CHENNAI: The city’s gardeners are making use of every inch of space they have. From investing in coco peat to growing bags, every self taught or professional gardener is looking for ways to use the space around them for better. Bharathi Iyer, 34, who works for the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation also maintains a rooftop garden. She explains how Facebook is invariably helping her learn about gardening through the groups. “I have been gardening for the past two years now. I was doing gardening on a vacant plot next to my house. But since they started construction work there, I shifted to the roof.”
Bharathi grows all varieties of beans, (aubergines) brinjals, tomatoes and greens on her roof top. “I also grow certain flowers alongside the vegetables as they help in pollination,” she says. She presently grows five varieties of roses — Bengaluru Rose, button roses, yellow rose, pink roses and blood red roses.
Along side these flowers, she has varieties of hibiscus, balsams and gladiolas in her garden. Bharathi seeks inspiration after her mother who used to grow different varieties of flowers. She then decided to take to vegetable gardening and hence has been acquiring inputs from various sources who assist her in gardening. “Bengaluru has several urban farmers’ groups.
I found my motivation there. I was very new to the concept of grow bags. It was on Facebook that I interacted with different people and learned so many things about gardening.
says Bharathi.
Bharathi explains that vegetable growing and flower rearing go hand in hand. “For pollination to occur, you require other plants. The flowers will attract the pollinators. They will attract butterflies, honeybees and ants. I realised it is a co-existence.” Bharthi also elucidates the formula she learnt to grow plants. “Leaves, roots and flowers. The garden has to be formed in this formula. You can't simply plant one range of brinjals and tomatoes and expect pollination to occur,” she says.
When asked about her views on farming in limited spaces in the city, Bharathi says, “Lack of space is a constraint. But farming can be done almost anywhere. If you have a 3 x 6 feet space, you can grow veggies which fit in that area. I have seen people farming in PVC pipes. I didn't know that was possible, until I saw it.” Adding to it she also states that people are afraid of failing in their attempts at farming. “Farming requires more perseverance than any other profession,” she says further.
Bharathi treats her plants as her ‘children’ and takes great pride with her harvest. She actively involves her family in the gardening activities too.