The Malayalee's weakness for coconut palms is an age old story and so, being a thoroughbred 'mallu', I can't be an exception.
To my mind it's the coconut that gives the classic flavour to the exotic local cuisine that has had every guest, who's experienced it, asking for more. Sometime back, there were serious discussions as to whether it enhanced one's cholesterol readings but I'd this sneaky feeling that it was a tactic by some vested interests to promote and justify importing 'Palmolien' or palm oil at higher rates to make a killing.
And mind you, the doubts about the health angle has been trashed and the coconut oil has slowly gained its supremacy back in Kerala's households, though I must hasten to add that the die hard Malayalee user was never carried away by the false propaganda, in that, he didn't mind dying of high cholesterol levels by patronising the coconut oil. Period!
But coming back to my story, there was a lone coconut tree in the courtyard of my house that used to give a fairly good yield. It, unfortunately, had to be cut to put trusses in place at the balcony and the porch, with the promise that a sapling - a grafted, quick yielding variety - would be planted in lieu. I must admit that the land around my house for agricultural/gardening pursuits is quite less but I still had Ramesh, an expert in the field, sitting with me to draw up the landscaping exercise, today.
Together, we've drawn up a plan to have two mango trees(presented by my boys), about nine plants that would be a combination of palms and certain flowering plants in earthenware receptacles. And yes, there would be a small kitchen garden as well with another small grassy patch around the well to give the immediate surroundings, the right rural touch!
Tailpiece.
My limited knowledge on farming has to be recalled and put to good use to bring in the right effect.
To my mind it's the coconut that gives the classic flavour to the exotic local cuisine that has had every guest, who's experienced it, asking for more. Sometime back, there were serious discussions as to whether it enhanced one's cholesterol readings but I'd this sneaky feeling that it was a tactic by some vested interests to promote and justify importing 'Palmolien' or palm oil at higher rates to make a killing.
And mind you, the doubts about the health angle has been trashed and the coconut oil has slowly gained its supremacy back in Kerala's households, though I must hasten to add that the die hard Malayalee user was never carried away by the false propaganda, in that, he didn't mind dying of high cholesterol levels by patronising the coconut oil. Period!
But coming back to my story, there was a lone coconut tree in the courtyard of my house that used to give a fairly good yield. It, unfortunately, had to be cut to put trusses in place at the balcony and the porch, with the promise that a sapling - a grafted, quick yielding variety - would be planted in lieu. I must admit that the land around my house for agricultural/gardening pursuits is quite less but I still had Ramesh, an expert in the field, sitting with me to draw up the landscaping exercise, today.
Together, we've drawn up a plan to have two mango trees(presented by my boys), about nine plants that would be a combination of palms and certain flowering plants in earthenware receptacles. And yes, there would be a small kitchen garden as well with another small grassy patch around the well to give the immediate surroundings, the right rural touch!
Tailpiece.
My limited knowledge on farming has to be recalled and put to good use to bring in the right effect.
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