by Arshdeep Kaur Longia | Oct 10, 2021 | Vertical Garden
The Beginning Of The Vertical Garden Concept
Vertical gardens tend to take up less space, are easier to harvest and to maintain. Way back in 1938, Professor Stanley Harts White of the university Illinois created a unique concept- the Vegetation Bearing Architectonic Structure and System or what is in today’s era known as ‘Vertical Garden’. But actually the credit of popularizing and modernizing the concept goes to the French Botanist, Patrick Blanc who created green walls, particularly in Europe.
Anybody can indulge in the pleasure of growing and harvesting their own food and attain its superior nutrition. Don’t crib about the lack of gardening space when vertical gardening is the best option to start growing up. It is surely an amazing discovery. These can be easily set up using your own skills or by hiring a professional.
Vertical Gardening Ideas:
- Hanging Pots
Flat-finish paint and some sturdy rope will help get the job done. It’s imperative to keep in mind when building your garden that your support system can handle strong and gusty winds. Cherry tomatoes, strawberries and eggplant grow well in these pots.
- Tin Can Fence Garden
Sprays painted tin cans make absolutely adorable and extremely affordable planters. It is a good idea to reuse your tin cans instead of throwing them away which would lead only to piling up of waste.
- Traditional Trellis
This method is used to grow vining vegetables. You get a good harvest and a more neat and clean garden. Also, it’s easier to find all those hidden tomatoes. Beans, squash, melons and cucumbers can be grown through trellis. Make it strong enough so that it can withstand the weight of the plants.
- Tray Herb Garden
Herbs grow good and strong in this quite-large vertical tray system. Go for a strong wall and fasteners which are ready to support the weight of all the stuff that you put in.
- Pallet Tray System
You can build up this vertical garden with some plywood, landscaping cloth, and a pallet. Fill with soil and lay flat, and then put in seeds or seedlings into the slats.
- Bottle Garden
It is a herb garden which uses recycled bottles. They’re suspended on strings for easy caring. While some of the plants wouldn’t reach their full size due to the small container, there are enough plants to get herbs for a family. Environment lovers would go for this option without thinking much.
- Succulent Gardens
Living walls can help reduce the amount of cooling needed in the house. Succulents require less attention if watered properly. These are very much attractive. You may name it as the creative garden.
- Herbs in Baskets
You can grow nearly any herb in these beautiful hanging baskets, here are some good choices to start with as well as the most common:
- Dill
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Sage
- Lavender
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Oregano
- Freestanding Garden
If you’d like to build your own vertical garden setup, here is a good idea. Build a small raised bed, put in these vertical angled supports. Lemongrass, petunia and tomatoes can grow in this type of garden.
- Pyramid Garden
Pyramid garden is a great option for smaller plants like lettuce and strawberries. It allows all your plants to experience the lush warm sunlight without interfering with other ones.
- Stair Garden
This amazing vertical garden has been transformed from an old staircase. The stair steps provide a good way for excess water to drain off down the unit and every plant receives adequate sunshine.
- A Shoe Organizer
You can make canvas pouches or use an old shoe organizer to make a creative Vertical Garden. So, don’t throw out your shoe organizer, use it for a vertical garden dear.
By now you would be probably buzzing with all the ideas of how you can build your own creative vertical garden. A vertical garden can be installed by anyone. You just need to follow some principles for the same.
Try a vertical gardening system and let us know how it worked for you in the comment box!
by Arshdeep Kaur Longia | Aug 17, 2021 | Student's Column
Hello there, I am Peepal (the sacred fig). I would like to show you a picture of mine.
How was it? Adorable, right? I flourish in mother nature’s lap. She keeps me alive and makes me able to let you breathe the purest air.
Now, here’s another picture of mine.
😔I feel sad looking at myself like this. What inference did you draw from it?
Does this place look like a worshipping spot?
Why am I left unattended when I equally and constantly serve humanity?
I am said to be worshipped in this way. Do you know why I am worshipped? Trimurti resides in me; Brahma the roots, Vishnu the trunk and Shiva the leaves. Visnu was born under me and Buddha attained enlightenment under me. But, this is the wrong way of doing it.
