Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Backyard gardens back home!
When I was growing up in India most homes had gardens in the front or the back yard. The trees commonly found were coconut, papaya, drumstick, mango, occasionally a lemon tree and of course the requisite curry leaf tree.
Most small towns like where my parents lived did not have very many apartment buildings. Row houses - yes but not apartment buildings. So it was a given that any small space had a garden.
Every time I go back home I find more and more of these homes being razed and apartments being built which means these small backyard gardens are also fast disappearing.
Luckily while a lot of houses around DH's parents' house are being converted to apartment building theirs still stands and the garden though not very big but still attractive and the few fruit trees there producing fruit. DD2 loves pomegranates and her grandmother's garden kept a steady supply.
Bright and beautiful pomegranate flowers!
Pomegranate Clusters
Banana Plants, So familiar but now so far away. Every part of this plant is used in some way or another.
Papaya trees! I am more fond of the tree than the fruits. There was a time when no one would pay to buy these fruits but now they are sought after and people pay good money for them.
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Wow, thanks for sharing such lovely memories, same here...i miss the small garden, like any other loving member of the family. i thought each plant had a personality..keep writing
ReplyDeleteYou are Welcome! Absolutely! I feel the same way too about plants in my garden.
DeleteWe had a huge garden well more than a garden as mom had some 40 coconut trees and like you mentioned we had the most common plants like papaya, drumstick banana etc... now when my and my eldest sis talks as she loves gardening she will be telling how come we never had that much vegiies in the garden. I remember some year we had long beans or once few ladies finger etc....and now i go back to kerala i see were i lived apartments are popping up too.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true. I am not sure why they don't grow veggies. Maybe it is a lot more work than growing fruit trees since the vegetables have to be replanted every year.
DeleteI miss my grandma's backyard, with more than 50coconut trees,20 banana trees and many more vegetables and fruits, i love to walk through her backyard.. Seriously am missing it badly..But i dont have green hands.Makes me nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteOh, I LOVE this post of yours ISG!! Every photo is beautiful and the idea of your own banana tree, drumsticks, curry leaves... pomegranate! My mind can't wrap itself around that. Happy that the kids can see a home garden still flourishing :)
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