Composting

It amazes me to see how perfectly Nature recycles everything. Anything found in Nature, gets assimilated back into the Earth completely once its life cycle is over. It is only the man made stuff that clutters our earth like plastics, glass, rubber etc. And we realise how true that is when we compost. All the nutrients tied up in organic waste are converted back into a rich compost which can be used to grow new plants, to renew life. A huge pile of garbage gets converted into a small pile of rich compost but a tiny piece of plastic remains untouched even after months!

I started composting about a year ago in a big plastic drum that I had at home. I started putting in all my kitchen scraps, old newspapers (after wetting and tearing them up), dried leaves, tea bags and egg shells sometimes. Once in a while I would stir and shake it up. It is amazing to see how all the waste just keeps getting reduced into a small pile of compost.

I am looking forward to seeing the effects of this compost on my plants. I have combined the compost with cow manure, sand and soil to make the potting mix. 

The flower pots are ready and waiting.

While we wait for the winter flowers....

It seems I go into hibernation in summers. The Delhi heat wilts every plant and the lawn burns. So I just give up trying. But the weather is turning now and the prospect of the coming winters is exciting! There are very few flowers around currently but that should change once winters are here.
These Dianthus are have reseeded in last years pots. Dianthus are also called Carnations and Pinks. Its common name comes not from the pink color of its flowers but from the jagged edge of the flower petals which look as though they have been cut with a pinking shear. It is thought that the color pink may be named after the flower- the verb pink dates from the 14th century and means "to decorate with a perforated or punched pattern".

These shaded pink and white Portulacas are one of my favorites.

                                 

When I was growing up I remember seeing the Rosy Periwinkle (below) everywhere. But now there are so many bright and beautiful varieties.                                                                                                               

 

White Carnations on my balcony.

 Hibiscus in my garden.