108kg potatoes were dug out of  from our winter beds ...

Update for February 2015 Organic Jadan Gardens

This month the sabji weighed in at 291kg and we finished our winter supply of spinach and lettuce (55kg) on the last 2 days of the month, leaving us with only garlic to harvest in late March, and some Swiss chard which should last until mid-April. The chillies were cut back, as were the eggplant bushes; and in fact many trees and shrubs, including the rose bushes in the workshop area, were pruned this month, as February is one of those months in Rajasthan when one can prune. By the end of the month, dried and yellow neem leaves were carpeting pathways and channels and so we were happy that many of the neem trees in our residential areas had been well pruned this month.

On the 14th, a group of karma yogis, as well as my Indian helpers, dug out 108kg of potatoes from our winter beds and 20kg of these are fit for seed, to be kept aside for next November. We had a very hot spell mid-month that went on for 10 days, during which time we prepared all of our summer vegetable beds in the workshop area and Shiv Bagh; and planting started around 11am on Monday the 23rd (after pooja) and finished on Friday the 27th. We put in the usual hot season varieties such as bhindi, tarkakdi, phoot kakdi, kheera kakdi, kharbooja and summer squash, as well as tindi and lauki, toru and chandaliya, and some varieties of flowers to be raised in beds and then transplanted out. We even put in some chillies and coriander to see if they function at this time of year – our kitchen workers seem to think that they will.

During the hot winds and unseasonably scorching weather of this month, the aphids died and our tomato plants showed signs of ripening fruit. On the 21st we had another karma yogi action to construct a 40m fence using some of the neem stumps and branches that were pruned this month in the big garden. This fence is part of the preparation for the monsoon kheti, as well as offering protection for our irrigation pipes, which are sometimes damaged from the horses that graze in the area.

As I write this on the evening of the 27th I am in some hope that this weekend the rain will come because it is forecast. It would surely be perfect timing since all our seeds are in and it would give us some respite from irrigation duties.

The workshop area had a complete makeover this month and was converted from sprinkler irrigation to flood irrigation, which is partly because we have planted a lot of our summer vegetables there and partly because during the hot months the sprinklers are less effective in keeping the area soaked. As a result of the heat and perhaps due to some shade being removed from the area, this month our papayas finally began to ripen, and to date we have harvested about 10kg of delicious red, sweet and juicy fruit, and there is at least another 100kg of fruit on the trees.

The sunflowers in the Shiv Bagh are more than 10 feet tall now and some snapped or were blown down by strong westerley winds. Each plant has at least 30 flowers on it and they are truly a stunning variety. In fact, everything has started to bloom fully this month and it is surely a sign that spring is here in spite of signs earlier that we had skipped spring altogether and started summer!

The organic store is ready to welcome you all in March with freshly dried rose petals, mint and curry leaves, as well as hibiscus flowers for a healthy iron-rich infusion; and many health tonics such as tulsi and ayurvedic remedies such as brahmi and ashwagandha, shataavari and triphala churna. There is organic amla, and ginger candy, and many many other items. We shall be open daily after lunch for two hours.

See you soon and safe journey.

Love from Jadan Gardens
Puspa Devi February 27th 2015