Vriksha nursery

Vriksha nursery is a second generation nursery based in Mumbai where we strive to change the face of urban gardening in India with over 25,000 gardens executed in Maharashtra/Goa/Gujarat. We have a team of dedicated professionals who will leave no stone unturned to give you gardens of the utmost quality. Vriksha nursery has been synonymous with innovation in our field be it set landscaping(over 15000 teleserials/movies/adfilms), temporary landscapes (over 2500 exhibitions and weddings),ikebana flower arrangements, urban farming, rooftop gardens,living walls etc.
contact us :9820704069 Email: shaan_lalwani@hotmail.com
or better still
Drop by at: 1 ganga apts ,
irla railway soc(2nd last bungalow lane opp papilon hotel )
mumbai 400056.
WHY GO GREEN...WHEN NATURE HAS SO MANY COLOURS TO OFFER!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Urban edible garden sollutions 2: HERBS.


Estimates show that as many as 20 million people are engaged in urban agriculture all over the world. Half of Latin American cities, 72% of urban - house holds in Russia and 14 largest cities in China produce 85% of the vegetables/herbs not only from terraces but also on empty sites, unbuilt areas, parks, etc . Sadly in India we depend on the paltry packets we get in the super markets which have been grown on farms that use all kind of pesticides,herbicides,insecticides...chemical fertilizers the question you need to as is do you really want your pizza topped with carbaril or ur pesto made of roger.
Words can't describe the flavors that come only when cooking with fresh cut herbs and how they enhance your culinary adventures.There is a whole lot of herbs on sale at the nursery namely::


1. ROSEMARY
2. THYME
3. OREGANO
4. GALANGAL
5. PARSLEY
6. BASIL
7. CHIVES
8. DIL
9. CITRONELLA
10. SAGE
11. BLACK PEPPER
12. SPEAR MINT
13. MINT


Herbs can be annuals growing only for a season such as basil, dill etc or perennial, those which come back year after year for eg. thyme. Most of them require little care and are nearly pest free. They can be grown in the garden in containers out doors or indoors. They require well draining moderately rich soil, ample air and sunlight, except a few which prefer shade. There is no need to fertilize herbs too often. Too much fertilizers or organic matter can lead the plant to become large and leggy and loose its actual flavour. If herbs are planted for their flavour or for seasoning with their leaves, pick the tender leaves before they bloom for best results.

WHERE TO BEGIN:
1)Do you want herbs mostly for culinary,aroma or medicinal purposes?

2)How much space do you have to plant your herbs?

3)Will you plant them with vegetables or ornamentals? If so, you may want to consider texture, height, color, fragrance, and any other factors that affect the appearance and attractiveness of your garden.

4)Where do you plan or planting your herbs? Is it a sunny or shady place? Note that most herbs need at least six hours of light, and others like shade.

5)Do you plan on growing herbs in containers or in the ground?




As a general rule, the bigger the seed, the deeper you should sow them. Some herbs such as coriander and fennel don’t transplant well so it’s best to sow them directly in your garden.
As far as pests are concerned, there are only a few you need to worry about with most herbs. Be on the lookout for red spider mites and aphids particularly. If you plant mints, check periodically for rust. You can mix a little castor soap with water and use a fine sprayer to wash off your herbs periodically to prevent these common pests


What you need to know is one plant cant feed your family forever( i get clients buying tomatoes ,brinjals who think that that poor little sapling is their life time supply of the vegs) its the experience thats rewarding...
Dont finish the whole plant in 1 meal...i know ur hungry n the herbs taste good but leave some behind for the plants to grow back...
Always wash the herbs thoroughly before cooking them.
and when ever you cook pls feel free to drop in to share your food with the hard working nursery-boy who has worked hard to help you get those tasty little plants.

7 comments:

  1. i want to grow the herbs... i have flower beds.. u know that parapet below the window kinda thing....i have place for say 3 to 4 pots on my kitchen window...so u think u can help me?....please....

    ReplyDelete
  2. u can mail me ashasaraswat@gmial.com or call me 98209 75295
    :)Thanks!!
    regards, asha

    ReplyDelete
  3. yeaaa.... u can call me on my cell n ill help u guys....:-) also the ideal time 2 buy the italian herbs would b post the rains cause they cant stand water logging. but none the less der is a huge no of herbs/veg plants available at the nursery.

    ReplyDelete
  4. hi,
    can u plz let me know when u have herbs at ur nursery.
    i visited ur nursery 4-5 times but i never found any one.
    thanks
    neha
    nehaseth28@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi,
    I read some of your articles. I like what you did for your gf's bday. Giving free plants. I think that was a very sweet gesture. V original!!! I especially loved the one about plants for pets. I have 2 dogs. 1 is pedigree and the other is a stray. My pedigree one loves long stem grass in our society. Don't know why?

    Also, can you pls let me know as well when the herb saplings arrive at your nursery. I would also like to buy vegetable saplings. At present, we have 9 curry leave plants in our window. 1 tomato sapling recently given by a friend. Chilly growing from seed and 1 mint sapling:) The other 2 died.
    I tried to grow garlic. It grew about a few inches and then died. I also tried growing coriander from seeds but nothing happened.

    Thanks
    Trisha
    trisha.dikhit@gmail.com
    P.S Hope to hear from you soon.

    ReplyDelete
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