Shybi mohan's veggie garden .

Hey Peeps ! Today im bringing to you my friend "Shybi' Mohan's veggie garden tour."

Do you consider yourself in the list of super busy bee juggling 100 things & yet manage to take out those extra minutes each day/week for your passion or hobby .

Do you still make it happen to continue to live on your dreams while there are other never ending chores that needs your attention ?

Then let me hear from you ? Is there something special about you that can inspires others or others might find interesting ? Or you do something that needs more peoples attention ?

If so write to me .. @ simpleliving33@gmail.com & tell me your story!

Today I am bringing you something what my friend "Shybi" do ....NOT in her free time but something that she does amidst all those daily juggling that i previously mentioned about.

Gardening know how is not only self taught or by reading books but you can also learn from watching others ... everyone have their own secret tips & tricks that they have learnt over a period of time.

Space can really be issue,but not the end. The weather is next factor that can stop you from spreading your wings & you get that pinch when brutal cold weather gets real.

Let me introduce you to Shybi ,she have been living with her husband and kids in USA little over a decade. Ever since they have a fixed place and can call it as HOME , she have been gardening full fledged.

Gardening in mid west is short lived ,its a challenge ..you have roughly around 6 to 7 months in your hand -to thrive your garden ..ie. from the very beginning from starting your seeds if possible indoor or skipping the step to start indoor and get the store brought plants, soil , compost, watering , getting rid of various bugs that gets attracted throughout the season, and to the final step of harvesting & again clean up and making your garden ready for next year... phewww

And next year , restart from scratch , trust me its not an easy task. It really takes lots of passion to start from zero.

Over to Shybi in her own words;-

Hello to All !

The below are pictures are from my garden of this year -2017. And i can proudly say i did much better than last year. Each year its a journey , a journey to learn , do errors and learn from it and do better next year.

I love learning from others as well , talking to my friends and learning from their experience have been very fruitful for my skills. I would encourage others who share the same passion, to share with others your harvest, call friends over, see what they would like to guide or give some tips . Don't limit yourself by not sharing information with others.

lets get started :-

Bitter Gouard / Karela , this is one of my favorite veggie to grow , just because its easy to grow and super healthy . And being from kerala , you never go wrong with sauted bitter gouard...

They grow abundantly if you add proper manure and add as much organic compost as possible.

And save tons of seeds for next year, right when get matured on the plant itself ( the seeds turning red is when it gets matured ) . Let it be dry on the plant itself, so you can save them for next year .

For beginners who want to try Bitter gourd, you can save the matured seeds which is usually in red orangish in color which you may find at your local grocery store , or buy seeds where-ever it is available from or try amazon to get it online. Always go for organic seeds if available!

All you have to do is dig 2-3 inch of hole & sow the seeds , well you will have your plant in few weeks time.

Payar / Chinese Long beans :- This is yet another veggie that grow abundantly , all you need is regular compost and make sure its getting enough sunshine and water.

The crunchy beans sautéed in coconut oil tempering , its tastes so yummier with rice and curry .

They need proper support & trellis where they can hold on and grow.

Growing Creeper does need a proper set up to grow, me & husband tried our best to help them grow with proper support, as shown below. This is an very important step, otherwise half your harvest will be difficult to even reach.

Our job definitely comes to constant checking if they need a helping hand to get back to the support.

Beetroot / Beet ;- MY go to goal each year is to grow something which is super healthy & grows easily . last year I stumble upon another friends post & saw how easily beet root can be grown , and here it in my garden . The first feeling you get out of watching your plants grow and bless you with the harvest , is pure JOY!

Drumsticks - I am sure you are surprised to see my drumsticks plant grow in a pot. Wish we had the same weather as that of india, this guy would had been a tree as if now.

This is a perfect example for the people who think certain plants might not grow where they are at, trust me , if I can do it , so can you.

All you need a knowledge of soil quality , as there is one type of soil which is good to put it in your raised bed and outside . And another is potting soil, always ...always ...go with organic soil if possible.

