The "Hippy" Horticulturist of mumbai .

     

 
   
       Lets start by telling you guys this is a slightly off topic post. A post about guys and girls from age 18-40 who all of a sudden have taken a very keen interest in horticulture. These people stop by #Vriksha in hilariously colourful outfits dreadlocks wearing funky glares and using terms like "Bro" "Groovy" they say goodby too in a funny way..."peace out" " Booom" "Jai Bholenath" .
   

 A few weeks ago i had a similar client i asked him why ....why do you guys only want to grow this 1 plant....why not tomatoes , why not chillis i showed him some of the magical plants we had at vriksha i showed him cactis ,succulents ... glow in the dark plants carnivores etc i showed him how good fresh herbs smell.....i served him a home grown salad....i spent an entire hour trying to get him all excited about the magical world of plants...he took him a herb basket , a tomato plant , a venus fly trap and soil for his seeds.

 

   "Jack" sold his cow to get his magic seeds. these guys buy them online....they get them from all sorts of places. These guys adore these seeds they keep them in boxes fancier than those the jewellers use for diamonds. They come asking for advice they speak about artificial lighting to grow plants when i tell them the lights are expensive they dont mind they say.... they want to sit and discuss soil Ph for hours . The right growing medium the right N.P,K required to grow their "Precious" seeds.

        An Average plant shopper that visits us has a few simple questions ... Name of the plant ,will it flower ,will it fruit , how much will it flower how much will it fruit, how much sunlight , how much water....when do we add manure etc etc.But these guys are different they aren't interested in the fruit the aren't interested in flowers all they want is the budd.

     

      Its the case of Dr Jekkle and Mr Hyde here the Dr is an expert gardener who checks soil moisture levels to keep the plant in good health...he fertilizes his plants expertly using only organic manure that he has got of flipkart. The other guy forgets to water his tomatoes for a week .

     Let me make one thing clear here ....I do not sell seeds nor do i sell plants of this special plant banned under " the NDPS act of 1985 . So dont call asking for it .

Spotted him at a local starbucks a few months later... he was extremely excited to see me...telling me his plant is doing well ...very well and offer me some of hi homegrown budd...i politely declined...i told him i was happy for him and asked how the others were doing...the spearmint the rosemary...has he cooked with them ? i was curious...i wanted to know did he harvest the tomatoes...did he show his friends the venus fly trap...he looked at me and said..." No brooo. They all dies in a week of taking them....i forgot to water them for a week cause i had my exams even my cactus died cause i dropped hot coffee in it one day and forgot and then ants came n ...BLAH BLAH BLAH. I dared to enquire further...how did your seeds survive...how did that plant do so well...a big bush of 5 ft (he showed me images on his cellphone) . oh those i wake up and water...then i water them in the evening again depending on the soil moisture and humidity levels that day.

 

          In this article i merely want to state a simple point....There are thousands of plants in nature each one more beautiful than the other...i know you love your high...but have you ever eaten a freshly plucked tomato...have made tea out of fresh cut leaves of a spearmint...have you ever seen a venus fly trap in action...its simply spellbinding. The world dosnt need more pot heads ....it dosnt need more engineers or more industrialists it desperately needs more horticulturist , it needs more naturalist . And i know this generation of people have it in them to be probably the best only if only they apply the same love to growing other plants as much as they do when they grow weed.

A safe walk in the park 2: plants your house pets can eat.

In one of my earlier article i wrote about plants to keep away from your dogs/cats . i felt i needed to find plants for my army of pets to go grazing in.Even though i lost one of my dogs to plant poisons iv got 3 adorable dogs a 1 cat and a nursery in my backyard...nothing makes me more happy than the 4 of them waddling away among the plants.

There are 11plants,grasses that iv identified over the years that house pets simply adore im listing a few of them ..and have also mentioned the basic care tips for the plants.

1)Catnip(Nepeta catoria):Cats go wild for catnip , rolling around on the plant and getting very playful. The plant's precise effect on cats remains a mystery, but there is no question that cats adore it.This easy-to-grow herb tolerates a wide variety of soil types, although it performs best in well-drained, sandy soil of average fertility. Choose a planting site that receives full sun for the strongest aroma from your catnip plants. The plants may tolerate light shade, but will not grow as profusely or flower as abundantly as plants grown in full sun.