Let me take you to the topic of discussion.
What is worship?
To show a strong feeling of admiration, respect or love for a God. But in today’s society modern worship has made its place like worshipping celebrities, cricket teams, etc.
Worshipping Nature
In a recent blog of ’15 Sacred Trees Native to India’, we mentioned the reason for worshipping trees and their importance. We hope you all gave it a read. Ancient scriptures do mention the worship of trees but in a decent manner.
It’s not something new about the fact that people in India worship trees. But have you ever seen them polluting the same?
Leaving the pooja articles, packets, polythenes and flowers scattered leaves a bad impression on the viewers. This all compiles up into waste. A bad lesson for children to take away. We place photographs of our gods around it and sometimes some idols also. But these are left behind unattended due to many reasons. This is called disrespect. The packets left behind fly away which come under the feet. Stray animals rest there which makes the place look more dirty.
Moreover, food is also offered as prasad to the trees which is many times left as it is. The food is also getting disrespected. We don’t even notice that the smallest of the waste thrown piles up and it begins to look like a junkyard. It’s too late when we realize that.
Our elders taught us how to worship but never told us to pollute the worshipping place. We misinterpreted what was told. There is a specific way for puja which avoids harming the environment and we all know it how.
Type in your views in the comment box below.
by Arshdeep Kaur Longia | Jun 18, 2021 | Gardening
Special days, special memories. We all wish to make our special days last forever. Is there any special way to do it?
People tend to celebrate occasions through parties, vacations and some through social work like donating blankets, clothes and blood. I have one of my close friends donating blankets and grocery items to streetside beggars and blind homes and even donating blood on their birthday every year. This is indeed a good practice to make each birthday more meaningful.
But, is there any more creative way that can benefit us as well as our upcoming generations? Is there any way of saying thanks to nature or showing gratitude for providing us with such incredible life resources? Is it possible to involve our surroundings in our celebrations?
So many questions but the answer lies with the colour green. Give it a thought, while we provide you with a new gifting idea.
Giving An Opportunity To Plants
From birthdays to anniversaries, we always fall short of gifting options. Indeed, we all have so much to choose from.
We bet you must not have ever thought of gifting plants to your loved ones on special occasions. You read that right, plants can be the best and memorable gifts to someone. It is surely an out of the box idea. The materialistic gifts start depreciating with time whereas plants become our companions and stay for a longer period if taken care of properly and sometimes these even become a legacy.
There are numerous and uncountable varieties of plants to choose from and so are their benefits. One plant can give birth to several plants. Let us help you scroll through the reasons for the same.
Gift A Plant
1. Pleasure & Prevention:
Gifting someone a living plant means you are handing them the responsibility of taking care and keeping it alive. The person receives immense pleasure when it grows out to be a healthy plant. Growing something enhances self-esteem and boosts confidence.
Also, living plants restrict the occurrence of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), a very common issue nowadays. Its symptoms include anxiety, headache, dizziness, and lack of concentration. Place one on your child’s table.
2. Gift a plant For mental wellness:
In this time of stress and anxiety, people often don’t find emotional balance. We know there is no guidebook on how to manage stress and also be productive at the same time. Greenery is said to reduce stress and make one more productive. We can ensure that the person can function with a clear head by giving them plants that enhance the mood and lower down the stress level. The presence of a plant in the room or at the desk can help considerably in making the air fresher.
Caring for plants like watering them, fertilizing and watching them bloom is one of the great pleasures. It makes you feel alive and psychologically healthy. The satisfaction achieved from watching your plants grow ultimately leads to happiness and elation.
3. Feng Shui :
Every plant has its Feng Shui energy which invites positive vibes to the place. The colour green is said to be associated with healing. So, gifting plant heals your near and dear ones.
- Peace lily
- Lucky bamboo
- Boston fern
- Areca palm
- Jade
- Golden Pothos (money plant)
- Snake plant
- Rubber plant
- Orchid
- Citrus trees
4. Aesthetic Value:
While gifting a plant to your loved ones you will add a lot of aesthetics to their lives. Plants add a lot of vitality and brightness to the surroundings and lots of layers in the décor as well. They definitely add up to the aesthetic value of the place, be it the garden, indoors, balcony or office. Gift a plant to beautify someone’s place.
