Hello Everyone - This is MG | New Gardeners | GEEKGARDENER

Hi,

I am MG or Mgardener.

I am probably one of the newest one to hit GG's blogging site and rally impressed with what he's been sharing with everyone of us. I am really inspired to grow some vegetables now though, I don't have as much space at my disposal as what GG has.

I have had lot of flowering plants such as roses, hibiscus, lilly bulbs etc. Recently, in Aug. 2010 Lalbaug Flower Show, I purchased some Gerbera bulbs (pseudo bulbs, I guess). One of them has bloomed into a solitaire that's awesomely elegant orange one which we routinely see at the florists. Really excited at it's site. But overall, my success with Gerberas is average with probably 30% survival rate.

I ahve a large lilly that has now spread into 4-5 bulbs over last 5 years. Out of these five years, it has been pleasant surprise all over. The bulb we bought in Aug. 2005, painfully grew for nearly two years before throwing up a flower spike in the summer of 2007. Since then it has been a routine every year and now together all the bulbs throw 3-4 spikes every summer. Every spike with typically 4 flowers that are the size of an average palm and is blood red. For a bulb bought at 15 rs probably way back 5 years, this extremely low maintenance plant surprises me every summer. Wonder how in a pot in a balcony that's probably shaded part of the day throughout the year, how does this one know that the summer has arrived!!!! Same is true with the jasmine. Happily grows through the year to throw blossoms 2-3 times every summer.

Every time though we're out of town, the plants emote distinct signs of distress. It's really sad to see how they struggle for a couple of months after every such a break or vacation. And then consistent loss of number through the years due to such shocks, dispairing sometimes. Monkeys compounded this grief. Thankfully, they are now away from our complex.

These shocks is what is prompting me to chase an automated drip system. Probably after this Divali, I will be able to build it per GG's guidelines, for whatever remains when we return back to Bangalore.

MG