KOCHI: Six years ago, when Jayanti Vaidyanathan discovered she had a vitamin D deficiency, she was instructed by her doctor to expose herself to sunlight and spend time in the sun. The best spot she found for this activity was the terrace in her 3,000 square feet two-storeyed house in Medavakkam. She began spending time under the sun, and eventually decided to take up gardening and spruce her ‘happy space’ with plants.
“When my doctor told me to expose myself to more sunlight, I took that as an opportunity to begin my gardening journey. My son had grown up and my husband had retired...I had no responsibilities. I decided to utilise the time. That’s how it all began,” shares the 63-year-old who initially began decking up her terrace with a few pots. Now, she has about 250 of them with a variety of plants and herbs. “Another reason why I started gardening was to harvest fresh spinach,” she shares. Jayanti’s garden doesn’t just ooze warmth and positivity, but it also has a story — one that breathes reassurance — hidden between the healthy plants. A few years ago, after undergoing knee replacement surgery, Jayanti was unable to sit down or be mobile to prune and tend to the plants.
Unable to stay away from her everyday gardening routine, she decided to create a wooden cage in one corner of her terrace, on a raised platform and grow saplings within the perimeter. Later, she would transfer them to other pots. The idea soon expanded and Jayanti started innovating different plant holders. For instance, her garden has bathtubs and refrigerators she collected from her kabadiwalla. She repurposes them as plant holders.
“I had to pay just `100 for these old refrigerators and bathtubs. Planting saplings in them gives them enough space to grow and develop stronger roots,” she says.Jayanti is in awe of the process of pollination and emphasises how birds play an important role in the process. “There is a squirrel that visits my garden and eats some fruits, the myriad of flowers here attract inspects...both help in pollination. This keeps the plants and the cycle alive,” she says.
Her garden houses medicinal plants like arasi tippali, tulsi, urnudu perandai, dawasi keerai and turmeric.
“The Internet has been a kind guide to me in teaching the nuances of gardening. Apart from that, I also learned the art from friends who are into gardening. I have also managed to connect with other gardeners in the city. We are part of different WhatsApp groups where we share gardening tips,” she says.