprouting thingies.. the black plastic ones? And I hit upon a brilliant idea. Considering the sprouting trays will cost me a bit... I'm just going to :

* Use egg cartons to plant seeds. One seed per niche..and then put the whole thing directly in the ground. So after a while, the egg carton will decompose and become compost.

* buy much much cheaper ice cube trays, drill a hole at the bottom of each ice cube compartment.. and sow a seed!

I have about 40 containers waiting for onions, tomatoes and god knows what!

Maybe Summer isn't so horrid after all. :)

More Garden Central

This is a new bed I'm preparing for the Leeks. I have to transplant them and it's way too hot to place them anywhere except under the shade. This area is always covered, always damp and at least 5 degrees cooler than anywhere else in the garden. The mulberries keep dropping to the ground and I don't bother to remove them because they decompose and act as natural compost . Also, all the clippings and dead leaves I remove from the other house plants, I dump on top of the soil. It acts as mulch, I haven't gotten any weeds in the last couple of months!

, This was an experiment gone wrong. A plastic pedestal , which totally killed all the mint I planted. I'm just going to use it for regular flowering plants now.

My Baby Papaya tree!

The sun is wreaking havoc on my plants. This applies even for the Chillies which love sun. :(

My grand Mulberry tree. Provides beautiful shade and nice fat fruit twice a year.

Preparing pots with compost.... an experiment

This is a bit unconventional, but since I'm still experimenting , I guess it's okay. So I had bought these cement pots ages ago and had a lovely underwater ecosystem flourishing, complete with fish, underwater plants and snails... but despite the thermostat, nothing survived the winter.
So, I decided to use them for my gardening.

What I did was, I used the shells from when I had the fish to line the base....hoping it will act like gravel.

Then , I put in a layer of all the dead leaves and cuttings and vegetable scraps from the kitchen, that we would normally use for compost. I also tend to put in used tea bags before I put the soil, especially for tomatoes, chillies and other Nitrogen loving plants.

Lastly, I put in soil. Planted the seeds, watered it just a bit and that was that!

Organic Me

Finally, pictures of my organic garden!
Enjoy....

Lemon Grass

Leeks

Onions

Celery

Curry leaves... The tree

Organic spread sheet

So this is my excel sheet for all the veggies im growing or going to grow. Have a look.

New Beginings

Life has a way of healing old wounds, and the clotting only makes you stronger doesn't it?
I am , of today, a proud German shepherd rescuer.
After a long two days at the Intensive Care Unit.. caring for my granny, loosing my 3 week old puppy to Parvo and a million other normal life annoyances... I can finally relax and get back to my gardening.

New doggy is called "yana" and was rescued from a breeder. Poor thing has been over bred to death.. almost. So now now, lots of good food, love and pampering is what she needs.
Pictures Later... too lazy right now and also the mosquitoes are eating me alive!

The Organic way

Why? you ask.

And I'll tell you that Organic is better. No pesticides, chemicals and other weird stuff you don't know that's there. You can't grow your own farm, especially if you live in cities or in an apartment... but you can grow your own herbs in pots and reduce your chemical intake somewhere. I have been slowly converting my tiny lawn into organic paradise.... So far I have chillies, cilantro,Curry leaves,lemon grass,celery,mint,leeks,spinach and tomatoes.
Pictures soon.....