Get rid of any chemical as much possible.

I take these pots outside in spring season , when the breeze is no more cold & warm enough to keep them out without harming them in any way. And stay until the very end of summer, they do very well in maximum direct sunlight . Doesn't need too much water .

Once they are inside , they don't grow much , but I am happy they survive .

Bhendi/ lady's Finger/ Okra;-

In recent times, Okra have been seen in various store across USA & not just in Indian /Asian stores.

People have been loving the taste of it and made used in making different curries and sautéed recipes. I am sure if you are an Indian , this has to be one of your favorites as well.

Okras , tomatoes, chillies - always grown in my garden.

The below photo doesn't do justice to what size it usually grows in my garden, as was taken at very early stage in spring .I am happy to say i do own a Green Thumb !

I love cooking and make use of all my veggies & love sharing with others as well.

Egg Plant / brinjal :- You might think this one might be little difficult to grow, but to your surprise they do so well, even in the beginning of fall season when the breeze was cool enough , they didnt stop from flowering .

Gardening is constant learning, the more you get involved the more you learn. Hopefully next year with gods grace, want to try newer kinds and varieties of veggies. Its never too late or early to start.

Luckily i also got friends who share the same passion, so we usually share the seeds among each other, so we are never falling short of anything in particular. Two is always better than one .

I always believe ,You can be a inspiration to someone else, not only with regards to gardening in particular.

Green Chillies:-

Because of my Indian roots,i always need that one Spice in my food, which adds up to any dish, What can be better than growing your green chillies. There are so many varieties in the market , that you can really get confused which one to buy. Here are two such Indian variety which has perfect level of spice we eat. Buy & grow what you really going to use , should be the goal.

With the below pictures you can tell you how many of them grow at the same time. I mean the quantity that grow is amazing. I try to grow in pots and in the ground and take maximum advantage of the limited offer weather.

Some Tips :- Wash and Grind the harvest into a smooth paste and save them for future use and not necessarily use them all at one go !

Its a very common practice to pickle or freezer your harvest , so you eat good food all year around & lessen store brought purchase.

Chillies have been my all time favorite , the only effort you do is of putting them in ground or pots and then forget about it , unless you want to harvest. so this is a must try friends !

The below is the second variety :-

Tomatoes :-

This is in my MUST GROW list , one or 2 plants will give you maximum tomatoes. I never go out of tomatoes. There are endless varieties that can be grown. Tomatoes surely need 5-6 Hrs of direct sunlight to grow without any disease or grow in its perfect size. Have to make sure you don't over water or fall short to water. Composting is definitely needed.

Below is the image of my CHERRY TOMATOES , taken again in spring , still green !

A little heads up to the beginners , one cherry tomato plant is enough to feed your complete neighborhood ..;) no jokes . They grow like crazy .so if you have a small space , one would suffice.

Cheera / Red Amarnath leaves:- Not easily found here but long ago i had my sister who have been generous enough to share me some seeds . And its been growing ever since as i grow on the ground & the seeds they fall off and grow next year.

Curry Leaves :- The best and most difficult one to grow. You can find Curry leaves online which range from 20-45 $ a plant ,its very expensive ! Mine have been growing since little over a decade . I keep it outside from spring -fall and take it back inside and let it grow in indirect sunlight. Growing inside your home where you have heater ON can be a challenge , as too much heat can damage any plant inside, so you have to keep a note of that & water only once a week.

Ajwain Plant / Carom Seeds plant :-

Medicinal properties & easy to grow. Have learnt from my friend who owns this blog, the pakoras of Ajwain plant leaf tastes very yummy . So that needs to be tried.

kovakkai / Coccinia Grandis

This is one of my favorite, it grow super fast & easy to grow . Great harvest from it & there are plenty of recipes online .

As a creeper they do need a strong support to spread in a proper way !

That's all about my little garden story for you. Thanks to Rekha for giving me this platform to share and inspire others who looking for inspiration !

Thanks everyone!