Painting on recyclable plates

 Get inspired by these beautiful painting ideas with Areca palm plates. These paintings are cost-effective, rental friendly, and add a statement piece to your wall. 

Easy DIY Traditional Coaster painting ideas for 2022

I had this idea in my mind for over a few months, but I was skeptical to start the coaster project. But the results turned out amazing. If you are a DIY - person you must try this out. 

It is such an interesting and usable project which you could use in your day to day life. 

Here are a few ideas to spice up your coaster with Madhubani paintings...

DIY Elegant Designs for your Upcycled plastic bottle planter in 2021

Do you love to decorate your planters like I do?

Nowadays I am addicted to growing ornamentals plants in used plastic and coke bottles. They are cheap, affordable, and provide a classy look to your balcony at absolutely zero cost.

I assure you, by the end of this blog you would get a few easy designs to decorate your planter. They are very easy to paint and require no artistic knowledge.

How to Propagate Sedum from cuttings

Sedums are beautiful trailing plants for your hanging basket. Sedums are drought tolerant and available in green and lime yellow shades. They are hardy plants and are rarely attacked by pests. This makes sedums one of the best houseplants.

Popular names of sedum

• Sedum 
• Stonecrop
• Tokyo sun sedum

Grow Tomatoes in containers from kitchen scrap

Growing veggies in our home brings us immense happiness and satisfaction. 

In the current situation, it is hard to get organic vegetables from the market. People understand the need to have organic and rich foods. So we are moving towards a new phase of gardening called Apartment gardening or container gardening. A small step towards a better tomorrow. 

Tomatoes are great for beginners who are getting started on growing kitchen gardens. Tomatoes are easily grown and cultivated in a small space.
They are good starters for your balcony. Tomatoes do surprisingly well in small containers. 

I will walk you through the entire process of growing the tomatoes from sowing the seeds to harvesting. Additionally, as a bonus, I would be sharing a few tips on how to hand pollinate if your tomatoes are not fruiting.

Make this Simple DIY plant wall Hanging

Turks cap Plant - Care tips to enhance flowering with Quick Guide for free

Turks cap plant or Malvaviscus arboreus belongs to the Malvaceae family and resembles a sleeping hibiscus. These plants are native to southeast and central America.

These plants are fondly called as Turk's turban, wax mallow, Scotchman purse, and ladies' teardrop. The petals never open fully and hence resemble a sleeping hibiscus. These plants are called as Turks caps or Turks turban as they feature the signs of a Turkish cap.

Plants suitable to grow in plastic bottle- Tried and Tested Method

Gardeners happiness lies in buying plants. I had only a meager of 12 pots on my balcony initially. As the gardener in me grew I wanted to buy more plants or to propagate them.

Space has been always an issue then and space has been an issue now.

Then looking into few sources I decided to grow plants in the plastic bottle mainly due to a few reasons.

Hanging plants are beautiful than the pots placed on the ground level.

Plastic bottles can be reused effectively.

Cheap and easy DIY projects to decor your plants.

No sufficient light in my hall to keep indoor plants alive for a long time so I had to find a way to utilize my vertical space in the garden.

Check here for more ideas on how to make a Plastic bottle planter.

Here are a few plants that can be easily grown in plastic bottles. Most of the plants mentioned in the list are not so demanding plants. They would be happy even if you water them twice a week. These plants are a perfect piece to décor your home. Also, you can gift these inexpensive yet attractive mature plants to your loved ones.

DIY Clay wall hanging

Wall hanging pieces can brighten up your dim corner without spending a penny.

A stunning decor piece can be easily created at your home with just a few supplies of clay, paint, and yarn.

Believe me, no special skills are needed to make a hanging decor. It would be a cakewalk for you if you follow the below steps.

Things Needed

• Air-dry clay or homemade clay
• Yarn
• Acrylic paint
• Wooden Skewers or a piece of branch

4 DIY Pot planter painting ideas to showcase your skills

Every gardener has gone the extra mile to make their garden look stunning. No one really wants the old brown terracotta or common plastic pots. People are looking for something unique and creative to define themselves by beautifully exhibiting their living space.

