Bela Sethi’s garden is a true reflection of her name and personality. Her huge collection of rare and exquisite plants and her immense knowledge, are a true indi-cator of her great passion and love for them.
As she gently guides me into her lawn, I am welcomed instantly by rows of hanging money plant creepers, next to which is her amazing collection of colorful and unique Calatheas. While monsteras and philodendrons add to the greenery, bright red and pink Ixoras add vibrance and cheer to the garden. Huge old palms and swaying heliconias add grace.
Flourishing gardens at multiple levels speaks volumes of her extreme hard work and dedication. The backyard is adorned with asparagus, jades, poinsettias, and peace lilies, and seems like green therapy to me! Pink syngoniums in between brighten up the entire landscape.
As we ascend to the next level, gigantic gerberas, ferns, and creeping charlies in wall-mounted pots are indeed a pleasant sight. Yet another section is dedicated entirely to vegetables like brinjals, arbi, haldi, chillies, lemons, beans, kadipatta, cauliflower, in which Bela specializes. Arbi is ready to be picked and the luscious Bharta baingan makes my mouth water! It is indeed incredible to see these thriving in pots. This is just the tip of the iceberg… huge guava, mango, and banana trees are growing alongside herbs like lemongrass, chives, rosemary, coriander, and chamomile. Chrysanthemums too are being prepared for winter flowering. As her skin glistens in the sun, she reveals the secret… her homegrown aloe vera gel and dried fruit peel powder. I am spellbound at her collection of plants and their upkeep! She enthralls me with her recipes of harjod stem pakodas, blue pea tea (which I am served too), and gongura leaf chutney… she gifts me one gongura too as I leave, mesmerized and energized by her charm and devotion.
