My Balcony Garden Makeover

I have been super busy lately but as I had promised....
 here is an update on my garden makeover. I easily get bored of the same look and scorching summers was the another reason to rearrange my garden. Gardening is joy, it's a way to rejuvenate your senses. If you love gardening too then click the link below to check out some amazing gardening tools and accessories that I bought few days ago.

• Click here to buy gardening tools and accessories at best prices.
• And few more here
• Buy some amazing Budhha figurines here.

Now back to my garden makeover. I rearranged all my pots and planters and idea was to save my plants from scorching sun, so I covered the part of my terrace which gets maximum sun with grass mats that were lying unused and arranged all my pots alongside it. This way all my plants were happy to get only mild morning sunlight. In the center I created zen corner and placed all the tall plants at the back and smaller ones in front row. That way it appears like a lush green small jungle.

I couldn't resist and spend my evenings here. How about having some masala wali tea here :)

Now I want to add some flowering plants here to make this place look little more cheerful. 

My obsession with Buddha.....!!

Here are some fresh blooms. 

One morning my yellow fairy lilies gave me this beautiful surprise :)

Here is how my balcony garden looks now. 

It looks astounding when sun sets and my plants gleam in soft glow of sun. 

Reflection of setting sun on glass door is a way too beautiful sight to be missed. 

I love spending time here in this sanative environment. Warm glow of sun, chirping of birds, fresh air and soothing sound of temple bells all these are always so uplifting and heart warming that it makes me forget all my woes.

Have you seen my garden earlier. If not you can see here.

This below picture is how my garden looked earlier. Not bad huh!

So what do you think of new face of my garden. Please share your views.
You can follow me and check out some more images of my home and garden on Instagram here.

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Hanging Baskets In My Small Balcony Garden

I had always wanted hanging baskets in my balcony garden, but I couldn't find big wrought iron hanging baskets with coir lining here in Pune. So I bought these plastic ones. I didn't like their dull colours though, so I painted them in vibrant colours.

I planted Money plant, Jade, 9 O'clock, Purple Wandering Jew and Singapore Daisy in some baskets, that my mother had given me and sowed seeds of Virginia Stock and Nasturtium in two baskets, that my mother-in-law had given me. I was desperate like a kid, who just wanted seeds to sprout the moment they were sown. I wanted to see, how my baskets will going to look when they will be full of foliage and blooms. And slowly it happened.........

Kid in me was so happy to see some blooms and Virginia Stock sprouts, that were filling the blue basket.

And finally the day arrived when I saw 9 O'clock, Nasturtium, Singapore Daisy and Virginia Stock blooming and Money plant & Jade thriving and spreading cheer in my small garden. This was the sight I was waiting for. It was so heart warming to look at these baskets.  

Some close ups.........

And some different angles.........

And Purple wandering Jew has become the main attraction in the garden for its lovely purple leaves and the way it's covering the basket.

But now because of cold weather Nasturtium has died :( and 9 O'clock plant has stopped blooming. 

Waiting for Spring to arrive now.

Have a great weekend ahead dear all!!

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Quick Way To Beautify A Garden!!

How was your weekend dear friends, mine was super hectic with lots of work assignments in hand and son's studies, I didn't even realized and it's Monday again. I did so many things in past few months, some DIY projects, paintings and few more exciting things. I added some elements in my balcony garden last month and post about it was lying in draft since then. My husband is a great support, because of him I was able to meet all the deadlines and got time to publish this post. 

Sharing some tips and images of my garden with you. A corner in my garden was looking a little dull and I wanted to cheer it up without spending much time.
First have a look how it was before. Since long time the arrangement had been like this and I got bored of looking at it. I wanted to rearrange and add something.

This is what I did..

I am quite happy with the look (at least for a few months). Now if you want to create this look in your garden, follow these easy and simple steps:

1. Take a clay/plastic plate. Plate because you will place Buddha on it.

2. Put soil and manure in the plate.

3. Sow seeds or if you have saplings you can plant them (I did both). Plant only on one side of the plate, as on the other side you will place Buddha. 

4. Place Buddha figure on the plate. Club together pots of the same size and place the plate on the center (where you see the void).

