Bitter gourd is a fast growing warm seasonal climbing annual, native to South Asia. Considered one of the most nutritious gourds, the plant has medicinal properties.

This vine has a slender hairy stem with numerous branches and dense foliage. The plant grows up to 6 feet tall and develops small, yellow flowers both male and female, on the same plant. The fruits are green usually oblong, has an irregular surface with warts and 8-10 vertical ridges. When ripe, the fruits turn yellowish orange in color.

Propagation and Planting :
Mainly a warm season plant, bitter gourd thrives in hot and humid climates. Propagation is through direct seeding and transplanting. The best medium for the seeds is a fertile, well drained soil with a pH ranging from 5.5 to 6.7, enriched with organic matter, such as compost or dried manure. But it will tolerate any soil that provide a good drainage system. The soil must be prepared well by adding manure before planting.

Two or three seeds can be sown together in a pit 1/2 inch deep. Water lightly. For better results soak the seeds in water 24 hours before sowing. The seeds will germinate in 2-3 days. The germinated seeds can be replanted on raised beds 18-20 inches apart. Transplants should be done in such a way as to avoid disturbance to the root system. As the plants grow, place poles 2m.high and give wire or twine supports in rows across the poles.

Regular watering with plenty of water is essential for its growth. Flowers will start appearing in 5-6 weeks and fruition will occur between two to four months. Mature fruits are ready to be picked within3 months from planting and they will be light green and juicy with white flesh but bitter. Pick the fruits every 2-3 days when they are still at the tender stage. Regular picking is important as fruits will become more bitter as they mature and it can also hamper the growth of new fruits.

Leave some fruits to reach full maturity if they have to be reserved for subsequent crops. When fully mature, the fruits will break open on its own and release brown or white seeds which can be collected.

Problems and Care :
Vines should be pruned at the tips when female flowers start developing to encourage branching and fast bearing. Regular fertilizing is essential for its growth. Water immediately after applying fertilizers.

Bitter gourd is susceptible to many diseases and insect pests. It is susceptible to watermelon mosaic virus, other cucurbit viruses and powdery mildew, which can be controlled by sulfur dust. Rust disease is controlled by spraying foliage with oxycarboxin. The fruits are subject to attack by various fruit flies and fruit rots. Pests attack on fruits can be prevented by wrapping fruits with newspapers, when  they are about a few centimetres long.

yellow chrysanthymum / chamanthi

Yellow is my favorite colour of all and the show i got in my garden is definatley a kodak moment. I cannot resist myself without adding it to my site, it is a sure admirer. This is from my front yard gardening. When I bought this plant from walmart last year,  it was pretty small. This year it spreaded itself and i got a  gorgeuos show in my front yard in late spring(May) and in early fall (end of sept).

The benefit of having this plant is not only gorgeuos color but also very inexpensive, it spreads itslef every year and ofcourse a great perennial.  Couple weeks back i seperated some roots to another vacant place in my front yard garden, so thati can enjoy it more the next spring.

Pinching chrysanthemums yields compact, bushy plants with more blooms. “Pinching” simply means removing the tips of new growth, thereby stimulating the chrysanthemums to send out side-shoots. Start in the spring when the new growth has reached 4-6″ in length. Thereafter, every 2-3 weeks, pinch the center out of any more growth when it reaches 6″. But stop pinching chrysanthemums around the beginning of summer, or else bud formation won’t occur soon enough to ensure flowering.

Red chrysanthymum / chamanthi

This is from my front yard gardening. When I bought this plant from walmart last year,  it was pretty small. This year it spreaded itself and i got gorgeuos show in my front yard in late spring(May) and in early fall (end of sept).

Red chrysanthemum has a smaller flower compared to yellow.

The benefit of having this plant is not only gorgeuos color but also very inexpensive ( it is a hardy mum), it spreads itslef every year and ofcourse a great perennial.  Couple weeks back i seperated some roots to another vacant place in my front yard garden, so that i can enjoy it more the next spring.

