CHENNAI: It’s not very often that you see people being interested in gardening in urban areas. With the present day urban sprawl, there are only some who value nature and preserve its beauty within the four walls of their home. The Somisetty family in Jayanagar, Bengaluru, is one of the few who like to nurture greens in their abode.
When they bought their house 30 years ago, the importance of having a separate space for their plants was a priority. They reserved the front yard for growing greens and as time went by, pots were added to their little backyard as well.
Pramukh Shetty, a young member of the family who is studying for CAT MBA, talks about his garden fondly saying, “We have orchids, chilly, tulsi, aloe vera, beans, kapralik along with spinach and meth. There are many types of plants that don’t flower but are useful in making the garden look pretty. Apart from vegetables, we also have plants with medicinal value.”
The family has hired a gardener who takes care of all the plants once every two weeks. Since there is a variety of plants, they all require different kind of attention. When it comes to watering their plants, they don’t worry too much, as they have the drip irrigation system. Pramukh usually takes special care of the plants that he plants himself. He says he spends about half an hour every day in the garden, planting new seeds and taking care of the plants. “It makes happy and peaceful. It’s like I have something to wake up to every morning,” he says.
Having a garden is beneficial. The flowers can be used for decoration purposes, or for puja. Medicinal plants like tulsi can be used in case of any ailment. Pramukh also explains how every single vegetable in the garden is enough for them.