[format -- ಕನ್ನಡ: Kannada (Common: Scientific)]:
* ಮರುಗ: maruga (Marjoram: Origanum majoran) touch them and the scent attaches itself!
* ದುಂಡು ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ: dunDu mallige' (Jasmine: Jasminum sambac) Had bought some 5 saplings for Rs 20, some 3-4 years ago from a road-side vendor near Mysore Bank Circle (on K G Road). He hardly understood my Kannada.
I asked 'yeshTu suttinadu?' (how many layers (of petals))
he blinked: 'yennayya?' ('what sir' in Tamil).
with all gesturing I asked 'yeshTu suttu, ondaa athwa yeLaa?' (how many layers, one or seven?)
he seemed convinced 'aama, yeloo yelooo'
I thanked my good fortune that nobody was listening to the conversation! ("yeloo" in Kannada means shit!)
I planted the saplings in different pots for redundancy(!!) and all survived! After a few months they bloomed, but all were one layered - who cares. They are so very fragrant!!
* ಕಾಕಡಾ: kaakaDa (not sure of common/scientific names! Probably Jasminum multiflorum. Here is its pic: http://static.flickr.com/122/302562826_ffa7d4e893.jpg). The one in pot has managed to live on. Brought its saplings twice from office and somehow the place where I want them to grow is disliked by them! This one is really really struggling!The one on the roadside which my sister Hema planted seems to be in a better state!
* ವೀಳೆಯದೆಲೆ: veeLeyadele' (Betel leaf: Piper Betle) Brought by Hema from her neighbours. Has slowly covered all the patch of land and there is unfortunately no place left for it to expand and rise! Mainly because of my father's restrictions: dont allow it to go over the compound wall - if some 'bad' people touch it, it will die(!!) Even now in the Betel Leaf farms, people consider her as goddess Lakshmi, they remove their footwear before entering, women "in period" dont get in (they are 'bad' people), etc etc. Father's childhood was spent with Betel Leaf, Sugarcane, Ground nut, Coconut, Mango, Paddy, etc farms. He has crossed the stage of re-addressing beliefs learn't 60 years ago!
* ಜಾಜಿ ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ: jaaji mallige' (Pink Jasmine: Jasminum polyanthum) Its a pleasure to watch them bloom in the evenings and to stand in the breeze bringing their fragrance!
* ನಿತ್ಯ ಮಲ್ಲಿಗೆ: nitya mallige' (--:--) Courtesy P S Athray who brought the sapling all the way from Tanjavoor in 1+ kg sand+mud and exclaimed 'it will be very happy to live in much cooler Bangalore'! It indeed survived and seems quite happy! Hope her daughter sapling that we gifted to Ramadevi survives too!
* ತೊಗರಿ ಕಾಯಿ: togari kaayi (Toor Daal/Pigeon Pea: Cajanus Cajan) Received a lot of criticism for raising these, because they spread out to some 5 feet across and shadowed many other plants and killed them. Now is the harvest season! One single plant yesterday gave 1+ kg of togari kaayi! I started plucking at 11AM or so and was not done till 1PM; I retired tired!
* ನಂದಿ ಬಟ್ಟಲು: nandi baTTalu (Crape Jasmine/Milkwood: Tabernaemontana) - both single layered and multi-layered petal ones. The multi-layered one was there in our old house - long long ago before we killed it to make way for a floor-tank! During my school days, my days used to start with plucking these and kaNagile (Oleander) flowers. Every single day it used to become a big basket-full of flowers.
* ಹಾಗಲ ಕಾಯಿ: haagala kaayi (Bitter gourd: Momordica charantia) We harvested bitter gourd for several months last year - every fortnight some 5-6. There are new climbers this season. Already had one for food a few days ago!
* ಕರಿ ಬೇವು: kari be'wu (Curry Tree: Murraya koenigii) - in fond memories of our granny who had brought the sapling of this one's parent plant, which continues to live in a pot
* ಬ್ರಹ್ಮ ಕಮಲ: brahma kamala (Crenate Orchid Cactus: Epiphyllum crenatum) Another contribution by Hema from her neighbours.
* ಮಂದಾರ: mandaara (Orchid Trees: Bauhinia **) - a white one and a yellow one which I brought from Shyama's place at Paalakkad and Sreejith's place at Mallapuram respectively. The white one has bore her first bud; eagerly waiting for the bloom. Will they bring the purple sunbirds to my house, as they did in Shyama's place!? :-)
* ಕನಕಾಂಬರ: kanakaambara (Crossandra: Crossandra *) these are another set of plants which seem rather unhappy with the places where they have been planted - Not much flowers for past 1+ year!
