Can you plant succulents in rocks? Will they actually grow? If you are asking these questions and wondering – will they ever grow, you need to meet our convenor Ms. Nandita Chaturvedi. To seek answers, I attended the AIKGA meeting of our unit on 23rd November at Urmila Yadav’s beautiful terrace garden. A physical meeting after long, saw enthusiastic gardeners come together to see the live demonstration on “Succulents on Rock”.
Nandita Ji is a fun loving, humble and creative person, above all a master of her passion. It was a delight to watch her magical hands and fingers swiftly arranging the succulents and plants on rocks. It makes one believe that if you have a passion, then even an ugly rock can become a masterpiece. The arrangement of the plants on the rock was perfect.
Using rock as a base, planting succulents or cuttings with the help of sphagnum moss held by toothpicks and clayey or loamy soil, you can create a masterpiece. Nanditaji taught us that you can create magic and plant these easily in small spaces. It would make a great centerpiece too. With little sunshine and spray of water – Ta Daa – it will keep growing. Above all, since they drain incredibly well, there is no chance of root rot. It was an inspiration and maybe an idea for my next party. When the piece was finished it came out beautiful, modern and chic.
The meeting was followed by sumptuous snacks and tea amidst lots of chatter, fun and laughter since everyone was meeting after a long time. If anyone would like to learn gardening and make new like minded friends, I would highly recommend joining AIKGA. Always look forward to learning something new – because learning should never end.
by Kalpana Purdhani (98714 22119)
