CHENNAI: Munira Taj, a 60-year-old from Hyderabad, started gardening during her early teens. Over the years she has developed a huge garden over an area of 200 square yards.She says, “Ideally, a fruit or a vegetable garden should contribute to your family’s well-being. This can be done with a little planning to get started, and a commitment to low-maintenance organic methods which save time and ensure a healthy garden year after year.
Ground gardens are less expensive compared to terrace gardens as they require fewer building materials.” The size and placement of the garden largely depends on what you want to grow. Most vegetables grow well in a sunlit spot, soaking in at least five hours of direct sunlight and with plenty of room to spread out. But when growing a flower bed, a shadier and smaller area is preferable. Her interest lies mostly in growing fruits and vegetables using organic methods. They are a combination of seasonal as well as perennial plants. The plants she grows includes fruits such as mangoes, mulberry, guava, banana and sapota and vegetables such as beans, pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes, fennel and brinjals. A section of her garden has variety of flowers too that includes hibiscus, rose, chrysanthemum, marigold, orchid and jasmine.
She points out certain advantages of growing vegetables at home. She says that it firstly lowers the cost of providing your family with healthy, organic vegetables. Next, it makes your meals more personal and interesting. It also teaches you to be patient and dedicated. Lastly, it connects your family to the natural cycles of weather, growth and renewal.
She makes sure that soil is free from pesticides. She prefers using kitchen waste to make compost. She uses natural methods such as spraying neem oil, turmeric powder, sour butter milk, salt water and wood ash. She believes that traditional methods are best for a healthy plant. She says mulching is important especially in areas where there is scarcity of water. Mulch discourages weeds from growing and holds moisture in the soil. She points out that it is inappropriate to keep watering the plants during summers. Watering twice a day is sufficient. The low lying areas become too soggy. So, slightly elevated areas are preferable for growing plants.
Her garden near Shamshabad airport stands testimony to her passion and knowledge of the greens. Munira follows a particular schedule to maintain her garden. She invests around two to three hours in the morning and evening to take care of her garden. Most of her time is spent in her garden where she does embroidery too.