Indian borage

Indian borage propagation has been successful ! I have 3 pots of them now.

The leaves have medical benefits. It has spicy taste. The leaves are juicy too!

Indian Borage

I must have forgotten all about this plant!

They were nowhere to be seen in the garden. Luckily I have one saved in the pot.! How negligence I have been......

It's so beneficial plant to have in the house. The leaves can combat cough and cold effectively!

Ocimum tenuiflorum @ purple tulasi

Dark thulasi or karun thulasi in tamil is favourite plant in Indian house. They are very important ingredient for ayurvedic medicine too.

I got this plant from stem cutting. It was just a try but it work out. The thulasi plant have grown so much from the initial stage. I plant to plant them in larger pot this week.

From WIkipedia:
Ocimum tenuiflorum, also known as Ocimum sanctum, holy basil, or tulasī, is an aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae which is native to the Indian Subcontinent and widespread as a cultivated plant throughout the Southeast Asian tropics. It is an erect, many branched subshrub, 30–60 cm tall with hairy stems and simple opposite green or purple leaves that are strongly scented. Leaves have petioles and are ovate, up to 5 cm long, usually slightly toothed. The flowers are purplish in elongate racemes in close whorls.

Betel leave

I was in nursery last month when my eyes set on the betel leave plant. Its' very common plant in Indian population. It's used as decoration leaves, consumed , ayurvedic ,etc.

Usually the leaves are used as decoration during engagement and wedding ceremony. The plant is perennial creeper which survive for long with minimum care. So it symbolically indicate the life long relationship between husband and wife.

I seldom see the plant nowadays. I use to see them in my home town. Planted in Indian houses.

Therefore I decide to buy and plant it in my garden. The leaves look shiny and in heart shape.

 Healing Power and Curative Properties ( from http://www.allayurveda.com) :

Betel leaf has been used from ancient times as an aromatic stimulant and anti-flatulent. It is useful in arresting secretion or bleeding and is an aphrodisiac. Its leaf is used in several common household remedies.

Aphrodisiac: Pan-supari, especially the pan, is prescribed by Ayurvedic physicians as an aphrodisiac. Betel leaf is considered aphrodisiac i.e. an agent which stimulates sexual desire. It is a common practice to offer masalapan to newly married couple before retiring to bed. It adds to love making and pleasures.

Scanty or Obstructed Urination :Betel leaf juice is credited with diuretic properties. Its juice, mixed with dilute milk and sweetened slightly, helps in easing urination.

Weakness of Nerves: Betel leaves are beneficial in the treatment of nervous pains, nervous exhaustion and debility. The juice of a few betel leaves, with a teaspoon of honey, will serve as a good tonic. A teaspoon of this can be taken twice a day.

Stomach Disorder: 

Taken betel morsel (pan supari) prepared with catechu, quick lime, betel nuts, cardamom etc. after meals cures digestive problems and eliminates flatulence (caution: do not add tobacco in this).
Fomenting the stomach (incase of children) with heated leaf of betel cures stomach ailments.
Boil 3 betel leaves with little black pepper in 250 GMS water and strain it. Taking 2 tsp. of this decoction twice a day cures indigestion
Headaches : The betel leaf has analgesic and cooling properties. It can be applied with beneficial results over the painful area to relieve intense headache.

Respiratory Disorders : Betel leaves are useful in pulmonary affection in childhood and old age. The leaves, soaked in mustard oil and warmed, may be applied to the chest to relieve cough and difficulty in breathing.

Constipation : In the case of constipation in children, a suppository made of the stalk of betel leaf dipped in castor oil can be introduced in the rectum. This instantly relieves constipation.

Sore Throat : Local application of the leaves is effective in treating sore throat. The crushed fruit or berry should be mixed with honey and taken to relieve irritating cough.

Inflammation: Applied locally, betel leaves are beneficial in the treatment of inflammation such as arthritis and orchitis, that is inflammation of the testes.

Wounds : Betel leaves can be used to heal wounds. The juice of a few leaves should be extracted and applied on the wound. Then a betel leaf should be wrapped over and bandaged. The wound will heal up with a single application within 2 days.

Boils : The herb is also an effective remedy for boils. A leaf is gently warmed till it gets softened, and is then coated with a layer of castor oil. The oiled leaf is spread over the inflamed part. This leaf has to be replaced, every few hours. After a few applications, the boil will rupture draining all the purulent matter. The application can be made at night and removed in the morning.

Lumbago: A hot poultice of the leaves or their juice mixed with some bland oil such as refined coconut oil can be applied to the loins with beneficial results in lumbago.