5. You can place small colourful pots on the edges of two adjoining pots, like I did. I placed orange watering can and coconut planter too. 

6. Arrange the pots in a way that all the taller plants should be on the back side and smaller ones and creepers should be in front.  

Here is closer look of the corner....

Plants I planted in the plate are very lovely. They are almost in five shades. I don't know the name of this plant, if anyone of you are aware what this plant is called, please tell me the name.  

I always wanted a Zen corner in my garden, so that I can spend my evenings there doing some creative work or writing a blog post. Now I love looking at this corner, it's serene!! Sometimes I place different flowers on Buddha figure I enjoy peaceful moments that I spend there :)

Take a tour of some beautiful gardens and read more about gardening (Click here).
Hope you liked this quick and easy way to beautify a garden. Stay tuned for more such ideas!!

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Beautiful Balcony Garden!!

First let me share some exciting news for all my lovely readers. I know you all love decorating your homes, so here is a chance to win gift voucher worth Rs.3000/- for more information click here.

I have a wonderful guest today on my blog, Smita Srivastava. A food blogger who is equally enthusiastic about gardening. When I stumbled across some beautiful images of her small balcony garden, I couldn't help and asked her to send some more lovely images.

Smita Srivastava is the food blogger behind the fun food blog Little Food Junction . She started her career as a graphic designer after completing her masters in advertising design but fun foods, cooking & photography was where her true calling was. Struggling to interest her daughter in eating, she began to transform plates of food into colorful animals , people and pictures to liven up mealtimes. Her designs worked so well that she started her blog, Little Food Junction .

Simplicity , healthy and easy to make has always been her mantra for all her recipes and food designs. Her works have been featured on several newspapers and sites of great repute Her book – Fun food for Fussy Little Eaters ( published by Ryland Peters & Small, London) is available worldwide ( on Amazon, Flipkart, Barnes & noble etc )

As I said she loves gardening too.....

 So here some eye candies for you from Smita Srivastava's balcony garden

Well that's a nice way to add pop of colour and so much character in a small balcony garden. Beautiful accessories and lovely planters, is what that can change look of garden.

Balcony garden that is filled with lot of character. Don't you love that cute tiny ceramic hut.

Look at those lovely mushrooms.... gorgeous isn't it.

I just loved her collection of beautiful  ceramic planters in different shapes and colours.

And here's a wonderful zen corner in her Indian balcony garden. A perfect place to unwind.

Smita inspired me to do so many things in my garden, I am all set to add some character in my garden. Tell me what do you think of her beautiful garden.
Check out more gardening ideas on my blog click here

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My Rain Drenched Garden!!

Life is full of beauty. Specially in rains. Feel it.....rain is grace....!!

And when I look at my rain drenched garden feeling is inexplicable....smell of wet soil, raindrops on
flowers, garden that appears lush and green, pretty blooms knelt and lay lodged due to heavy showers and then they rise and smile when Sun peeks from the clouds. It's beautiful sight.

Sharing some pictures of my rain drenched garden..........

Don't you love my yellow fairy lily and my Bani Thani pot....I love looking at them and it adds dash of yellow in my all pink garden.

Love those raindrops making Vinca look even more beautiful.

9 O'clock in different colour. It blends perfectly with the colour of planter.

Stay tuned for some exciting news coming up next in my blog!!

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Grow Indoor Plants Like A Pro!!

So when I asked you lovely people out there, that what else do you want to see on this blog many of you wanted more DIY and more about indoor plants. So here I am with someone who is 

pro gardener and has a big green thumb and sharing her 

gardening tips with us: Reshma Sharma.

No one better than Reshma can do a post on gardening. So I am leaving you with this well-written post by Reshma and images of her beautiful plants and interiors. She has a beautiful blog 'Dreams Are Made Of These' check out her blog and I am sure you will be addicted to going through it over and over again. 

Every room needs a center of attraction. It could be a beautiful floor rug, a piece of furniture or some other feature. But very often it lacks just that something to set it off. Plants are the perfect answer for providing  a focal point. Choose the right one and the room comes alive.

