Vriksha nursery

Vriksha nursery is a second generation nursery based in Mumbai where we strive to change the face of urban gardening in India with over 25,000 gardens executed in Maharashtra/Goa/Gujarat. We have a team of dedicated professionals who will leave no stone unturned to give you gardens of the utmost quality. Vriksha nursery has been synonymous with innovation in our field be it set landscaping(over 15000 teleserials/movies/adfilms), temporary landscapes (over 2500 exhibitions and weddings),ikebana flower arrangements, urban farming, rooftop gardens,living walls etc.
contact us :9820704069 Email: shaan_lalwani@hotmail.com
or better still
Drop by at: 1 ganga apts ,
irla railway soc(2nd last bungalow lane opp papilon hotel )
mumbai 400056.
WHY GO GREEN...WHEN NATURE HAS SO MANY COLOURS TO OFFER!

Monday, January 30, 2012

10 Aphrodisiac plants: a valentines day special!!

Its that time of the year again when a bunch of roses sell for as high as rs500...while the orange brigade is out to burn card shops and pull down everything that's red here a green way to look at this special day of love.


What is an aphrodisiac?
Aphrodisiacs increase sexual desire and stamina in men and women many plants have been used as aphrodisiacs for centuries and are generally safe when used in moderation .Aphrodisiacs have been used to improvement sexual performance and desire for thousands of years now, but which of them are really effective or simple old waives’ tales?

The myth: Aphrodite(The Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation fertility)emerged from the waters carrying some herbs with her. The plants
she brought have powers to excite sexual desire and are called Aphrodisiacs. Plants contain chemically bound solar energy, as a result of union of Mother Earth and Father Sun; aphrodisiac plants have been used for ages to improve potency, helping infertility and sterility, or just to spice up your sex life and for the purpose of seduction.

India is the land of the kama sutra and our beautiful land has been blessed with plants of aphrodisiacal properties iv try to come up with a little list (most plants are up for sale at the nursery):


1)Licorice Glycyrrhiza glabralicorice or liquorice is a perennial herb belonging to the family of legumes. It is native to southern Europe, Middle East, and parts of Asia where its root has long been used in herbal preparations.The roots and rhizomes of the licorice are believed to contain most of the therapeutic and flavorful properties of the plant.Licorice root is also a popular ingredient in various types of herbal teas. A tea can be made by adding approximately 4g of chopped or freshly grated licorice roots to a cup of hot water. After steeping for 10 to 15 minutes and straining it, the infusion is ready to be consumed. In many parts of the world, the root is consumed in its natural form



2)Blue Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera):
is a natural aphrodisiac for both men and women as well Represented in ancient Egyptian art. The Sacred Narcotic Lily of the Nile was found scattered over Tutankhamen's body when the Pharaoh's tomb was opened in 1922. Many historians thought it was a purely symbolic flower, but there may be some reason to believe that ancient Egyptians used it to induce an ecstatic state, stimulation, and/or hallucinations. there are various massage oils and aromatherepy oils freely available in the market .Many people buy blue lotus To relieve pain To enhance memory To increasing circulation As a sexual aphrodisiac To experience feelings of euphoria and ecstasy Method of Use: Typically users use Blue Lotus in three ways: Soak around 10 grams of petals in wine for a couple of hours. Then simply eat the leaves.

3)Garlic chives (Liliaseae) -
tonic, reguvenator, used as spice, magic element to banish bad influence or vampires. Essential oils have antibiotic and cell-activating effect. Used as aphrodisiac since Egiptians, the Romans consecrated it to Ceres, the goddess of fertility and made love dring from pressed garlic juice and coriander. Can heal impotency brought by witchcraft spells.


4)Mint:
The mint plant has a central position in traditional aphrodisiac practice. Ancient mythology tells the story of Pluto (Hades in Greek mythology), who was seduced by the sweet aroma of the nymph Mente, much to the dismay of his wife Persephone. According to Botanical-Online, a mint tea concoction made with a teaspoon of dried flowering mint leaves and a cup of water can be an effective aphrodisiac. There are a wide variety of mints for garden use, and most of them are very easy to grow. Mint can be invasive if not restrained, so plant it in well-drained containers for best results



5)Cloves
Cloves are one of the most well-known aphrodisiac herbs. According to Global Gourmet, the shape of the seeds contributed to their use as a male aphrodisiac in many parts of Asia, and in Indonesia parents plant a clove tree when they give birth to a son. Cloves are commonly combined with other ingredients, such as ginger and cinnamon, to increase libido. The clove tree is native to tropical climates, and requires moist, humid conditions with partial shade and cool temperatures.


