GREEN PEAS PLANTS

Can you guess what is the name of this plant? Here is one clue!

This is a legume plant and the kernels are very delicious and green!

Green Peas!😄

Beautiful spherical peas, you know, Green peas!!!!

Pea pods are scientifically called as fruits, since they contain seeds grown from the ovary of the flowers. They are very popular in all over the world and loved by all.

The scientific name of this plant is Pisum Sativum

They are easy to grow and have a limited growing season.

Moreover,  peas do not stay fresh so enjoy them while they are fresh.

This is a legume species so pea roots fix the nitrogen in the soil so that the nitrogen is available for other plants.

We can grow the peas in our home garden easily.  I purchased green peas from the super market for making vegetable briyani in my home. I de-shelled the peas from its pod and refrigerated the green peas in a container.  After three days, I observed the green peas starts to grow. I wondered and decided to so these seeds in the soil. At first, I choose to sow these seeds in a mud pot.

It started growing. It thrives well in the monsoon season. Green peas attach by tendrils tiny wire like structure that curls and encircles supports. I didn't apply any fertilizer.

One interesting matter is that this plant, as other legume plants, fix its own nitrogen from the air and it improves the soil by adding the nitrogen.  The nitrogen fixation happens in conjunction with Rhizobium bacteria present in the soil.

We have to water this plants gently because the plant is very tender and shallow rooted. So adequate water supply is critical to the growth of the pea plants.Due to raining season, the rain water is very nutritious to this plant so it starts its blooming at the very young stage of its life. Now the flowers withered away and its ovary starts to grow fatty.

Let us watch how they turned into fatty pea pods!

I 'm just going to cross my fingers and hope it works wonderfully!

TODAY'S ROSES! PATTU ROSAS!!!!

I am delighted to share the Roses of Today!!!
After heavy rain, the roses glow in sunlight!!!
I cannot stop without sharing these silky roses with you.

CASSIA AURICULATA/SENNA AURICULATA

General introduction of Avaram plant/Cassia Auriculata:

These amazing plants are abundantly grown in Hills and remote regions and dry places of the villages. The botanical name of the Avaaram plant is Senna Auriculata or Cassiaauriculata. Avaaram plant in Tamil whereas in English it is called as Avaram Senna. It is the state flower of Telangana.

Avaarai is a beautiful shrub with has a lot of side branches with smooth bark. It has numerously stipulated,  closely packed and arranged leaves. The flowers are beautiful and bright yellow colored and very attractive. They are bisexual in nature. They are in racemes. The avaarai is highly medicinal.
The flowers are used to get glowing face and skin. They are sun-dried,  packed and available in herbal stores and grocery stores.

In my garden, I sowed about 12 seeds during the summer season and irrigate them regularly. The saplings grew well.   Due to unavoidable circumstances, I was not able to take care of them.  Seven plants withered due to hot rays of the Sun. Three survived. Now I am maintaining these saplings.

I am waiting for its blooming time

HENNA BLOSSOM

Henna shrub is called as Mehandi in Hindi. Henna/Mehandi is the symbol of family auspicious occasions like Puberty, wedding, Bangle ceremony/valaikappu  The flowers of henna are seen in clusters. The blossom of the henna shrub is the most fragrant flowers in the world.

"Henna blossoms have been used in perfumes since 1500 BC. They were the Prophet Mohammed's favorite scent. Henna flower attars are called Gulhina Attar and are produced commercially in Uttar Pradesh, India."

                                                                                                                             source The Henna Page

Henna flowers have four sepals and a 2 mm calyx tube with 3 mm spread lobes. It's petals are obovate with white or red stamens found in pairs on the rim of the calyx tube. The ovary is four celled, 5 mm long and erect, Henna fruits are small brownish red capsules 4-8 mm in diameter with 32-49 seeds per fruit and open irregularly into four slits.

Family: Lythraceae

The Scientific name of the Henna shrub: Lawsonia Inermis.

                                                                                                                            source Wikipedia

Henna flowers are having an amazing remedy for insomnia. Siddha and Ayurvedha specialists assure that dried henna flowers and packed in sachets and kept beneath  the head or in bed. These undried henna flowers in sachet are inducing sound sleep. This is the natural method to avoid the sleeping pills and its side effects.

ROSES TODAY

PIRANDAI/CISSUS QUADRANGULARIS A MUST HAVE IN EVERY HOME GARDEN

       The amazing Pirandai is a perennial herb known popularly as ADAMANT CREEPER, DEVIL'S BACKBONE and VELDT GRAPE. This plant is a creeper from the grape family. Its binomial name is Cissus Quadrangularis.

Pirandai is enriched with Vitamin C and vitamin E. In 100 gm of pirandai, 327 mg vitamin C and 696 mg vitamin E are present. It is an antioxidant containing flavonoids and quercetin. This herb has been used in culinary and Siddha and Ayurvedic medicinal word since long times ago. Pirandai is widely used in the treatment of diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, bone fractures, malaria,  asthma, stomach disorders, menstrual pains, peptic ulcer, cancer, metabolic syndrome and heart-related risks.

Village folks of Tamilnadu know its value in treating sprains, stomach disorders, bad cholesterol, Diabetes, bleeding nose, respiratory issues and asthma, complications arising out of menstrual cramps and irregular periods are cured by the consumption of Pirandai chutney or thuvaiyal weekly twice.

In Ayurvedic and Siddha treatment, Pirandai root is washed, dried and powdered and consumption of this powder is advised to join fractured bones. While consuming, you can externally apply a paste of the powder mixed in hot water to speed up the joining of the fractures or to cure the crack of bones

Because of this amazing significance, this Pirandai is called as Herbal Bone Setter,

All parts of the plant is used in the medical field. Whereas in Culinary purpose, the first three segments of Pirandai, the most tender parts are used to make chutney, vadagam, pulikuzhambu etc.

The matured segments are very itchy to our hands and tongues. So they should be avoided. The leaves are also used to make chutneys.

My sister gave me few segments with roots to plant in my garden. I planted it in a pot and I am watering thrice a day.  It thrives well. Due to the rainy season now, it grows fast.

Now I can use this miraculous pirandai in my kitchen. I am making chutneys easily and getting its benefits by consuming once in a week. The chutney is so delicious and gives comfort to stomach and ease digestion.

Please refer http://www.kongutraditionalrecipes.com/2016/09/pirandai-thuvayal.html

                   http://www.kongutraditionalrecipes.com/2016/09/pirandai-puli-kuzhambu-             adamant creeper.html

                   http://www.kongutraditionalrecipes.com/2017/01/chola-idlies-and-pirandai-                                  chutney.html