Plants can be used in a variety of ways to add atmosphere to your home and give your decoration character. They can be used to highlight a certain corner or even to camouflage an ugly feature in the room.
Houseplants are expensive items and the choice is extensive so choose carefully. It is important to keep them well and alive. Keep in mind the climate of your region and the amount of sunlight your room gets. Take care of your plants and keep the soil healthy and pest free. You may come across certain problems that indoor plants are prone to -

1) Pests like white flies, mealy bugs and green flies make an appearance every now and then. You can control them with sprays available in the market/ plant nurseries. Always read the instructions before spraying and make sure you carry the plants outdoors while doing so. Let it remain outside for at least 24 hours before bringing it back inside especially if you have kids/ pets.

2) Some diseases and disorders may trouble your plants too like powdery mildew, wilting and yellowing of leaves that eventually fall off. If you see a white powdery formation on the stems, just clip the stem off and burn it so that it doesn't spread on to other plants. Plants  may wilt as a result of too much or too little water or being attacked at the roots by pests. If the leaves drop rapidly, the plant has probably received a shock due to rapid change of temperature. If the leaves turn yellow slowly then the cause might be too much water. So watering should be right, don't over-water, the soil should be kept just moist.

3) Make sure you keep the plant in a nicely ventilated, sunny spot like a window sill and keep turning the pot frequently. If not done so, the plant will turn towards the sunlight and bend in a one direction and get distorted. Keep turning the pot and it will grow upright. Rooms with south facing windows are very bright and hot so keep the plants at least 3 feet away from them. Herbs can be grown in pots and kept on the kitchen window sill where it gets ample sunlight and yes, keep turning the pot.

4) Hanging baskets are a great way of growing indoor plants. It is a great solution when you don't have too much space on the ground . The baskets can be hung on parapets and ceilings in a sunny balcony. Even people residing in flats can beautify their balconies with the hanging ones. It makes a world of difference and looks pretty too. Trailing plants like Ivy, Spider plant and even seasonal plants like Petunias, Geraniums, Impatiens can be grown to add color to your space. 

Some indoor plants that are quite successfully grown and maintained in India are:

1) Spider plants - They have long , thin leaves and looks best in a  basket. the long wiry stems grow into white starry flowers and plantlets giving it a spidery appearance. The plantlets can be carefully snipped and pegged down in separate pots and propagated in a similar manner. I have had a lot of success with this particular plant. I had bought two plants few years ago and now I have at least twenty of them.
They are fuss free and don't need much attention. Just place the pots in a well ventilated sunny room and water when required so that the soil looks moist.

2)Monstera - A big plant that can add a good amount of drama in any room . It has big leaves and can be grown as a creeper too in a corner near the stairs or in a living room that is well ventilated and well lit. Water well just when it requires. Do not over water.

3) Philodendron- This needs the same treatment as Monstera  since both the plants are similar in appearance and structure.

4) Syngoniums - Also called goose foot plants. These are plants with leaves like a goose's feet and in time, they develop into a climber and can be trained up a trellis or potted in a hanging basket. Water liberally in summers and spring and sparingly in winters. They make great indoor plants.

5) Ferns like asparagus fern and maidenhair fern can be kept indoors even in a hot and humid temperature. They grow well even in bathrooms since they enjoy humid atmosphere. Water when the soil starts to look dry and keep them near a sunny window.

6)Peace lilies- Keep it in a shady spot which doesn't get direct sun. This can also do well in a  humid atmosphere.

Image Source: Click Here

7)Areca palm- Certain palm trees do well indoors too. Areca palm is the most common and the most hardy one I've seen. Totally fuss free and grows well. It can grow to a good height so keep it in a big pot.  Water well but make sure the water does not collect in the pot or around it. The light should be good  and it needs good ventilation too. Avoid contact from direct sunlight. This plant can add a tropical look to any setting and also adds as an air purifier. Keep pruning the tree and remove any stems that have brown leaves.

Image: Mine

I know I know all of you are now lost and not able to take your eyes off Reshma's beautiful space. Head over to her blog and see more mesmerizing images. Leave a comment here and let me know your views. 
Grow your indoor garden it's easy and fun.
Happy gardening folks!!


P.S: All images except last two are provided by Reshma and subject to copyright. Please don't copy or reuse without her permission. Thank you!!

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