CHENNAI: Winter has been around for a while and, while we all curl up indoors with a cup of coffee, this 41-year-old is busy in her terrace garden. Rain, shine or chilly mornings, Jacculine Jayanthi takes time to tend to her plants. “I knew cery little about gardening before I randomly came across a video on it, on Facebook, one day,” says Jayanthi.
Lush green plants occupy her entire terrace, which includes nearly 40 varieties of vegetables. With organic gardening, she is able to stock up kitchens of family and friends. “Consuming veggies that I have harvested makes me worry less about the health of my family… and it is always fun to create something from scratch,” she adds.
Jayanthi has always been an avid learner and has never hesitated to try something new and interesting. She keeps an enviable herb garden. “Thulasi, Thuthuvalai, Valarai and Vethalai are few of the herbal plants that have a high medicinal value, and are in my garden,” she says. “I also started growing mushrooms indoors… my children love it!”
Her cooking is the talk of her neighbourhood. “The secret is nothing but the natural flavour the plant gives!”she declares.
According to her, gardening is not as easy as people think it to be. “It needs time and dedication,” she says. But how does one start? She says, “The government provides seeds at very low prices, especially for
terrace farming. Then there is social media for guidance.”
Jayanthi hopes to sell these organic veggies someday. “Already many people from the neighbourhood and even other places come visit my terrace and ask for my advice to start their own gardens,” she says, smiling.
Apart from gardening, she is skilled at crafts, tailoring, toy making and jewelry designing, and is also a beautician. “I can never sit idle in my free time and so I try and learn new things. My family has always been a big support. My friends call me Jyothika from 36 Vayathinile, ” she laughs.