tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14742219666366980292024-03-18T12:44:51.767+05:00Crops In PotsWelcome to my garden!Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-74164872370149411202016-11-21T09:54:00.001+05:002016-11-21T09:57:12.232+05:00The 'Crops in Pots' blog has moved!After a long break, I am finally resuming writing. Gardening projects just did not give me spare time to write. I am back and my blog has moved to a new domain www.cropsinpots.pk. It now has much more! Learning guides, tutorials, recipes, workshop details and endless inspiration. This is how it looks :) Please join and stay in touch!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitW213LjlqnSseM8KnSNuSiaq0sQzSwUzVBIk-y2qcjYGJ-Z32BtbPpbplK1s5IYlEwQFNWv_FdCANJ78B_NngQtKtdnwlxpiXv1-41K9sOeztQeWf1-qV-PUnNeGCc9_r7zlDZtoO6OX-/s1600/blog.png" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitW213LjlqnSseM8KnSNuSiaq0sQzSwUzVBIk-y2qcjYGJ-Z32BtbPpbplK1s5IYlEwQFNWv_FdCANJ78B_NngQtKtdnwlxpiXv1-41K9sOeztQeWf1-qV-PUnNeGCc9_r7zlDZtoO6OX-/s400/blog.png" width="400" /></a>Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-41094690187574457142015-02-25T12:38:00.001+05:002015-02-25T12:59:59.152+05:00Learn the secrets of a Square Foot Garden<iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sKhlbxjFVY62OCaV_7Zi9ds9sfpfkjnI4C2ZKd_Z6BA/viewform?embedded=true" width="500" height="1500" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe>Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-86499988968310924032014-08-06T19:18:00.001+05:002014-08-06T19:31:28.610+05:00A Melodious Monsoon Meal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IxcVfsTdRCBCKfhZXZQzj1kVbxs0YtPu4HbATEFymKpQeJRDiwlBQ00i7B_Tq11yNQQd2n0KIBWsIYJHBBaFhsdpdTph7GdYKiJlVmaS1_P-o8AFxXgLPIo-zNUhNFFIrZ_e6OLj_xWe/s1600/rotie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4IxcVfsTdRCBCKfhZXZQzj1kVbxs0YtPu4HbATEFymKpQeJRDiwlBQ00i7B_Tq11yNQQd2n0KIBWsIYJHBBaFhsdpdTph7GdYKiJlVmaS1_P-o8AFxXgLPIo-zNUhNFFIrZ_e6OLj_xWe/s1600/rotie.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pakistanis, strong rooted in their culture, love to eat old-fashioned
traditional food, especially on a rainy afternoon. Like always, monsoon
season is here, whispering a new life into the green, never-ending fields and
the wide spreading grey cities equally. In <st1:city w:st="on">Karachi</st1:city>, where I live, people revive their
bonds with nature through cooking and eating unique homemade monsoon meals.
Sound and smell of crackling curry leaves in butter, appetizing fragrance of
freshly roasted cumin seeds and sweet scent of ripe yellow mangoes, harmonizes
with the aroma of wet soil and soothing sounds of rain drops knocking on a
window. The music in the air of a romantic rainy day drives them to sing old melodies.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back in
the old days, when most of the people lived in villages, fresh herbs and vegetables
were harvested to make monsoon meals. “Aloo bhera Parhata” or Potato stuffed flat-bread, my
specialty, is one of the most loved monsoon foods. Chilled mint chutney, raw
mango pickle, garden salad and any yogurt dip is served as complements. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjge4TWXZ8Jl_KU_OrNoGpITXKza6M4TM5blTWfBIiIZt6yVVFF4KKWhNe5IOOKDrbNpKgYqiBUyaM5u5zw2D1d7nzAFVdFO6tdYfdxZ-51m1c9cjBrskj2YnzLh1u95Vfr1ykyIT3wQo6L/s1600/IMG_0688+(2).jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjge4TWXZ8Jl_KU_OrNoGpITXKza6M4TM5blTWfBIiIZt6yVVFF4KKWhNe5IOOKDrbNpKgYqiBUyaM5u5zw2D1d7nzAFVdFO6tdYfdxZ-51m1c9cjBrskj2YnzLh1u95Vfr1ykyIT3wQo6L/s1600/IMG_0688+(2).jpg" height="152" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><b>Aloo bhera Parhata</b></i></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ha4xPqBZ33XJUmb2zNbMijbjK3tD-jZU9pY_Mih9a0NmT_CE1QY8kiXTTeWdh3G6PWl7Cm1yG3QsscSWo6kik-tgdU7Cu_8JvpsHbsSbltGBIVo0SbvNMO4SyoxTIJWYS1JbKUDVomcS/s1600/roti+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ha4xPqBZ33XJUmb2zNbMijbjK3tD-jZU9pY_Mih9a0NmT_CE1QY8kiXTTeWdh3G6PWl7Cm1yG3QsscSWo6kik-tgdU7Cu_8JvpsHbsSbltGBIVo0SbvNMO4SyoxTIJWYS1JbKUDVomcS/s1600/roti+1.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Potatoes
are boiled, cooled, mashed and mixed with chopped herbs, green chilies, salt
and lemon juice. Next, this mixture is layered between two small and slightly
thick chapati or flat-breads, then it is rolled into a comparatively thin
chapatti. lastly, it is cooked evenly on both sides on a hot griddle. Homemade
butter is brushed on one side just before taking if off the heat. It is best
enjoyed on a terrace where you can let your senses relax under the dark damp
clouds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Sophie's Roast Tomato Chutney</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_8V5A2pyRjL2gC_xL7c5gd83wB_qAKyQfv6EqvZLL8XM2CTuyc6lm-ujA3Vk2MPMsXfzYhcw5zI2D8UFO0Qm9RjMZn_yuitoAm7dgIk2eytMjT8xlZoqNdpDumlNgPNlN_Ilw6e_fpfT/s1600/tomato2e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_8V5A2pyRjL2gC_xL7c5gd83wB_qAKyQfv6EqvZLL8XM2CTuyc6lm-ujA3Vk2MPMsXfzYhcw5zI2D8UFO0Qm9RjMZn_yuitoAm7dgIk2eytMjT8xlZoqNdpDumlNgPNlN_Ilw6e_fpfT/s1600/tomato2e.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophie's mouthwatering tomato chutney</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like our language,Urdu, our food also blends well with other cuisines. Just like this Australian sweet and sour tomato chutney compliments our very traditional Aloo bhera perhata.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Few weeks back, our friend from Australia, Sophie Gebhardt, shared her <a href="http://urbangardenguerilla.com/2014/07/15/my-infamous-roast-tomato-chutney-recipe/" target="_blank">"Infamous Roasted Tomato Chutney"</a> recipe on her community blog <a href="http://urbangardenguerilla.com/" target="_blank">The Buzz</a> and asked me to try it. Today seemed to be a perfect for this!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Slow cooked, roasted tomatoes with a drizzle of olive oil are pureed and mixed with a combination of hot and tangy spices, vinegar and sugar to balance the acidity. Freshly grated ginger and garlic completes the flavor and a dash of fish sauce adds an unexpected aroma. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Aubergine and Yogurt Dip</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3zqko-FnBlY_pkCqzmFUlV-eMb5pUzbeoL3ziZ4jZpce1-GMolUe2nECn6oGHcE2guKSCS9AUOsTrPZUvnE_e9-tEEAZQ4PHF88JItDqGU_UmK8y4fXeWYdMNY126ZdnobzXLmG7i-x0/s1600/eggplant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP3zqko-FnBlY_pkCqzmFUlV-eMb5pUzbeoL3ziZ4jZpce1-GMolUe2nECn6oGHcE2guKSCS9AUOsTrPZUvnE_e9-tEEAZQ4PHF88JItDqGU_UmK8y4fXeWYdMNY126ZdnobzXLmG7i-x0/s1600/eggplant.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aloo bhera Parhata is best served with any type of a raita or a yogurt dip. I love making grilled or baked aubergine dips. Thinly sliced aubergines are lightly coated with olive oil and baked until soft. I used garlic infused olive oil for extra flavor. Skins are peeled and aubergines are mashed. Yogurt and mashed aubergines are mixed together with herbs and spices to make a think dip. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPKbIt5GbrL-f6P4AYwLsU1XpfA2Hr7aEuwoMbermagTbgsnqhepnfx65FExsgslFBjT0zFgJU1UA4a9bHRUI14iSHM2Q2CcTFNS8uyvLzGM1jfJgFUrdqgZgt5-UFkEDmHDjO-PVTmQA/s1600/1185655_10153121151080212_962527533_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPKbIt5GbrL-f6P4AYwLsU1XpfA2Hr7aEuwoMbermagTbgsnqhepnfx65FExsgslFBjT0zFgJU1UA4a9bHRUI14iSHM2Q2CcTFNS8uyvLzGM1jfJgFUrdqgZgt5-UFkEDmHDjO-PVTmQA/s1600/1185655_10153121151080212_962527533_n.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ha4xPqBZ33XJUmb2zNbMijbjK3tD-jZU9pY_Mih9a0NmT_CE1QY8kiXTTeWdh3G6PWl7Cm1yG3QsscSWo6kik-tgdU7Cu_8JvpsHbsSbltGBIVo0SbvNMO4SyoxTIJWYS1JbKUDVomcS/s1600/roti+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Mint and Mango Chutney</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This very aromatic chutney just lifts up your mood on a rainy day. Freshly harvest mint is blended together with a ripped mango along with salt, chili flakes, some sugar and kolongi or nigella seeds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Its getting dark outside and I am hoping for some rain to fall so that I can cook more aloo parhatas and enjoy them with mouth watering chutnies and dips.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_8V5A2pyRjL2gC_xL7c5gd83wB_qAKyQfv6EqvZLL8XM2CTuyc6lm-ujA3Vk2MPMsXfzYhcw5zI2D8UFO0Qm9RjMZn_yuitoAm7dgIk2eytMjT8xlZoqNdpDumlNgPNlN_Ilw6e_fpfT/s1600/tomato2e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-HB-z8Ei_19o%2FU-ISXpPK4wI%2FAAAAAAAADac%2FNF5HNTkP9EU%2Fs1600%2FIMG_0688%2B" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjge4TWXZ8Jl_KU_OrNoGpITXKza6M4TM5blTWfBIiIZt6yVVFF4KKWhNe5IOOKDrbNpKgYqiBUyaM5u5zw2D1d7nzAFVdFO6tdYfdxZ-51m1c9cjBrskj2YnzLh1u95Vfr1ykyIT3wQo6L/s1600/IMG_0688+" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Oe3nQwl8fnE%2FU-ISmi7BghI%2FAAAAAAAADa8%2FkaDee1uuaRo%2Fs1600%2Ftomato2e.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih_8V5A2pyRjL2gC_xL7c5gd83wB_qAKyQfv6EqvZLL8XM2CTuyc6lm-ujA3Vk2MPMsXfzYhcw5zI2D8UFO0Qm9RjMZn_yuitoAm7dgIk2eytMjT8xlZoqNdpDumlNgPNlN_Ilw6e_fpfT/s1600/tomato2e.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-WsbHG7EyyME%2FU-IScopQrrI%2FAAAAAAAADak%2Fjp8bU_iDYVM%2Fs1600%2Froti%2B1.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ha4xPqBZ33XJUmb2zNbMijbjK3tD-jZU9pY_Mih9a0NmT_CE1QY8kiXTTeWdh3G6PWl7Cm1yG3QsscSWo6kik-tgdU7Cu_8JvpsHbsSbltGBIVo0SbvNMO4SyoxTIJWYS1JbKUDVomcS/s1600/roti+1.jpg" -->Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-34877448867277323062014-07-05T22:47:00.001+05:002014-07-05T22:47:46.349+05:00In a hurry? Make "blender" compost!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIl1zsD98uGIRwy91xJOxDK6M468XSFwhT9Q4gXRNRXphL7lRhCgiALuUhV7WKlDP3mHzbKcGp_fqsyHT3jFbqMyunxHPW1OB5KeUDQ0-VqpEIe5dagky_c2TIwwjCDjXiEjO3W2vtgna1/s1600/blender+compost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIl1zsD98uGIRwy91xJOxDK6M468XSFwhT9Q4gXRNRXphL7lRhCgiALuUhV7WKlDP3mHzbKcGp_fqsyHT3jFbqMyunxHPW1OB5KeUDQ0-VqpEIe5dagky_c2TIwwjCDjXiEjO3W2vtgna1/s1600/blender+compost.jpg" height="168" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Warning: After reading this piece, you will be left with no excuse to avoid composting at home.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you appreciate composting but have not tired it yourself, chances are that you are in a hurry like me. Here is the fasted way to make compost that I am trying for my raised bed garden. You should try it too.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>"Blender" Composting</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We are consuming enormous amount of fruits and vegetables each day. I hate to throw away the nutrient rich peelings, eggshells and left over coffee. On the other hand, I need good compost for my raised bed project fast. I came across this idea of "blender" composting and loved it. Its super simple to make it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Simply add all the organic kitchen waste in a blender with lots of water. Blend it into a smoothie. Now use it directly on your soil or collect it in a bin and let it decompose. If you use it directly, you will not see results until the compost is completely decomposed. The best part is that it will take just a couple of weeks to decompose because it is blended!!!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I will also add Indigenous Microorganisms or IMO4 to speed up the process. I will share more about it in upcoming posts. Adding IMO4 to my compost pile will help me harvest compost in just three weeks. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am blending my kitchen waste every day and feeling rich already. Lets pledge to put all the organic waste from our kitchen in to a compost bin and not in to a dust bin.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Gardening</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-44195879574995323892014-05-03T10:06:00.003+05:002014-05-03T10:23:01.699+05:00 How to get 40 kg yield from a 18 sq.ft. garden <div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHEO-GMSG2hp-VUf1hxqZRf0ia2EubHIj0vxjUz9hhabjfVTtgC_w2Afgg7tOyUQEgqaNxIjG8UHcqXEbldX9lQ5zIL2dPNl37DVyfW82n5lwpjq7IfJSr64qwXwCCxaVjsprfKYfKy6H/s1600/layout.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpHEO-GMSG2hp-VUf1hxqZRf0ia2EubHIj0vxjUz9hhabjfVTtgC_w2Afgg7tOyUQEgqaNxIjG8UHcqXEbldX9lQ5zIL2dPNl37DVyfW82n5lwpjq7IfJSr64qwXwCCxaVjsprfKYfKy6H/s1600/layout.bmp" height="271" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">layout design by garderns.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I spend a lot of time in planning my kitchen garden. This means a lot of calculations. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After spending an hour on gardners.com, I was able to make several layouts for my garden projects. Next, I calculated average yield per plant based on my own experience and research papers available online. This one produces 40 kg of a variety of vegetables from a small space of 3 by 6 sqft.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How to get 40 kg of vegetables </b><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">from a 3 by 6 sqft garden</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Raised beds gardens are said to be most productive. Different types of vegetables and herbs are planted in a square foot according to the space requirement of each plant. Plants grown this way create a micro climate and benefit each other even more if companion plantation is practiced.