Problem of Breast Milk Secretion : The application of leaves smeared with oil is said to promote secretion of milk when applied on the breasts during lactation. 

Pegaga after shower!

Pegaga is growing steadily with good supply of rain! The leaves look green and fresh!

Indian prepare "தொவையல்" pronounced as  "Tovaiyal" with this Gotu Kola. Saute mustard seeds with oil. Add chillies if you want it to be spicy. Blend it with gotu kola leaves and some water. You can add mint or curry leaves too. Pour the blended solution in the frying pan and stir until it thicken. Ready to be served with rice! It's really yummy when mint and curry leaves are added. With all the added health benefit this is really a wonderful plant to have at home!

Have you tasted Gotu Kola before? how you cook them?

Pudina on new bed

Pudina was growing wild in my gardne 2 years back. Then sometimes goes wrong that all of them died off. I tried planting the again but it doesn't turn out well

Finally I plant them at new vegetable bed. I haven't done any cleaning so the weeds are growing together with the Pudina. It's time for weeding. Some nightshade is growing to in this bed.

I'm putting my finger cross! Hopefully this time they will be over flowing !

I use pudina in my "tovaiyal" which is Indian special food to be eaten with rice. Just add some spices and pudina and bled it together. Heat the blended pudina over the little fire and let the paste thicken. It's ready to be eaten with rice! It goes well with briyani!  How you eat your pudina?

Holy Basil

Holy Basil have special place in Hindu Homes! It's workship as holy plant.

Besides that it's very highly priced in Ayurvedic medication. I have few Holy basil plant or "Tulasi" in Tamil. They are easy to propagated through hard stem cutting or more easily by seeds! 

 

Close up on their leaves and young seeds! Just pluck and eat some of the leaves for health purposes. I have wrote about it before here

Or you can just pluck some of the leaves to make basil tea too! It's very refreshing !

Small jungle

Unintentionally I have make a bed of vegetable to look like small jungle. The bed consist of lime, tomatoes, pucuk manis and Indian borage. Many have grown so much especially the Indian borage and pucuk manis. The area looks so messy.

The time is the limitation in my little garden. As for now it's growing wild but I will try to trim down everything soon. Now I know why  I have a lot of lizards visiting the area. They might be thinking it's a small jungle to explore and find food.....

Propagation of Indian Borage

In my Mind today!

Indian Borage with self seed spinach

The stem cutting of Indian Borage. More leaves have been added. I have blogged about the goodness of the leaves before. Therefore i planted few of them around the house

Mint & Holiday wishes

Once I had a space full of mint. They were over flowing that i started to think of them as weeds. Somehow some kind of caterpillars started to infest them. It's strange for me since the mint taste is liked by caterpillars! Their leaves reduced and grass started to grow.  

Last weekend all the weeds was uprooted. Fertilizer was applied. Hope this will rejuvenate the mint!





close up of Mint



   

BTW, To all the Muslim "SELAMAT HARI RAYA" AND "HAPPY HOLIDAYS" to the rest. Hope all of you will have a lot of fun and safe journey back home!

Holy Basil

Tulasi or holy Basil have set enough seeds for me to collect! I haven't decide to sow the seeds or keep for future planting. I do use the leaves for medical purposes. I have post on the benefit before here

If everything goes well, i will have a row of them in my garden!

Pudina @ Mint

Mint is growing very well in my garden at the moment. Being an invasive plant, it had cover most of my Chilli and Curry leaf patch.

Holy Basil

I was searching for the holy basil plant or Tulasi quiet sometime. It's very easy to grow plant but i didn't manage to find the dry seeds.

Last month out of nowhere i saw this plant emerged from my butter daisy flower bed! I think the seeds might have flew from some nearby garden. This is really a free gift for me!

My mother us to make paste of holy basil mix with Indian Borage as a flu and cold remedy. I only know that this Holy Basil is used in above mother's remedy but from Internet i found many other remedy. I would like to share with others on my finding! 

The holy basil is a herbal remedy for a lot of common ailments.( I found in the Internet)

1. Healing Power:

The tulasi plant has many medicinal properties. The leaves are a nerve tonic and also sharpen memory.

2. Fever & Common Cold:

The leaves of basil are specific for many fevers. During the rainy season, when malaria and dengue fever are widely prevalent, tender leaves, boiled with tea, act as preventive against theses diseases. In case of acute fevers, a decoction of the leaves boiled with powdered cardamom in half a liter of water and mixed with sugar and milk brings down the temperature. The juice of tulsi leaves can be used to bring down fever. Extract of tulsi leaves in fresh water should be given every 2 to 3 hours. In between one can keep giving sips of cold water. In children, it is every effective in bringing down the temperature.

