Neighbour’s envy, owner’s pride
CHENNAI: In the midst of the concrete jungle in Yelahanka, homemaker Monalisa Arora owns a small garden which comprises 45 plants in various sizes and varieties. “The garden is host to a variety of flowers which is accentuated by the salubrious Bengaluru weather,” says the 42-year-old.Her passion for gardening grew post her marriage to Sitanshu Arora. Even though his job has required the couple to travel extensively across the country, Monalisa has ensured to keep her love for gardening alive.The passion runs in her family, with her 13-year-old son Himesh,already showing interest in gardening. His summer holidays have been spent experimenting in the yard and nurturing the plants.
“It’s good to see our son being fond of something like gardening. It is rare to see an interest like this among the younger generation. Most of them prefer video games,” she says. Flowers are in full bloom through the year in her garden which includes plants such as peace lily, hibiscus and jarbera. Ornamental plants such as arica palm, lavender, musanda and variety of crotons, give the garden a rich look.
Her other passion, cooking, she says, has been fulled by gardening. “I started developing a liking for plants and gardening when I started using vegetables and ingredients from my own garden. The joy of cooking with my home grown vegetables gave me a push to plant more micro greens,” she says. The plants receive nourishment from homemade compost that comprises kitchen waste, cut plants and dried leaves. During summers, Monalisa collects water from a small pond built by her and ensures that every drop goes back to her precious garden. “I use leftover tea extracts as manure, and neem extract as a natural pest control,” says Monalisa who holds a degree in homescience.
Every day after her children leave for school, she spends at least an hour in the garden looking out for plants that need attention. “I also experiment with my plants by watching YouTube videos and take tips from gardening experts. Tips from anyone are always welcome,”she says.
Over the years, Monalisa has realised that plants have feelings and know when they are being cared for.
“My advice to all the gardeners in the city is to keep a check on the water requirement for plants. Each plant requires a different amount of water and manure. Too much water can kill them. Organic manure is as important to the plants as sunlight,”she explains.