LIFE AS IT IS

It’s been a rough year for gardeners - climate change is threatening a favourite pastime, a hobby, and a passion of millions.  Early spring, sudden drop in nighttime temperature, and lack of rain have made it challenging for me to grow much this spring and summer. My cucumber vine succumbed to a slow and early death and the spinach simply refused to live. Lettuces were not growing as they should, the eggplant is still a dwarf, and the Malabar spinach did not grow past several inches. Perennials like hydrangea and white ‘Stargazer’ lilies did not bear flowers, not even one. Not to mention the squirrels, who forage in the backyard and add to the agony of my plants! In the face of climate change adversity, the only plants that are doing fairly well are the heirloom and cherry tomatoes.  People who grow crops and those who garden are often the first ones to sense any changes in climate. These people also watch these changes firsthand because they spend a considerable amount of their time i

I look out the window and what I see is a stark contrast to what I saw two months ago. My little garden is perishing; my little backyard is strewn with brown, amber, and butterscotch-coloured fallen leaves from nearby maple, sycamore, oak, and birch. The buzzing bees, hummingbirds, goldfinches, doves, and blue jays are all gone. The season has arrived.   I smell the fragrance of fall in the air. The morning air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and the temperatures are dipping. The quilts are out, the comforters are in. Sweaters, jackets, and scarves have been pulled out of the closet in preparation for the cooler days ahead. While the aforementioned things are easier to adjust to, it is my garden and its changing appearance that asks me of my patience, for it is going to be a long wait before my garden dresses up in a myriad of colours afresh.  My vegetable plants have nearly stopped producing. The Italian eggplant is still bearing blossoms, but which dry out and drop to the ground,

Ask anyone who has grown fruits, vegetables, or even culinary herbs if homegrown produce savour better in comparison with store-bought varieties. A gardener's answer will be an unequivocal yes. Even simple green chillies or coriander leaves taste so much better and fresher when they are grown at home. I have a small backyard, most of which is dedicated to flowers. However, we have been growing edibles for the past two summers. Although not a seasoned vegetable gardener, I can still vouch for the freshness homegrown produce add to my meals. This year, we have grown Malabar spinach (pui shak), red amaranth (lal shak), lemon cucumber, Serrano pepper, two types of eggplants, and three varieties of tomatoes in our small space. We shared our harvest with friends and neighbours, too. Growing fruits, veggies, and herbs at home gives you the freedom to choose the varieties you love to eat. When you grow your edibles from seeds, the options are even wider. Although it does take some ti

  Okras grown in our garden This summer is our first summer, vegetable-gardening. Well, we actually began in spring. The initial investment was in soil, seeds, seedlings, and pots to start seeds. Doing something for the first time has elements of excitement as well as doubt - you do not know if you will become successful. There are so many factors that are at play - seed quality, soil quality, rainfall, temperature, light intensity, et cetera!  Here in this post, you are seeing a photo of freshly picked okras. When our okra plants first bore flowers, we were over the moon but only to discover that the flowers withered and fell to the ground. I do not remember exactly when I saw that the flowers were turning into vegetables, but you can guess that it was the day when my husband and I began to believe in ourselves and that our hard work would to pay off. If you did not know, okra is a self-pollinating plant.  We have four okra plants in our backyard now - tall and healthy with bristly st

Habanero pepper is one of the very hot varieties of chili pepper. It is believed to have originated in the the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico.  If you love hot and spicy food and sauce, this flavorful and aromatic variety is a right kind for you! But the heat could be too much for some people to consume and direct contact with skin can result in what is called pepper burning. I personally have experienced this last week when I broke a tiny bit from a habanero pepper. I soaked my hand in cold water but that did not help much, so I googled to find out what could give me some relief and applied everything from rubbing alcohol, cold milk to castor oil and dishwashing soap. I don’t know which one of these worked but the pain subsided after two hours. I am not writing all of this to discourage you - if you love hot and spicy foods, you will definitely love habanero pepper, just be careful about how much you are adding to your dish.  We bought a small seedling from Home Depot, a home improvement

ঢেঁড়স ফুল। What would that be in English? Okra blossom/ flower? I love okras or lady’s fingers, so does my family! But did I know what their flowers looked like? Nay, I did not, until now, because now I have okra plants in my backyard! I am loving my first-time journey into vegetable gardening. I am learning brand new things daily. In the past, I only enjoyed my fruits and veggies, but I knew very little about the long journey they made from seeds to mature fruits. Vegetable gardening has taught me to appreciate the food I eat more than ever!   

