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Dr Khwaja Ali ShahidDaily Times |
Last week, we discussed the different activities a gardener may perform, and the changes that dying plants may come across, in between the two plant...
My strong association with gardening, including through writing weekly articles and making tutorial videos, has created a confusion among my readers...
Q. I hope this email finds you well. I am a retired banker and a fellow gardening enthusiast. I found your article on growing canna lily plants very...
Festive occasions such as birthdays, Eids and Christmases tend to build-up in people the urge to decorate their homes, using a variety of things from...
One night, at a birthday party not too long ago, I told a few of my cousins about the dog flower. The flower opens up just like how a dog would open...
A distinct memory from my student days, almost three decades ago, was the photograph of a woman as she looked at a leaf in Karachi. On that leaf, she...
Q. I live in Karachi. Please guide me from which nursery in the city can I get the butterfly bush or the summer lilac plant? A. The butterfly bush...
With the passage of time, consuming red lettuce daily with my meals has become routine for me — during the season, of course. While trumpeting its...
As a child, I would never choose a red lettuce leaf for my salad plate at any of the high-end hotels of Karachi. Somehow, I was scared of it being...
Last week, we discussed a relatively uncommon flower — the Yellow Canna Lily. The plant is unique in a way that its flaccid flowers, seed pods and...
One of the most common inquiries I receive is from people who want to decorate their home with natural beauties of plants and flowers; they want to...
Q. This is in reference to your article printed on January 21, 2024, about the role of egg shells in gardening. Can I put egg shells in water for a...
Numerous brands continue to crop up every now and then. But have you ever come across any flower, herb, fruit or vegetable that is even younger than...
In my family, the individuals responsible for the kitchen prefer a continuous and streamlined supply of the herbs, fruits and vegetables that are...
As she approached her third trimester, she started getting more concerned, rather scared! It was her first pregnancy. Since conceiving, she had heard...
Q. I read your column regularly. May I suggest you provide the names of all plants in Urdu as well, since many nurseries do not have staff who...
When it comes to nutritional value and health benefits, eggs are considered to be one of the most complete foods. An integral part of a healthy...
Honey bees and butterflies have their own preferences when it comes to selecting flowers for nectar collection. One of the most commonly visited...
Q. Two years ago I started growing different plants at my home. I recently purchased a dozen grow bags for my house from a local gardening products...
Historically, plants were regularly supplied with wood ash in an attempt to boost plant growth and health, improve plant safety and defence against...
Coriander, which is scientifically known as Coriandrum sativum, is one of the most commonly grown leafy herbs, not only commercially but by kitchen...
When I was at school, my friend’s family lived in my neighbourhood and were absolutely in love with an extremely sweet, brown-coloured, round fruit....
Locally known as salad patta and scientifically known as Lactuca sativa, lettuce belongs to the family Asteraceae. It is a relatively inexpensive...
Q. I recently came across your article ‘Some like it hot’ and wanted to know if various coloured capsicums (Shimla mirch) grown from the same...
A couple of decades ago, my family transitioned our diet from market bought fruits, herbs and vegetables to home grown produce. Before that, we would...
The first decade of a child’s life, especially the first five to six years, are generally considered an ideal period for learning. It is also a...
Whenever my mother buys any vegetable from the market, she always gets a handful of green chillies before leaving. “Thori se halki waali mirach bhi...
Q. I want to know about the best tomato seeds that continue to yield enough tomatoes for a longer duration. I am from Hangu district, Tehsil Tall in...
Many traditional fish recipes, along with dishes like taheri (potato with a rice-based dish) are considered incomplete without a generous use of a...
There is hardly any meal in the subcontinent served without a green garnish. Peppers, green parts of onion and garlic, mint leaves and coriander...
A few days after the torrential rain that hit Karachi a couple of years ago, our neighbours spotted something unusual in two of their plant beds....
One of the most common questions we receive is where to find seeds of a certain fruit, vegetable, herb or flower in their city. More often than not,...
Q. This is not a question but I wanted to share that I was lucky to get an electric mulcher for my very large garden. In autumn, I put all the dried...
Bees, especially honey bees, have continued to inspire and fascinate mankind since time immemorial. It was only inevitable that this laborious wax-...
Grandparents would often narrate stories featuring fruit and vegetables in a bid to get their grandchildren to eat organic whole foods. The moral of...