It is a very common epithet these days. It is a hobby, it is a passion, it is recreation and a stress buster. We all love the small green paradise in our back yard or on our sun kissed terrace. Growing flowers, vegetables and fruits gives great satisfaction to the gardener. It is a lot of hard work surely, mixing soil nutrients and fertilizers in the correct proportion. Seeds sown and a few days later when the tender saplings appear, it fills the heart of a gardener like me with joy. I suppose all kitchen gardeners feel the same way. Slowly they develop into healthy lettuce, tomatoes, brinjal, radish, cauliflower, spring onions, and deep green spinach… all the hard work is blessed with nature’s abundance.
Early in the morning, your whole terrace buzzes with bees and butterflies. Little mynahs and other unknown birds flock there. My terrace is full of radiance with dianthus, pansies, marigold, roses chrysanthemum, coleus lilies, champa, bougainvillea, hibiscus, gerbera, gardenia, koon petunia, aster, amongst others greet me as I enter my little mughal garden. In summer the same terrace garden yields summer goodies. Guavas, lemons, herbs like basil, mint, lemon grass, dhania.
I would like to share with my readers the secret behind a healthy produce year round – my compost bin, into which the wet waste of our family goes every day. In a couple of months this turns into fine black manure. The fresh veggies, their feel, taste, colour makes me feel so proud. Mind you they are all organic, no chemicals used. For pesticide I use neem oil mixed with warm water and a few drops of shampoo. Sprayed over the leaves and veggies saves them from spider mites, mealy bugs, aphids and white flies.
Being close to nature relieves me of stress and tension. Looking after my tender friends gives immense joy and satisfaction. Last winter I reaped a harvest of more than 50 kg tomatoes, both desi and cherry. Alone, this was too much for a single household’s consumption, so we distributed among friends freely. This summer I did not need to buy karela, lady finger and brinjal and chillies. Very tasty vegetables freshly harvested? Mmm delicious.
A kitchen garden is truly a great concept. Not only it gives fresh veggies and fruits and flowers, it encourages us to segregate waste and create manure for our own consumption in the form of organic vegetables and free air purification. Socially responsible citizens of Delhi – we desperately need more kitchen garden enthusiasts who can contribute to “Reduce and Refuse” to lessen the burden on our city landfills.
