HAPPY SPRING & DADS DAY FLAIR

Betel Leaf Plant

Long used in South and South-East Asian cuisine and Ayurvedic medicine.

In Indian and Sri Lankan culture, a sheaf of betel leaves is offered as a mark of respect and auspicious beginnings, such as wedding ceremonies, New Year celebrations, and offering payment to astrologers and doctors. It is also commonly used in Ayurveda, a traditional Indian healthcare system that has a focus on herbal medicine.

Betel is an easy-care tropical plant that will thrive in a well lit area indoors. Keep moist during warm weather, but avoid over-watering through winter.

Pictured here with a lovely etched Bree terracotta pot

Snap Pea - Honey Pod
Peas are a cool season plant that can be grown through winter. Peas are one of the easiest of all vegetables to propagate and grow, giving rather rapid gratification. As a general rule of thumb, it is important to harvest the pods every 2 or 3 days as this stimulates much greater production and keeps the produce tender and succulent. A layer of compost several centimetres thick can be worked into the soil or mulched around the base of the plant to provide all the nutrients required. 

An even level of moisture is required to give a constant supply of pods once the plants start to mature. A good insurance policy is to mulch around the base of the plants to conserve any water that is applied. Supplementary watering is highly desirable in hotter weather. Having said this it is important to try and keep the foliage as dry as possible to try and prevent the number one enemy of peas, which is the fungal disease, powdery mildew.

Harvest in approx 8 - 10 weeks, trellising will be required.