* ಸ್ಫಟಿಕ / ನೀಲಾಂಬರ: sphatika/neelambari (Blue Sage: Eranthemum **) The one we had during our childhood days was 'bluish' and one we have now is slightly purplish. Feel the ripe buds in the evenings - there cannot be anything softer and smoother! They bloom early in the morning. One of those plants which 'burst' out their seeds to propagate. So needs a constant check to weed out all secondary plants. Locally also referred to as December flower, because they bloom in large numbers around the month of karteeka.
* ದಾಸವಾಳ: daasawaaLa (Hibiscus: Hibiscus **) We have had these of different colours at various times! I should mention here one very astonishing plant. I had collected a cutting of a white single-layered hibiscus from my friend Sanjay's father (who is a fond gardener himself and several years ago they had some 10+ feet times 30 feet area of trees and plants! This white hibiscus was great - it flowered for several years (it was planted in a pot). Last year or so one of its branches started giving pink coloured flowers!!! (again single layered - same shape and size). I had never heard of such a thing! Unfortunately this turned out to be its swan-song; with in a few months this and another red hibiscus (again from Sanjay's place) in two different pots succumbed to a very bad aphid-attack (well it is rather ant-attack with aphids as their weapons, or is it other way round!!?)
Too tired now - here are some others not described above:
* ಕನಕಾಂಬರ: kanakaambara (Crossandra: Crossandra *) these are another set of plants which seem rather unhappy with the places where they have been planted - Not much flowers for past 1+ year!
* ಸ್ಫಟಿಕ / ನೀಲಾಂಬರ: sphatika/neelambari (Blue Sage: Eranthemum **) The one we had during our childhood days was 'bluish' and one we have now is slightly purplish. Feel the ripe buds in the evenings - there cannot be anything softer and smoother! They bloom early in the morning. One of those plants which 'burst' out their seeds to propagate. So needs a constant check to weed out all secondary plants. Locally also referred to as December flower, because they bloom in large numbers around the month of karteeka.
* ದಾಸವಾಳ: daasawaaLa (Hibiscus: Hibiscus **) We have had these of different colours at various times! I should mention here one very astonishing plant. I had collected a cutting of a white single-layered hibiscus from my friend Sanjay's father (who is a fond gardener himself and several years ago they had some 10+ feet times 30 feet area of trees and plants! This white hibiscus was great - it flowered for several years (it was planted in a pot). Last year or so one of its branches started giving pink coloured flowers!!! (again single layered - same shape and size). I had never heard of such a thing! Unfortunately this turned out to be its swan-song; with in a few months this and another red hibiscus (again from Sanjay's place) in two different pots succumbed to a very bad aphid-attack (well it is rather ant-attack with aphids as their weapons, or is it other way round!!?)
* ಮೆಣಸು : me'Nasu (Pepper: Piper Nigrum) The ones I had brought from Sreejith's place gave up. The currently JUST surviving one with a single leaf is from Madikeri (plucked during the trip with Tejas' team).
* ಪುದೀನ : pudeena (Mint: Mentha Arvensis)
* ಸೇವಂತಿಗೆ / ಶ್ಯಾಮಂತಿಗೆ : se'vantige'/shyaamantige' (Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum **) Various shapes and colours at various stages. There is one particular kind of black little flies that like to sit over the stalks of the buds and the flowers. They dont seem to cause any damage to the flower as such! This flower is one favourite for my book-pressed collection. The yellow colour and the smooth texture remains for several years!
* ಗೋರಂಟಿ: gOranTi (Henna: Lawsonia inermis) Granny had brought two cuttings. One seems to be reddish and the other very dark. Neither have ever been used to make mehandi (both my nieces are too lazy to dry the leaves and powder it; they buy readymade cones!) nor have I used them to die my salt^2+pepper hair! Their tiny read flowers look too good!
* ಗುಲಾಬಿ: gulaabi (Rose: Rosa **) Various colours and kinds! The only rose plant which we long to get back is a button rose - light pink (will try to get the RGB of that!) that we had during early 80s in our old house! Have never seen THAT colour rose ever!
* ಕಾಶಿ ಕಣಿಗಿಲೆ: kaashi kaNigile' (Periwinkle: Vinca rosea / Catharanthus roseus) we have always had the pink coloured one. Wish to add white coloured one too!
* ತುಂಬೆ: tumbe' (Leucas: Leucas aspera) Have you sucked the flower from its stalk!? Next time you see a tumbe' somewhere, do it! You will taste an ml of nectar without there being a necessity for it to go through a honey bees' intestine! :-)
We have both white (common leucas) as well as larger red coloured ones. Recently brought the seeds of pinkish-white variety of these from colleague Manjuath's house; the plant has emerged and the flowers are awaited!
