Sundays are lazy excuses to get up late and have a late breakfast and so it was today. After the breakfast I went out to check my plants and as the mali (gardener) had cleared the shakarkand (sweet potato) bed yesterday, I was looking for the cracks in the ground. I spotted one and dug just with my fingers first. I do that kind of things and don't ever look at my nails :)
An excited yet careful digging for five minutes revealed these...
And just so that you can see how big they are, I had never seen them so big .... a few smaller and thinner ones were also found, held in the other hand....
This was the very first time I had planted a sweet potato and the vine had taken over the garden in no time . I used to keep it in bounds though and even used to trim them to make a very tasty saag and even with daal (like palak wali daal) ... the leaves are beautiful even for indoor flower or plant arrangements .
I know my Dad will be so happy to see this :)
These pink beauties were peeping at me and I jumped up to get my tools and the camera....
An excited yet careful digging for five minutes revealed these...
I know my Dad will be so happy to see this :)
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wow I love shakarkandi ! u r so lucky to have a garden of your own !
ReplyDeletesangita, nice to see u with ur sweet potato, that bird is called indian tree pie.called mahalat in hindi. They areusually seen in noisy pairs. They will also clear up any unwanted insects in ur garden
ReplyDeletesangita, pl put he picture of ur bird feeder and pl tell where u will get them
ReplyDeleteWow, tht's something.. Lucky you to have the space and enthu to nurture this lovely garden..
ReplyDeleteThanks everybody.
ReplyDelete@Ruchira, I love shakarkandi too and now i loved shakarkandi ka saag too.
@Nirupama...i am so glad to know the name of this bird and yes , it's always a couple who visits my trees and they look like romancing shyly :)
My bird feeder is very simple and i am looking for a nice one . I have just hung a bamboo basket for food and a steel bowl for water in the backyard and a coconut shell on my drumstick tree and a terracotta pot balanced on the lemon tree....i am planning to make a nice one at home....i will post the pictures of the existing ones but they are nothing fancy .
@Gauri ,The garden is in bad shape ( nothing lovely )due to my neglect but i am selfish enough to go there everyday to refresh myself ...nature is so generous...birds and squirrels are my new mates.
refreshing pics Sangeetha..We used to have a papaya tree in our house in pondy.
ReplyDeleteCatching this bird (Mahalat) was amazing!!
ReplyDeleteLucky you, you will be eating shakkarkandi straight from your garden!!
wow-u live in nature's bed ! lovely pics
ReplyDeleteYes IHM this mahalat couple comes daily once in the morning and once in the evening and a slight movement or noise makes they fly immediately ... this pic was the result of immense patience and some luck.
ReplyDeleteThanks Priya..... nature's bed it is..
Hey sangeeta, Lucky you, though I am not a great fan of shakarkandi, but anything that comes straight from ones own garden is just heavenly... and the birds.. oooh.. sangi you are living in heaven..:)
ReplyDeletethnak you rekha....
ReplyDeletei use shakarkandi in very unusual ways , in salads and stews so i have it suitable for my palate cuz it is so healthy ..... not many of us are aware that it is one of the super foods ..
the garden is sure a natural heaven , but i loathe the small apartment we are living in ...this open jungle garden being the only refuse.
Thank U for dropping by :).
ReplyDeleteMan!! U hv green fingers or what... I?? For life of me cant grow anything remotely green ..... sob sob sob :(
Yes Mahalat is what is seen in my neighborhood too! And here too they are seen as a couple.
ReplyDelete