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5I3m6Fk9YEK6D9qOmQ-KpXBtS7D8Bg13XHXwVr7aQFO64_M2GIhzBNauFelY0YyJsZFIktVH92WMn947Jg9cug5bSG_ptZLRIBlSjTZzpDerfV-m1982VeHVUTsIxoXc8cl3Tv8rH-3uL/s1600/summergarden2.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5I3m6Fk9YEK6D9qOmQ-KpXBtS7D8Bg13XHXwVr7aQFO64_M2GIhzBNauFelY0YyJsZFIktVH92WMn947Jg9cug5bSG_ptZLRIBlSjTZzpDerfV-m1982VeHVUTsIxoXc8cl3Tv8rH-3uL/s1600/summergarden2.bmp" height="201" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A layout that I made using gardeners.com garden planner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Companion plantation is one of the most important element of my garden layout. This simply means growing two vegetables together that benefit each other. For example, Beans provide nitrogen for corns to grow healthy, tomatoes deter pests that attack cabbage and lettuces while chives keep tomato protected from pests. This is how brilliantly nature works. We just need to learn more from it and mimic its ways. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other important element of a garden plan is to know which vegetables do you want to grow, how many plants will you need and how long will it take you to get the harvest. Keeping in mind average yield per plant, I calculated how much will a 3 by 6 sqft patch or a raised bed will produce based on my layout.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Tomatoes 14 -20 kg</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Cucumber 2 kg</b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Eggplant 3.5 kg</b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Corn ears 4-8 </b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Spinach 0.75 kg </b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>bell peppers 2.6 kg</b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>hot pepper 1.5 kg</b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>beans 5.5 kg</b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Lettuce leaves 0.5 kg</b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Squash 10-25 squash </b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Chives a few bunches </b></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Out of all these vegetables, Corn can be planted twice or thrice during a 5-6 month season. Peppers, chives and eggplants will stay for more than a year or two during which they will produce even more. Radishes and micro greens can also be included in this plan.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Each plant has a different space requirement. In a 1 sq.ft area you can plant 16 leaf lettuce plants, 2 cucumbers or 1 squash. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>More Variations</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKHcbJGwJEX2O-wUmJUEeAgQfp_le4jkiYS-XH9JBAlPqkioULeEnxiaBmg1ZfQx2h_OfIuYxdlAKDbBTQDApsipCOK1JDmMLakCBJD90Xsu8o13ryzg7w5FHYFg4saP8u30jn12VKJyQ/s1600/tomato+garden.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxKHcbJGwJEX2O-wUmJUEeAgQfp_le4jkiYS-XH9JBAlPqkioULeEnxiaBmg1ZfQx2h_OfIuYxdlAKDbBTQDApsipCOK1JDmMLakCBJD90Xsu8o13ryzg7w5FHYFg4saP8u30jn12VKJyQ/s1600/tomato+garden.bmp" height="165" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A raised bed of same dimensions with 14 tomato plants can produce 40-70 kg of tomatoes along with bunches of basil, chives and leeks.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx5IRIHDm5PJsAW8YgcnX88bEwD0VEW1IBb1zs24P_mgah6IhGZJdNrernriIMqt95j-tiGnR_oiehDAiH8sF0tBNW2ElotTtqRXiRQUYINYoBrjVVwfejBLKbEE1Pt3VS4JnZKyyzbbN/s1600/gplan1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx5IRIHDm5PJsAW8YgcnX88bEwD0VEW1IBb1zs24P_mgah6IhGZJdNrernriIMqt95j-tiGnR_oiehDAiH8sF0tBNW2ElotTtqRXiRQUYINYoBrjVVwfejBLKbEE1Pt3VS4JnZKyyzbbN/s1600/gplan1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx5IRIHDm5PJsAW8YgcnX88bEwD0VEW1IBb1zs24P_mgah6IhGZJdNrernriIMqt95j-tiGnR_oiehDAiH8sF0tBNW2ElotTtqRXiRQUYINYoBrjVVwfejBLKbEE1Pt3VS4JnZKyyzbbN/s1600/gplan1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx5IRIHDm5PJsAW8YgcnX88bEwD0VEW1IBb1zs24P_mgah6IhGZJdNrernriIMqt95j-tiGnR_oiehDAiH8sF0tBNW2ElotTtqRXiRQUYINYoBrjVVwfejBLKbEE1Pt3VS4JnZKyyzbbN/s1600/gplan1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx5IRIHDm5PJsAW8YgcnX88bEwD0VEW1IBb1zs24P_mgah6IhGZJdNrernriIMqt95j-tiGnR_oiehDAiH8sF0tBNW2ElotTtqRXiRQUYINYoBrjVVwfejBLKbEE1Pt3VS4JnZKyyzbbN/s1600/gplan1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx5IRIHDm5PJsAW8YgcnX88bEwD0VEW1IBb1zs24P_mgah6IhGZJdNrernriIMqt95j-tiGnR_oiehDAiH8sF0tBNW2ElotTtqRXiRQUYINYoBrjVVwfejBLKbEE1Pt3VS4JnZKyyzbbN/s1600/gplan1.bmp" height="286" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is a garden layout by gardeners.com. This is how a raised bed will look like when planted according to the plan in the next image.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HkFLPcyUJmpagMKe1zgYblVfUWtZkaKy4j2sI9s9A5ena54fTTCg3ruV1dc9Cie5nap3flIKn6k8fA9baVxQuJDJnIIfhpk8Ux1kWzWjkttprunZU9221TnZ9Fd5EnJmSW28IjOLYAcx/s1600/gplan.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6HkFLPcyUJmpagMKe1zgYblVfUWtZkaKy4j2sI9s9A5ena54fTTCg3ruV1dc9Cie5nap3flIKn6k8fA9baVxQuJDJnIIfhpk8Ux1kWzWjkttprunZU9221TnZ9Fd5EnJmSW28IjOLYAcx/s1600/gplan.bmp" height="206" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kitchen gardening is a never ending learning process. You can sketch your garden plans or use one of the garden planners online. Make gardening fun, challenging and productive!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Do share your plans with us crops.in.pots@gmail.com or www.facebook.com/cropsinpot</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Living!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Note: Due to some technical issue, I am unable to reply to comments made here. If you have a query please feel free to write to us on crops.in.pots@gmail.com</span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ZyRIf6pxIvE%2FU2RyL6fRVTI%2FAAAAAAAADYE%2FmMrftxFRzLk%2Fs1600%2Fgplan1.bmp&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicx5IRIHDm5PJsAW8YgcnX88bEwD0VEW1IBb1zs24P_mgah6IhGZJdNrernriIMqt95j-tiGnR_oiehDAiH8sF0tBNW2ElotTtqRXiRQUYINYoBrjVVwfejBLKbEE1Pt3VS4JnZKyyzbbN/s1600/gplan1.bmp" -->Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-31442094618418098142014-04-19T14:09:00.001+05:002014-04-19T14:09:52.925+05:00Cacti garden: Desert rose<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;"><br /></strong></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eHh34GavCjb1WKD9asFAMk6yKjSp3Ot-dPEbn2si0dehblwJdaV5Q5POn2JEAsp6UppvDBtCHzQ75W3u1xe-AlA2qQdoHGgVHrxrYxTSYSR8H1lgAdAn0k7cMxl18cX-APdbp0b64SWA/s1600/c1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6eHh34GavCjb1WKD9asFAMk6yKjSp3Ot-dPEbn2si0dehblwJdaV5Q5POn2JEAsp6UppvDBtCHzQ75W3u1xe-AlA2qQdoHGgVHrxrYxTSYSR8H1lgAdAn0k7cMxl18cX-APdbp0b64SWA/s1600/c1.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cacti provide gardens an eccentric beauty . PHOTO: ZAHRA ALI</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;"><br /></strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">A garden without leaves can only be a cacti garden. Its striking landscape and distinct architectural form strays away from a conventional one (rich in palms, seasonal plants and creepers), giving the space a cutting-edge look.</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
There are more than 1,500 varieties to choose from and some cacti can live up to hundreds of years and produce countless offspring with their seeds, eliminating the need to buy new plants. “Cacti live for as long as you can take care of it,” says Fahim Siddiqui, founder of the Cactus and Succulent Society of Pakistan. His collection consists of more than 5,000 cacti and 800 succulents and the oldest cactus in his garden is almost 35 years old. “The thing about cacti that attracts me the most is its tactics to survive in the most difficult conditions… a trait rare to us.”</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDKyUs0W4_qvVUBRz5E9VpGyHYxlpw6VdoXDO0oRgxrgMsar9xuCUTMMezUE9DryxvrKUwBrzwCBHf34cW9R0iVzuigps2A3Z9jNvFOZOB-BL4X7l86uiU0eWKNSenhcOrvhDBukwDgB0/s1600/c2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDKyUs0W4_qvVUBRz5E9VpGyHYxlpw6VdoXDO0oRgxrgMsar9xuCUTMMezUE9DryxvrKUwBrzwCBHf34cW9R0iVzuigps2A3Z9jNvFOZOB-BL4X7l86uiU0eWKNSenhcOrvhDBukwDgB0/s1600/c2.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22.5px; text-align: start;">Pink blossoms of a Mammillaria.</span> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The shape of a cactus is determined by its capacity to store water or minimise water loss. This makes it an ideal plant to grow in the country, where water shortage is a perennial problem. The slender, finely toothed Yucca variety grows slowly and can reach up to 3ft, while the Golden Barrel species, covered in rows of sharp spines, takes a spherical shape and produces yellow flowers. “A Mammillaria’s bloom fascinates me the most and there are more than 170 varieties that one can grow as a beginner,” says Khalid Suhail. His cacti collection of over 15 years features interesting red, yellow and white ones.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPNxbiJiHn3OUpvz7kpB2OTS5vYEfurLCbfLnrDCFO6deGcEOhmBrBXW6wlUYHz_kLOj-wywYbuBhqb5xIVpAFHf649RddFlKoKLTs71OJWF_KOY5tFsrydTue1R2D_oDUlMhZ3-eNrxa/s1600/c3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXPNxbiJiHn3OUpvz7kpB2OTS5vYEfurLCbfLnrDCFO6deGcEOhmBrBXW6wlUYHz_kLOj-wywYbuBhqb5xIVpAFHf649RddFlKoKLTs71OJWF_KOY5tFsrydTue1R2D_oDUlMhZ3-eNrxa/s1600/c3.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18.001800537109375px; margin: 1.5em; padding: 0px; quotes: ''; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Queen Victoria Agave cactus.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Buying a cactus</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Start by buying potted cacti first which cost somewhere between Rs100 and Rs500, depending on the type. A wide variety of ornamental species are imported, primarily the eye-catching colourful, grafted cacti. Although they look vibrant, they do not last long as grafting means slicing your cactus in half which could go terribly wrong if not done properly. Also the colour is injected in the plant which overshadows its natural beauty.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Caring at home</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Well-drained soil is ideal for a potted cactus. It can be 20% organic compost or animal manure and 50% sweet sand, with the remaining 30% covered in a layer of stone chips. Weekly watering patterns work best as the plant requires minimal water only when the soil dries out and during winter most species don’t require any watering at all. For this purpose, get pots that are barely one to two inches bigger in diameter as bigger pots allow the soil to store water longer. And the best time to re-pot or divide the plant is during spring.<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoePMLQGSXoaWUiokICMBAThtDyLIFUFD7Z-88YExXU6fyzocsG7z5u4tEZg1-alRqOFREYVz9vI25bwwwpP6fFxqqL_kGQcVX0u-rsQUOvq8S9uP8fGfBqHXNml0PH60Tsfq5tSstyqB0/s1600/c5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoePMLQGSXoaWUiokICMBAThtDyLIFUFD7Z-88YExXU6fyzocsG7z5u4tEZg1-alRqOFREYVz9vI25bwwwpP6fFxqqL_kGQcVX0u-rsQUOvq8S9uP8fGfBqHXNml0PH60Tsfq5tSstyqB0/s1600/c5.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><blockquote style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: italic; line-height: 18.001800537109375px; margin: 1.5em; padding: 0px; quotes: ''; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 15px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Gardening enthusiasts like to collect unusual cacti.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Conservation alert</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Over-collection and habitat destruction has led to a threat of extinction. Preserve the endangered species by growing them in your own garden or donating to a botanical garden. Cacti take several years to grow large enough to be used for landscapes. If you come across one at a very low rate, it has probably been sourced from the wild unless the seller can prove otherwise.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, April 13<sup style="line-height: 0;">th</sup>, 2014.</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-7958304490142623732014-03-13T22:15:00.000+05:002014-03-13T22:15:03.484+05:00Recipe: Bell Pepper Nachos <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VsYgIe4ikLOwKtB0idshGg8__If6JtvKJr6IPRR_5PwBZ5whIgJFrIm1hgD_oKVUkTJmoDpmjGurtk_p0pwWOM0dwQhEOJccl-Vuv7_gUCS8LMQKnLdN7A_Zm5ZBQ2qmWpDh1zSG9kvb/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-VsYgIe4ikLOwKtB0idshGg8__If6JtvKJr6IPRR_5PwBZ5whIgJFrIm1hgD_oKVUkTJmoDpmjGurtk_p0pwWOM0dwQhEOJccl-Vuv7_gUCS8LMQKnLdN7A_Zm5ZBQ2qmWpDh1zSG9kvb/s1600/IMG_0292.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am enjoying my daily harvest of bell peppers and salad leaves. These yellow banana peppers are vibrant addition to not only my garden but also to my plate. Yellow peppers contain 305 % vitamin C which is why it must not be over cooked.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is a fun recipe using that I loved.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Bell Pepper Nachos</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVXaNepi8Bzc7K964g4lVZ60Nz0dzHrszDu-dKKocfW7P1w87cIeMtBTNdMk-r6GxgD_qY4hD7WNiOPjySJHGlwaRdMfaI8vbEMtN5-v59Q51XFeuiz0EC8NeiAXbtxBX5A0Ptu4SZPqk/s1600/yellow+pepper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVXaNepi8Bzc7K964g4lVZ60Nz0dzHrszDu-dKKocfW7P1w87cIeMtBTNdMk-r6GxgD_qY4hD7WNiOPjySJHGlwaRdMfaI8vbEMtN5-v59Q51XFeuiz0EC8NeiAXbtxBX5A0Ptu4SZPqk/s1600/yellow+pepper.