Gooseberry

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I had bought a (stick of) gooseberry plant in Poundland just after moving to the new house, even before we had started work on the garden. I had bought it because it was there to buy and I had been surprised that Nallikayi grew in England. The plant has been growing steadily for two and a half years now and this year finally it showed some signs of giving fruits.



Only after I put the first nallikayi in my mouth and took a bite did I realise that it was not the Nallikayi I knew at all. This has a number of small fine back seeds as against the single hard seed of Nallikayi. After some reference on the net I have concluded that this was the original gooseberry but since our Nallikayi has the same outer appearance, the English must have called it the Indian gooseberry and we have assumed that Nallikayi is Gooseberry. They infact belong to two different families.(ours is of Euphorbiaceae and this belongs to 'Grossulariaceae'. Never heard of it before) Call it what you will, but i have harvested about 800grams of it this year. I have made three bottles of jam (slurp! fantastic!) and made spicy chitra anna out of some more and I have a few more left.

Highlights of the Garden 2009

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In spring, the borders were not as colourful as I would have wished, though the late winter and spring flowering shrubs were doing well. Evidently I had not planted a lot of spring flowering bulbs and perennials. But the summer border made up for it. The fantastic Lupins! There was another purple one which stopped producing more flowers because I did not deadhead them. Thanks to the early summer, I am able to see the Hydrangea before leaving for India.



I cannot describe the pleasure in beholding this towering beauty first thing in the morning. The moment I open the patio doors the perfume wafts in and fills me with happiness. I missed this totally last year because I left for India just when they were getting ready to bloom. Again, the early summer helped me enjoy it this time. But the pot is too small for it and as the plants grow, the pot can hardly hold enough water and already this week the lower leaves are drying. Next year I will plant a tower in the ground.