6)Morning glory (Ipomoea violacea)
- strong psychodelic, plant of prophecy, seeds ingested. Seeds were were considered the home of God and used in pre Columbian times for gynecological problems, divinatory and religious purposes. 2-4 seeds have direct affect on sexual drive, 5-6 heeded to achive psychodelic state and unlish psychic powers. Seeds contain lysergic acid derivatives that cause uterine contractions


7)Lakshmana (Calonyction muricatum)
Vine, is also called Shiva tendril, considered a yoga plant and symbolizes Kundalini serpent, the active female energy, shakti, that links human with the divine. She is the lover of Shiva and when it awakens it has the desire to unite with him, sitting at the crown shacra. This desire is sexual, like any desire. The brew from lakshmana plant awakes the kundalini and is regarded the best vajikarana (aphrodisiacs). All parts of the plant contain benehic acid, which has central stimulating, psychoactive and aphrodosiac qualities.


8)Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) -
There is little doubt that Vanilla is a natural aphrodisiac. Whether Vanilla's power of seduction is due to some sexy, stimulating ingredients or simply because of it's sensual, calming scent and exotic taste, is a matter of debate. Either way - who cares as long as it works!What we do know is that taste and smell are important components when it comes to love and romance. Historically, there has long been a connection between the sweet, alluring aroma of Vanilla and sexual arousal. It's intoxicating, warm, sensual smell has captivated everyone over the ages from the Mayan and Aztec Idians, the Spaniards, the French and the Orient right through to modern times. Vanilla can be applied to the skin, consumed in food or taken in liquid form. If consumed, it acts on the central nervous system to combat sexual debilitation. However, it is the Heliotropin (a sweet fragrance) in Vanilla that seems to be largely responsible for Vanilla's abiltity to soothe emotional tension and reduce anxiety and stress.


9)Whild rose shrub-
What can be more romantic than a rose, especially if it is red? The essential oil from red roses is a strong aphrodisiac. It is said that Cleopatra used to take bath with milk and rose petals. the rose over the years has become a symbol of sorts for the vast mogul rose gardens stand testament to this beautiful plant Rose has been used since ancient times as a favorite ingredient in love potions, and as an aphrodisiac. It reduces anxiety connected with sex, helping calms emotions that block arousal.


10)Sage: In Egypt, lazy husbands were dosed up with sage. Originating in the eastern Mediterranean, sage is very rich in certain hormones and strongly stimulates the glands, especially the suprarenal glands. Its oestrogenic action is equally good for women with low libido. The key to pleasure: In infusion. Plunge 20g of sage flowers and leaves into 1 litre of boiled water and leave it to infuse for 10 minutes. Have three cups a day.

Here at the nursery we love valentines day...and this year we are committed to making this day of love a little more eco friendly and fun. id love to hear your story of how you met your loved ones and the best stories will get you your very own aphoristical plant tray(3-4 plants arranged in a flat hand made ceramic tray...so write down people there are 10 trays up for grabs!

Friday, January 27, 2012

The Crazy Over Night Gardens of Bollywood !!!!

With a nursery situated in Mumbai crossing paths with Bollywood was inevitable...but we at Vriksha nursery love taking things to the next level...the idea here is to create for them a tough,durable beautiful green space in 2-3days sometimes in a matter of hours the garden should be up and taken out in as short a span as possible....and when an ace art director came to us with an idea of creating a Meadow for an indoor dance number i couldn't refuse ... cant name the movie but iv got some images to show what we did in 1 night in an indoor studio...one of the massively popular leading actor pairwas having issues with some dates so couldn't travel to shoot for this romantic song to nainatal so what we had to do was get the hill slopes to them right here in Mumbai!!! a 3 day shoot a 15,000 sqm ac studio and this is wad we did in 12 hrs...burning the midnight oil and having 20 cups of coffee!!!
My dad was some1 who always was up for something different back in the day when alcohol adds were legal we had another set created in a closed studio in the july at the peak of the rainy season the client wanted to shoot an add with a backdrop of autumn the falling leaves and sepia tone was required ....what happend next was 48 hrs ill never forget 7 trucks of fallen leaves from the farm,arey milk colony,my sites and even the bmc dumpster were collected! a fibre tree was created and each leaf spray painted was stuck by hand and glue 48 hrs no sleep loads of junk food the result was dramatic and what he did was something ill always look to as an inspiration.

Another movie and another clash of dates and as it turned out we needed to create a dance institute in somewhere in the mountains the back drop of film city turned into the hills of the north and the garden that was created on which 4 songs 3 fight sequences and some extrelely hilarious drama scenes panned out(movie i wont name just was one of the worst movies iv ever seen) but the sets we made were pure hard work) the path
,the lawn ,the plants and the trees that we had to create we had to be strong enough to witstand all the lights ,the shooting etc for over 17 days and im very proud to say that the survived and survived well!!!
Big boss 4 was one of the most watched shows in television history ...maybe it was the host salman khan or the antics of dolly bindra that made the headlines but behind the the screeming and screaching there was a garden that sustained itself for the whole duration of the show!
or should i say survived dolly bindra and khallis combined weight!!!
some other sets made in the industry each has a story each was
over the years we have done over 15,000 sets each one has had a story each one has been fun im putting up the images take a look urself and feel free to comment:
..iv been lucky to work with the best art directors in town and trust me when i say this these guys are the most hardworking dedicated and wonderful people iv come across in the line ...from the legendary heres what they have to say about us:-

i have worked with mr lalwani several times and every time hes come up with nice ideas the experience has always been pleasant.in duhla mil gaya he dressed sushmita sens house with tropical flowers and plants as the story was set in the west indies....for the music launch of ravan he created for us the true feeling of a raw Forrest that was appreciated by one and all in short he can diliver gardens acording to my vision without any compromise -Mrs Leela Chanda

Thursday, January 12, 2012

growing your sprouts at home...