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat a pan and add a dash of olive oil. Add finely chopped garlic clove and spring onions. Keep stirring while you add a tsp of garlic powder, paprika or red chili powder, salt, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp of oregano and crushed black pepper. Add a cup of cooked and shredded chicken. Toss well. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make a slit in two bell peppers and remove all the seeds. Carefully fill each pepper with chicken mixture. Top with olives and cilantro. Bake for 3 minutes. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Serve it with brown rice or with a salad. I made my salad using some mix salad leaves, dried tomatoes and parsley.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Growing your own vegetables makes your food so much more special. Grow your own food!</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Gardening</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Z</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-23907356271415927882014-03-11T21:50:00.000+05:002014-03-11T21:50:04.012+05:00Recipe: Chicken-and-Broccoli florets with Garden Salad<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-8uQmmH7SsPqlv5ocfjtApUpDvSPve7lYU6FEpkp6Fv0qJTO51zXNtXeEOsSmFEycDUUL4O1qs_Lz2-aERY77_HXUJINkdsAonq6Wyokm3lGrt0WJDkSOCfzJqTI_1z31KdSlz6WosYf/s1600/chicbroc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw-8uQmmH7SsPqlv5ocfjtApUpDvSPve7lYU6FEpkp6Fv0qJTO51zXNtXeEOsSmFEycDUUL4O1qs_Lz2-aERY77_HXUJINkdsAonq6Wyokm3lGrt0WJDkSOCfzJqTI_1z31KdSlz6WosYf/s1600/chicbroc.jpg" height="251" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grilled chicken and broccoli with garden salad . image credit :Zahra Ali</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love eating raw vegetables especially the ones from my organic kitchen garden. These scrumptious vegetables fill my plates with color, flavor and unbeatable freshness! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is what my lunches usually look like. Cooked fish, chicken or beans with fresh salad. This simple recipe is packed with nutrients and will charge you with energy and brightness!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Chicken-and-Broccoli Florets</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Combine a tsp of soya, 1/2 tsp vinegar, salt and red chili powder in a bowl. Add a cup of chicken strips to the mixture. Mix well and let it marinate for 10 minutes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heat a grill pan or a basic non stick pan. Drizzle a tsp of olive oil. Add chicken and cook for two mins and keep stirring. Add finely chopped onions, a clove of garlic and a little ginger. Mix well. When the chicken is almost done, add broccoli florets. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. enjoy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Garden Salad</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The idea of making a garden salad is to simply go out in your kitchen garden, pick your fresh produce and combine to make a colorful and flavorful salad!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxvm4jW12JToC93T11Y-4ZSyYQsLv1UD9NljpfrKkd90ZN2s94yaaecyJN6k3eW4Ni6L7UFZdEEZddUEEgZd-AeQfC1O2AbGzczWMXM6gGSShyQz1tv-d95MSEDrmeiH8OkWYBjzK8hkp/s1600/b2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKxvm4jW12JToC93T11Y-4ZSyYQsLv1UD9NljpfrKkd90ZN2s94yaaecyJN6k3eW4Ni6L7UFZdEEZddUEEgZd-AeQfC1O2AbGzczWMXM6gGSShyQz1tv-d95MSEDrmeiH8OkWYBjzK8hkp/s1600/b2.jpg" height="320" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fizz lettuce and red pear tomatoes from my garden<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Since I grow several varieties of leaf lettuce, its always fun to try a new type or to experiment with a blend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I picked some "Fizz" lettuce leaves, " Black seeded simpson" lettuce leaves, red pear tomatoes, bell peppers and some red cabbage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chop cabbage finely, use cherry tomatoes as whole, use your hands to tear the lettuce leaves, squeeze a lemon, add some salt and you have your very simple and fresh salad!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you love your vegetables then grow them at home and make them as pure as possible by not using any chemicals on them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Join our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cropsinpot" target="_blank">community </a> for more inspiration and ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Gardening!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Z</span>Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-19359952566672552722014-03-11T20:04:00.000+05:002014-03-11T20:04:34.006+05:00 Aquaponics: No dirty business<div class="clearfix story-content" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sqS9jR1_YHASmDlGSi-AXKt2V67pIyZ6efSw4KKpEqPB3FhQKYJw9BURtA69Rg6s1fD0V_nVRoVVew7H5knNBt7gMLrcM1Kvwz0q1tdffhr0Y9THzuXF01_kSDU590R3TMQMtGr6zYTs/s1600/673704-nasreen-1392820043-908-640x480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sqS9jR1_YHASmDlGSi-AXKt2V67pIyZ6efSw4KKpEqPB3FhQKYJw9BURtA69Rg6s1fD0V_nVRoVVew7H5knNBt7gMLrcM1Kvwz0q1tdffhr0Y9THzuXF01_kSDU590R3TMQMtGr6zYTs/s1600/673704-nasreen-1392820043-908-640x480.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Aquaponic set up at Nasreen Ashraf's place. image credit: Zahra Ali </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aquaponics is the use of waste produced by fresh water fish, shrimp, prawns, crabs or lobsters to grow plants. Live fish are used to make fertilizer which produces ammonia that is high in nitrogen and is essential for plant growth. In return, the plants filter the water so that fish can live in it.</span></strong></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tilapia is the most famous fish that reproduces and grows fast in an aquaponic system, but you can even start with a pair of goldfish. You can either leave the plants floating on the top of your tank or direct the water through pipes using an air pump to your grow-bed that holds plants with a growing medium. Water is then directed back into the tank to complete the tank cycle.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Aquaponics is a quick, simple and cheap way of growing your food, and you don’t even need a green thumb!” says Abdul Aleem Shekhani, an aquaponicer from Karachi. Shekhani set up his first system in 2010 using his mother, Nasreen Ashraf’s storage boxes and store-bought PVC pipes, fish and other aquarium equipment. After two years, he upgraded his system and bought used bathtubs to turn them into a fish tank. The garden now produces everything from tilapia to cherry tomatoes to giant melons, unlimited sponge gourd, lots of basil and oregano. The set-up can cost anywhere between Rs1,200 and Rs1,500 and may even be cheaper if you reuse supplies.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“The only thing I do regularly is feed the fish and harvest vegetables when they are ready,” says Ashraf who also has a rooftop kitchen garden which needs much more work. “Vegetables that I grow using aquaponics have larger, greener and healthier leaves compared to the ones in the pots.”</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Even though the method is relatively new, it is picking momentum globally. Ellezerdo Sarsalejo is a Philippines-based aquaponicer, who lives a few miles away from where the typhoon hit last year. He built a system using PVC pipes, barrels and large water bottles. Unlike Nasreen and Aleem, he did not use any edible fish. Within 75 days of starting his backyard aquaponic system, Sarsalejo was able to harvest dozens of bitter gourd which is remarkably quick. “You can double or triple your harvest if you have a good system,” he says. “I started an aquaponic system back in September 2011 as an experiment and since then it has been very successful.” Now Sarsalejo grows all kinds of vegetables and herbs, including cherry tomatoes, lettuce, basil, eggplants, huge beans, okra and bitter gourds that grow fast using his aquaponic set-up.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It is a well-known fact that during 1150-1350 CE, Chinampas — an ancient agricultural method which used rectangular areas of fertile land to grow crops on shallow lake beds — produced one-half to two-thirds of the food consumed by the city of Tenochtitlan, including maize, squashes, amaranth, tomatoes, peppers and beans. Hence, aquaponicers might be justified in claiming that the method can feed the world one day.</span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Zahra Ali Husain is a sustainability education specialist, writer and an environmentalist. She tweets @Zahrali</i> </span></strong></div>
<div style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 23<sup style="line-height: 0;">rd</sup>, 2014.</span></i></div>
<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>http://tribune.com.pk/story/673704/no-dirty-business/</i></span></div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="social-widget story-social-links clearfix" style="background-color: white; border-top-color: rgb(243, 240, 231); border-top-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0px 0px; clear: both; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 13px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="twitter-link" style="border: 0px none; color: #333333; float: left; height: 20px; line-height: 18.001800537109375px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><iframe allowtransparency="true" class="twitter-share-button twitter-tweet-button twitter-count-horizontal" data-twttr-rendered="true" frameborder="0" id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.1393899192.html#_=1394550034388&count=horizontal&id=twitter-widget-1&lang=en&original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F673704%2Fno-dirty-business%2F&size=m&text=Aquaponics%3A%20No%20dirty%20business&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftribune.com.pk%2Fstory%2F673704%2Fno-dirty-business%2F&via=etribune" style="border-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 110px;" title="Twitter Tweet Button"></iframe></span></div>
<div class="fb-link" style="border: 0px none; color: #333333; float: left; height: 20px; line-height: 18.001800537109375px; margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</div>
</div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-1975209411653990002014-01-08T20:15:00.000+05:002014-01-08T20:15:05.455+05:00Green thumb: At home with herbs<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Whether you grow herbs for cooking, healing, beautification, pest control, fragrance, crafts or a stunning garden display, rest assured, these delicate plants will prove super easy to grow. All they need is a spot in the sun. Follow the simple guidelines and treat your mind, body and soul to your very own blissful herb garden.</strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VJCDP5L9grQeTZKjZAynrR7UFTC16E6ghA-aKlTKCbMu3m6NzFfYLnlosJyJVkUSkREhChHmAncnU1d4XTDXs9bz7mCbzJ9gG65fKS9YgpHVSSuNEImiHrk2p7ToPLJPsoHsGf6prAzw/s1600/plant01_zpse6834262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6VJCDP5L9grQeTZKjZAynrR7UFTC16E6ghA-aKlTKCbMu3m6NzFfYLnlosJyJVkUSkREhChHmAncnU1d4XTDXs9bz7mCbzJ9gG65fKS9YgpHVSSuNEImiHrk2p7ToPLJPsoHsGf6prAzw/s1600/plant01_zpse6834262.jpg" height="400" width="340" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Most herbs will do surprisingly well in containers of different sizes, picked depending on usage. For culinary use, you can plant fennel, basil, thyme, sage, parsley and rosemary; lavender and chamomile to soothe senses; tansy and mint to deter mosquitoes and flies; and chives to stop pests from attacking vegetable plants. And if you have a larger space, plant majestic herbs like marshmallow, honeysuckle, bronze fennel and foxgloves.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Patios and balconies</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
In sheltered areas that get sunlight only for a few hours, plant shade-loving herbs such as mint, parsley and yarrow. If your balcony or rooftop braves strong winds, plant herbs like rosemary and lavender that can tolerate strong winds and ensure that they are well protected.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
To create an aesthetically appealing combination of herbs, get a larger window box and try planting different herbs together. Basil coupled with climbing roses and parsley at the base look striking. Even hanging pots of nasturtiums and chives can do the trick, and if you prefer all green, then simply plant coriander, tarragon and marjoram together.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Planting herbs</strong></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Herbs are either planted by sowing seeds or by taking time-saving cuttings from existing plants. Always read the seed pack and follow the sowing instructions that vary depending on the type of herb and size of the seed. For instance, lavender might not germinate as easily as other herbs. It requires a moist/cold treatment to break dormancy and is best planted during the winter season.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Each herb needs to be tended to separately as they have different growing habits and needs. Some herbs like rosemary and lavender are drought tolerant and grow better in loose, light, well-drained soil, while herbs like lemon balm grow in moist soil. Parsley and basil grow in rich, moist and deeply dug soil and sage requires dry, alkaline and well-drained soil.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
