Saturday, May 24, 2014

Rustic Beauty of Dumbara Valley, Sri Lanka : The Natural Garden



True Rustic Beauty Reveals 

The country-side of Dumbara Valley was more close to nature disclosing the true rustic beauty of the Island. Encompassed with green paddy fields and narrow roads that turned its way like smooth movements of a snake!

The only difference between the landscapes of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh was that here, in Sri Lanka those were surrounded by crooked hills and extensive woodland. And, in my country, there are mostly flatland and how far you will see, your eyes will capture only fathomless green topography in a wide plain land! There will be no trace of hills, not even a swallow of ground!



Rustic Beauty of Dumbara valley, Sri lanka

Beside the beautiful stream

Dumbara Valley was a heaven for the gardeners who grew herbs and various plantation without using any chemical or fertilizer.



The Natural Garden of Dumabara Valley


Organic Compost: It's Like Hamburger ;)

Can you tell me how did they actually manage to cultivate so many varieties of herbs and plants in such a vast area without using any kind of fertilizer?

Well, the answer was quite simple.

They applied compost.

Compost is mainly used for Organic Farming. It is a kind of fertilizer too but it is NOT made of any chemical or toxic elements, rather it is entirely made of non-toxic, harmless organic ingredients like dry leaves, chopped weeds, fresh leaves, organic garbage, human or animal wastage etc.

But you have to use ONLY organic ingredients. No non-organic material like metal or plastic can be used in the procedure of making compost.

Taking part in makingcompost

Rashitha mentioned a very interesting thing about making compost.

"Why do people mix fresh and dry leaves together in a compost bed?"

"It's because when dry leaves are mixed with the fresh leaves, only then they form a bed of regeneration together; It is a mixture of life in death to regenerate new plant, a new life!"

The compost bed was almost like a hamburger. You put the dry leaves and the fresh leaves together, and mix it gently with sufficient water; then you put a well-mixed compost mixture which is made of the ingredients mentioned above; then again, you put the dry and fresh leaves together and in the same procedure you sprinkle water and mix it firmly and leave it for 3 months or so. But, you should not forget to sprinkle water upon the compost-bed on a daily basis.

After the time-line your compost-bed will be ready to grow healthy, harmless, non-toxic plantations!

The Natural Garden

We paid a visit to one of the gardeners in Dumbara Valley.

We were mesmerized by observing the richness of his garden. He used to grow aloe vera, cocoa bean, even coconut trees along with various herbs and medicines.

Aloe vera plant 

Cocoa Bean

Their hospitality was something we could never forget. This was the fact about South Asian people that they considered their guests as the most honorable persons. Affection was always there with every words they said to us and everything they offered us.

The coconut water we enjoyed in the natural garden of Dumbara Valley was the sweetest ever I could remember!

And the final realization was, it was not only the geographical area that actually formed a country rather it was the people and their culture. We uttered the words again and again, but a few could actually feel it. :)


(To be Continued)

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