T E A -L IG H T H O L D E R S : (P H O T O G R A P H : A N SH U M A N SEN ; S T Y L IN G : T EA M B H G )
Go Soil-less
Look around
. Among sand
and pebbles,you’ll see wild grass and
plants also growing. So, common soil is
not the only medium to grow plants.
There’s a new soil-less culture where
Coco peat and small pebbles are used to
grow plants, though in pots. However,
for a pot full of Coco peat or pebbles,
you need at least
10
% of common soil so
roots can crawl through. These plants
need regular watering and an NPK feed
once a fortnight. Such plants are safe
from most ground pests.
Grow: lettuce, parsley, tomato, cacti and
succulents, pansies, and geraniums.
W
OUTDOOR ACCESSORIES
LIGHT IT UP
These outdoor tea-light holders are cast in
kansa
or
bell metal (an alloy of copper and tin that is considered
a form of bronze), and can withstand heat. Bell metal
was used for casting bells and is still used in parts of
eastern India to make cooking utensils. This flat beaten
piece has a removable tea-light stand with a holder so
you can take it out, and replace the light without
singeing your fingers. The Mughal design hanging light
can be hooked to any wall. Rs 360 each; Fabindia.
Framed!
Crimson Fern, a plant store in
Mumbai, has introduced ‘living
walls’ in India, a concept
pioneered by a French botanist
in 1998, who moved a horizontal
garden to a vertical position/V i
Back home, Mukesh Ambani’s
new home apparently boasts of
a living wall. Crimson Fern
offers mini plant walls for your
home (good for desks too). You
need to water them just once a
week. Ideal plants include
fittonia, pilea, episcia, pothos,
and ferns. Rs 250 upwards.
THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN
W
0
S t Tum your attention
to winter veggies. Remove
excessive outer leaves from
cauliflower, cabbage, and radish.
Prop up these plants with soil
support. Tomatoes would need
staking (tying them up with
sticks for support).
0 clSt
Almost all flowering
pots need to be shifted into a
makeshift greenhouse. In any
kind of harsh winter, plants still
needs mulching and light
watering occasionally, or
seasonal vegetables such as
broccoli and parsley start wilting.
south
\
Winter here is
less harsh because it’s not dry
cold. Stick to light sprinkling of
water over grass and other
plants during this period of
dormancy, right till the third
week of January. Then increase
the watering little by little.
north i
. Use mulching and
light sprinkling of water to
handle winter problems such as
ground frost, excessive dew, and
very low temperatures. A thick
layer of dry leaves works as
mulch; for cacti and succulents,
use a thin layer of pebbles.
For more info, see Resources
BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
JANUARY 20
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