The Kitchen Garden March meeting was a special one for 2 reasons. First was because it was conducted after the annual Fruits and Flowers show of AIKGA, so the members who won prizes in the show were felicitated by our mentor and convenor Nandita ji. They were given beautiful sweet aromatic Moraiya plants.
The other reason was that the speaker was none other than Gk2’s most celebrated green thumb gardening expert and our senior lead editor – Amita Bhuwania. Enthusiastic members came in large numbers to listen to their favourite speaker. Everyone was in awe when Amita stood in a crisp South silk saree to talk about summer vegetables. She started with the basics – how to grow vegetables in the given space available at home. If it is a terrace then one can plant in bigger pots or tubs, if the space is less then what vegetables can be grown. She spoke about the soil mixture to prepare the pots, the importance of manuring and how frequently the plants should be fertilised.
Watering is very important in summer and how plants can retain moisture through mulching. Amita emphasised the significance of companion planting especially for vegetables like Bottle Gourd and Pumpkin. Bright and colourful flowers attract bees and butterflies which are excellent pollinators. However, in some cases manual pollination is also done but that comes through practice. She shared an elaborate list of summer veggies that included small height leafy vegetables, root vegetables, climbers and creepers. The lecture was so interesting and informative that even an amateur can start his/her gardening journey.
This meeting also happened to be just before Holi, so the convenors had arranged for a special feast. Everyone enjoyed mouthwatering Aloo kachori, dhokla and gujias. The special evening came to an end with Nandita ji thanking Amita for sharing her knowledge with the members and presenting her with the most precious gift for a gardener, a plant.
