KOCHI: Looking at greenery will calm your mind, says Thrissur native Chandran Vilakkathara, who has turned the front yard of his house into a green zone. Filled with many varieties of turtle vine plants and easy-to-grow vines, the coconut climber has converted about one cent of land on his house premises in Amballur village into a mini Eden. In these times of global warming and the raging pandemic, Chandran says green spaces are a necessity to boost oxygen levels and soothe our minds. He created the turtle vine garden five years ago when he got fascinated by a creeper at a house where he went to pluck coconuts. Now, after he unleashed his creativity, the garden is a sight to behold with artfully created sculptures and pots.
The nature lover used any recyclable waste materials he could get his hands on to create his mini Eden . Plastic containers, aluminium utensils, broken glasses, ceramic jars, tyres, repurposed wood pieces, broken tree trunks and PVC pipes — all collected from houses where he went to pluck coconuts. “With the permission of house owners, I collected these scraps and altered them. I gave these remodelled structures an attractive design and structure. I wanted to convey that we can reduce waste if we use our creativity to turn them into something eco-friendly,” says Chandran. He filled these containers with mud and planted the succulents on them.
Structured beauty
His garden is not haphazard with creepers and plants. A lot of thought and planning has gone into landscaping this green zone. Worn-out plastic buckets hanging from a pulley are filled with green turtle vines, an old traditional stone grinder is painted white and is affixed with a tyre where a turtle vine bed has been made. The landscaping using torn and partially worn-out objects inspire the spectators to recycle.
The plants Chandran has chosen do not require much compost and he was never in need of insecticides or pesticides for protecting them. “While planting, I mix the soil with some cow dung powder, coco peat and a handful of bone meal powder. Turtle vines require less water, and are easy to maintain too,” he says. “I spent the evenings in my garden.
My wife Asha takes care of it in the morning when I am away. These plants are more like our children. For us, it is a space to kill our boredom and loneliness. I feel relaxed when I stroll inside my turtle vine garden,” he adds. Before the lockdown hit, Chandran’s garden was often filled with visitors from his neighbourhood. For their convenience, he has created little pathways with soft gravels through his garden.
NATURAL AC
Come hot summer, the place is a cool zone, elaborates Chandran. “A cool breeze always flows through the place keeping the sweltering heat at bay. The sight of green vines helped us during lockdown when we were stuck inside the house for months. I utilised the period to give the garden a makeover and plant more vines in my courtyard. I collected empty beer bottles from the roadside and fields and hanged them using leftover plastic threads at my home. I plan to put money plants in them and when they grow it will look like a green curtain,” Chandran adds.