Time outs Top 25 : our store in mumbai is @ no#6!!!!

extremely humbled by time out (mumbai) putting our store in front of so many amazing names....truly humbled....

Whats with all these Hoardings!!!

So on a recent drive to one of my sites i fond myself on the mumbai pune express highway...this drive used to be one of the most soothing stunning drives near the city...and though i know the kind of ecological distraction it took to make this highway it still was a stunning drive..and come the monsoon the hills would be a shade card of green...the small rivulets, the little waterfalls, the monkeys ,flowers ,birds the small villages u pass by with thatched roofs an idealistic scenery a glimpse into the true color of the countryside but have u been on this road lately...
there are hoardings bigger than the hills one more ridiculous than the other the little villages have turned into second home projects concrete structures the rivulets have been paved and the once stunning countryside has been devastated by the developers developing the land.but here today I'm just gona try to show u what an eyesore these hoardings are...
The expressway is a 93km long stretch and when last counted there were 1550 hoardings!!! apron 17 huge hoardings every 1 km.the sad part is when the villagers by the road suffer from 15-18hrs of load shedding(no electricity) huge halogens highlight these monstrosities.

the small highway dhabas have given way to food malls where everything form McDonnell's to dominoes serve us so called fresh food....the rustic kokum juice is replaced by colas ....what the hell is happening!!!!
a mountain is carved out to "create" Asia's largest hoarding ...the sad part is the company that made this hoarding is a landscape firm...maybe thats why i don't see eye to eye with the older generation on "landscape designers" that are out there...there are hoarding after hoarding of eco projects green buildings nature complexes blah blah blah....what a load of crap this is by making a garden with a lawn and palms dosent make ur complex eco friendly!!
The divider landscapes though i must say have steadily improved there are some absolutely stunning palms used,the plumerias are stunning too...the ticomas,thivetias....kudos the the hundreds and hundreds of maintaince workers who in their high visibility jackets work in the scorching sun and the pouring rain.
this is just a rant...im irritated tired and frustrated cause on the road cause its impossible to click the landscape without stopping at the side one of my most fav drives been reduced my ignorant money hungry co operates to this....makes me truly sad...here are some of the hoardings i clicked:

Why NOT to compost in a city like mumbai...

Iv been meaning to do this article for a while now....the sudden increase in organic gardeners have also seen the increase organic oracles...for them composting is an integral part of gardening and each feeling their formulas are better than the other...the continuous jibber jabber has kinda got me thinking is composting really all that its said to be...i beg to differ for all the garden gurus out there.
The per sq ft prices are sky rocketing and the space for our plants have become lesser than ever...10 plants in our balcony is all the green we have in our home spaces.and to actually have a composting bin for 10 plants is ludicris to say the least...lemme list out my problems with home composting for you:-

1)Quantity:We live in a day where i get people in the nursery who add manure to their plants every week iv heard some absolutely hilarious stories of how people advised them two table spoons twice a week with neem water and some other stinky stuff...plants are simple beings and plants in mumbai homes do not need so much fuss if u do the basics right they will thrive.Add manure ice a month or for some plants even less frequent to keep them in best health.Always remember if to little is bad...to much is devastating!

2)Space:Whether you are using a commercially available bin or just starting your own compost pile, you will need to devote some of your home to compost. While aesthetics are not as important to some people than others, a pile of compost or a big bin can stand out in a green space that has your food,flowers and greens.and the idea of a compost pit so near to ur food plants is simply repelling! If you have big bungalows with a large yard you could possibly consider making ur bins in a far corner out of sight but its simply not practical to keep em in our little homes.

3)The emissions: We keep plants in our homes not just for the aesthetics but for the aroma of the flowers..the continuous supply of clean fresh oxygen.As things rot and decay, they emit a bad odor. Even though most compost bins are self-contained units, there is the chance the stench of the composing food and plant matter will emit into your home. One way to cut down on the smell is make sure food items are buried deep into the compost or just don't compost food at all, a compost pit at home may enable you to transform your house waste into free fertilizers but did u know Carbon dioxide (CO2 ), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are all by-products of the composting process.
4)Pests: the pile/pit/bin of composting is a hot bed for pest rats,bugs,roaches,mosquitoes.....and i know people will tell u otherwise(i speak from experience on my farm we have a huge composting pit...far away from the house )Mice may make beds in compost piles, but placing the pile away from buildings helps prevent any issues with the rodents. Enclosing the pile prevents many pests from entering the bin. Also, avoid adding meat or dairy to the pile. These items not only smell as they decompose, they also attract nuisance stray animals

5)Time: Elaborate recipes ,turning ,tumbling, adding, subtracting ,cleaning....blah blah blah blah...ur gardening ur not making a master chef recipe for heavens sake keep it simple who has the time in this city to do all this i own more than 25,000 plants in the nursery and more than 1,00,000 on the farm and i don't do have any recipe for my compost.On the farm we have workers who regularly water the pile and turn them...thats it! green leaves and vegetable waste is all we add.

WHAT NOT TO COMPOST: here is a list of things you seriously need to avoid in ur composting bins!

1)Cooking oil: Smells like food to animal and insect visitors. It can also upset the compost's moisture balance.