While unique in their own way, all these herbs come together to brighten up your home and lives with their magical properties.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<strong style="color: #555555; font-size: 13px;">Some must-have herb combos:</strong><br />Salad Herbs: Red salad bowl lettuce, chives, mizuna mustard and rocket salad.<br />Aromatic Herbs: Lavender, mint, sage, rosemary, lemon balm, white jasmine and climbing rose.<br />Moonlight garden: Forget-me-nots, rosemary, thymes and evening primrose.<br />Pakistani culinary herbs: Oregano, dill, fenugreek, coriander, mint, bay tree, saffron, fennel, garlic and basil.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><i>Zahra Ali Husain is a sustainability education specialist, writer and an environmentalist. She tweets @Zahrali.</i></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', times-roman, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 0.3em; margin-top: 7px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i>Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, December 22<sup style="line-height: 0;">nd</sup>, 2013.</i></div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-1782563725404560762013-10-06T12:04:00.000+05:002013-10-06T12:28:34.793+05:00Weekend project: Hot Pepper Ristras<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wD5vjcSJpIQaFXJ4dsaf5siufhZkajMMOObLPSedyM19IdWemGjZM4HMPTWZ7iFHdYCMQAJO9HLgQKc29H19JnerypohBlEHHBSs3NIWO3r3vN9b7yCRCSgyGtl8Lg3Qus0GD9B8TCNS/s1600/65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8wD5vjcSJpIQaFXJ4dsaf5siufhZkajMMOObLPSedyM19IdWemGjZM4HMPTWZ7iFHdYCMQAJO9HLgQKc29H19JnerypohBlEHHBSs3NIWO3r3vN9b7yCRCSgyGtl8Lg3Qus0GD9B8TCNS/s320/65.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Have extra Chili peppers? Make Pepper Ristras!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This year's hot pepper harvest is overwhelming. I use my peppers fresh and share with friends and family but I always have dozens of extra chilies that can be preserved. Non other preservation method is as creative and fun as making your own pepper ristras! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsrPqlPzTRKJPF7hggYb2ZX3nUkzquj_hs583w5H_AK6plOe8gQ0JhpJC99M4rCmPyjBib6fuHZ_sU9z89cjbaNr12LbcgRS7djeu-LrZs8AcUZ7bUCmJM1SWA0MZEFI3_uhY9Pqoc6fW/s1600/ristras_on_adobe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsrPqlPzTRKJPF7hggYb2ZX3nUkzquj_hs583w5H_AK6plOe8gQ0JhpJC99M4rCmPyjBib6fuHZ_sU9z89cjbaNr12LbcgRS7djeu-LrZs8AcUZ7bUCmJM1SWA0MZEFI3_uhY9Pqoc6fW/s320/ristras_on_adobe.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> image source: Taos Unlimited</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ristras is a way of drying chili peppers. Red ripe chilies are tied to a string and hanged in the sun to dry. Later you can use them as a whole, make chili flakes or ground them for daily use. I plan to use these for my lentil soups, yogurt dips and chutneys beside other gravies and sauces. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZPQfoPjlDAeU8F9GYO3OOfMQwSCT7SPcAD0ZPN53ATOTx0zcMBOAloBRSBJSzPc5o0QYS1ERT-voVAzabhkJyN0a3vx_HHAGiew3-WQiDdjBvicMc3lvQMcXLSXT6RqoDt4zhD5YPC23/s1600/56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZPQfoPjlDAeU8F9GYO3OOfMQwSCT7SPcAD0ZPN53ATOTx0zcMBOAloBRSBJSzPc5o0QYS1ERT-voVAzabhkJyN0a3vx_HHAGiew3-WQiDdjBvicMc3lvQMcXLSXT6RqoDt4zhD5YPC23/s320/56.jpg" width="236" /></span></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can make a mix pepper ristras or make separate ristras for each type of chili that you grow keeping in mind their intensity of flavor and use. Remember, almost all peppers turn red when they ripe. I started by picking all three of my chili peppers which includes 4 inch long green chilies, 2 inch long purple chilies and a shinny skinned 3 inch long green peppers. All of these turn red when ripe and have very different flavors when used fresh. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjZ2aPwQN9ZYfcDH-lyjELsRgb0G5543o-xTLKNL2-zuSGsorjx2mEajzlzYq4If16L5F1cVgXLjI5ahlM7HDBN2uwN8R3O0-fii5ajw3ZSRLgT5dSGBHCayau3z5WjV6pE-gb5C1KbGy/s1600/058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjZ2aPwQN9ZYfcDH-lyjELsRgb0G5543o-xTLKNL2-zuSGsorjx2mEajzlzYq4If16L5F1cVgXLjI5ahlM7HDBN2uwN8R3O0-fii5ajw3ZSRLgT5dSGBHCayau3z5WjV6pE-gb5C1KbGy/s320/058.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once you have selected and collected your chilies, start tying the tops on a string by making knots.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoAkdsbumi6utrpTHDx51Sfi024IjzW3m4fzoVvrRb_0IaRnugXwaoIEzioOAxLlr_EDU4mfNE2r3pIJIYPpUxCfGE0JnxzbpULuEGkBGsux7UcXuTvRqktBjSYPadMcjwtI0CMrLAOrz/s1600/p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdoAkdsbumi6utrpTHDx51Sfi024IjzW3m4fzoVvrRb_0IaRnugXwaoIEzioOAxLlr_EDU4mfNE2r3pIJIYPpUxCfGE0JnxzbpULuEGkBGsux7UcXuTvRqktBjSYPadMcjwtI0CMrLAOrz/s320/p1.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can make ristras as long as you want. When you have tied all of your chilies, bring both ends together and hang them on a wall or where they will get direct sunlight for few weeks. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo8FrniIbiKwcl8qsarUpnHpHtX1milxMMt1CD8wXR2d49nBZW3NrKa7gezAaH20TX7hmQb6nZhncNQtrSbpSa-mrEXuxy8PUG8rDIDda2wgGRENVHo_kmrRWKKS2fneSkj8nxqMXk6wa/s1600/078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXo8FrniIbiKwcl8qsarUpnHpHtX1milxMMt1CD8wXR2d49nBZW3NrKa7gezAaH20TX7hmQb6nZhncNQtrSbpSa-mrEXuxy8PUG8rDIDda2wgGRENVHo_kmrRWKKS2fneSkj8nxqMXk6wa/s320/078.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Your chili pepper ristras are ready when all chilies turn red and have wrinkled skin. I feel rewarded after doing this little DIY project, especially because all my harvest is organic which means, my store bought dry red chilies are no longer needed! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Go organic! Grow and preserve your own chilies !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Gardening</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-67214409459686321472013-09-24T14:14:00.000+05:002013-09-24T14:14:41.655+05:00DIY: Instant Cuban Oregano Plants<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o0zB-ogZsG_Be34xParZ5ZuZR4Lv3Ga-IJZ0u6z0ldk9oY8G2VPX75D8f18QYJ4UQUtXO_B4eQeBVlQIgSjVKcBnAimKr3V6zmVJNkUquYXvtUqYQ65429M8XxvdDgDw8gm_2B3MNKlk/s1600/Picture+035y.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-o0zB-ogZsG_Be34xParZ5ZuZR4Lv3Ga-IJZ0u6z0ldk9oY8G2VPX75D8f18QYJ4UQUtXO_B4eQeBVlQIgSjVKcBnAimKr3V6zmVJNkUquYXvtUqYQ65429M8XxvdDgDw8gm_2B3MNKlk/s320/Picture+035y.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is nothing simpler than starting your own Cuban Oregano plant from a cutting. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Commonly available Cuban Oregano, f</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ormally know as Coleus Aromaticus,</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> is not a true oregano. It is also called Mexican Mint, Spanish Thyme and Indian Borage. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are at least 40 plants listed as Oregano. Most commonly used oregano, Mexican oregano, is also a false oregano and a relative of Lemon Verbena. 'Common Oregano' is wild Majoram and also called Greek Oregano.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Feeling confused? Well, don't</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> be. Even if the Cuban Oregano is not a true oregano it still has an intense flavor and an unforgettable fragrance that adds freshness to your meals. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The large fuzzy and succulent type leaves might not even look like oregano to you but once you rub gently on a leaf, you will smell a hint of thyme and strong fragrance</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> of oregano. The plant grows 2-3 feet tall and has a spreading habit. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Growing Cuban Oregano at Home</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Cuban Oregano loves a sunny spot. It will survive in partial shade as well but will be prone to pest and diseases. Too much fertilizer will make the plant grow excessively but will lose its flavor. Keep soil well drained and let is dry out a little between watering. The easiest way to start your own Cuban Oregano plant is but cuttings. This should be done during early spring, early fall or during a monsoon season.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWjuq87TrLkV4J3njQ0kNfNYaVFDyWdJo9EyrryTUK0D1zWtpgGLacXsjxjb75AzJn7Y1fLLv5dsNI3B9ShRmb6dXETmQUdamgiGvRhkNTfALyic75r1GMKyeOd-nNal1DO6093D0R9eX/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTWjuq87TrLkV4J3njQ0kNfNYaVFDyWdJo9EyrryTUK0D1zWtpgGLacXsjxjb75AzJn7Y1fLLv5dsNI3B9ShRmb6dXETmQUdamgiGvRhkNTfALyic75r1GMKyeOd-nNal1DO6093D0R9eX/s320/6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I started my oregano plant from a packet of fresh herbs I got from Sungold Organic farms last week. You can pick a few stems from a nursery or a friend or simply use your store bought fresh herbs.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Select new 3-4 inch long stems with leaves on it. Pick all the leaves from the bottom leaving only a set or two of tiny new leaves on the top. Make an angled cut at the bottom and quickly put it in a cup of water until to prepare your pot.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV56Agz2oOqgliy4fFCi2zz0592TE6PJjlNpH1decwy1a05W8igiwC1Nf0SWCk3shA-Pq2Ax_QevmgHzrvPMx9z41lF9A5ecqxwIOsixJhnlU_I1elD5fD90Y-afaPZTKql4-5OytRECfn/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV56Agz2oOqgliy4fFCi2zz0592TE6PJjlNpH1decwy1a05W8igiwC1Nf0SWCk3shA-Pq2Ax_QevmgHzrvPMx9z41lF9A5ecqxwIOsixJhnlU_I1elD5fD90Y-afaPZTKql4-5OytRECfn/s320/7.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pick a pot that you want your herbs to grow in and fill it with 70% sand and 30% manure or home made compost to make a simple and basic soil mix. I like to water my pot before planting cuttings. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBbDQ0Irqq8HbOKASaX4s5xFEL-wm3rviUno6q_vih7WKXEz44o3xztbM9h3UyATHjW1PcWIuaGpTVjS3MjTDneAx2XBf9tJPTq-kEz5EYnBtObzZCXpvXd7KiJECm6JxN6PxsBxbth2N/s1600/031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBbDQ0Irqq8HbOKASaX4s5xFEL-wm3rviUno6q_vih7WKXEz44o3xztbM9h3UyATHjW1PcWIuaGpTVjS3MjTDneAx2XBf9tJPTq-kEz5EYnBtObzZCXpvXd7KiJECm6JxN6PxsBxbth2N/s320/031.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gently, push the stems 2 inch deep into the soil. Plant cutting at 3 inch distance. Keep your new plants in partial sun for a week or two then bring them into the full sun. Make sure to keep it moist at this stage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There you have it! Your own pot of fresh Cuban Oregano! Grow it organically to get maximum benefit of this wonderful herb.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Gardening!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
*Come back soon for a post on drying oregano quickly.Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-84028724257892308032013-09-16T11:12:00.000+05:002013-09-16T11:12:45.499+05:00Grow your own stress reliever<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzv0D3JXdF-d8I7xLSEvGw7iOV_7iaXgl5pZaKgE58R9zimZ0htTh6dbOWVI5kIibNHCOanLx3NacMv7BuSRkHd1R4jYr4vv-xzXHaRF78Fccz1dZd_m_Z019znpcmj-yLfrMf-05U9ra/s1600/Chamomile@original_size.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzv0D3JXdF-d8I7xLSEvGw7iOV_7iaXgl5pZaKgE58R9zimZ0htTh6dbOWVI5kIibNHCOanLx3NacMv7BuSRkHd1R4jYr4vv-xzXHaRF78Fccz1dZd_m_Z019znpcmj-yLfrMf-05U9ra/s320/Chamomile@original_size.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Drop the Drugs! This herb with delicate feathery leaves and daisy-like flowers can do wonders when it comes to de-stressing your life.- Writes Zahra Ali</span></b></h3>
<br />
