Walnuts -description and its benefits

Description:

Walnuts are the fruits of walnuts tree, and it is same as the other nuts like Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts and pistachios. Walnuts are commonly known as Akhrot in bengali. The rounded fruit and seed of walnut are enclosed in a thick, inedible husk. The removal of the husk reveals the wrinkly walnut shell. The shell of the fruit that encloses the kernel is hard and two halves separated by a partition. Walnuts have a delicious taste and crunchy texture, though they have a slightly bitter taste. Walnuts are two types - the Persian Walnuts and the Black Walnuts. All types of walnuts are good for our skin and health as it contains certain quantity of carbohydrate, protein, fat vitamin and minerals.

Health Benefits:

1. Walnuts contains high level of omega 3 fatty acid which is very helpful to reduce bad cholesterol and encourage new production of good cholesterol. Thus it is very good for heart health. 

2. It is very helpful to build immunity system as huge amount of antioxidant present in it. 

3. The certain quantity of omega 3 improves brain health.

4. It also reduces the risk of breast cancer.The polyphenols in walnuts may reduce your risk of certain cancers, including breast, prostate and colorectal cancers.

5. Eating walnuts may help support sperm health and male fertility.

6. Walnuts contains minerals like manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, selenium which improves metabolic activities.

7. The vitamin E present in walnut helps in maintaining and protecting the skin from free radicals.

8. Walnuts may also use for maintain healthy digestive system.

9. And it is good for weight loos in everyday diet.

Palmyra With it's Health Benefits

Description:


Palmyra palm is a kind of very tall tree, can reach a height of 30 meter. The leaves are long, fan shaped, 2-3 m long. The fruits are large, brown, round with three sweet jelly seed sockets inside which are translucent, pale white in colour with a mild sweet flavour. And the seeds covered by a thin, yellowish-brown skin. Palmyra or Sugar palm or Toddy palm is a rich source of vitamins B and C, iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, thiamine, and riboflavin.



Health Benefits:

1. It contains minerals such as Potassium, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus and Zinc.

2. As the fruit is full of vitamins, helps on diet and from diabetes.

3. Sugar palm fruit is also beneficial in treating inflammatory skin problems.

4. The pulp of the mature fruit is very helpful to Dermatitis.

5. Palm fruit has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

6. It also replenishes the lost minerals and nutrients of the body and prevents painful urination and tiredness.

9. And it is very useful to cure stomach problems.

10. For treating ulcers and liver problems Palmyra is a good choice.

Saccharum spontaneum/Wild sugarcane/Kans grass

Description:

It is a perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, often with aggressive rhizomes. It grows in tropical and sub-tropical areas. The swamps, saline swamps, river banks, deserts, jungles, and the low slopes of the Himalayas are the best place for kans grass. It produces narrow, flat leaves and stems which are culm and erect. The flower occurs in the season of Autumn or mainly after rain. Kans flower disposes in large, silky-white, much and densely branched panicles, with spreading fragile branches and spikes. Its caryopses are dispersed by wind.


Use and Benefits:

1. It has been used in the breeding of sugarcane, as it provides vigour, hardiness and resistance to many major diseases.

2. Plants are used for hedging or screening, thus it contains ornamental values.

3. It is also used for decoration, thatching, making ropes and as fodder.

4. It controls and prevents soil erosion by its extensive rhizome roots which makes it a very efficient binder of soils.

5. In form it is highly variable.

6. It may helps in kidney's problem and blood impurity.

7. It may also be use for good fodder for goats and camels.

8. The white flower against the green, gives pleasant to our eyes and therefore it also a happy reminder of the festive season.

Indian Mallow: Description & Uses

                                  

Description:


Indian Mallow is the medium sized perennial shrub which is used as a medicinal properties. The plant is called petari, Jhapi in bengali. The plant is covered with hairs and mature plant can reach upto 2 meters. Leaves are alternate, acute heart shaped and green in colour. Flowers are yellow in colour and have 5 petals. The fruits are circular in shape and have 15-20 hairy carpels and green in colour. The seeds are kidney shaped blackish brown in colour. This is very easily grown in India.

