Another new beginning – July 2014

Aha.. the testing summer of 2014 is behind us. Hyderabad is limping back  to normal or near normal, what with changed status and failed monsoon.The water shortage has eased a little, reducing the burden on expenditure, we were buying water for 600 per lorry per week. I spent my time looking at other people’s gardens giving sumptuous fruits and vegetables, getting a little jealous.Rest of the time I spent cooped up in my room trying to cool down and let the summer pass.

 

My garden too went under hibernation and the pots  emptied and kept away.. This month, the temperature dropped below 36 and I am glad to step out , on the terrace to relish the cool, grey and windy mornings .Lots of work to be done, the soil needs to be redone, the compost, goat manure, cow manure which treated for more than 3 months needs to be mixed . The seed starting is slowly taking off. Few of the gourds and beans are up and flowering too. My jasmines did not fail even during the excessive heat and lack of water. Lots of flowers this year, the only silver lining in otherwise hot summer.

 

The herbal plants I had brought from Sungandhavana ( Agri University, Bangalore) withstood the heat and lack of water , except Rosemary,Ondelga and two more plants, names I forgot. Some of them are creeping into vines and some have huge leaves. I have still not figured out what I am going to do with them, except inhale the great smells and feel good.

 

Once again I brought some Tulsi variety and Citronella plants from Hulimavu farm , Bangalore while on a short visit.Hope they survive in this season. The nice thing about rains is that,after one big shower, the garden wakes up and gives lush look, creepers start producing flowers , some Dondakaya is seen , or some Karela is hidden under the green bushes. The mood of the garden and the gardener changes for better.

My herbal collection