Why to spend money on extravagant planter when you can style your planters yourself in a jiffy.

DIY Craft with Pistachio shells (2022)

Who does not love Pista's? There are amazing in every form, from having pistachio ice creams to wholesome nuts.

It has been long since I started collecting those hard-to-crack nutshells in a hope to create some beautiful décor . I absolutely loved making these petals with pistachio shells. I will be sharing a few home décor ideas with Pistachio shells.

From here on do not throw away your Pista shells.

Easy way to grow Lemon Tree from Seed - Proven Technique

When life gives you lemons, Plant it!!

Everyone wishes to grow a lemon tree as it has a pleasant citrus smell and taste. I was very excited to grow a lemon from a seed. To my dismay, I never succeeded in germinating even after multiple attempts. I have found a proven technique where you could never fail to grow a Lemon tree from a seed.

How to Grow Lemon from Lemon seeds

• Squeeze the lemon juice out of the lemons. Extract the seeds without harming the seeds.
• Make fresh lemon juice out of the extract.
• Next is the crucial part, choose healthy lemon seeds.
  

How to grow Coriander in balcony - The Indian way

Coriander is an aromatic herb used in cuisines to dress salads and adds a flavor to the dishes. Coriander is a popular herb used in daily Indian cooking from garnishing buttermilk to dressing Biriyani 's.

Garnishing with coriander leaves aids in digestion and prevents infections. Coriander is also rich in fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamins. Coriander is used in a variety of dishes like Coriander chutney or hummus, Coriander rice, Coriander juice, coriander pulao.

How to make a DIY Miniature Terrarium at home - Easy Home Decor Project

Interested in experimenting with the plant caretaker in you but lack sufficient space at your home, then Terrariums are for you!!

Terrariums are fun to make and can spice the elements at your home. Then fit in almost anywhere from the Tabletop to the Dining table. You can also add your characteristics to the terrarium by creating a fairy theme or a garden theme.

Come on let's make. By the end of this blog, you will learn how to create your terrarium.

I created a mini-open Terrarium with a Tiger Balm 30g Jar. I have been saving this jar for some time now. And now it has been put to the right use.

Things you will need

• Garden soil
• Compost
• Stones 
• Plants 
• Paper 
• Glass Jar or container (Any glass or mason jar would do )

How to Make a Miniature version of a Terrarium

Step 1: Cover the bottom layer of the Jar with small stones or pebbles. I have used aquarium white stones in my project. Placing the stones would store the excess water in your terrarium (acts as drainage). And it protects your plants from rotting.

Step 2: Cut a small piece of paper or newspaper according to the size of your container and place it above the stones. This layer would obstruct the soil from entering the stones and create a more beautiful look.

Step 3: Add Garden soil to your terrarium.

Step 4: Add compost to the terrarium as it would add nutrition to the terrarium. I have not mixed the potting soil and the compost to create different layers in the terrarium. You can mix them if you like.

Fill up the Potting mix and compost to one-half of the jar.

Step 5: Add plants to your terrarium. I have added Sedum Angelia golden to the terrarium as it has shallow roots. I have not seen many growing Sedums in terrariums. It has now been almost 7 to 8 days since I set up this terrarium. I find no major issues and the plants look fresh and the plants have fixed themselves to the soil which is a good sign.

You can add any humid-loving plants like mosses and ferns. Take your time to research and add plants in your terrarium.

Well-known plants that work in the terrarium are Mosses, Ferns

Step 6: Add small pebbles to the top layer to create a beautiful look.

Try these terrariums they are simple and straightforward to make.

Also, check out the DIY planter project with a plastic bottle 

Happy Gardening

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Gardening terms every beginner must know

Annuals

Plants that complete their life cycle within one year (Plants start from seeds, produce seeds and die)

Biennials 

The plant that completes its life cycle in two years. Most of the biennials do not flower until the second year.

Cover crop

Cover crops are plants that are planted not to harvest but to manage soil erosion, soil fertility. These plants are grown to suppress weeds, control pests.