2)umbrella (papyrus):The Schefflera is the "dwarf" brother to the old time umbrella plant – Schefflera actinophylla. Today, you find one variety of the large Schefflera grown called ‘Amate” however the “Dwarf Umbrella” has quite a few varieties and is easy to find at the nursery.Remember when caring for your dwarf umbrella / schefflera
-Don’t keep the plant wet
-Place the plant in as bright an area as you can
-Watch out for mites
-Don’t be afraid to prune when needed

3)catmint (Nepeta faassenii )Nepeta, or catmint, is a member of the mint family. It is an extremely easy growing plant with few pests or problems. The billowing foliage is topped with spikes of flowers in early summer with repeat blooms throughout the season.Nepeta has slightly aromatic grey-green foliage that has a delicate, lacy appearance. The flowers can be white, pink or lavender-blue, and bloom on long spikes. Nepeta has a somewhat sprawling growth habit, making it a nice plant for edges and along paths.

4)Bigonia:They like to have soil that is well-drained, so starting out by preparing your bed with peat moss and a mix of sand and soil will work well. They like to be in the sun but not too much sun.You may want to fertilize occasionally but there are no strict requirements that you do so. Any balanced fertilizer will work nicely. Once the begonias start to bloom you are in for a real treat, because they will not stop blooming until the rains...

5)Durva Cynodon dactylon :The Sanskrit word durva literally means that which is cut or eaten by the animals. It is the most sacred plant of India next to tulasi.Durva grows wild, throughout India and is commonly cultivated as lawns, for decorative purpose. It is a perennial creeping grass, rooting at every node, forming matted tufts.Durva is astringent and sweet in taste , sweet in the post digestive effect and has cold potency . It alleviates kapha and pitta dosas. It possesses light and oily attributes. It is used in skin diseases, blood disorders, thirst and burning sensation in the body

6)Fish tail fern(Cyrtomium falcatum):Many fern lovers place use ferns in the landscape to add some green while not worrying about berries other plants may produce that could potentially be harmful for local wildlife or neighborhood children. Their beauty helps make any corner of the landscape look beautiful.Most ferns don’t require lots of fertilizer or plant food, just good moisture in the soil, suitable temperatures, and enough light for photosynthesis. Keep your garden of ferns in an area close to your home or under a tree to provide plenty of moisture.

7)Jacob's ladder:Pedilanthus tithymaloides has been evaluated for use in controlling the organisms that cause malaria,1 schistosomiasis, and tuberculosis. It's been looked into as a possible renewable fuel source. Medical science is exploring it as the source of interesting anti-inflammatory drugs, or as a general antibacterial / antimicrobial.Humidity, Temperature, Grooming: All pretty much non-issues. Temperature, remember, is important because it's necessary for the pink color to show up , but they seem to be capable of tolerating temperatures down to about freezing

8)Rosemary(Rosmarinus officinalis)Rosemary is one of those wonderful herbs that makes a beautiful ornamental plant as well as a welcome culinary seasoning. Its Latin name, Rosmarinus officinalis, means "dew of the sea"The evergreen shrub originated in the Mediterranean area, but it is today cultivated almost everywhere in the world, primarily for its aromatic leaves.Rosemary needs full sun, and a sandy, well-limed soil, but it can also be wintered indoors. Rosemary generally grows best in light, well-drained, rather dry soil; rosemary is extremely susceptible to infestations of scale, mealy bugs and spider mites, and to root rot in wet soil, and these are the conditions one must be constantly aware of when one is cultivating the shrub.

9)Spider plant(Chlorophytum comosum) :Possibly the most popular of all houseplants, spider plant is a grasslike, clump forming, evergreen perennial in the lily family The Chlorophytum plant originates from South Africa .Grows in most locations though its variegation is most pronounced when the plant is near a window.If you keep your plants in proper condition, you will soon notice spider "˜babies' forming on your spider plant. These babies look like little miniature spider plants suspended from a longer branch of the plant.

10)lemon grass(Cymbopogan flexuosus):Lemongrass is native to the Philippines. It is widely used as a herb in Asian cuisine.The crop grows well in both tropical and subtropical , ideal conditions for growing lemon grass are warm and humid climate with sufficient sunshine and rainfall ,Lemon grass can grow well over medium fertile soils and moderate irrigation. Well drained sandy loam is most suitable for the growth of the plant . It can be grown on a variety of soils ranging from loam to poor laterite. Calcareous and water logged soils should be avoided as they are unsuitable for cultivation.

