MYSORE: The urban middle class particularly techies in Mysore city are increasingly evincing interest in kitchen and terrace gardening these days.
The Horticulture Department which initiated kitchen and terrace gardening programmes as part of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna last March is busy organising workshops for housewives, employees of companies, college staff and senior citizens.
The response to the programme has been overwhelming. As many as 24 workshops have been held in different localities so far for private companies, educational institutions, NGOs and others on request. As many as 2,675 people have attended these workshops.
There is a growing demand for these programmes from software giants like Wipro and Infosys which want to organise workshops for their staff. A workshop was recently held on Wipro premises. But it is yet to be organised at Infosys.
Senior Assistant Director of Horticulture M S Raju said software firms see kitchen or terrace gardening as the “best way” to beat stress and hence have shown interest in the workshops.The prestigious Delhi Public School, National Institute of Engineering, Kautilya Vidyalaya and Government Ayurveda College are some of the institutes which have placed requests for similar workshops. Raju said during a three-hour workshop, the participants will be taught how to grow various kinds of vegetables just by putting kitchen waste into good use.