Running through the mall the other day i saw the insanely priced packets of sprouts and wondered just what the hell were these guys charging for...growing sprouts is probably the most easiest thing to do ,,,so iv decided to give you guys a step by step guide to grown your verry own organic sprouts without loosing a bead of sweat or loosing wt in your wallet.

Here is a 11 step guide how to be an expert sprout kitchen gardener:

1)Seed selection:its the first and most important step to having your own hassle free sprouts...sprouts generally are very easy to grow and dont need fancy pre treatments. Beginners should use freshly bought seed. Plant just a few things, but sow plenty of each so you have a cushion.
2)Choose containers:Anything shallow that holds soil will do - flats and six-packs saved from last year's annuals, plastic cups, yogurt containers, homemade newspaper pots, clamshell plastic containers from the salad bar. To save space, start seeds in egg cartons.after germination, you'll transplant the sprouts into something larger. You will need to place the containers on something that holds water Poke ample drainage holes in each pot's bottom .

3)soil: theres alot of fuss these days about sterile potting mixtures with woeful amounts of chemical fertilizers i some how detest the idea of using these...go in for a simple 30:30:30 coco piet ,manure ,red soil.it works out cheaper and results are stunning.
4) Read directions. The seed packet will tell you how deep to plant the seeds or whether to lay them on top of the soil, and how long the plants will take to germinate. It also will tell you when to sow.
5)Soiling the containers:moisten the soil and fill in the containers but make sure you dont pack the soil in to tight 3-4 light taps on the top after filling it in should be fine.Make sure the soil feels moist it helps the seeds to germinate easily.
6)Sowing:push the seed in the center of the container 3-4inches in the soil...make sure you dont sow it too deep.carefully cove the seed with the soil and let it rest.
7) Hold in moisture. Mist surface of the soil gently with water, making sure not to disturb the seed, and cover with a plastic bag or a dry cleaner bag to hold in moisture. Or simply close the lid of the clamshell or egg carton.

8)Keep seeds warm and moist until they germinate:Seeds sown on top of soil need light to germinate, but seeds planted deeper don't. In three to 10 days - check daily - most plants will put out cotyledons, little smooth things that look like leaves. Immediately remove the cover so air circulates.
9)Transplant. If you sowed in tiny containers, transplant the seedlings when they have their first set of true leaves.take them out of the containers gently and place in larger containers .point here to look out for is not over manuring the soil in the large containers as plants can get damaged by too much manure.
10)Air:circulation is probably the most important in sprouting seeds....make sure you have ample of light and air flow to avoid any fungal infections in your plants.especially in coastal cities like Mumbai making sure you have ample light is very important.
11)just breathe:wait for brethe and give the sprouts about 15 days to come into their own ...once the plants have hardened(matured) keep them out in the open .in roughly 30days uv got yourself a pot full of organic home grown healthy sprouts.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

In the news again!

an article in the ideal home and garden magazine on my dearest mom:





EXTREMELY PROUD OF YOU MAA!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Container free gardening: KOKEDAMA!

Gardens have always have a rich history ....and the Japanese back in the day changed the face of indoor gardening by their innovations.(Ko Kay Da Ma) is a ball of moss covered soil with arranged plants. Unlike other bonsai style its history is not so old and it's said the idea originated from Nearai, which was a popular bonsai style during the Edo era in Japan, and is a bonsai grown first in a pot and taken out of the pot and set on a stand to enjoy without a pot. In the Nearai style, the bonsai was grown so fully and tightly in the pot that the root and soil would maintain its shape when taken out of the pot.
Personally, I think it's a very poetic and sustainable solution for indoor or balcony gardens,window box garden or any space constricted gardens in the city.iv always had a massive issue with the plastic pots freely used these days with the steady decline of quality "khumbars" Marathi mud pot makers there are hardly any eco friendly options left out there....kokedama to me is the thin ray of hope that we have to achieve a truly sustainable and eco friendly garden.
special mention and a shout out to Soumya Geetha who is the owner of a beautiful blog:http://choyeesgarden.blogspot.com/.her kokedema pics inspired me to work on my plants so a big thank you soumya and keep up the amazing work!.

most of my posts are riddled wid info of what to do how to do....this im gona let the images do the talking ....

drop by to have a closer look guys they look stunning!