Diploclisia glaucescens (Vatoli)

Diploclisia glaucescens, commonly known as Vatoli is a large, woody climber. Leaves of the plant are almost round hence the name 'Vatoli, वाटोळी'; which means circular. Leaf stalks of this plant are longer than the leaf blades.

The climber flowers from March to April. Tiny yellow flowers are borne in clusters. Flowers mainly appear on the main trunk as well as on mature, woody branches. Fruits start appearing in monsoon. It belongs to Menispermaceae family. This climber is native to India. The climber has certain medicinal properties.

Basella alba. Mayalu/Malabar spinach.

Malabar spinach, Commonly known also as Mayalu, Poi, Pui, Poyi is a perennial vine with fleshy leaves. Leaves and tender stems are used as leafy vegetable. Leaves are also used for making fried pakodas (भजी). It has certain medicinal uses also. There is a green leaf variety and also a variety with purplish stems. The green variety is normally preferred because its leaves are more fleshy. Purple stem variety is a vine with very long stems and can be easily trained on a arch or on a trellis. Green one has more compact growth; but does grow like a climber.

Base

Basella alba Var. Rubra

This plant is easily propagated with stem cuttings or from seeds. Mature fruits are soft and have a single seed. The juice in the fruit has purplish-pink colour. Scientific name of the plant is Basella alba. The one with purple stems is Basella alba Var Rubra. Both belong to Basellaceae family. Common names in India are मायाळू, पुई, वाळी भाजी. It is native to India and Southeast Asia.

Fruit

Crushed fruit

Dischidia species

Dischidia vines have tiny and cute leaves. They are succulent plants. Though they have flowers, the flowers are not very showy. These plants are meant for their succulent, decorative and dense foliage. Though these plants are terrestrial, they can be easily grown as epiphytes. Dischidia bengalensis is native to India and can be seen in hilly areas of West Bengal and in North-East areas of India. In these places I had observed that these climbers start their growth as terrestrial plants but as they grow, they sever their dependence on soil and start growing as epiphytes only. They are very resistant to droughts and can survive without water for many days. Propagation is very easily done with stem cuttings.

Here I have images of some species of Dischidia, which I had collected for last few years.

Holostemma ada-kodien . Shidodi, Chirvel (शिदोडी, चिरवेल)

Holostemma ada-kodien is a climbing plant has become quite rare due to excessive collection for its medicinal uses from its natural growing habitats. Now it is declared as an endangered species.

It is a climber which grows on surrounding shrubs or any other support by twining. Very attractive flowers are borne in clusters. The flowers resemble flowers of Calotropis but are more colouful. The central crown of the flower is edible. Flowers are pleasantly scented. The fruit contains many seeds having floss at one end. The seed dispersal is by wind. It is a host plant for Common Tiger butterfly caterpillars.

This climber can be propagated with stem cuttings, root cuttings and also with seeds. Its scientific name is Holostemma ada-kodien (Syn: Holostemma annulare) and it belongs to Asclepiadaceae family.

Seed pod

Dillenia pentagyna (करमल, पिवळा करमळ, बन चलता)

Dillenia pentagyna is a medium size tree with very large but beautiful leaves. The tee is deciduous. Flowering season is March to May. Yellow flowers are scented. Ripe fruits are size of Rai awala (Phyllanthus acidus) and are sweet-sour in taste. Fruits contain a single seed. Seed dispersal is by animals, which eat the whole fruit. The undigested seeds are dispersed through these animals' droppings. This tree is native to India. It belongs to Dilleniaceae family. It is reported that parts of the tree are used for medicinal uses in Ayurved.

Upper left is Phyllanthus acidus

Dillenia pentagyna 

Acacia farnesiana. (Cassie Flower, Dev Babhul, देव बाभुळ)

Acacia farnesiana is a large and thorny but evergreen shrub which grows about 15' high. It is also known as Cassie Flower, Sweet Acacia, Huisache and Dev Babhul, It has highly scented flowers. It is very drought resistant. Though mass flowering is in winter, it blooms off and on all year round. Flowers are used to extract scents for cosmetic uses. Yellow globular flowers are borne in clusters.

The pods have a sharp prickle at it lower end. The pod has very tough skin. Seeds are deep brown in colour. It can be propagated with seeds. As the seeds have very hard skin, it is better to soak the seeds in warm water overnight, before sowing. It belongs to It belongs to Family Mimosaceae.

Memecylon umbellatum, Family: Melastomaceae. (Ironwood tree, अंजनी, आंजण)

This is a small size, evergreen tree. It is native to India. It is one of the most beautiful native trees. The leaves are very shiny and against light, they show off their dazzling golden edges; In fact this tree could be easily identified because of these golden edges of the leaves. Though it is a tree, by regular pruning, it can be maintained in any desired shape or size. It is a very drought resistant tree. It can be seen growing healthy even on edges of estuaries in Konkan, Eastern coasts of Maharashtra.

Golden edges of the leaves

http://gardentia.net/2014/05/02/anjani/

Ironwood tree, अंजनी, आंजणTiny flowers grow in bunches on main stems also and many other mature branches. Their colour is very attractive with purplish blue tinge. They have pleasant, mild spicy scent. Dense, blue carpet of flowers can be seen under flowering trees. Fruits are size of small Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana). The green fruits turn red and then purplish-black. on ripening. It is one plant which really deserves a prime place in gardens. Propagation with seeds. The parts of the plant are supposed to have medicinal properties.

Carpet of fallen flowers

Fruits

Trunkhttp://gardentia.net/2014/05/02/anjani/

Mulching potted plants

In balcony kitchen garden one can use kitchen waste- like bad leaves, leaf stalks, peels, tender stems etc for mulching. I have been doing this for years together. This not only is very beneficial for plants but helps one to reduce pollution to some extent. Only cooked food should be avoided for mulching; because it stinks as it decomposes. Cooked food can be used for making compost outside the house. As the mulch decomposes in pots, it provides the plants with nutrients. With this method soil in the pots remains friable and rich.

Extra kitchen waste, which cannot be accommodated in pots as mulch is kept in a mineral water bottle. The cap is removed and the bottom of the bottle is cut off. The cap side is kept suspended on pot surface in which a plant is growing. The bottle is supported on a grill or with a stick in the pot. Watering to the potted plant is done through the mineral water bottle only. This not only keeps the waste moist but also nutrients from the decomposing kitchen waste are automatically fed to the potted plants. When fully decomposed, the bottle could be emptied and the good compost from the bottle can be used for other plants.

Gustavia insignis, Family: Lecythidaceae

Gustavia insignis is a large, woody shrub with very attractive, Dracaena-like foliage. Flowers are very attractive. It belongs to the same family of Kailsahpati or Cannonball tree. However, it has no fragrance like Kailashpati.

Fruit

When grown in ground it really flourishes but also can be grown in large pots. It can bloom even in semi shade. Flowering time is summer and monsoon. The plant can be propagated with seeds and also from root cuttings.

Ferocactus hamatacanthus

This Ferocactus hamatacanthus bloomed in my house a few days ago. 
It was grown from seeds. 

23rd. March 2016 

The seeds are just sprouting. 

April 2014

At this stage the seedlings were transplanted in individual pots.

Feb. 2015