BENGALURU: Gone are the days when Bengalureans used to be content with just home decor for their abode. Residents are now hiring landscape professionals to beautify their gardens. The awareness about the options available for designing one’s outdoors is more now as opposed to a few years earlier, says Veena Nanda, a landscape professional with 30 years experience.
“People understand that it is better to have a few plants and add more elements to the garden than to have too many pots that are difficult to maintain,” she says. Her expertise lies in designing landscapes for villas, penthouses, farm houses, terrace gardens and large spaces for commercial projects. Nanda, 54, uses elements such as sculptures in stone and metal, water falls or fountains, artefacts, pathways, pergolas, gazebos and unique lighting options to bring character into garden spaces. But her signature design includes pergolas, Buddha, Athangudi tiles and firebricks for outdoor bar counters. “Many clients ask for the same elements as the combination of these looks beautiful,” she says. A project can cost around `2 lakh and go up to `50 lakh, depending on the size of the space and takes about two weeks to get ready.
Growing green fingers
Nanda has always been passionate about gardening and saw her mother take part actively in gardening, while her grandfather managed a coffee plantation. She did a Bonsai advanced course and bonsai mural course offered by Jyoti and Nikunj Parekh 35 years ago when she moved to Mumbai post her marriage. “It became an addiction after that. I started teaching and selling bonsai. When I moved to Bengaluru 25 years ago, I participated in Lalbagh flower show and won the rolling shields for bonsai category thrice consecutively,” she says.
Nanda opened a store Sunshine’s Nest and Gardens to provide a one-stop boutique for garden accessories. “But I shut the store two years ago as it was difficult to have so many items stocked up. I source materials when required,” she says, adding that she sources materials from Bali, Vietnam and Bangkok.
She is the mother of three and shares that her children have
even asked Nanda to design the outdoors of their homes when they invest in a property. “My answer was simple. I’d do it but by then, my rates would be higher,” she says with a laugh.