Common Name: Indian Mallow
Botanical Name:Abutilon indicum
Family:Malvaceae
Life Cycle: Perennial
Plant Height: 2 meter
Foliage Colour: Green
Flower Colour: Yellow
Temperature: 20-25 degree c
Light Requirements: Full sun/ Part sun
Soil Type: Well drained
Advantages: Easy to grow


Benefits and Uses:


1. The plant is used in traditional medicine for inflammation, piles and gonorrhea treatment and as an immune stimulant.

2. The essential qualities of the leaves used to prevent constipation and purify the blood.

3. The flowers are used to increase semen in men.

4. Indian mallow contains antibacterial properties which is very helpful to any kind of wounds.

5. The leaf of the plant is very useful to gum bleeding and toothache problems.

6. And the whole plant is used in gout, tuberculosis, ulcers, bleeding disorders, digestive, laxative and so on.

7. Root and bark are of the plant used as aphrodisiac, anti diabetic, nervine tonic, and diuretic.

8. Seeds are used in urinary disorders, piles and in the treatment of cough.

Wild Asparagus/ Shatawari: Description, Planting Information and Uses

                     Wild Asparagus/ Shatawari

Asparagus is called Shatawari in India. This is also known as wild asparagus. This a perennial shrub generally used in Indian dishes to increasing taste and flavour. Leaves are 6-32 mm long and 1mm broad. The plants are both male and female. The male plants do not produce flower and fruits.The flowers are bell shaped, greenish white to yellowish in colour. The fruit is red berry 6-10 mm broad, which is poisonous to humans. Asparagus can live for 20 or more years and can reach upto height 100–150 cm.

Common Name: Asparagus, Shatavari
Botanical Name: Asparagus officinalis
Family: Asparagaceae
Life Cycle: Perennial
Plant Height: 2-3 ft
Foliage Colour: Green
Flower Colour: White
Temperature: 20-30 degree c
Soil pH : Alkaline soil(7-8)
Light Requirements: Well drained
Soil Type: Well drained
Advantages: Easy to grow

Planting

Asparagus can be grown from seeds. But maximum, roots are used for planting.
The plant likes rich, well-drained, non-acidic soil.
Remove other existing plants from the planting area, including roots.
Now loose the soil to a depth of 6 or 8 inches over the entire planting area with a tiller or digging fork.
Spread 2 to 3 inches of compost over the planting area and mix it into the soil.
If the soil is acidic, add sufficient lime to bring the pH up to 7 and mix it into the planting area.
Asparagus roots should be at least 2 feet apart, allowing two rows to fit in a 4 foot wide bed.
Now add three cups of all-purpose organic vegetable fertilizer into the soil/compost mixture. To give the asparagus an extra boost, add a cup or two of green sand (the fertilizer high in potassium) to the digging soil.


Health Benefits:

1. Asparagus is good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium , zinc, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese, selenium, chromium, dietary fiber, and protein.
2. It is a treatment of joint pain.
3. It is a good source of vitamin E and thus helps to maintain hormone imbalances in women and men.
4. It also increase sex desire by stimulate the sex hormone.
5. Another important thing is Asparagus removes dryness in the lungs and throat, constipation, nerve pain ,skin treatment, AIDS, cancer, and diseases caused by parasites.
6. It contains vitamin B6 and folate, which can help boost feelings of arousal.
7. It is used for preventing stones in the kidney and bladder and or anemia.

Bay Leaf Plant:Description, Planting information & Health Benefits

                                    Bay Leaf Plant
Bay Leaf is called tejpata in Bengali the aromatic leaves is useful ingredients in cooking. The fresh leaves are used in cooking for the fragrance. The dried leaves are generally used in soup, curry and many other dishes in India. The plant is the evergreen shrub and mature plant can reach at the height of 40 to 50 ft. The leaves are elliptical in shape and 2.5 to 5 cm in length and 1.5 to 2.5 cm in width. The flowers are creamy white which produces black berries in summer in India.

Common Name : Bay leaf or sweet bay leaf
Botanical Name : Laurus nobiliseh
Family : Lauraceae
Life Cycle : Perennial
Plant Height : 40-50 ft
Foliage Colour : Green
Flower Colour : Creamy white

Temperature: 16-35 degree c

Soil : Well drained soil

Light requirement : Full sun to par

Advantage : Easy to grow

 Planting

The bay leaf plant grows well in full sun light shade. This can grow also in over wintered country as indoor plants. The best flavor results in the full sun. The bay plant tolerant all kinds of soil with well drainage system. The bay leaf plant can be planted in the container, pot as well as the ground.
Water it regularly. Do not over water to the newly transplanted bay leaf tree. Do not plant it in wet soil. Once the top growth of the plant comes out then water it deeply. So the roots will be strong. The soil should be let to dry between the watering.

Health benefits:

1. The bay leaf contains vitamins of A,C, magnesium, calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron.
2. This improves digestive health, respiratory conditions, hair health, anti-inflammatory activity, heart health.
3. This also reduces anxiety and stress.
4. It helps also diabetes management and prevents cancer.
5. Bay leaves have been used in entomology as the active ingredient in killing jars.
6. Bay leaves may helps to promote healthy hairs by removing the problems of dandruff and hair loos. 
7. And as we know it has been used to make dishes more aromatic and delicious around the world. 
8. It is also very useful to menstrual problems and cancer and such others.

