CHENNAI: Gardening isn’t about planting different flowers or plants. It is more about designing a space that inspires a mood,” says 30-year-old ceramics artist and avid gardener Akila Chungi. She is fond of permaculture farming, which is more than organic gardening. It uses minimum inputs and reuses waste generated as manure for the plants; there is minimum interference with the ecosystem, for example interplanting is used for weed or pest control; and it includes a wide variety of plants. In all this design plays a key role and this includes thoughtful design of our homes, gardens and of our cities.
Akila believes that our diet has to be right and it starts from the vegetables we consume every day. She does permaculture at her residence-cum-studio in Jubilee Hills and owns a farm at Singur. Her crops include brinjals, custard apple, chillies, fenugreek and guavas, and she works on her 1,400 square yards along with her domestic helpers who have been trained in permaculture. The ethics of this form of gardening can be broadly categorised as people-care, earth-care and fare share. And from Akila’s garden, the produce is shared with the domestic help.
She says that it is important to grow indigenous plants and Akila chooses ones that can survive the heat of Hyderabad. Using the pitcher-irrigation technique, she aims to develop a perfect mix of old and modern ideas. “Embracing modernity should not be at the cost of losing one’s ancestry,” she says.
“The ideal situation is a perfect blend of both, that is why I prefer indigenous plants to exotic ones.”
Akila is a part of Aranya Agriculturual Alternative which caters to 2.5 lakh farmers. At her studio, Kalachaakra, these farmers come and sell their produce directly to consumers. This helps them enhance their entrepreneurial skills. This monthly fest also has tribal women coming in and setting up live stalls. They have a fireplace where they make jowar or bajra roti along with curries. Artisans can come in to showcase their talents and biodegradable products. “It’s more about creating an environment that makes you one with nature,” she says.