BENGALURU : For locals of Jayanagar, it’s not an uncommon sight to see a mobile garden perched atop a purple Tata Nano. The 16-sq.ft green patch remains fresh, adding to the aesthetics of the surroundings, and to the tag of the ‘garden city’ Bengaluru prides itself in.It has been more than a year since advocate K Suresh set up a miniature plantation of asparagus fern on his car. “Many come for advice on how to grow a similar green patch on their cars but I am yet to find anyone who has implemented it,” he says. And that’s despite there being not much maintenance going into it.
The ferns are supported by the vehicle’s carrier and plastic sheets. Suresh’s gardener waters the plants each day, and changes the soil every six months. The plants are supposed to be Suresh’s way of reducing carbon footprints. “The idea came to me more than five years ago. I wanted to give back the oxygen I was using. I approached gardeners in horticulture department, but everyone thought it was a crazy idea,” he says. “A retired gardener at Lalbagh decided to help me,” he added.
Suresh, who advocates service to the nation through the increase of green cover in the city, has also potted plants outside his apartment. However, his interest lies in expanding his idea of a moving garden. “There are lakhs of cars on the roads in Bengaluru. Even if 10 lakh cars have a green patch installed on top, we would have about 400 acres of moving gardens. The green cover also keeps the car cool, and its moisture reduces dust,” he said, adding that he is waiting for the day when some other car owner finally follows him.