<div class="row-fluid" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; width: 656.140625px; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<div class="social-buttons-container-horizontal clearfix hidden-mobile" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; margin: 15px 0px 20px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="row-fluid story-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #555555; font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; width: 656.140625px; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="font-weight: 700; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chamomile not only looks pretty in the garden but also delights your soul and heals your body. ‘Chamomile’ can mean one of the three different varieties: Roman chamomile (Anthemis Nobilis), German chamomile (Matricaria Recutia) or Moroccan chamomile (Ormenis Mixta). Although all of the three chamomile varieties belong to the same family, they have their own distinct qualities and must not be confused.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Roman chamomile is a perennial herb with a fragrance that has hints of fruity apple with a sense of bitterness. It is so gentle that it can be given to infants and children. Roman chamomile promotes relaxation, helps relieve stress, calms your nerves and has a restorative effect. On the other hand, German chamomile is an annual herb that has an intense odour that gets better when diluted. The fragrance is almost fruity with a slightly bitter undertone. It blends well with lemon or lime. German chamomile has a soothing, calming and balancing effect when the inky blue essential oil is used for massage or brewed as tea. Moroccan chamomile is not considered as true chamomile and should never be replaced with German or Roman chamomile.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="font-weight: 700;">Stress buster plant</strong> No matter which variety of Chamomile you choose to grow in your garden, the cultivation methods are the same. Select pots or the spot in the garden where you want to plant your herb, keeping in mind that German chamomile grows up to 12 inches tall and will need a 12-inch pot while the Roman chamomile spreads to two feet with a height of eight inches and looks better as a companion plant in pots.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sow seeds in a sandy well-drained soil as soon as the temperature in your area goes below 26°C. Keep the soil moist but never soggy. Seeds will germinate in a week or two on a sunny window sill and plants will survive in full or partial sun, though during summers, it is better to move it to a shaded spot. Occasional organic feed will keep the plants growing. For saving seeds, let few blooms dry on the stems.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="font-weight: 700;">Beat anxiety with chamomile tea</strong> Pick flowers the day they bloom, separate the petals and sun dry these delicate flowers and store in an airtight container to bring out the best flavour. Use one teaspoon of dried petals for a cup of chamomile tea or little more than that if using fresh petals. Avoid taking this in pregnancy.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="font-weight: 700;">Aromatherapy for insomnia and depression</strong> Add a few drops of chamomile essential oil to your bath for a soothing soak and a deep relaxing sleep later. Spread the mood-balancing aroma to deal with depression by adding a few fresh chamomile flowers to your bath water; alternatively, you can use a few drops of chamomile oil.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="font-weight: 700;">Recover from ‘Baby Blues’</strong> Chamomile makes it easy for you to recover after childbirth. Make an aromatic massage oil by mixing with four drops of Roman chamomile, rose and ginger to four tablespoons of any basic oil. Use this to massage the body twice a day. Avoid if breastfeeding.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If after-pains are a problem, adding a few drops of chamomile essential oil to your bath may do the trick.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong style="font-weight: 700;">Give your eyes a break!</strong> Place a cool used chamomile tea bag on your eyes for 10 minutes, listen to some relaxing music and let chamomile do its magic on your strained eyes.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plant this delightfully cheerful herb in your garden and make your life stress free naturally!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 20px 15px 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://dawn.com/news/1043013/grow-your-own-stress-reliever" target="_blank">' Grow your own stress reliever'</a> was pubished in Dawn Newspaper on Sunday 14 September 2013</span></div>
</div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-88268752174198070152013-09-08T16:58:00.000+05:002013-09-08T16:58:28.936+05:00Recipe: Thai Tom Yum Soup<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0L9vOXbF1kwAX-VJPp9Y7CF-IIFCBCXwgD5HOVf0o8OJv9PCLaXH1hZNyQoZDv6uO3IrHGSr_9bLdSU9qnTCJQZmYTA1eBTgL5ZuWhEiE0JLqRuLQPiTO08eSSxA8K1EUFrFUXG9lBis/s1600/IMG_0224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0L9vOXbF1kwAX-VJPp9Y7CF-IIFCBCXwgD5HOVf0o8OJv9PCLaXH1hZNyQoZDv6uO3IrHGSr_9bLdSU9qnTCJQZmYTA1eBTgL5ZuWhEiE0JLqRuLQPiTO08eSSxA8K1EUFrFUXG9lBis/s400/IMG_0224.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Home made Thai Tom Yum Soup made from home grown vegetables </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The joy of picking fresh herbs and vegetables from your garden right before you make a meal is unmatchable. The feeling gets doubled when you are making the soothing Tom Yum Soup.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tom Yum Soup works perfectly as our lunch. Like other Thai food, Tom Yum tastes best when made from freshly picked herbs. Since we love Thai food, we planted Lemon Grass, red chillies, Thai Basil and Lemon in our organic kitchen garden. But I replace some of the ingredients that are difficult to find with locally available ones. For example, I use ginger instead of Gangal and Lemon Leaves instead of Kaffir Lime Leaves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here is my recipe on everyone request.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Serves 2-4</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chicken strips 100gms / Prawns 1 Cup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Coconut Milk 1 Can</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tom Yum Paste 2 Tbsp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thai fish sauce 2 Tbsp</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chicken Stock 3 cups</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Flat noodles 1/4 of a packet</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mushrooms fresh or canned diced 1/2 cup </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tomatoes 2 quartered</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Long Red Chillies 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lemon Leaves 4</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lemon Grass stock or leaves 3 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ginger thin 1 inch wide slices 6</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Garnish:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lemon Basil 10 leaves</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Red chillies chopped 4</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <b>Method</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. In a deep pan, pour the stock and mix Tom Yum paste and turn on the heat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Add noodles and all of the herbs and vegetables. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Add coconut milk and Thai fish sauce. Simmer for 3 more minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Add Basil and red chillies. Serve .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope this will inspire you to grow your own herbs and to enjoy them in meals that are made for your soul!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Gardening</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Z</span>Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-66242730315421330762013-07-18T22:14:00.001+05:002013-07-18T23:21:19.669+05:00Planning a seasonal kitchen garden<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Planning my garden for the next season is always exciting. This year I
had a chance of getting all heirloom seeds from Baker and Creek
Heirloom Seed Company thanks to my niece who is in Houston these days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here is my mouth-watering list of vegetables that I ordered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. California Wonder pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Tam Jalapeno pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Golden Marconi Pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Tom Thumb Lettuce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">5. Rossa di Treviso</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6. Mizuna red streak</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">7.Strawberry popcorn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">8. Pencil Cob dent Corn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">9.Chinese Red Noddle Beans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">10.Dragon Tongue Bush Bean</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">11.Emerald Okra</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">15. Chinese long eggplant</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">16. White scallop squash</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">17. Purple Cosmic Carrot </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">18. Tamarillo or Tree-Tomato</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A few vegetables are must in my kitchen garden because of the diversity in their flavors, colors and appearance and also because they are perfect for a container garden. Here is what I selected and why.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DnU-vO35uEnIV0NztV3Y25Y2z-oatmTJDI81wvAza6pV6NUu-uwEjOrIZi6X14Db-59VK6X_DPJO7VwYWPKMmHlAJstfJa1SjZpgUE7buEANJY7HvZO6mbFD0_UBTCXa8p7kWPKT7ptd/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0DnU-vO35uEnIV0NztV3Y25Y2z-oatmTJDI81wvAza6pV6NUu-uwEjOrIZi6X14Db-59VK6X_DPJO7VwYWPKMmHlAJstfJa1SjZpgUE7buEANJY7HvZO6mbFD0_UBTCXa8p7kWPKT7ptd/s320/12.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. California Wonder pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Tam Jalapeno pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Golden Marconi Pepper</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>1. Bell Peppers:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> I love heirloom Bell Peppers! Sweet Peppers are high in Vit C and provide good amounts of Vit B-6 and Vit A. They make my dishes cheerful and fun to make and eat. I wanted to have yellow and red bell pepper. California Wonder is the most famous red bell pepper that I love to grow. Golden Marconi Pepper makes me drool.<br />
Besides sweet peppers I have also included Tam Jalapeno chilli pepper which is even more nutritious than the other two. This means, better pastas, pizzas , pickles and salads!</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<!--3--><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9BHmrxgpxk23Fem6O80pRI8A6-gtPyHrctTANgzjKs_TS84ZERoGJA5dy_9a-AqwVFcLlUSUZ4EcPGwSVYsO5YqQEQVQLSTGuBSew7rV_w4RXSR7-dYtAWFNv25YaBDPxA3n3wOhcixT/s1600/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9BHmrxgpxk23Fem6O80pRI8A6-gtPyHrctTANgzjKs_TS84ZERoGJA5dy_9a-AqwVFcLlUSUZ4EcPGwSVYsO5YqQEQVQLSTGuBSew7rV_w4RXSR7-dYtAWFNv25YaBDPxA3n3wOhcixT/s320/13.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Tom Thumb Lettuce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">5. Rossa di Treviso</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">6. Mizuna red streak</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>2. Salad Greens and Reds</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Me and my husband love crunchy salad leaves in our sandwiches, salads and wraps. Some greens even make the stock more flavorsome.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I try to have several types of greens that mature in different times and have a diversity of colors and textures. We avoid strong flavors and try to include mild to sweet flavored lettuce.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This year I have included, super fast and super rich in Vit A, Tom Thumb Lettuce that can be harvested in 45 days, Chicory, Radicchio that is a perennial which means I can harvest 2 or more heads from the same planting and Mizuna which is packed with Vit C and A besides Calcium, Vit B-6, Iron and Magnesium. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR7slTfwZvX10HJMur_d16KNeb7A2qYfUPimpH1JzyqtkPVuMGwmAc_R75BtniRYSfDK_Ys4yrMlCNrPs4gkUMTf82ik1oENtm_2LfXIrE-TbTqErIgUXTkuOGQ95ROVdFsatIX10pxz8/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJR7slTfwZvX10HJMur_d16KNeb7A2qYfUPimpH1JzyqtkPVuMGwmAc_R75BtniRYSfDK_Ys4yrMlCNrPs4gkUMTf82ik1oENtm_2LfXIrE-TbTqErIgUXTkuOGQ95ROVdFsatIX10pxz8/s320/14.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">7.Strawberry popcorn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">8. Pencil Cob dent Corn</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>3. Corns</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Although, Corn is sown in Spring and Summer but I will still try to grow these in Fall when its still hot in Karachi.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Corn has always been a fun snack and perfect ingredient for nutritious meals. They can grow easily in containers and look spectacular in your kitchen garden. To make this display even more fascinating, I picked 2- 3'' big Strawberry popcorn which will become a perfect evening snack for us! Pencil cob dent Corn is said to be best corn for containers. This will also store well and taste best when used fresh.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglN5mCsgKayncpg4EEFHikWc1Dmnk5hQMJoMtzvar8Knbn0MmMv-UftLszkvFlJ0eoX6WaSgRD4KDOqBTq_4apFEwu1Wwf6_lbbqjQ5LPYCHliPVOVL4duP9PoxOJKBLqg_xlEw4rze9No/s1600/16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglN5mCsgKayncpg4EEFHikWc1Dmnk5hQMJoMtzvar8Knbn0MmMv-UftLszkvFlJ0eoX6WaSgRD4KDOqBTq_4apFEwu1Wwf6_lbbqjQ5LPYCHliPVOVL4duP9PoxOJKBLqg_xlEw4rze9No/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">9.Chinese Red Noddle Beans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">10.Dragon Tongue Bush Bean</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>4. Beans </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Growing beans is always rewarding. There are so many varieties and flavors to explore that you can never gt bored of growing these. I am growing two very unusual yet stunning beans this season. Chinese Red noddle beans is a vine that will have plenty of wall and trellis to grow on. These deep red beans are 18 inches long that create absolutely stunning display. People who grow this say that the vines wont stop producing fruit! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dragon Tongue Bush bean is relatively compact plant with good yields that will tolerate our summer temperatures too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBKg8KRj7LTdWXgh0Zl_R0I0hRN__jVzkFuqngTblDZpIbIx0yBTl7k8lzb6eXjqYFJaCF_E8OFqDGc0P0Vq0Iyf7i9YlGgbcKLZiw8jLxFQdDDQLz6BZPpj3oD2S_a9Gklt54kTi2mN3/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsBKg8KRj7LTdWXgh0Zl_R0I0hRN__jVzkFuqngTblDZpIbIx0yBTl7k8lzb6eXjqYFJaCF_E8OFqDGc0P0Vq0Iyf7i9YlGgbcKLZiw8jLxFQdDDQLz6BZPpj3oD2S_a9Gklt54kTi2mN3/s320/18.