2)Diseased plants: Trash them, instead. You don't want to transfer fungal or bacterial problems to whatever ends up growing in your finished compost.

3)Heavily coated or printed paper: This is a long list, including magazines, catalogs, printed cards and most printed or metallic wrapping paper. Foils don't break down, and you don't need a bunch of exotic printing chemicals in your compost.

4)Human or animal feces: Too much of a health risk. This includes kitty litter. Waste and bedding from non-carnivorous pets should be fine.

5)Meat products: This includes bones, blood, fish and animal fats. Another pest magnet.

6)Milk products: Refrain from composting milk, cheese, yogurt and cream. While they'll certainly degrade, they are attractive to pests.

7)Rice: Cooked rice is unusually fertile breeding ground for the kinds of bacteria that you don't want in your pile. Raw rice attracts varmints.

8)Sawdust: So tempting. But unless you know the wood it came from was untreated, stay away.

9)Stubborn garden plants: weeds which will probably regard your compost heap as a great place to grow, rather than decompose.

10)Used personal products: Tampons, diapers and items soiled in human blood or fluids are a health risk.

11)Pizza boxes: Too much grease. While some compost enthusiasts steer clear of adding pizza box cardboard to their pile, others report no problems. It's that or the trash.

12)Medical waste: Syringes, tubing, scalpels and other biohazards should be disposed as such.

Community composting:Composting in the city has huge scopes if housing societies take to them in a big way in a far flung corner of the building you could compost successfully.let every1 contribute separate bio degradable and non bio degradable waste keep glass bottles separately then and only then is composting a good idea in the city. Educate the residents on the benefits but alo tell them the disadvantages i know every1 wants to make a difference but doing it the right way is important.For any guidance help in setting up community compost bins feel free to contact us here at vriksha.

Carnivorous Plants in Mumbai!!!!

A city obsessed with murdering its greens...as a nursery we decided to give them a fair chance for them to fight back...so here they are the awesomely deadly pitcher plants!!! These little hanging guys are not as innocent as they sound...the highly evolved carnivorous plants have mastered the art of survival in the deadliest terrains across the world..so mumbai should be a piece of cake for this insect predator.
Troubled my mosquitoes...roaches,lizards,rain insects....look no further than this little plant...this plant is one of the most sophisticated digestive mechanisms in the plant kingdom inside the pitcher it has little hair with digestive enzymes ready to devour its prey...but don't worry as deadly as they sound they are pretty much harmless to kids and inquisitive humans alike!
No now u don't have to light that mosquito coil or put on some silly cream to save urself from getting bitten...keep this plant by ur window side and see it go nuts eating the various insects the city has to offer....these rarest of rare beauties are only available with us at Vriksha .

PLANT CARE TIPS:
taking care of these guys is probably the easiest thing to do...as they pretty much sustain themselves with all the insects they eat!but here are some basic care tips to keep in mind
1)never keep them out in the blaring afternoon sun...
2)always keep the soil moist
3)it likes to be around other plants...ferns especially
4))you don't need to catch insects and feed them...they are well capable of doing that themselves
5)bore well water is a strict no no...
6)don't waste your money on chemical/organic fertilizers these guys don't need em

@ rs 2000 we only get 15 every month and sell out in the 1st week so get your move on to get your personal natural insect disposal system

Pimp my garden!!!!

You guys remember that show on vh1 where exebit the rapper went around making tin boxes on wheels into chrome tv/ps3/music stations on wheels....i happened the other day to watch an episode and "EUREKA" inspiration struck the idea was simple...everyone has that 1 space in their house they would love to green up.... it might be a terrace,a balcony,a porch, a wall, or even a kitchen window uv got the space we at vriksha will make sure we create a green space to match your personality.

How to go about this:-
-get onto Facebook like the Facebook page of Vriksha Nursery & girlyhour.com.
-click a pic of any space (under 100 sq ft)
-tell us a little about your self...what you do, what u want from the space etc.
-the best 2 entries will get a free space makeover from us at Vriksha Nursery .Ever entry gets 2 free herbs from the nursery....so no1 goes empty handed.
1 entry= 2 herbs plants
1 share=1 herb plant
1 like on our Facebook page =1 herb plant

im gona give you some random ideas ....these here are just examples you are free to run wild with your imagination.....

*For the sweet tooth : imagine your balcony filled with plants everything that will taste sweet!!!hydrengias,stevias,sweet flag, sweet potatoes!!!!

*For the creepy crawly haters : imagine a greenspace that not just keeps most insects away but also eats them!!! yes !yeas! carnivorous plants,insect repellants...

*For the animal lovers: plants your little doggies/cats would love....they will graze like sheep and all the plants used will be beneficial to them!

*For the home chefs: so yea herbs,vegetables,fruits name it and you will have it!!! organic healthy and amazing fun to cook with.....

*For the adventurous : loads of plants from morning glories to agaves to salvia!!! yes yes if you are looking to get high legally of ur space...post us ur entry!!!

So yea you guys basically have the point...we will look at the entries select the best and share the video/images with you guys of what we do...feel free to share this article with all your friends.The more radical your idea the more likely you ll win so think different ...and go crazy!!!
(only mumbai and pune residents)