5. Value for Life:
Gifting a plant is very beneficial for human beings and could be a great nutriment to the other species. As we know many insects like bees, butterflies, and beetles etc survive on flowers and plants. So be a contributor for some little lives.
6. Air purifiers
The most important value of some plants is that they purify air. NASA recommended air purifier plants not only produce oxygen but also remove volatile pollutants like benzene, formaldehyde and xylene, thus reducing the carbon footprint of a place. Adding this small practice of gifting plants to others will be a great initiative to boost this chain of creating a purified and clean environment around us.
Find out more: https://parijaigenus.com/radiation-free-homes-and-offices-10-indoor-plants/
Here are some plants:
- Peace lily
- Aloe vera
- Pothos plant
- Spider plant
- English ivy
- Bamboo palm
- Sansevieria
- Red-edged dracaena
- Aglaonema
7. Gift a plant to give a push to the economy
Sounds strange? But let me tell you in one sentence ‘The more we make the environment green, the purer air we will inhale, the more fresh air we get, the more we become healthy and so goes on with our country’s growth’. We need to be healthy for productivity and creativity and these factors are directly involved in improving the country’s economy.
Karamveer Singh from Longowal planted a sapling on his 23rd birthday
8. Gift a plant without any reason
Not only for gifting, saplings can be planted on a special occasion. Like planting a tree on your birthday, anniversary, on a success celebration etc.
Moreover, planting a tree gives shade and fruit at a later stage. Give a thought and list all that we borrow from our nature. So, “Gift A Plant, Gift A Life”.
9. Gift a plant to yourself on a occasion
Planting a “Triveni” is the best gift one can gift to themselves on a birthday or special occasions to make it more memorable. Plant atleast 1 tree in your lifetime to give back to mother nature.
Is it not our responsibility to maintain and spread the positive and clean the negative?Here, you need to ponder a lot.
The Bottom line: Gift a plant on every occasion.
We are definitely sure that now there exist enough reasons for gifting a plant. Go give it a try and share your experiences with us in the chat box and also if you have more reasons besides the ones mentioned above, do share those also.
Every Corner Needs A Plant
by Arshdeep Kaur Longia | May 2, 2021 | Gardening
Looks of Spider Plant
Spider plant, also known by the names, spider ivy and ribbon plant, is an easy to grow houseplant.
Its long and narrow leaves can reach a length measuring upto 20-45 cm and approx. 6-25 millimeters.
These are perennial plants with indefinite life span, which also end up out living their owners, provided these are nurtured properly. Thanks to their longevity, they end up becoming the legacy.
Spider Plant Uses
- The NASA Clean Air Study claimed that spider plant is an effective air purifier and helps eliminate air toxins like xylene (Sources- petroleum, coal tar, smoke) and formaldehyde (Sources- paints, coatings, glues, permanent press fabric, pesticides, fertilizers). Thus, reducing indoor pollution.
- The plant finds its use in various traditional medicines. Its tubular roots are consumed to treat bronchitis, bone fractures and burns. Its leaves are consumed in kenya.
- It can be used as an indoor plant not only because it purifies air but also it enhances the indoor beauty due to its decorative value.
- Spider plants can also be planted in gardens as well as in hanging pots at a partially shady place. It spreads beautifully on the ground and works as a cover to prevent soil erosion .
Care
Plants love well drained soil so does the spider plant. The fully grown plants can tolerate drought for a while as well but not for very long.
The most suitable temperature for its good development is 18-32 degree Celsius. It cannot withstand frost.
Plants prefer the soil to dry between waterings to avoid root rot, so does the spider plant. Excess watering can produce brown leaf tips, which can also be due to buildup of chemicals present in water. You may use filtered water in that case. Water stress can also arise due to insufficient watering.
Belonging to the tropical rainforest, spider plants prefer humidity which keeps brown tips at bay. So, you can also place it in a bright bathroom of yours.
