Now, I am not the only one growing

alright. here we go. sunday is fun day here in India and since its over 100 degrees outside I pick projects that keep me indoors, for now.  Since my water-wala (the man who delivers water to my house every week) has been MIA- plastic bottles have been accumulating under my sink.  Eager to use them for good rather than evil, I consulted some crafty folks and the endless projects listed on instructables.  So today, I launched an Indian Garden on my porch.

Last week, I saved all the orange seeds I could get my hands on ( who doesnt love a refreshing orange?). I dried and husked them and threw them into water. The ones that sank made it to the next round (the floaters are dead weight).  Yesterday on my way home from work i stopped at a shop I have been eyeing for some time called Divine Earth to pick up soil and ended up buying some coriander and tomato seeds for good measure.
I should have enough patience to let the seeds sprout in a paper towel, but I dont. I want my garden and I want it now!

I cut the tops off with my crafting (!!!) scissors and washed the bottles out with some soapy water.  To prevent nasty cuts on my hands, I was sure to give the bottles an even edge.  My roommate, Karuna, (have I told you about her yet? She is crashing on the couch for a 6 weeks while she is trained to be a Community Radio Trainer) watched me with amusement as I snapped photos of the process.

Flip the bottles over and poke 4-5 holes for draining.

dirt. I poked the dirt with my finger. then i put a seed in each hole and covered with more dirt.



aren't I creative?

I moved my 13 plants outside and watered them with the remaining purified water.

On the right side of this picture you can see my Tulsi (a variety of Basil)  plant. Its a holy plant that has magical healing powers and deep roots in Hinduism. It only gets watered with purified water and when Ba comes to clean she takes a moment to pray near the plant.

so there you have it. the garden is set and ready to go. now i have to figure out how to make a balcony garden grow in india. stay tuned!