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">11.Emerald Okra</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">15. Chinese long eggplant</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>4. Okra and Eggplants</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Two of my favorite vegetables which hardly makes me happy as a vegetable grower but I am determined to learn to produce best crop possible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Emerald Okra is know for its high continuous yields of smooth, long , deep green tasty pods even in droughts. Ma-Zu Chinese long eggplant is something I always wanted to grow. This plant produces long 8-12 inch long fruit for a long season and is especially productive in summers. I might also use it for tomato transplants.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHpvAeq0bTwNIwgr9fI50wAFiAhvvFIZl1wDi0zeSzl9Lwu3gIqf3mE7aF9b1_teEDhKmqgoRC8S1ct-Mz82SJqupd1mVsqq9R11GO2bxJNgN4FFPgCBvNY545rXgG3zORcauSYh78657/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYHpvAeq0bTwNIwgr9fI50wAFiAhvvFIZl1wDi0zeSzl9Lwu3gIqf3mE7aF9b1_teEDhKmqgoRC8S1ct-Mz82SJqupd1mVsqq9R11GO2bxJNgN4FFPgCBvNY545rXgG3zORcauSYh78657/s320/17.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">16. White scallop squash</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">17. Purple Cosmic Carrot </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>6. Squash and Carrots</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My love for Squashes made me select White Scallop Squash for my summer garden but I will try to grow these in winter as well. I am hoping that they will do great in big containers. I have also included Purple Cosmic Carrot because its thin, almost core-less and have a very distinctive color that is closer to our red carrot. This seems like a perfect alternate to the famous Nantes Carrots that is usually grown in containers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwKo9PtZT5y5Zza9aQxOvauD_oc2gzx4SOjy91Via6Gr2606RNNEHD0ZO_juuhM6P6hFJ8MhkGtPN94U8GHxrULRUKuRZ9PnINSgNhQcnpaYSzG2RMnJFdRQ9uUau4SteyKT9JqlclSAq/s1600/tomato-tree02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwKo9PtZT5y5Zza9aQxOvauD_oc2gzx4SOjy91Via6Gr2606RNNEHD0ZO_juuhM6P6hFJ8MhkGtPN94U8GHxrULRUKuRZ9PnINSgNhQcnpaYSzG2RMnJFdRQ9uUau4SteyKT9JqlclSAq/s400/tomato-tree02.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">18. Tamarillo or Tree-Tomato</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>7. Tamarillo or Tree-Tomato</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am too excited for growing these! I have not ordered any tomatoes this time because I was too excited for this similar fruit. Even though I do not have enough space to grow these but I would love to try!! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here is my plan for coming season. Share yours on our page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cropsinpot" target="_blank">Crops in Pots</a> .For any questions and suggestions please <a href="mailto:crops.in.pots@gmail.com" target="_blank">write </a>to us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Happy Gardening</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<!--3-->Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-12498268995102551682013-07-03T13:37:00.000+05:002013-07-03T13:37:27.233+05:00From My Garden: Summer Warmth We might hate summer heat but my plants love it! They have grown remarkably in last month. Here is just a quick update.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0P1J4mWVyZDZvRcPsmr0MNe-cTUBLKgjzrhTdiSrBI1Cvqz-MPb4daDDSuuDwV59VgkzYkodRbkjzFBu7oJaD2UqFajsBoUFws7e8fqaQZyr7gR-x1lCcQQ15UODYT7cjrkoVZmREx_i/s1600/IMG_0004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_0P1J4mWVyZDZvRcPsmr0MNe-cTUBLKgjzrhTdiSrBI1Cvqz-MPb4daDDSuuDwV59VgkzYkodRbkjzFBu7oJaD2UqFajsBoUFws7e8fqaQZyr7gR-x1lCcQQ15UODYT7cjrkoVZmREx_i/s200/IMG_0004.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple pepper in May 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sVd2Ie2icvDeMLL6HH9xq2SvcIaE-pBpY_HouDTR5JxiPnIjGfExn2dazsMspTzd6hl0B4JMskRpGoxg9ymTbpudBtwnfRpB03MtyXzCQMsNItdml6sXHcYyVD9Ju7exRlTwquaNChm6/s1600/IMG_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sVd2Ie2icvDeMLL6HH9xq2SvcIaE-pBpY_HouDTR5JxiPnIjGfExn2dazsMspTzd6hl0B4JMskRpGoxg9ymTbpudBtwnfRpB03MtyXzCQMsNItdml6sXHcYyVD9Ju7exRlTwquaNChm6/s200/IMG_0114.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Purple pepper in June 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O_hC2vxSIMJfkLcLHB3F3sywMVoIyr5xM9jd72dKwJEg8VM01Ns1krSh2EZ8MYs8mJuhSR0ZgFqahyphenhyphenYI5TsaRIpoHa8zi-tD7L47YWwXqXtVpnbVILDborTKWr6iQTwjBjbHASHKrieD/s1600/red+papaya.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O_hC2vxSIMJfkLcLHB3F3sywMVoIyr5xM9jd72dKwJEg8VM01Ns1krSh2EZ8MYs8mJuhSR0ZgFqahyphenhyphenYI5TsaRIpoHa8zi-tD7L47YWwXqXtVpnbVILDborTKWr6iQTwjBjbHASHKrieD/s200/red+papaya.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Papaya in Nov 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jjiS7NKPD7SDqRkNjKKQtYaAh1sN97LNv3GjV0z4PXaZwpoZJtxxBTkOrCc6jp1Af7EayCIk_aLpXo_G0XF14c1E92gDOg_4jJAkGIJL5V2_esyyCTGEuy1f1b5FGl9qQwybLEbqRfYp/s1600/IMG_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jjiS7NKPD7SDqRkNjKKQtYaAh1sN97LNv3GjV0z4PXaZwpoZJtxxBTkOrCc6jp1Af7EayCIk_aLpXo_G0XF14c1E92gDOg_4jJAkGIJL5V2_esyyCTGEuy1f1b5FGl9qQwybLEbqRfYp/s200/IMG_0106.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red Papaya in June 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2exslam7aGAGfFb8LL1QJ_tzb5I9naA-BkGK9_niE7zRZsUSiQhB3Xh1X5agF29eerz3uFqCWCt9dQVJ0r0mN3K03FyasjvlJV8WY0gaXZp3jUVwyDSzwwloPF5EaFUjxv1RiPdq90NCO/s1600/IMG_0001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2exslam7aGAGfFb8LL1QJ_tzb5I9naA-BkGK9_niE7zRZsUSiQhB3Xh1X5agF29eerz3uFqCWCt9dQVJ0r0mN3K03FyasjvlJV8WY0gaXZp3jUVwyDSzwwloPF5EaFUjxv1RiPdq90NCO/s200/IMG_0001.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melon in May 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyOXaFEw5p_FMINMavFmymH6oDveua2HwoHOvxchSmvDSscz4qff0ueBL_-S9X9wtSgMlvWoI4EURGpvDz0eH0zXA2ROJaw8Vm3QJkE36_pbmPuxrur2oyCZdzVx9xQjyL_IalBAQaVJO/s1600/IMG_0105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyOXaFEw5p_FMINMavFmymH6oDveua2HwoHOvxchSmvDSscz4qff0ueBL_-S9X9wtSgMlvWoI4EURGpvDz0eH0zXA2ROJaw8Vm3QJkE36_pbmPuxrur2oyCZdzVx9xQjyL_IalBAQaVJO/s200/IMG_0105.JPG" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melon in June 2013</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-28256807611119841402013-07-03T10:30:00.000+05:002013-07-03T10:30:27.884+05:00From My Garden: New Flowers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAlgOGLbeeoJ_LlPuT7qbc_2fBfOZBvzK9AheCn2RZOnrLuQK30wlb1zfjcJD4QFb0KkXlRctYR5ByCW2wnc-P99qIzcE1IU5ikg4gKjw4jb0NA40JGQdEMLinjehsH4qTs_B4EWnz-RB/s1600/IMG_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdAlgOGLbeeoJ_LlPuT7qbc_2fBfOZBvzK9AheCn2RZOnrLuQK30wlb1zfjcJD4QFb0KkXlRctYR5ByCW2wnc-P99qIzcE1IU5ikg4gKjw4jb0NA40JGQdEMLinjehsH4qTs_B4EWnz-RB/s320/IMG_0025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSOINHrmz-7sCzKH4NBG1s-I_kBC-S4PHqVYdfz9HNMjPhc2NjuFA9AN-poLo-sdN3qut_iUnfLqgrdX-B4aa_toqSPt26hirHa9_OnSns4X1y-DLvD2p90qBE6Z3B6R0jVthyphenhyphenVmMWAk9/s1600/IMG_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSOINHrmz-7sCzKH4NBG1s-I_kBC-S4PHqVYdfz9HNMjPhc2NjuFA9AN-poLo-sdN3qut_iUnfLqgrdX-B4aa_toqSPt26hirHa9_OnSns4X1y-DLvD2p90qBE6Z3B6R0jVthyphenhyphenVmMWAk9/s320/IMG_0002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIVJVEHGVwwyjYmOtw-0Nm2FISU3x_4zH7N151ae1m51BW2kOMeonAVQp9GSJ9zObjDpd4lqsc06hGmrXlIrn75OQe5yntV8mZ0a-WRKv5IjgPpSV3-xoeEARTNR3WEPLuRbkosHHiJsh/s1600/IMG_0008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIVJVEHGVwwyjYmOtw-0Nm2FISU3x_4zH7N151ae1m51BW2kOMeonAVQp9GSJ9zObjDpd4lqsc06hGmrXlIrn75OQe5yntV8mZ0a-WRKv5IjgPpSV3-xoeEARTNR3WEPLuRbkosHHiJsh/s320/IMG_0008.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-32041838625215455122013-07-02T22:25:00.000+05:002013-07-02T22:33:26.969+05:00DIY: Graft a Tomato<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIKiFNN-CdukiaK6HMIkqoEJsvrowFS3yrFtH7aFrDVj3vUipKmU5E5ajY1Ldw0LH2_LHWkr-__SWLJ9pyCFdg-IaxmJUlSCiM8c3ba0jnAt9HDikXVfcV9N6CDTV2hx_PJzORjBAcl9L/s1600/736588_10152374727545212_577472275_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnIKiFNN-CdukiaK6HMIkqoEJsvrowFS3yrFtH7aFrDVj3vUipKmU5E5ajY1Ldw0LH2_LHWkr-__SWLJ9pyCFdg-IaxmJUlSCiM8c3ba0jnAt9HDikXVfcV9N6CDTV2hx_PJzORjBAcl9L/s400/736588_10152374727545212_577472275_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Bigger and Better Cherry Tomatoes</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Who doesn't want high yielding, bigger and tastier tomatoes that grow for a longer season. Here is my secret of growing tomatoes that will not stop fruiting !</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">During past few years, seed companies introduced "<i> grafted tomatoes</i>" that produce high yields and bigger sets of tomatoes. I came to know about grafted tomatoes from one of such seed catalogs from UK. I had to experiment so I watched several tutorials to learn how to graft my own tomatoes. Here is what I learned.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Stronger Roots, Better Harvest</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tomatoes are usually grafted on a plant with stronger root system this absorbs more nutrients from the soil and help tomatoes produce better fruits. Many heirloom seed savers also use this method for saving best seeds but commercially, seed companies and garden stores offer grafts on a hybrid rootstock that is grown for pest and disease resistance. I used OP Eggplant as a root stock for grafting Sungold Tomatoes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Make a Top Graft</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs1fTUW6VUj3hY7qfUN9fWYaiQ2B6BiMhIMS9wqTn1seqvIacpXLEZQ3GE8UoM1L0Op-IEG9w6IHL_33kmj-VTH_xLSho9gJY1mWDiafgn6OuIKaBUh7NSS_1U96LkMBRcMgrEH9lcV3M/s1200/grafting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZs1fTUW6VUj3hY7qfUN9fWYaiQ2B6BiMhIMS9wqTn1seqvIacpXLEZQ3GE8UoM1L0Op-IEG9w6IHL_33kmj-VTH_xLSho9gJY1mWDiafgn6OuIKaBUh7NSS_1U96LkMBRcMgrEH9lcV3M/s400/grafting.jpg" width="367" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Grafts made on 12 September 2012</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Making a top graft is generally very simple. You just need a little practice and a couple of extra seedlings!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It is important that the stems of your root stock and scion (tomato) stems have same diameters. Ideally, you should sow both plants at the same time. I started my tomato plants from seeds in late August 2012 and bought eggplant seedlings from Mom's Garden, which were slightly bigger than my tomatoes. Make grafts when your plants have 2 sets of true leaves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Use a sterilized razor to make a clean V cut on the scion stem just above the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotyledon%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">seed cover leaves</a>. Quickly, insert this stem into a vertical cut made on the rootstock. Use a graft clip or a smooth string to keep it in place. Water your pots and cover it with a plastic bag to keep it humid. I placed my plants in shade for a week until the grafts were made. Use bamboo to support long stems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If some of your plants wilt immediately, they dint make it. Be prepared for this. Always graft several seedlings at one time to cover for any losses.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Once your grafts are made, take your time to bring the plants back into the full sun. There is no need to remove the clip or the string at this stage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Grafted vs Regular Tomato Plants</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKSypcZKb06aZ5_66b3afBZf23Jh_IkgyuM06qb4ffjaBRZjo7pKIO3DA6GsxqYfxxm4KYpwabfQcvEq3eFoQCbSwKMIduG2QeclY5rinMbEgAAgetCd3eMaEUYmPJ7EeUgb6qKV0tqUH/s1600/IMG_9247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKSypcZKb06aZ5_66b3afBZf23Jh_IkgyuM06qb4ffjaBRZjo7pKIO3DA6GsxqYfxxm4KYpwabfQcvEq3eFoQCbSwKMIduG2QeclY5rinMbEgAAgetCd3eMaEUYmPJ7EeUgb6qKV0tqUH/s320/IMG_9247.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(R) non-grafted Sungold Tomato plant; (L) Grafted Sungold Tomato Plant</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlp7jOY5YoIGFvucZ-0Cbh2KKjO20Ly3wJEKbbOTrU5I4qDHrRHGjYKpGNNonG3r9yOplFNXIZpTFM47rh__09ob9oj3eKSVNKbKVxAnrKAgaHCD61yaDa9QZBelewDnR1_CL71IeEmWC/s1600/IMG_9245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlp7jOY5YoIGFvucZ-0Cbh2KKjO20Ly3wJEKbbOTrU5I4qDHrRHGjYKpGNNonG3r9yOplFNXIZpTFM47rh__09ob9oj3eKSVNKbKVxAnrKAgaHCD61yaDa9QZBelewDnR1_CL71IeEmWC/s200/IMG_9245.JPG" width="133" /></a>I wanted to learn if grafted tomatoes are really that impressive for this reason , I planted a plant of the same variety without grafting along with the grafted plant. It was very clear in just few days that the grafted tomato was growing faster and healthier. The leaves were bigger, greener and disease free while the non-grafted tomato had signs of an attack by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaf_miner" target="_blank">leaf miner</a> and the leaves were too small as compared to the grafted tomato. Grafted tomato also had thicker stem.