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Thursday, 24 February 2022

serenity

Yesterday we woke to a beautiful serene sight, unlike today. The teeny tiny barely buds from my earlier post had one bloom! Partially hidden, camera-shy!

But I outwitted this shy lemon bloom and captured it from the front! It has been wonderful watching the plants grow every day.

And this is how much the ajwain plant and leaves have grown. From a small cluster with teeny tiny leaves, in the center of a large pot, they are literally exploding outward and upward.

Besides the visual and aromatic delight, these leaves are supposed to be edible with health benefits. 
I had tried pakoras dipping the entire leaf in batter and deep-frying of whole leaves, but the distinct aroma disappeared. Umm, I prefer spinach.
Next they were julienned and used as garnish on alfredo pasta. Umm, we prefer fresh mint leaves.

So, what to do with this burst of leaves? For now, I've decided to wait and see if they give off flowers/inflorescence and enjoy the calming serene scents.

UPDATE (25th Feb 2022) -
I simply Had to share this sight. 
3 more lemon flower blooms and the change in stamen colour of the first bloom.
And I forgot to mention earlier that surprisingly, the flowers are not fragrant.... considering they are white and from a strongly aromatic plant.
And this is the curry plant (Murraya koenigi) with springtime inflorescence beginning to emerge. There are 5 or 6 such at present. Curry leaves are super aromatic, too, and really spruce up any South Indian dish! And I learned how to manage this plant after a few years of trial and error.

Now we have to wait and see how pollination takes place. When the balcony was open, beautiful butterflies would flit in and out. Remember this caterpillar? - https://tipsaroundthehome.blogspot.com/2018/04/who-when-where.html

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17 comments:

  1. Lavinia25 February 2022 at 01:48

    The flower is so pretty! That is the lemon plant, right? About the edible plant, any fresh plants that are cooked lose some of their flavour. So you could try using them fresh or maybe drying them. It also depends on the aroma... In any case, you can enjoy the fragrance of the plant overall :)

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    1. muskaan25 February 2022 at 11:45

      Oops, yes Lavi, it is the lemon bloom and I have now added a new pic with more blooms! Good point about using them for cooking.
      Curry leaves are one of those leaves that keep their aroma even when used in tempering.
      💚💚💚

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  2. Jane McLellan25 February 2022 at 15:49

    Oh goodness, will they be pollinated if the butterflies and other insects can't reach them? We had a curry bush in the garden, but it was so difficult to keep under control that Jack eventually removed it, and all its little babies!

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    1. muskaan25 February 2022 at 19:21

      Jane, I haven't checked to see if these self-pollinate. Time will tell, since fruit is not our objective. 💚💚💚
      My curry plant (and others, too) is always in a pot, hence no propagation. However, due to less sunlight, my potted plants tend to have long internodes. I discovered that instead of sitting single leaves or twigs,if I prune the branch back to an 'active' node, the plant curbs it's height, and spreads out nicely.
      Have you used curry leaves in any dish?

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    2. muskaan25 February 2022 at 19:27

      Jane, I used to throw the ripe curry fruit out into the open soil hoping they either take root or become food for birds

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    3. Jane McLellan25 February 2022 at 23:28

      I did use the curry leaves in cooking. But not enough to warrant having the whole garden covered in curry bushes!

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    4. muskaan26 February 2022 at 18:39

      Obviously not, Jane 🤪😃🌿

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  3. Anonymous25 February 2022 at 21:40

    Gorgeous plants and flowers! I'm afraid I have the opposite of a 'green' thumb. I seem to be deadly for plants. Sometimes even my silk flowers fall apart when I try to arrange them.
    StephanieW

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    1. muskaan26 February 2022 at 18:40

      You made me laugh out loud, Steph 😁😆🌿🌿🌿

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  4. God's Kid25 February 2022 at 23:11

    Great plants!! :)

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    1. muskaan26 February 2022 at 18:41

      They are definitely a soothing sight, Sue 🌿💚🌿💚🌿

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  5. Anetta (Jamiolowo)27 February 2022 at 23:00

    Great plants! I've never seen a curry plant...

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    1. muskaan28 February 2022 at 18:51

      Anetta, curry leaves are so prevalent and widely used especially in the southern half of our country, that almost every garden has a plant and vegetable vendors also throw in a few sprigs for free 😁😍 They are high in Calcium, and have a great aroma - whether cooked or not.🌿💚🌿

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  6. Margarets designer cards5 March 2022 at 17:36

    To make sure they are pollinate ed take a very small brush, (make up brush) and just brush the middle of the flowers, I hope you get some lemons

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    1. muskaan7 March 2022 at 23:53

      Thanks, Margaret 💖💖💖 Waiting for new flowers - there are so many 'branches' that now have buds in various stages. Will certainly try to brush the pollen into the stigma. And then let's see ....

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    2. muskaan13 March 2022 at 18:38

      Margaret, the lemon tree is laden with buds and flowers - such a beautiful sight! Yesterday I did what you suggested. I was surprised to see ants on some of the open flowers. So, I guess they must be performing the role of pollinators (hopefully) 🌿💞🌿

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  7. Endra Putra Raharja26 April 2022 at 08:03

    Wow great plants.. Thank you for nice information

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