BTW the white-common leucas has a very important medicinal value. Rub the branch with leaves against the forehead and sides of the head when suffering from a severe head ache!
* ಕಾಮ ಕಸ್ತೂರಿ: kaama kastoori (Sweet Basil?: Ocimum basilicum) Of tuLasi family, very fragrant; supposed to have many medicinal values in ayurveda (including to treat common cold!). The seeds, if left in mouth (or in a glass of water!) develop a soft white coat around - that is supposed to 'cool' heads down! They call it sabja in Hindi/Marathi (Sushila used to tell aboutits applications) and are used in falooda!
* ತುಳಸಿ: tuLasi (Tulasi: Ocimum tenuiflorum) Of course!! Both Sree-tuLasi and Krishna-tuLasi. For several years we have been distributors of saplings of tuLasis to neighbourhood and relatives. I simply dont understand how can people not take care of the plants they take during tuLasi pooja and come back again next year! These plants simply dont need any special care - they grow as efficiently as even a weed would!
* ಕರ್ಣ ಕುಂಡಲ: karNa kunDala (Garden Balsam: Impatiens balsamina) These too are voracious seed propagators! Want to know what I mean: next time you see one plant, pluck a ripe seed pod and hold it in hand (or very softly press it!) I wonder how nicely the springs of the pods' components act so swiftly! The seeds are very sweet to look at: small roundish balck/dark ones with some tiny pigments on them!
* ಶಂಖ ಪುಷ್ಪ: shankha pushpa (Butterfly Pea: Clitoria ternatea) We have the white and blue varieties. Will keep looking for purple one! Want to see a different kind of spring action: pick up its dried pods and very lightly press at its end (not the end near the stalk, the 'other' end) - as though you are preparing to peel the two sides open and then comes the magic! The two sides coil outwards so smoothly and quickly: the two sides towards two opposite directions! At the end it will be symmetric coils held at the stalk end. Sorry, the plant has no reason to appease you and me with its creative capabilities; this is its own way of propagating the seeds - throw them in opposite directions far away! Ah well, this is supposed to be very important in medicine - improves memory! have n't you heard of shankhapushpi syrup!
Well, there are many other plants; some of which I dont even know the Kannada names of!
Too tired now - here are some others not described above:
- dhawana,
- baaLe-giDa (banana plantain) (brought from Sreejith's place)
- baaLe-giDa (banana plantain) (brought from Sreejith's place)
- pancha-patre (has many medicinal values - especially for digestion?),
- patre - these fragrant leaves are interspersed when making garlands of flowers, just like maruga or dhawana (I am sure it has a little elaborate name!),
- money plant (had brought this cutting in early 80s from the house of my eldest sister's friend; oh she was so kind to me!),
- aloe vera,
- halasu (jackfruit) [in the nursery-pot] - hand-picked seed from a small-sized extremely sweet jackfruit that my second brother-in-law had brought from somewhere near Nelamangala; it will remain in the pot till I find a proper 'land',
- honge (pongamia) [in the nursery-pot], father's experiment; dont know where he will plant them,
- mango!! mother saw a mango seed while sweeping the front of the house one fine day and simply pushed it nearby to the road-side hole (made by bandicoots!); she is delighted to see it sprout; we will let her grow!
- shunTi-ginger,
- arishiNa-turmeric,
- a ginger like plant with mango-odour (courtesy - Amaresh),
- a blue lily that I brought from Ooty,
- huLi soppu,
- varieties of grasses,
- little mosses,
- a little one-leaf plant which I believe is actually a fungus,
- another fern-like tiny plant,
- banyan tree (trying a bonsai! the Peepal-bonsai was left with my nephew Karthik -- for our remembrance!? naah! he requested for it because he believes that the plant is as old as him (21 years; sorry for revealing your age, Karthi :-))!), Hope that it still lives!
- Passion fruit (a recent addition - courtesy Lalita Abraham; it is still a tiny plant),
- butter-fruit seed is eagerly awaited to sprout (courtesy: Ashoka and Babu),
- A "Lakshmi taru" which I want to get rid of: any one interested!? This is a tree (currently in a sapling-case). S S Ravishankar's ashram is distributing it (they have named it that way - otherwise it has a proper name in South America or somewhere!) claiming many benefits. Google it.
It gives a very different feeling to grow our own vegetables! Try it! No pesticide - very much an organic food! Wish we had a little bit more space!
Ravi BT (Sun Oct 24 20:19 IST 2010)
nice...some photos of your garden please..
ReplyDeletei could feel as if u were taking .nice one!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteVery interestingly written blog..enjoyed reading it..I've been looking for jaaji mallige for some time and I haven't found one...do u have any suggestion as to where I can get / buy one from ?..