Pinching chrysanthemums yields compact, bushy plants with more blooms. “Pinching” simply means removing the tips of new growth, thereby stimulating the chrysanthemums to send out side-shoots. Start in the spring when the new growth has reached 4-6″ in length. Thereafter, every 2-3 weeks, pinch the center out of any more growth when it reaches 6″. But stop pinching chrysanthemums around the beginning of summer, or else bud formation won’t occur soon enough to ensure flowering.

As i am reviewing the pictures i took from her house, few of several pic’s caught my eye and they always pull me back to admire them more. It brings such a pleasure to see all these flowers. It’s so nice to have friends with same interest. Thanks Sandeepa for sharing these to me.

I appreciated myself for taking these pics. check these out.

Peach Rose

It's a rose but looks like a dinner plate dhalia

Mixed color rose

Bright orange rose

Double Knock out rose

yellow Kanakambaram

White gonguraa goes very tall..it grows to almost 7 to 8 feet, while red gonguraa stays short and branches out wide.

Red Gongura-

White Gongura-

Peony plants are growable in zones 2-9. Plant bare-root peony plants in fall. All you’ll see is a crown with roots dangling beneath it. Dig a shallow hole, spread the roots apart and set the peony plant in the hole. Take note of the buds, which look like the “eyes” on potatoes. The buds should rest only 2″ under the surface when you are done planting, otherwise, you may have trouble getting your peony plants to bloom properly. For potted peony plants, a spring planting is suitable.

If possible, try to grow peony plants near entrances, where their fragrance can be most readily enjoyed. While their blooming period is tantalizingly short, even the foliage of peony plants is sufficiently attractive to warrant planting in a cozy corner near the doorstep. The peony plants with double flowers tend to be the most fragrant. To extend the blooming season, “stagger” your selection of varieties. That is, select some that bloom early, others late, and still others that bloom sometime in between.

As if stunning beauty and heady fragrance weren’t enough, peony plants are also exceedingly long-lived. Peony plants are unlike many other perennials, in that they do not need to be divided on a regular basis. In fact, they dislike being disturbed.

Coleus comes in vibrant colors. This attractive foliage plant is great for containers and underplanting. Although coleus will usually survive in sun, the color of the leaves is enhanced in the shade. Small, insignificant flowers will appear late summer. Pinch off blooms and growing shoots of young plants to encourage bushier foliage.

The advantage of this coleus is, it grows from a small stem. If you already have a coleus plant that is medium in size, just take a small branch of it, dip it in water over the night and plant it in a shady area. Now you have a new tenant that spreads with great color. Very economic!!!!

Here is the group of plants, it’s a pleasure to see them grow.

No Indian needs to be introduced to this flower. Most of them had some kind of memories with this flower in thier child hood garden or in fields or in wedding or any auspicious functions, poojas, festivals. This is a must to have flower. In south India this flowers is offered to god. They come in different colors.

I have my own memories around this flower. I remember this plant in my garden. we have several of these plants but one plant in particular had a wild bloom. I ended up with a pula jada (hair braided with flowers) during festive days, mainly during dussera we used to have big garlands of these flowers decorated to the front door. Me and my mom used to enjoy decorating with flowers during these festive days. There are so many memories around this one particular flower.

We can see this flower in almost every house in the village or country side.

I had this in my garden but rabbits ate them. My neighbor had these flowers and luckily rabbit showed mercy on these and I felt lucky at least to enjoy them from my neighbor Judie.

We had too many wild rabbits this time, it has been a challenge to save my vegetable garden and I am fortunate I saved it. I searched so much how to get rid of these wild rabbits, every one said to use chili powder, black pepper, etc..but these rabbits are so used to all these. One day while I am cleaning my pantry, I came across this dry ginger powder and suddenly this idea popped into my head. I sprinkled this dry ginger around the plants and to my surprise I did not see rabbits from that day. I don’t know if this dry ginger this worked out or what so ever but my garden is saved for the season.