A green legacy in the backyard

For 75-year-old N Meenakshi, the desire to grow, nurture and stay close to nature is a ritual that’s as organic as sleeping or eating.
The robust plant culture at Meenakshi’s house.
The robust plant culture at Meenakshi’s house.

CHENNAI: Planting, nurturing and watching saplings bloom; soaking in the ecstasy of the scent of the arali and jasmine flowers, unwinding to the sounds of birds, insects, and squirrels biting into a ripe mambazham from a mature mango tree and witnessing an enchanting panoply of bright red hibiscus blooms and the ‘Golden shower tree’ (sarakondrai).

For 75-year-old N Meenakshi, the desire to grow, nurture and stay close to nature is a ritual that’s as organic as sleeping or eating. “I’ve been gardening all my life. But, I don’t remember when I started. I’ve aged, my memory is fading but that doesn’t stop me from doing what I love the most. It comes naturally to me,” shares the rather introverted septuagenarian.

After moving into her current residence — a traditional living space in Mogappair — in 1976, Meenakshi began turning its perimeter into a green haven, one sapling at a time. Over the past four decades, the woman with a green thumb has integrated a robust plant culture in her household. “We have everything from ma, pala, vazhai, bamboo, arali plants, hibiscus, konnapoo, coconut trees, betel leaf plant, jasmine, ixora, tulsi, insulin plant, creepers to begonias,” shares the eco-enthusiast, whose interest in creating patches of healthy green foliage has grown beyond the confines of her garden.

“I am keen on reviving native varities. So, I extract seeds of native trees from my garden, plant them and donate the saplings,” she tells us. A volunteer with ‘Tree NGO’ Nizhal, Meenakshi has been keen on passing on the genes of the indigenous sarakondrai to the next generation. Pounding the seed pods, extracting the seeds, sowing them in a pot and transferring the saplings into milk covers, the avid gardener tells us that she has kept herself busy at home during this pandemic.

“I will be raising them till they are ready to be handed over to the Nizhal nursery at the Kotturpuram Urban Forest. The first batch was planted almost over a month ago and they turned out well. In the process, I also decided to upcycle used milk packets and converted them into plant containers,” details Meenakshi, who has so far planted and nurtured over 12 saplings. “These are small yet effective steps to revive indigenous varieties in our city,” she says.

From potting plants, watering them at the right intervals and simply enjoying the time she spends with her ‘green babies’ in solitude, Meenakshi’s commitment towards caring for her garden never exhausts her. Her son, photographer and photoblogger Ramaswamy Nallaperumal of Chennai Photo Walk, concurs. “Be it moving the water hose to water all the plants, extracting seeds, cleaning the space or collecting the harvest, she enjoys doing it all by herself.

As a child, I remember accompanying her to a few estates and nurseries to buy saplings for our garden. She’s maintained the garden for 40 years now and it’s amazing how she continues to do it with so much zest,” he says. A voice for location specific- trees, she often meanders through her garden, trying to add new features. But despite her fondness to foster a thriving ecosystem, she ensures she does not over-care or overwater her plants.

“The plants should be watered only adequately; sunlight should be ensured as per its need; fallen leaves should be allowed to be part of the soil and manure. Vegetable waste and other natural waste should be used as manure. This ensures zerowaste too. Most importantly, care for the plants like you would take care of your pet!” she shares.

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The New Indian Express
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