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Grafted tomato produced first set of flowers sooner than the regular plant and produced fuller sets of fruits too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtsWdkcz2JEDfmBqfuLUfL0iY5pANsdMKSlZMWUpvuT42Rz0usAn_IcIcAOlYgAMOJgWuFloHLS7eamnDc5hfafdxfkNVAxskkfwkrnV0qbtVZaa3LEisSzH0rjSBmNrWxnn2uXp5EtQ1/s1600/IMG_9246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtsWdkcz2JEDfmBqfuLUfL0iY5pANsdMKSlZMWUpvuT42Rz0usAn_IcIcAOlYgAMOJgWuFloHLS7eamnDc5hfafdxfkNVAxskkfwkrnV0qbtVZaa3LEisSzH0rjSBmNrWxnn2uXp5EtQ1/s320/IMG_9246.JPG" width="213" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">However, at one point, the grafted plant stopped growing taller, instead it became denser while the regular one, kept growing taller. After a week or two, it started growing again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBJgDgpigiO6TzZ7Vyl5O58kdBoujDkAwgSwmUHNfG_XyBOxBojBGUm10wo5wjMSweIRgQTgPHDBRuySHQZLDJAVTE_TIUUjiQIPVinpWoFDpm4Mwct8mqblZdcWbl-WeTsD3tmm22KlK/s1600/tomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBJgDgpigiO6TzZ7Vyl5O58kdBoujDkAwgSwmUHNfG_XyBOxBojBGUm10wo5wjMSweIRgQTgPHDBRuySHQZLDJAVTE_TIUUjiQIPVinpWoFDpm4Mwct8mqblZdcWbl-WeTsD3tmm22KlK/s400/tomato.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Right: Grafted tomato; Left: regular tomato[ April 2013]</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Grafted tomato was almost double the size of the regular tomato and the plant kept fruiting till April 2012 that is 8 months!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I think, with better fruiting varieties I can get better yields. But so far, grafted tomatoes have impressed me by their super healthy leaves and bigger tomatoes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx47igEdIigjxqQV1g7tW3ZIAEnlUytkqOv4a4s1VGI610CMjVDRLswy1jay9hcPgWJDCyGPiU2Stu_2mBCCAyxPCXMRhOYm8XNFNDnLpGTUEcsea4rkwLbLJI_S6QZEl1omuEWKRly1gk/s1600/IMG_9794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx47igEdIigjxqQV1g7tW3ZIAEnlUytkqOv4a4s1VGI610CMjVDRLswy1jay9hcPgWJDCyGPiU2Stu_2mBCCAyxPCXMRhOYm8XNFNDnLpGTUEcsea4rkwLbLJI_S6QZEl1omuEWKRly1gk/s400/IMG_9794.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Do grow some grafted tomatoes the next season and share your progress with us on our page <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cropsinpot" target="_blank">Crops In Pots</a> or email us at crops.in.pots@gmail.com.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Happy Gardening !</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Zahra </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-74802721413388115242013-06-18T13:09:00.000+05:002013-06-18T13:09:19.829+05:00Recipe: PANSIT MIKI GUISADO<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegd4pnaAsB2AliL36vpX4GCajv5xw0q4eiXSkPLVmhbe6CO2c__cKyh4aeFMXYOZ2XqFBcKX2Srdw1kUVja0Hnz9udQwExcOGM89L0uqHZ7mLuoSqbUfY6qkwGWkxW57l_-NEjhn2kbvR/s1600/1004434_671984032818484_886476299_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegd4pnaAsB2AliL36vpX4GCajv5xw0q4eiXSkPLVmhbe6CO2c__cKyh4aeFMXYOZ2XqFBcKX2Srdw1kUVja0Hnz9udQwExcOGM89L0uqHZ7mLuoSqbUfY6qkwGWkxW57l_-NEjhn2kbvR/s320/1004434_671984032818484_886476299_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div class="_38 direction_ltr">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Muneer Arquion Hinay, PM at WWF, Philippines & administrator of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/homefarmersclub.ucg/" target="_blank">Home Farmers Club</a>, shares with us his <i>Pansit Miki Guisado</i> recipe!</span> </span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/2 kg. fresh miki noodles<br />1/4 kg. chicken, sliced<br />1/8 kg. shrimps, (head and scales removed)<br />1/4 kg. chicken balls / fish balls, sliced in two<br />2 cups cabbage, chopped<br />1 cup shredded carrots<br />1 medium bulb onion, sliced<br />1 small garlic, minced<br />1 small spring onion, sliced<br />6 tablespoons soy sauce<br />1 tablepoon oyster sauce<br />1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper<br />2 tablespoons cooking oil<br />1 cup water</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoF_yeOn8AjKW7excol0dQrBYGMVGl6cQS5jnVMhyphenhyphenpaoBRP46wOjrW2XFGJkbvXs_KWMes9mQLJ4fNNzFzxH5fUz7hP3APTrLR2uPMLqo_yABe-nBeCbzlCflmwQaGhcEywNJ-vqxlERN/s1600/995667_671982446151976_1319698013_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoF_yeOn8AjKW7excol0dQrBYGMVGl6cQS5jnVMhyphenhyphenpaoBRP46wOjrW2XFGJkbvXs_KWMes9mQLJ4fNNzFzxH5fUz7hP3APTrLR2uPMLqo_yABe-nBeCbzlCflmwQaGhcEywNJ-vqxlERN/s320/995667_671982446151976_1319698013_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Cooking procedure</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Heat oil in a wok.<br />Saute garlic & bulb onion.<br />Put-in chicken & chicken balls. Cook for 3 minutes.<br />Add shrimp. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.<br />Add pepper, soy sauce, and oyster sauce. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Note: Add water and bring to boil.<br />Put-in the cabbage and carrots. Cook until vegetables are tender.<br />Put-in the miki noodles, and then stir. Cook for another 3 minutes.<br />Turn-off heat and transfer to a serving plate.<br />Serve. Share and enjoy!</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Note: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Miki noddles are thick egg noddles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Chicken balls are simply minced chicken with some floor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-50687788856051810352013-04-30T21:42:00.001+05:002013-06-15T11:49:12.783+05:00Sunflower guerrilla gardening dayIts sunflower guerrilla gardening day is tomorrow!!<br />
Get some plants or seeds and look for a perfect secure spot outside your house to plant them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLnxBWtT5-7xyOBQ_8sQ0-kpGxQqZG0CtCNgl5vKebgNaRldo1oU6NGhdRkIowpU8MxpvengfXBM1yhiPDVfID7fbQEq69Nn6gpYTuzn-2SobDa5PFjNgNsyBLdg7-g8P7ojxbf-2TDik/s1600/IMG_20130426_182824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLnxBWtT5-7xyOBQ_8sQ0-kpGxQqZG0CtCNgl5vKebgNaRldo1oU6NGhdRkIowpU8MxpvengfXBM1yhiPDVfID7fbQEq69Nn6gpYTuzn-2SobDa5PFjNgNsyBLdg7-g8P7ojxbf-2TDik/s320/IMG_20130426_182824.jpg" width="320" /> </a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl82e2QppVgsNP6aN9Ucx2wQDI8IOq7xra5rLghUBH4PrLVKlp86ncBPt6XJJ7X-nzKH-cpDqNol3yQALMMRvfe1yuOLUK4279Szlc-FHedHWamnO0HRHv_-Gh_mAY79J6hkqlqC3zfcK/s1600/IMG_20130430_203751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLl82e2QppVgsNP6aN9Ucx2wQDI8IOq7xra5rLghUBH4PrLVKlp86ncBPt6XJJ7X-nzKH-cpDqNol3yQALMMRvfe1yuOLUK4279Szlc-FHedHWamnO0HRHv_-Gh_mAY79J6hkqlqC3zfcK/s320/IMG_20130430_203751.jpg" width="320" /> </a> </div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-85085464796613725662013-04-22T22:49:00.001+05:002013-04-22T22:59:13.384+05:00Earth Day 2013: New Beginnings<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iyxd0yFj1gQL8YwKQwld5rY6NJGynrvtzcPk0CvFwJ14NnOO-pGvMdorTAsmFJ59NpxdU_99m0P346NGyzsngCbSI4m0crEPWjEK-WwbVqKFlrZ0bMPGp6dMDT7RSeu9NhwbvCbatW1k/s1600/a2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iyxd0yFj1gQL8YwKQwld5rY6NJGynrvtzcPk0CvFwJ14NnOO-pGvMdorTAsmFJ59NpxdU_99m0P346NGyzsngCbSI4m0crEPWjEK-WwbVqKFlrZ0bMPGp6dMDT7RSeu9NhwbvCbatW1k/s320/a2.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">' Dharti Maa say piyar ' courtesy Umme Aimen Kazmi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It is a day to sow new gardens, to fill your soul with aroma of life and to become one with mother nature. Its Earth Day!<br />
<br />
<br />
One can truly connect with the mother nature when he sows a seed, love and nurtures it. That is how the cycle of love and life has continued on this Earth. Its heart warming to meet people who feel the same. <br />
<br />
Two of my close friends started their Kitchen gardens this month. Both are from Lahore, Pakistan. I wanted to share their photos and experience so that some of my readers might feel inspired to grow their own gardens.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Umme Aimen Kazmi</b> writes on her Facebook:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf8jPJOrJJA5fiVmiBHepeyqoDnp5asrRbIDjxnjUa79SXMuceMbfaVz8HwkmcczZHJD2iS6b8E524wwctlXry7jToTmHXDkHIJdZPx63g2ebFpQcXILA9wS6LolVNe2UXLV63h5vjIVy/s1600/a1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglf8jPJOrJJA5fiVmiBHepeyqoDnp5asrRbIDjxnjUa79SXMuceMbfaVz8HwkmcczZHJD2iS6b8E524wwctlXry7jToTmHXDkHIJdZPx63g2ebFpQcXILA9wS6LolVNe2UXLV63h5vjIVy/s320/a1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baby M with his plants. courtesy Umme Aimen Kazmi </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="fbPhotoCaptionText">"Inspired by my friend <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=842505211&extragetparams=%7B%22group_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/cropsinpots?group_id=0">Zahra Ali Husain</a> (<a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=262706507105055&extragetparams=%7B%22group_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/cropsinpot?group_id=0">Crops in Pots</a>) I decided to try my hand at gardening. The ideal place to start was the
tiny balcony next to my kitchen. Since my only previous attempt at
growing something was wayyy back in primary school where they had us
grow bean sprouts for a science experiment, I was a little nervous.
Rightly so, because the first few plants i got from the nursery started
wilting on day 3! *I wasn't watering them adequately* Anyway, after
building my courage with a few flowers bought from the nursery I got
seeds to grow some plants from scratch! The joy i felt when I saw the
first tiny leaf sprout from the soil was indescribable! It was like
giving birth to a baby without all the blood and gore! :D :D It's been 2
1/2 weeks since i started gardening and the experience has been
wonderful. I love watching the plants grow little by little each day :')
Thank you Zahra ! "</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMlt2Akuf6E0SaCwde6DcPATcyUFdokw3kiS8RGWBT28rRIo1XZT3aSwZEUDg972XuCYarEIz2mFYtwgYEsbKkuLkf3FMtC6WPIVI6StGf3a6mDHjmHix4oJ7lcA_U1eUKVsfJX6IB2VP/s1600/a3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFMlt2Akuf6E0SaCwde6DcPATcyUFdokw3kiS8RGWBT28rRIo1XZT3aSwZEUDg972XuCYarEIz2mFYtwgYEsbKkuLkf3FMtC6WPIVI6StGf3a6mDHjmHix4oJ7lcA_U1eUKVsfJX6IB2VP/s320/a3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">' Curious little gardener' <span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> Courtesy Umme Aimen Kazmi</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Aimen, I love the way you planted your garden with your baby. I am feeling as excited as I felt when I planted my first seed. Proud of you!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjje7a8vP4gmrs-a3GmB6V9BFyn_9f6jMzC5dJheTq_9IvPYW7GA7WWaguSwfjGGq3qgNI_xIi1t9XyUj7GjWSQzMaMAQjN34VP6EzCcVBbe3efZO6lHrNWrYATQySyBysnN2Trb4G4IvhW/s1600/f3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjje7a8vP4gmrs-a3GmB6V9BFyn_9f6jMzC5dJheTq_9IvPYW7GA7WWaguSwfjGGq3qgNI_xIi1t9XyUj7GjWSQzMaMAQjN34VP6EzCcVBbe3efZO6lHrNWrYATQySyBysnN2Trb4G4IvhW/s320/f3.jpg" width="304" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First day of kitchen gardening . Courtesy: Syed Fawad Haider Rizvi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My other friend, <b>Fawad</b>, finally managed to get all the seeds and equipments to start his kitchen garden. All these wonderful images fill my heart with unexplainable joy! Thanks for sharing your photos and love of nature!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGc-FTWa0wCcqxMZf7JetkymjWEG1n006h6ljn8LGTZDYQosNK1sdZNjvO5MocRoUgUi_qdKTcLZ0Q51btDaSdEo8esjQZqskg_jl1nXUnnwCG9A7VhjllFEkiO5xYIp59lMfibA9xG3B/s1600/f1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyGc-FTWa0wCcqxMZf7JetkymjWEG1n006h6ljn8LGTZDYQosNK1sdZNjvO5MocRoUgUi_qdKTcLZ0Q51btDaSdEo8esjQZqskg_jl1nXUnnwCG9A7VhjllFEkiO5xYIp59lMfibA9xG3B/s320/f1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seeds and the seed tray. Courtesy: Syed Fawad Haider Rizvi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Happy Gardening!<br />
