Having established my own terrace garden a little patch of my own paradise, I feel I can guide others into doing the same. Here are a few things that worked for me: Being hands-on- As an action-oriented person- it translated to me being there amongst my plants, working on the weeding, rearranging the spaces, deadheading the flowers, noticing and draining overfilled pots, watering extra on the dry ones, clipping dead leaves etc. Constantly being on the move, scanning nurseries and suppliers, accessing knowledge online and offline, sharing a picture from the garden with friends and family, conversing with people to listen in to ideas. Figuring out drain mats, geotextile, different types of grow bags, and pots, placement of the weight on the terrace to support the load, laying of turf grass, and handling the monsoon after! Knowledge gathering and then knowledge application, both are equally important.
Trusting the Maali- Yes, you may feel that he does not know much, but when you convey gratitude to him, share your own positivity and excitement at the creation, he will listen more, and also become brave enough to try his experimentation, and give his ideas in your garden. They may not always work, but then even our experiments sometimes land up as failures. Share the bounty, the good news, and he will in turn give the energy to your plants. Involve other helpers in the house, who mostly come from villages where they have cultivated farms, or helped in farm work. The gardens become their escape from the day’s work too. Their way to create and to be attached.
Giving nutrition: Include the oh-so-fragrant gobar- My go-to for all my plants, no fertilizers, no chemicals, no pesticides. Start composting. And don’t expect a perfect result, even if you use just the plant waste and manage to dry and reduce that, it adds value to the soil, and reduces wastage. Many other things like banana peels stored in water etc, do wonders. There are also many organically made compounds now being sold that help plant growth.
Watering wisely- Most plants that die are due to watering issues, usually overwatering with pots that have no drain holes. Also, the plants that come from the desert areas survive on low water, don’t waste by watering them every day. Some other plants from the Western Ghats come with very well drained red soil. The water does drain away as soon as you put it in, don’t panic and over water. Clayey soil holds water differently. Do explore drip irrigation, use of RO refuse water and the use of grey water in plants. Go chemical free- parabens free in your mopping water, and laundry water and use that too. Try and water them yourself. Build the connect, be mindful. and don’t be on the phone.
Understanding the sun- The different seasons have an impact on the sunshine intensity as well as direction. Find the walls, the alcoves, the nooks and crannies to keep plants green and healthy. Some plants need to be east facing, some need overhead sunshine, while others only want west facing. Also have a green net cover in the summers and keep it atleast 6 ft higher than the plants so the plants still have breathing space as well as stretching space.
Sharing- Many plants like Spider, snake plants, ferns, coleus, multiply as they grow. Share them with a neighbour, a friend, or get it planted in the garden near the house. Extra vegetable saplings are always welcome too.
An ideal hour of the day, where I am free of my worries, my stress, and just one with nature, peaceful, calm and serene is when I am in my little space. Mindful of each and every motion, and action, observant and absorbing of life’s wonders. Take time out for yourself, go and create a green cover. It just takes one. One step. One change. One belief at a time.
