Entering Jaswant Singh’s garden is like entering a fantasy land. As you walk around the lush greenery, you come across a flag-shaped tree in the middle (red, white and green leaves), a school of fish in the pond, the statue of Nilgiri Tahr, the replicas of dove, the numerous plants and flowers. However, if there is something that catches your eye despite the tantalising variety, it is the cluster of sandalwood trees.
With a whopping 345 of them, Singh is the only person in Chennai who grows and owns sandalwood trees in the city.
Singh, 50, who was born and brought up in Chennai, is passionate about gardening, with special interest in sandalwood tree plantation.
After the government lifted the ban on owning sandalwood trees in 2002, he studied about them for four years and started buying small plants from 2006. The oldest tree in the garden is 28 feet tall, followed by three of 26 feet, one of 20 feet, three of 15 feet and four of 7 feet each.
Apart from these, he has 200 small plants which were planted in the shape that forms the number ‘2013’.
According to Singh, a sandalwood plant costs somewhere around Rs 200 and the maintenance is very difficult. “The soil has to be prepared accordingly and the trees need to be tended regularly with care,” says Singh.
“My aim is to promote greenery and tell people that if tended properly, maintaining a unique garden is not difficult. One has to be passionate about it,” says Singh.
When quizzed about snakes that are usually attracted to sandalwood trees, he says, “I have 10 Syringa (Lilac) plants which act as a snake repellent.” Apart from the fragrant group, he has a number of medicinal plants that he and his family use for health issues.
Keelanelli (Paraparani Mi), a cure for jaundice, Karisan Keni that is good for the liver, Vallarai (Centella Asiatica) brain-shaped leaves which are good for brain development, aloe vera and basil (not the usual but a different species) for glowing skin and Costus Pictus used in insulin for diabetes, thyme (Ajwain) and thuthi (Abutilon Indicum that helps digestion, thoothuvalai (Solanium) — used to make soups during cough or cold and Naga Dhali that is good for the heart.
Apart from these, there are beetle plants, black pepper plants, oregano and much more. He also has bonsais of amla (Indian Gooseberry), narangi (small orange), lemon, cherry and star fruit, to name a few.
And that is not it, he has a small kitchen garden for growing vegetables like brinjals, tomatoes, pumpkins, chillies, tender gourds, bitter gourds and lady’s fingers.
He says, “Most of the vegetables that we use in our home comes from my garden. However, it also depends upon the climate and season.”
Singh has a variety of fruit plants in his terrace, apart from a huge mango tree in his garden. The fruits are mostly hybrid plants — six banana plants, four pomegranate plants (three red and one white), two guava trees, one papaya tree, four sapodilla trees, drumstick plant, orange, lemon, citrus limetta, jackfruit, custard apple, blackberry dot the expansive space above.
The interesting part is that all of these are raised through organic farming. He has huge drums where the home waste (mostly food left-overs except plastic) is dumped. The material is used to create vermi-compost at home for the gardening.
“I never use chemicals, nothing is artificial, everything is done the natural way,” he beams.
However, he accepts that he has very few flowering plants since Chennai climate does not suit half of them.
“I do everything myself and I don’t have a gardener. The household helpers help in watering at times and my children look after my plants, when I am away,” says Singh.
He ends the garden tour by saying, “My garden and my plants are an important part of my life, of which I take care as much as possible.”