Example: Growing clover fixes Nitrogen in the soil

Crop rotation

Growing different varieties of crops in different seasons to increase the yield, increase soil fertility, reduce soil erosion.

Example: Crops can be rotated between corn (reduce the Nitrogen content in the soil) and Soybeans (Deposits Nitrogen in the soil)By this combination the contents, the nutrient value of the soil is replenished.

Cuttings

Plant cuttings are a part of the plant when grown in proper conditions (like moist soil) develops roots, leaves and begins to grow as an independent plant.

Damping-off

Caused by pathogens that kill or weaken the seedlings before or after they germinate. This condition is mostly due to the moist and wet conditions of the soil. To avoid damping-off do not overwater your seedlings.

Deadheading

Removing the dried out flowers (spent flowers) from your plants to encourage new growth is called Deadheading. The spent flowers are removed as they take a lot of energy from the plant. In other words, removing the flowers before they are turned into seeds.

Deciduous

Deciduous means falling off at maturity or shedding their leaves. Plants that shed their leaves at the end of the growing season.

Direct sowing

Growing the seeds directly in the garden or into the pots rather than growing them indoors is called Direct sowing.

Examples: Seeds of Peas, Carrots can be directly sowed.

Dormant

Plants exhibit no growth or very little growth during the dormant period. It might look like the plant has dried out - probably the plant is in its dormant phase.

Evergreen 

Evergreen plants are those that remain green throughout the retain. These plants manage to retain their foliage even during the winter season.

Frost hardy

Plants that can survive frost are called as Frost hardy. These plants can survive in frost and snow.

Example: Hedera Helix Ivy, Rosemary

Hardwood cuttings

Cuttings taken from deciduous plants to propagate and grow them into an independent plant. Evergreen plants can also be propagated from hardwood cuttings. The Hardwood cuttings are normally sturdy.

Hardening off

Exposing the plants or seedlings grown indoors to outdoors gradually is called as Harden off. This is very important as exposing the plants directly to the garden may create stress to the plant and die. If the plants are not hardened off they may die due to sudden shock of environmental factors such as bright sunlight, wind, rain.

Herbaceous cuttings

Cuttings taken from non-woody cuttings. The success rate of growing Herbaceous cutting is fairly high.

Example: Coleus can be propagated through Herbaceous cuttings

Indoor sowing or Undercover

Sowing the seeds indoors in a protected environment is called as Indoor sowing. Sowing the seeds indoors has great benefits as they can be protected from various threats like sunlight, wind. The chances of the seedlings surviving indoors is high. After this process the seedlings are hardened off before planting them outdoors. This process is also termed as "Sow undercover".

Invasive

Plants that are dominant and aggressively spread into the whole area causing a negative effect.

Example: Weeds (take up the entire nutrient content from the soil)

Leggy

An unhealthy plant that is tall with fewer leaves and flowers are termed as leggy plants. These plants look unhealthy and may be a result of low sunlight, space, nutrients.

Mulch

Mulch is material spread throughout the soil to retain soil moisture, fertility, suppressing weeds. Mulch can be made of grass clippings, compost, leaves.

Native plants

Plants that have evolved or developed naturally in a given geological area are called as Native plants. Native plants grow well in the native geological area. Though the concept of the native plants is a debatable topic as we may not know the validity of the plant is native or migrated.

Node

A node is a place where the leaves, flower, branches emerges. When propagating the cuttings the node is the point where the root emerges.

Perennials

Plants that live and bloom for more than two years are called Perennials. Example: Most of the trees come under Perennials

Pollinators

Pollinators are animals that cause fertilization in plants that causes the plants to make fruits or seeds. Birds or bees are attracted due to the sugar or honey present in the flowers. The transfer of pollen grain in the same plant and different species leads to fertilization.

Example: Bees, Butterflies, Birds

Pricking

Seedlings grown in seed trays needs to move out as they need a larger space to grow a healthy root system. Pricking essentially means transplanting the plant without disturbing the roots and transferring them into a larger pot when the true set of leaves are grown.