11)Cannabis sativa:im not going to tell you how i kow animals love this plant but they do...wild animals like elaphants,rabbits are known to graze this herb.its seed, chiefly used as caged-bird feed, is a valuable source of protein.

most of these plats are freely available at the nursery and super easy to maintain(exept begonias that easily rot during the rains in Mumbai).these are the plants that my animals love...do let me kow if ay of your furry little friends have some more exotic vegetarian tastes id love to serve it to my animals for their daily chew.

Common home plants that get you...HIGH!!!!...

Since the time i decided i wanted to be a horticulturist i kept getting asked 1 question" So do u grow anything special" .I always wondered what answer were they expecting" yea yea iv got a 100 acre farm in the hills ...feel free to come n have your way with the so called special plant".For a while i wondered were there any alternatives to Cannabis any plants that could produce the same or different desirable/undesirable effects and with time iv found quite a few plants that are not banned and oh so commonly available...id love to write a disclaimer but sadly im a horticulturist not a lawyer( phew!!!...i dun have 2 wear funny wigs ,a gay tie or a black night gown!). I'm in no way promoting that you go and eat/smoke/or do what ever the hell with these plants...all im trying to do here let you guys know of the other sides of these commonly used plants::

1)`Morning Glory

The next two seeds are very similar to LSD, both morning glory and Hawaiian baby woodrose seeds contain LSA (lysergic acid amide), a psychedelic similar to LSD but about one tenth of the strength. Most seeds sold at stores are coated with a substance designed to make you feel ill and the best way to consume it is to extract it or find untainted seeds. The effects can last up to 14 hours and produce a dream like state.

2)Amanita mushroom

a mushroom that grows in abundance all over the south of India Amanita mushrooms contain the psychoactive ingredients ibotenic acid and muscimol. It is believed that the Viking berserkers ate these mushrooms before battle as it was thought that they would increase strength. These mushrooms are not to be confused with psilocybin mushrooms which produce a pleasant high. These mushrooms produce effects ranging from synesthesia (the smelling of colors) to perceived dramatic changes such as increased strength and muscle twitching. Amanita-Muscara mushrooms are easy to identify by their red color and white spots, but the genus Amanita contains some of the deadliest mushrooms currently known (so don't try unless you are prepared to die).

3)Thornapple/dhatura

In India the dhatura has found a highly revered place of honor as one of Shiva's sacred plants. According to the vamana purana it grew out of Shiva's chest and the garuda purana gives instructions for ritual offerings of Datura flowers, which should be made to Shiva on the 13th day of the waxing Moon in January.imson Weed, is a leafy herb that can grow up to 2 meters high, produces seed pods and can be identified by large white or purple flowers. This inconspicuous looking plant contains atropine, scopolamine, and hyoscyamine, chemicals which are located mainly in the seed pods and flower and when ingested can cause effects ranging from hallucinations and euphoria, to confusion and delirium. The effects of this plant can last up to 3 days in large doses.

4) Nutmeg:

This spice is one of Indias largest exports ...but it as a dark side .Eating four to eight teaspoons of ground nutmeg causes mild hallucinations, warmth in the limbs ...but the side effects are there dizziness, nausea, cottonmouth, paranoia, difficulty urinating and, the coup de grace, a hangover that feels like God taking a dump on your soul.
Some users compare the nutmeg "high" to a hellish case of the flu. To make things worse, nutmeg consumption is easily the most inconvenient way to get high--its effects kick in five to six hours after ingestion. That's like the early morning after downing a neat bottle of JD.

5) Salvia divinorum

Salvia divinorum, a psychedelic plant that contains Salvinorin A. which can produce an intense 10-30 minute trip, with effects ranging from radical perspective shifting to an extremely intense experience. Many people who try Salvia Divinorum do not want to try it again.It can be legally bought online on many websites and grows like a weed in mumbai.

6)Mulberries

ingesting large amounts of unripe mulberries can cause moderate hallucinations.Your foremost reaction to unripe mulberries would be the urge to puke your guts out.another point about mulberries you dont want to forget that mulberries are also a potent laxative! Given all the shitting, vomiting and flightiness unripe mulberries induce, it's a wonder super models aren't addicted to them yet.

7)Poppy Seed:

Yes, these are the seeds of the opium poppy, the very same flower that has fueled much of the world's drug trade through history. Thus poppy seeds contain minute amounts of the opium alkaloids morphine and codeine,And if you eat enough of them, you could get high (theoretically).

there are more than 42,0000 plants in the world that would have many such effects ...but the plants are quite rare so not bothering to mention them .Im ending this article like the weekly soap opera on Indian television called WWE...
pls dont try this at HOME!