Z <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-81667665644531159882013-04-12T23:23:00.001+05:002013-04-12T23:23:55.408+05:00Multicolored Adenium <p>Few years back I made grafts on this pink Adenium plant. Red and white colored flowers were added to the pink one. Result was pink, red and white flowers on a single plant. It took it 2 years to produce all flowers at the same time. This is how it looks now. </p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHueiSgtdW4jJJdKjOK1Qv5Lf9d8HCOqt5jmQAGPkaXAcZs9Q6w2pcvZwXTT7JsXgKVIoKhTX7bsiIVF60HeQMQ2n2zgYgdx8xwOsEgzpWQblzjFiRA6VoBsOhPBcUBA78HtvarHxVtU17/s1600/IMG_20130410_183035_20130410183309907.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHueiSgtdW4jJJdKjOK1Qv5Lf9d8HCOqt5jmQAGPkaXAcZs9Q6w2pcvZwXTT7JsXgKVIoKhTX7bsiIVF60HeQMQ2n2zgYgdx8xwOsEgzpWQblzjFiRA6VoBsOhPBcUBA78HtvarHxVtU17/s640/IMG_20130410_183035_20130410183309907.jpg' /> </a> </div>Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-76506948161922044212013-01-04T21:27:00.001+05:002013-01-04T21:27:19.573+05:00Homemade Banana and Almond-Butter Ice cream <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-RnvGNBd-WTX6hyAk3gARdQ0Gd23pLoZKo-EKYBuGLelnbzoB7EFx6CGB9BjWicIQZHMF69DkltQcdGzInMsvAApZG4g6t-xYZkLgFR6LWaBFdaGSxbWJAcN7BqlcwwH9XiKJNE9-DBH/s1600/bannaa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW-RnvGNBd-WTX6hyAk3gARdQ0Gd23pLoZKo-EKYBuGLelnbzoB7EFx6CGB9BjWicIQZHMF69DkltQcdGzInMsvAApZG4g6t-xYZkLgFR6LWaBFdaGSxbWJAcN7BqlcwwH9XiKJNE9-DBH/s320/bannaa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Banana & almond ice cream recipe and image credit : Umme Aimen Kazmi</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nothing beats homemade food especially when its a simple mouth-watering healthy and scrumptious recipe like this one! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Homemade Banana and Almond Butter ice cream is for you if you know the value of freshly made food that is preservative free and has no artificial flavors in it. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This recipe reached me through Umme Aimen Kazmi and she learnt it from her sister Ummul Banned Kazmi. I had to post it here! Thanks for the photos that made me drool Aimen and for writing down the recipe for the readers :)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I bought dozens of Bananas to try this today. You should also give it a try. I am sure you will love it !</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><span id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Ice cream</span></b><span id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[2]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">1. Freeze a few sliced bananas and process them in the chopper until the consistency is that of soft ice cream.</span></span></span><br id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;" /><span id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[5]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">2. Add any flavor you want. Honey, cinnamon, cocoa, coffee, coconut, condensed milk, strawberries, Oreos you name it! Process it and freeze overnight. </span></span></span><br id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[6]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;" /><br id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[7]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;" /><b><span id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[8]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Nut butter</span></b><span style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Take a handful of nuts and process them in the chopper until they become 'buttery'. You can add some oil and salt for a peanut butter like taste or make yummy combos like walnut+honey+cinnamon or almonds and raisins!</span><span style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br /><span id=".reactRoot[81].[1][2][1]{comment10151139008702035_7765056}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[13]" style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; line-height: 14px;">Great tasting, preservative free substitute for regular butter, jams and fattening store bought peanut butter!</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS9gVVZvX5qtuHA8vSdBamhAfWIA1g_IuCj7hav5i6ntHx8M1A4v3gJm48emsClK3_N9CSvy5FbodraLnvDnNgVGwVz91aL1gQnUx6J1e8HswCjFeXoJGnQRZhqwK587-xU2J6Gh44QOo/s1600/bana2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGS9gVVZvX5qtuHA8vSdBamhAfWIA1g_IuCj7hav5i6ntHx8M1A4v3gJm48emsClK3_N9CSvy5FbodraLnvDnNgVGwVz91aL1gQnUx6J1e8HswCjFeXoJGnQRZhqwK587-xU2J6Gh44QOo/s320/bana2.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">A day that begins with homemade Banana-Mocha ice cream and dark chocolate coated almonds sprinkled with dark brown sugar just can NOT go wrong! - Umme Aimen Kazmi</span></span></span><span style="background-color: #f1f2f6; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Tip: don't make a whole lot of nut butter in one go since it won't keep in the fridge for longer then a week.</b></div>
</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-64923994766162394172012-12-23T20:34:00.000+05:002012-12-23T20:34:27.315+05:00 شاہی سبزی : بینگن<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJb_YJ68CO8lrPm3ISi371I_Bcy8aLgRfoMXtb7aS5QbqBL3rslmGDGfhcfAdCySwCBLXANvmmwob0NFhAeo_7prg2sEzVzP44EKhxE9WG9o-bbaJlPSHPJYYWNo-t_uCsJMpuISOax1R/s1600/25286_10150156429680212_842505211_11916809_1138840_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJb_YJ68CO8lrPm3ISi371I_Bcy8aLgRfoMXtb7aS5QbqBL3rslmGDGfhcfAdCySwCBLXANvmmwob0NFhAeo_7prg2sEzVzP44EKhxE9WG9o-bbaJlPSHPJYYWNo-t_uCsJMpuISOax1R/s320/25286_10150156429680212_842505211_11916809_1138840_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZJb_YJ68CO8lrPm3ISi371I_Bcy8aLgRfoMXtb7aS5QbqBL3rslmGDGfhcfAdCySwCBLXANvmmwob0NFhAeo_7prg2sEzVzP44EKhxE9WG9o-bbaJlPSHPJYYWNo-t_uCsJMpuISOax1R/s1600/25286_10150156429680212_842505211_11916809_1138840_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Written by Zahra Ali</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>Translated by Adeel Anjum</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;">یہ بات میری سمجھ سے بالا تر ہے کے لوگ کیسے کہ سکتے ہیں کے
ان کو بینگن پسند نہیں جب کے خالق کو اس کے رنگ سے اور فرانسیسی عوام کو اس کے نام
سے محبت ہے۔ "جیف سمتھ"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;">یہ شاید بینگن کا نایاب رنگ ہے کے جس سے اس کی تاجوری بیان
ہوتی ہے اور جو قدیم تہذیبوں کے خداوں کا رنگ ہے جس نے جیف سمتھ کو یہ کہنے پر
مجبور کر دیا کے "یہ بات میری سمجھ سے بالا تر ہے کے لوگ یہ کیسے کہ سکتے ہیں
کہ ان کو بینگن پسند نہیں جب کہ خالق کو اس کے رنگ سے اور فرایسیسی عوام کو اس کے
نام سے محبت ہے۔"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1WOaxF4RGxtwAIMBppVwOMwZrJoSnViKY7bGmKdf1eqHIOez80JT7riUMpMggotfj_lSw7nXTvUkOVbG51S_AFUIMa1-2KkUfehLGRe0SzohACojyaZLOqDyIioso9IVzhH0s-83fwiy/s1600/DSC_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;">اور یہ بات قطعاٰ حیران کن نہیں کے یہ رنگ شاہی خاندان کا
نشان ہے،کیوں کہ یہ مخصوص اور نایاب ترین رنگ ہے جو قدرت اپنے اندر سجائے ہوئے ہے ۔<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1WOaxF4RGxtwAIMBppVwOMwZrJoSnViKY7bGmKdf1eqHIOez80JT7riUMpMggotfj_lSw7nXTvUkOVbG51S_AFUIMa1-2KkUfehLGRe0SzohACojyaZLOqDyIioso9IVzhH0s-83fwiy/s1600/DSC_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1WOaxF4RGxtwAIMBppVwOMwZrJoSnViKY7bGmKdf1eqHIOez80JT7riUMpMggotfj_lSw7nXTvUkOVbG51S_AFUIMa1-2KkUfehLGRe0SzohACojyaZLOqDyIioso9IVzhH0s-83fwiy/s320/DSC_0297.JPG" width="320" /></a> <br />
</div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<o:p></o:p><br /></div>
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;">بینگن کا خاص نام<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>{ایگ پلانٹ} اس کی ایک سفید قسم کی وجہ سے دیا گیا ہے جو مرغی یا راج ہیس
کے انڈوں سے مشابہت رکھتا ہے۔ دوسری جانب اصل میں یورپ میں پایا جانے والا بینگن
گہرا جامنی رنگ کا ہوتا ہے۔ چین میں پایا جانے والا بینگن بنفشی رنگ کا ہوتا ہے۔
تھائیلیڈ اور بھارت میں سبز اور پیلی قسم بھی کاشت کی جاتی ہے۔ بھارت کے کچھ
علاقوں میں مالٹائی رنگ کا بینگن بھی کاشت ہوتا ہے۔ بینگن دو رنگے بھی ہوتے ہیں۔
یہ شاندار سبزی گہرے جامنی رنگ سے لے کر سفیدی مائل رنگ تک بہت سے رنگوں میں پائی
جاتی ہے۔ باقی تمام رنگ بہت نایاب ہیں اور دنیا کے چند خطوں میں کاشت ہوتے ہیں۔<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;">بینگن کی تاریخ اس کے رنگ کی مانند ہبت زرخیز ہے۔ یہ عربی،
یونانی، رمانی اور ایشیائی تاریخ کا خاص حصہ رہا ہے۔ امریکی کینیڈین اور آسٹریلوی
لوگوں نے اسے ایگ پلانٹ کا نام دیا جو در اصل فرانسیسی زبان کا لفز ہے۔ ہندی فارسی
اور جنوبی افریقی لوگ اسے برنجل کہتے ہیں۔ بینگن کی اپنی تاریخ نہایت شاندار ہے کہ
کیسے مختلف خطہء زمین کے لوگوں نے اس کے لیَئے خوبصورت نام چنے۔ اسے آپ جو بھی نام
دیں،دیگر سبزیوں میں اسے اپنی الگ خصوصیات کی وجہ سے خاص مقام حاصل ہے۔ یہ رنگ اور
نام کے علاوہ شکل اور سائز میں بھی مختلف پائے جاتے ہیں۔ انڈے کی طرح بیضوی،
لمبوترا، گول نما،گھنٹی نما، انگلی نما اور مارغولے کی شکل اس کی چند اشکال کی
اقسام ہیں۔ اس کا پھل انگور جتنا چھوٹا بھی ہوتا ہے اور 16 انچ تک لمبا بھی ہو
سکتا ہے۔بعض علاقوں میں بینگن 2 پونڈ وزنی کاشت ہوتاہے۔ بینگن کی کاشت ایک منافع
بخش کام ہے۔ یہ سبزی گرم درجہ حرارت میں خوب نشو و نما پاتی ہے اور ہمارے خطے کے
لیئے بہترین انتخاب ہے۔ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>بیج آدھا انچ
گہرائی میں بوئے جاتے ہیں اور مٹی کو نم رکھا جاتا ہے۔ اسے بیجوں کی صورت میں
اگانا بہتر ہوتا ہے اور بعد میں جب پتے نمودار ہوتے ہیں تو اسے منتقل کر لیا جاتا
ہے۔ پودوں کے درمیان 16 انچ کے فاصلہ رکھا جانا چاہئے اور قطاروں کے درمیان 24 انچ
کا فاصلہ۔ بینگن ٹماٹروں اور مرچوں کی طرح بحت آسانی سے مطبان میں پیدا کئے جا
سکتے ہیں،۔ ان کے لئے کنستر یا ریت اور مٹی سے بنا ہوا مرطبان جو کہ 12 انچ یا اس
سع بڑا ہو نہائت ہی موزوں ہے۔<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1WOaxF4RGxtwAIMBppVwOMwZrJoSnViKY7bGmKdf1eqHIOez80JT7riUMpMggotfj_lSw7nXTvUkOVbG51S_AFUIMa1-2KkUfehLGRe0SzohACojyaZLOqDyIioso9IVzhH0s-83fwiy/s1600/DSC_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;">خوراکی ریشہ، حیاتین بی1،بی 6، پوٹاشیم،میگنیشیم اور فولک
ایسڈ کے علاوہ یہ سبزی ایسے مقوی عناصر سے بھرپور ہے جو کہ بلند فشار خون اور تناو
میں کمی اور زیابیطس کے مرض کو قابو میں کرنے میں مددگار ہیں۔ یہ بھی دلچسپ ہے کہ
بینگن میں سگریٹ جتنا نکوٹین پایا جاتا ہے۔ صحت کے لیئے ان گنت فوائد کے ساتھ
رنگوں میں، اقسام اور شکل میں اور سائز میں اور مسحور کن ہنے کی وجہ سے یقیناَ
بینگن میری پسندیدہ فصلوں میں سے ایک ہے۔<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-JIGPZwjPgULZchf_GbcrygvTh6Uy9_IGqka-NNZP09i5OarSj2w176ZArygz-Ku03LFBZ_7ACyt0SfSnJf8zctUF9C2_fzsphs2ootiVkzuDts6J5zsC-f0OcVjYz5yC4Agqxymewi1/s1600/DSC_0310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO-JIGPZwjPgULZchf_GbcrygvTh6Uy9_IGqka-NNZP09i5OarSj2w176ZArygz-Ku03LFBZ_7ACyt0SfSnJf8zctUF9C2_fzsphs2ootiVkzuDts6J5zsC-f0OcVjYz5yC4Agqxymewi1/s320/DSC_0310.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="RTL" lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;">ہم نے تجرباتی طور پر اپنے سکول میں بینگن کاشت کیئے۔ ہمیں
اس میں بہت کامیابی حاصل ہوئی اور اگلے سال ہمارے طلباء یقیناَ انہیں کاشت کریں
گے۔ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span dir="LTR"></span><span lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;"><span dir="LTR"></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span dir="RTL">آپ آسانی سے بینگن کاشت کر سکتے
ہیں اور وہ ذائقہ حاصل کر سکتے ہیں جو لوگ صدیوں سے حاصل کر رہے ہیں۔<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>یقین کریں آپ ان کے گرویدہ ہو جائیں گے جب
جامنی رنگ کے پھول نہائیت ہی عمدہ، چمکدار گہرے جامنی رنگ کی سبزی میں تبدیل ہو
جائیں گے۔<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: right;">
<span lang="ER" style="font-family: "Microsoft Uighur"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-language: ER;"><span dir="RTL"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e0jXjA4Qsb4C39J2rCEMmccOOpKa5MqhyphenhyphentJYr8QgQ8rI3Jsqh1X_AR4-x_cS9t3LVf98MuvfWgjoAfvNFA5JnB0CAhjViEjJ9fjZMdsPCh8dgaZHwe8UzmUEgzpoCOKmcGO8SuDjmEed/s1600/DSC_0303.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7e0jXjA4Qsb4C39J2rCEMmccOOpKa5MqhyphenhyphentJYr8QgQ8rI3Jsqh1X_AR4-x_cS9t3LVf98MuvfWgjoAfvNFA5JnB0CAhjViEjJ9fjZMdsPCh8dgaZHwe8UzmUEgzpoCOKmcGO8SuDjmEed/s320/DSC_0303.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
Special thanks to Mr. Adeel Anjum for translating this piece for our readers. We hope to see more translations from him in future.</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
To read this piece in English, please click on <a href="http://written%20%20by%20zahra%20ali/" target="_blank">Eggplant, Aubergine or Brinjal </a></div>
Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1474221966636698029.post-58726091883463784842012-12-16T22:30:00.001+05:002012-12-16T22:35:40.136+05:00Re-potting Chives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3ybJVkARgJRFHvAunF4kiSpQfoJGvGCwWtszZMVxkqYrTqohnOo9u3Va7Dfss9TTQG_8tMmZciKDuCaZB0z7PREPAQweRlraTEIuiXr_d-0ZScvQMsaGQm75-XfBkbI-YM5kFOxKqo5j/s1600/chives+improvement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3ybJVkARgJRFHvAunF4kiSpQfoJGvGCwWtszZMVxkqYrTqohnOo9u3Va7Dfss9TTQG_8tMmZciKDuCaZB0z7PREPAQweRlraTEIuiXr_d-0ZScvQMsaGQm75-XfBkbI-YM5kFOxKqo5j/s320/chives+improvement.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>I started my Chive plants from seeds two years back. Just a few seeds germinated but over the years the tiny bulbs multiplied leaving the older plants with long and unpleasant base. It is time to re-pot.</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWaJO2szFXjtSkAo8Sk48NGniJy_ycg1V7g1nyOwSumt0VrbwOK5yKqRMPaBZSIO3AvEVXHMrD-87Ojti-1JP9fungPtNqlaKgx0HDVJ84SvHXjdTWoN2hwG0mMTtOLlKo6UW-Qtw_BfX/s1600/088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWaJO2szFXjtSkAo8Sk48NGniJy_ycg1V7g1nyOwSumt0VrbwOK5yKqRMPaBZSIO3AvEVXHMrD-87Ojti-1JP9fungPtNqlaKgx0HDVJ84SvHXjdTWoN2hwG0mMTtOLlKo6UW-Qtw_BfX/s320/088.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> These plants were in a rectangular plastic container for past two years. I decided to shift them to a deeper terracotta pot with new soil and well-rotted compost to avoid poor drainage and to encourage root development.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can do the same with your Chives and other herbs by carefully lifting the plants without disturbing the roots . Use a fork if they don't come out easily. In Karachi, its best to do this during spring, monsoon or during very early winters.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep your new pot ready with some new soil mix. Transfer the Chives with long and unpleasant base a bit deeper than before. Cover with more soil and water softly. You Chives will look good as new. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I have one pot of 2 years old Chives and the one of young Chives that are keeping away pests from my Rose vine.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSodavKCcTp04MlhFJ9l3mu6gGTsPG-wuZx4CXygZEZOMWC8EafPHGhGtGl-v0UqOjcCnUWdPUU4I-DkGWT1kY-SHvVjz-uXcEEIvUG6IPogop6sXyheKEb6mK1ksJILujvXzlChBevzmM/s1600/092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSodavKCcTp04MlhFJ9l3mu6gGTsPG-wuZx4CXygZEZOMWC8EafPHGhGtGl-v0UqOjcCnUWdPUU4I-DkGWT1kY-SHvVjz-uXcEEIvUG6IPogop6sXyheKEb6mK1ksJILujvXzlChBevzmM/s320/092.JPG" width="213" /></a>'</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I hope this helped you in some way.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Happy Gardening!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Zahra</span></div>
<br />Zahra Alihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00903837377985411417noreply@blogger.com0