3. Coughs:

Tulsi is an important constituent of many Ayurvedic cough syrups and expectorants. It helps to mobilize mucus in bronchitis and asthma. Chewing tulsi leaves relieves cold and flu.

4. Sore Throat:

Water boiled with basil leaves can be taken as drink in case of sore throat.

5. Respiratory Disorder:

The herb is useful in the treatment of respiratory system disorder. A decoction of the leaves, with honey and ginger is an effective remedy for bronchitis, asthma, influenza, cough and cold. A decoction of the leaves, cloves and common salt also gives immediate relief in case of influenza. They should be boiled in half a liter of water till only half the water is left and add then taken.

6. Kidney Stone:

Basil has strengthening effect on the kidney. In case of renal stone the juice of basil leaves and honey, if taken regularly for 6 months it will expel them via the urinary tract.

7. Heart Disorder:

Basil has a beneficial effect in cardiac disease and the weakness resulting from them. It reduces the level of blood cholesterol.

8. Children's Ailments:

Common pediatric problems like cough cold, fever, diarrhea and vomiting respond favorably to the juice of basil leaves. If pustules of chicken pox delay their appearance, basil leaves taken with saffron will hasten them.

9. Stress:

Basil leaves are regarded as an 'adaptogen' or anti-stress agent. Recent studies have shown that the leaves afford significant protection against stress. Even healthy persons can chew 12 leaves of basil, twice a day, to prevent stress. It purifies blood and helps prevent several common elements.

10. Mouth Infections:

The leaves are quit effective for the ulcer and infections in the mouth. A few leaves chewed will cure these conditions.

11. Insect Bites:

The herb is a prophylactic or preventive and curative for insect stings or bites. A teaspoonful of the juice of the leaves is taken and is repeated after a few hours. Fresh juice must also be applied to the affected parts. A paste of fresh roots is also effective in case of bites of insects and leeches.

12. Skin Disorders:

Applied locally, basil juice is beneficial in the treatment of ringworm and other skin diseases. It has also been tried successfully by some naturopaths in the treatment of leucoderma.

13. Teeth Disorder:

The herb is useful in teeth disorders. Its leaves, dried in the sun and powdered, can be used for brushing teeth. It can also be mixed with mustered oil to make a paste and used as toothpaste. This is very good for maintaining dental health, counteracting bad breath and for massaging the gums. It is also useful in pyorrhea and other teeth disorders.

14. Headaches:

Basil makes a good medicine for headache. A decoction of the leaves can be given for this disorder. Pounded leaves mixed with sandalwood paste can also be applied on the forehead for getting relief from heat, headache, and for providing coolness in general.

15. Eye Disorders:

Basil juice is an effective remedy for sore eyes and night-blindness, which is generally caused by deficiency of vitamin A. Two drops of black basil juice are put into the eyes daily at bedtime.

  

Indian Borage

I have a small Indian Borage plant in my garden. I just planted it 2 months ago. My neighbour gave a small uprooted baby plant. At first it sheds most of the leaves. I thought it won't survive but after sometime it grows back!

I remember when i was young and down with flu / cough , my mother use crush the leaves and give the juice. It taste a bit spicy. But the outcome is very fast. It relief us from flu/cough very fast. Better than tablet medicine and does not cause sleepiness / drowsiness in us.  In fact now she use to add the leaves to children's soup together with holy basil. She told that this can protect kids from getting flu or cough!

Basil

My only Basil plant has started flowering! I hope to see more babies from the seeds!

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a famous house plant! It's Succulent, believed to be native to Africa. Well known for medical benefits. Some of them are:

1) Used to treat cut / burn

2) Used to treat constipation

3) Used to treat diabetes

4) Used to treat Arthritis

5) Used to treat Cough

6) Immune booster

6) In India it's called "kumari" ( Young girl) as it has anti ageing property

Ayurvedic and Siddha medicine uses this plant! No wonder it's called "Miracle plant"

closer look

It does flowering on a spike up to 90cm tall. Each flower pendulous have yellow tubular corolla! I never seen the flower before. Have any of you seen it?

Mint

Mint is very easy growing herb plant! I find it invasive too!

I planted it near the chili plant and i think it's taking over my Chili!

I should move it somewhere else this weekend!

in container

close look

Peppermint is the mint of choice for medicinal purposes. I founds some benefit of this herb:

1) The menthol in peppermint soothes the lining of the digestive tract an stimulates the production of bile,   which is an essential digestive fluid.
2) Peppermint is an excellent breath freshener.
3) Peppermint is reputed to have the calming, sedative effect.
4)Menthol vapors are famous for relieving nasal, sinus and chest congestion.