Kathmandu:

The Dutch believe that a home without flowers is a dreary place. But we can’t always have cut flowers in our homes (unless of course we are free to do that every day). But you can always keep an indoor potted plant — flowering or non-flowering and do away with that dreary tag as looking after it is quite easy and simple.

Correct base

For a healthy plant it is necessary to have a good soil base. Take two parts mud, two parts chhai (husk) and one part sand, sieve these separately, and then mix them together. The softer the end product, the better it is for the plant. If you want to, you can add one part manure to it.

Put a stone over the opening at the base of the pot you are using, so that water can drain and to help the roots grow.

Go for bulbs

It is advised that instead of buying a full grown plant, it is better to buy seeds or bulbs. You get to take care of it personally and in the process learn the art of growing plants as well.

Taking care

• It is necessary to keep the plant in direct sunlight for one or two hours once a week.

• You should water the plant once a week or fortnight depending on the plant. How do you know if it needs watering? When you touch the mud, if it feels cool, it is fine; but if it feels hot or dry, it needs water.

• You need to put in organic manure every one or two months.

• If the leaves are infected, use a pesticide in very small amounts to clean the leaves. Use this only with a gap of two-three months. It is better to consult the shopkeeper while buying the pesticides which are available at Bhadrakali and Langankhel chowk.

(Information given by Shiva Shankar Bhandari of Bodhi Brikchya Nursery Pvt Ltd, Blue Bird Complex, Tripureshwor)