Lady's Slipper Orchid: Description and Planting Tips

                           Lady's slipper orchid
This is the state flower of Andhra Pradesh, Meghalaya and Jharkhand. It has diameter up to ten centimetres and it has a pleasant fragrance.The flower attracts many kinds of insects, flies and butterfies. The plant has only two leaves.The flower stalk grows from the center from where the leaves branch out. The flower looks like a lady's slipper. It blooms in colour of white, yellow, deep pink and purple.There are lots of varieties of lady's slipper. Most common is Pink Lady's slipper. It has pink flower with the height of 3" long and has a sweet smell. Another common slipper is Yellow lady slipper. This s the large slipper which grows upto 2 ft with the flower petals upto 6 inches across.Showy lady’s slipper is another large slipper grows upto 1-2 ft. White lady’s slipper is the small reaches anywhere from 6 to 12 inches in height.

Common Name:Lady's Slipper Orchid
Botanical Name:Cypripedioideae
Family:Orchidaceae
Life Cycle:Perennial
Plant Height:2 ft
Foliage Colour:Green
Flower Colour: Pink, Yellow, White, Purple
Light Requirements:Partial sun
Soil Type:Mineral soil/ crumbly soil
Advantages:Attract bees and butterfly

Planting Tips:

The Lady slipper Orchd grows well in damp woods and natural light.
For planting, prepare the soil with 1 part of perlite, 1 part of charcoal, 3 parts of coarse sand and 3 parts peat.Mix them well with a little water until the soil is moist but not wet.
In case of rock garden dig a large hole as the root ball easily can put in it. For container plants, choose a pot where the roots can accommodate for 2 years. The pot should have holes and drainage system in the bottom and sides.
Fill the hole or pot with the potting mixture to support the orchid’s base.
Plant or place the Slipper orchid in partial shade. As the consistent sunlight should reach it.
Water it to keep the soil moist. For container plants, let the water run out to the bottom of the container.
Fertilize the Showy Lady’s Slipper orchid with the fertilizer with organic ingredients, such as fish emulsion. Apply it every alternative week. At the beginning apply it direct on the soil but do not do this again. In any case do not over fertilize.

Marble Ball Dahlia: Description & Growing Dahlia

                              Marble Ball Dahlia
Marbled purple and white ball like lollipop shaped a great variegated flower.This is the big flower in a vase or floating in a shallow bowl makes the perfect eye-catcher. Double-flowering Ball Dahlia that delights with petals of white and purple make the perfect choice for the winter season in India. Its multicolored blooms can create a freshness in the garden of winter. These plants have been hybridized into various heights.They can reach near about 28-31" tall.

Common Name:Marble Ball Dahlia

Botanical Name:Ball Dahlia Marble Ball

Family:Asteraceae

Life Cycle:Seasonal(in India),Perennial (in winter country)

Plant Height:28-32" tall

Foliage Colour:Green

Flower Colour:Purple

Light Requirements:Full Sun

Soil Type:Sandy Soil, Loamy Soil, Acidic Soil

Advantages:Attract Butterflies, Attract Hummingbirds, Easy to Grow, Cut Flowers, Containers


Growing Dahlias:

Dahlias are mostly winter country's flower. In India it grows mainly in winter. In Winter country planting should do after spring frosts in good garden soil with full sun.

Select a site with full sun. Dahlias grow well with 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight. They love the morning sunlight best. The location should be protected from wind.

Dahlias like rich, well-drained soil. The pH level of the soil should be 6.5-7.0, slightly acidic.If the soil is heavy, add sand, peat moss or old manure to lighten and loosen the soil texture for better drainage.

Dahlias should be planted 9 to 12 inches apart. The smaller flowering types, which are usually about 3 feet tall, should be spaced 2 feet apart. The taller, larger-flowered dahlias should be spaced 3 feet apart. This is best to planting about 1 ft apart.

The planting hole should be slightly larger than the root ball of the plant and give some compost or peat moss into the soil. It also helps to mix a handful of bone meal into the planting hole.


For the tuber plant dig a hole that’s about 6 to 8 inches deep. Put the tubers into it, with the growing points, and cover with 2 to 3 inches of soil . As the stem sprouts, fill in with soil until it is at ground level.

It is required support for tall, large-flowered cultivars. Place stakes (five to six feet tall) around plants at planting time and tie stems to them as the plants grow.

Medium to dwarf-size dahlias will do well in containers.

After planting of 8 weeks dahlias will start blooming.

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