Yes, we are living through a lockdown situation, hearing, reading and watching about illness and death every single day, but none of all this has stopped nature from unfolding its beauty during this summer time. She is just like she was in the good ol’ days. Below is a collage created with pictures and a video of some of the flowers that bloomed in my backyard as we have hunkered down. 

This COVID-19 lockdown has seen so many firsts. It has seen the birth of many gardeners, chefs, bakers, painters, singers, dancers, comedians, and even, hairdressers. The COVID-19 lockdown has also seen me evolve  - - from a gardener, who only grew flowers, to a first-time vegetable grower. I do not know if we would have ventured into vegetable gardening had the coronavirus not shut the doors of the Indian grocery stores here where I live. With the COVID-19 spread across the world and supply chain disrupted, the Indian grocery stores from where we used to get our “deshi” vegetables had to close down their stores. This meant no okra, bitter, bottle and snake gourds, green chillies, red and Malabar spinach, flat beans, etc. for us anymore. Cauliflower, cabbage, eggplant, and spinach were still available at American grocery stores, although not all the time, like the pre-pandemic days.  A month into the lockdown, this “deshi” soul began to crave a little variety in her daily

#indoorplants When it comes to house plants, benefits are numerous. They do not only spruce up your home, but also purify the indoor air, trap allergens, enhance your mood, add moisture to the air... If you have difficulty sleeping at night, consider keeping plants like succulents and orchids in your bedroom - the extra oxygen might help. They do need care, but plants like Devil’s Ivy (commonly known as money plant in the Indian subcontinent), Chinese evergreen, snake plant, orchids, and succulents do not require much care. A lot of house plants do not even need direct sunlight - they can thrive in artificial light! House plants are not only an inexpensive way to jazz up your home, but they are beneficial to your health, too. Here are some of my indoor green friends: 

If someone ever showed me a photo like this one and asked me to guess what it was, I could have never guessed in a million years. This is an eggplant blossom! #gardening Every stage in the lifecycle of a fruit or a vegetable is pretty amazing. I am beginning to appreciate the food I eat more than ever!

Although her name is Blue Girl, her shade is “actually” mauve lavender. My phone camera does not always do justice to pretty things and pretty colors. #gardening This is such a fragile variety that you have to be very very careful, if you decide to buy a Blue Girl rose plant. Because of its color and fragrance, it also attracts pests. If you are wondering what I do in that case, well, I just spray warm soapy water to control the bugs.

It is a pleasure growing your own food. We are not using any artificial fertilizers or pesticides to grow our vegetables. They are as good as can be. Eggplant, tomato, habanero pepper, and bottle gourd to-be. Also, a bowl of freshly picked red spinach. #gardening

I usually don’t pluck flowers. When I do pick flowers, I do it because there is inclement weather in the forecast! The photos below are from my home. The flowers? They are from my little backyard. If you have a backyard or even a balcony, consider having your own garden - you will never regret it! 

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” I am starting to see flowers blooming around me - in my home, backyard, and in public parks. So, even though these are times of trouble, struggle, and unhappiness, I cannot lose heart. I want to give my best fight - the way a yellow dandelion fights through a crack in the concrete to have its day in the sun. #watercolor

The Blue Girl rose plant in my backyard has blessed me with perhaps its last flower of the year. It is such a delight! The plant had almost died last year, but we re-planted it in a different spot where she could get more sunshine. When we almost gave up on its survival, she began to sprout new leaves. Right now, she is 2-feet tall and has already born two unbelievably beautiful lavender roses! Keep making us proud, little girl!