Pruning

Removing the selective branches, twigs to give a definite structure to the plants and thereby encouraging the growth.

Example: Pruning the dead branches or pruning the Jade to achieve a Bonsai.

Repotting

Potting the overgrown plant into a larger plant is called Repotting.

Seedling

A young tender plant sprouting from the seed is called as seedlings. Seedlings are generally grown undercover in seed trays and later are transplanted outdoors.

Self seedling

Semi ripe cuttings

Cuttings obtained from partially mature wood after the growing season. The cuttings are reasonably sturdy.

Softwood cuttings

Cuttings are taken when they are still tender and soft as they have not matured yet. These cuttings are not sturdy and can be easily bent.

Transplanting

Moving the plants from one location to another is called Transplanting.

Example: Seedlings are transplanted from seed trays to a pot

True leaves

True leaves are formed after the development of cotyledons(first set of leaves) These look like the mini version of mature leaves.

Happy Gardening!

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Incredible Gardening ideas during Lockdown

The Corona pandemic has created an imbalance and tension in the society. Let's hope for a better tomorrow and create a positive vibe everywhere.

We are spending most of the time at our home, why not utilize it for a better tomorrow?

Here I am starting to share a few easy plant projects you can start at your apartment, indoor or outdoor garden with all the vegetable scraps available at home. This is not just a mere entertaining activity like watching Netflix or Prime but putting our efforts into something more productive.

1)Make Compost Bins for your Home

The artistry of making compost at home has amazed me. I intended to give it a start as the vegetable waste getting piled up in my kitchen bin was huge. This would give me nutritious compost to my plants for free. We are establishing a tiny step to bring in a healthy environment.

The process is quite easy to understand 75% kitchen waste and 25% dry waste goes into the compost along with garden soil and 2 handfuls of compost to initiate the microbial action.3 spoonful of curd or buttermilk can also be added to speed up the process. But mastering the process requires time and getting the Green Brown proportion right.

2)Start Preparing seeds for your Garden

This is the right time to prepare your seeds for sowing. Readily available seeds from the market can be used or you can collect seeds from the fresh vegetables and give it a try. This is a great time for Vegetable Garden hobbyist this is a great time to your Indoor or Apartment Vegetable Garden.
Seedlings can be grown in a seedling tray or any available plastic containers. Another great idea is to start seeds in a tissue paper eg: Tomato seeds, chili pepper seeds easily grow in tissue papers.

The below mentioned are best to start in April.

• Spring onion
• Bell pepper
• Tomatoes
• Eggplant

3)Growing Herbs in your Kitchen counter

Herbs like coriander, mint, Spring onion used in daily cooking can be a great addition to your Kitchen Garden. Herbs can be a great start for beginners as growing them would not be tedious.

        1. Cilantro/Coriander

Coriander is the annual herb used in cooking. Mostly used parts are fresh leaves and coriander seeds. Cilantro plays a major role in Indian cooking. It is also known as a good appetizer.

How to Grow

Crush the coriander seeds mildly using a motor and pestle or any hammer-like object. The outer layer of the seeds is thick and breaking them can help the seeds sprout faster.
Once the leaves are crushed place them in a container leaving and cover with soil partially.
The cotyledons or the first leaves would come along in a few days.

Please find the entire guide to grow Cilantro faster here

If by any chance the above process doesn't seem to work, try soaking the coriander seeds in water for one to two hours.

        2. Mint

Mint or commonly called as Pudina in India is an important element known for its flavor and aids in digestion. Mint can be easily propagated from cuttings.
Take few stout stalks of mint and remove the bottom-most leaves. Stick the mint into the soil ensure there are at least 2 to 3 nodes..

You can also scan the entire guide to Grow and Care Pudina here

        3. Microgreens

Microgreens are greens packed with nutrients used to dress salads, toppings. The microgreens can be easily grown indoors all year long or hydroponically. The best thing about growing Microgreens is you need not wait for months to harvest. It can be harvested within a span of two to three weeks after establishing.
Microgreens can be harvested once they have grown a few inches developing true leaves.

Happy Gardening!

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