These require partly shaded sites and if grown indoors they love highly bright spots. Forbid direct sunlight to prevent scorching of leaves and enhance the striping on the leaves.
The fertilizing task can be done in summer and spring twice a month. Plant growth is slow in winter and autumn so fertilizer doesn’t find the need. Over-fertilization should be avoided to prevent brown leaf tips.
This task requires the plantlets of the plant. These are the miniature replica of the spider plant. So, these are easy to propagate.
Though the spider plants do not require repotting often but the task should be done in spring which is considered as an ideal time. If the roots start peeping out of the soil, then it’s time for some action.
Pests
These plants are hardy when it comes to pest attack. But yes, they are susceptible to some infestations, like spider mites, aphids, mealy bugs and whitefield may damage the plant. The plant can be saved using an insecticide mixed with vinegar if it worsens, otherwise, misting it with water will do the job. Spraying neem water on any plant can help save plants from bugs.
So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and clean your indoor air with this NASA approved air purifier and give a pure breathing experience to your family.
Every Corner Needs A Plant
by Arshdeep Kaur Longia | Apr 13, 2021 | Health and Immunity
Air On Sale! Shocked?? You heard that right.
Once upon a time, there was an era, when Mother Earth, was respected & worshiped as “Dharti Maa”, who nurtured us like her children. Supreme health is what people enjoyed earlier with nature’s boons. But soon, some smart and intelligent humans began exploiting our resourceful Earth. Their exploitative power and dominance lead to greed. Food, water, air, and shelter started diminishing and their distribution is now imbalanced and unequal.
We are currently struggling to live in a world, which has everything ready to be sold. From canned foods, to ready to use curries or gravies, to dehydrated food products. Food is so expensive and not worth the value and nutrition that used to be earlier in the world today. Why have we made a ready-made world? Because no one has the so-called “Time” to invest. We are paving the way for health hazards by consuming these products.
Food and water have been sold for many years. The packaged drinking water quenches thirst while on the run so well. But have you ever stopped and thought that you actually “paid for drinking water”. The element that nature provides us unconditionally and free of cost.
Air Arrested!
Surprisingly, now air with different aromas also has a price tag. The air was the only thing that was available free to us. But now even that seems a luxury.
How can a necessity be a luxury?
Our planet has life because of air, water, and food. Firstly, we polluted the natural, clean and fresh air and then we invented air purifiers. We have polluted our environment by means of industrialization and now finding an alternative to escape its hazardous effects.
The means of our survival-air is now on “SALE“.
How much are you ready to spend to inhale some fresh air?
Have a look at how air is being sold in China.
We are not saving the Earth for generations to come. We are being selfish in the now, not thinking of our future generations.
Why don’t we think of giving a better environment by planting trees? Is doing that too difficult?
It can save us from the cost of buying air purifiers and bottled air in the ages to come. Don’t you agree?
Health nowadays is the major concern more than a career. We should give a thought to whether there are enough resources left for the newborns to survive, as ‘survival‘ is now a challenge. We all are sitting on a ticking time bomb. The choice is ours, whether to stop this timer and survive or let it explode to destroy this amazing life. We still have time before it’s already too late and impossible to reverse the damage. Together we can put an end to this business of selling air. We cannot spend the rest of our life with masks on because trees are the solution and saviours, not masks and bottled air.
Start the initiative from your own place. ‘Vertical gardens’ or ‘green walls’ are a solution to less horizontal space. The living greens in the wall will help reduce the carbon footprint around your place and maintain the internal temperature.
GET A QUOTE
Lend A Hand To Release Air
Let’s give Earth its original wealth and prosperity back and make our lives a little easier, healthier, and happier. Question yourself, how many trees are required for breathing fresh and cleaning the polluted air? Analyse, introspect and do your part, contribute to Mother Nature what you took away from it. Don’t wait for anyone else to start, you be the initiator.
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam“- the whole world is one family. Let us make it feel like a home to everyone and even the animals. Animals, both wild and domesticated they cannot buy air.
So, are you ready to step ahead? Do share your valuable views in the comment box.
Edited by- Ms. Seema Sheriff (Relationship coach and content writer by passion)
