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It is such a pleasure every morning to adore my little garden. I have a passion for collecting a variety of plant species from nurseries or from wherever possibly I can get it. Most of the time I come back from my morning walk with a handful of climbers and other plant beauties that I collect from the roadside. And while walking back to my home, my mind continuously tries figuring out as to which planter and space it would fit in. Such would be the craziness for gardening, I was not aware of. It is just like been intoxicated and each day the obsessions only keep getting more. Planting the plant babies, nurturing it and waiting for its new leaves or the flower buds are something that makes me feel so complete.
I have grown in a home that was always surrounded by a variety of seasonal plants, fruit trees, different shrubs and vegetables. Our plot of land was hardly left to be barren and vacant. It was a dream house that my parents created, where my father responsibly generated vegetation and gardening out of tremendous passion and knowledge and my mother's interior decoration was serene and a visual piece of souvenir that was styled with her hand-embroidered wall hangings, table cloths, cushion covers, the colour combinations and so much which led to many visitors in our home to cherish all of these and for us to mingle amidst the happy times. I still remember the health and growth of the bountiful flowers of our garden that it almost covers both my palms when I hold it.
A home seems to be incomplete without plants as the slightest dash of nature brings in so much of freshness and youth into the home ambiance. Although I grew amidst so much of garden beauties, my self generated gardening passion turned obsession developed really late like around 20-21 years of age when I was given the task of teaching concepts and activities related to basic gardening to my set of students of the school where I was working as a dance instructor and choreographer. This all began just as an encouragement that came to me through the Principal of the school. But, all of these came upon me as an unknown treat despite me been grown amidst all of such pleasurable scenes from my childhood. And the hardest part of all these was that I never tried planting any seeds or plant babies. I just used to water our garden as a little girl and pouring water onto the leaves more than its roots.
But, as I tried exploring this new task, the very first thing I did to educate myself was to collect a gardening book from the school library and learn new lessons of planting, pruning, cutting, etc. and also started to discuss and clear my doubts from the school gardener. It was a whole new experience for me which met many failures too. I was terribly upset and sad when my planted seeds or stems do not root and grow. Or maybe it was taking some time and new small buds or nodes were just starting whilst drying the existing grown foliage but, I threw it away thinking it was all drying without noticing all of these. And slowly gearing with these new techniques and being acquainted with the lessons of nature I learned to develop patience, hope and get prepared for consequences.
Gardening is so much like our own life. It has to stay healthy away from insects, well-groomed and styled, stay prepared for harsh weather or similar such consequences, receive required natural light and water to prepare food as well as love and pamperedness for quick growth and the natural inner charm. Although I do not have a tremendous variety of plants, I am trying to collect as much I can. In fact, they are nurturing my mental peace and curating my creative thoughts. Never ever did I knew the happiness that it is going to bring me. Serenity and patience all lie within oneself and my plants taught me these important aspects of life. Climates bring to them different phases of growth and getting along for bringing new baby plants for the survival of their species and stories. I try to imbibe my creative genre in my gardening by reusing clay and plastic containers simply by painting and creating a hole beneath for water drainage. I also use coconut shells for baby climbers and small-sized plants. And yea, there's so much you can do with the old fashion accessories that you can reuse it as your garden accessories.
Lucky are those who have expansive garden areas but still, those with just a few plant pots in an apartment are also not deprived if they have felt the very natural essence and pleasure of gardening and rearing new growths with their hands and intellect. Right from accepting the task that was bestowed upon me while I was working in that school, educating myself from reading gardening books and guided by the lectures as asked to whomever, I found to have interest in till rearing my own garden is a journey of its own. And in this journey with a change of places also I did hand over my garden plants to garden lovers whom I knew closely. It was so painful to let go of almost 20-25 pots at a time. This happened 3 times in my life till now, when I shifted from Haryana to Mumbai, then from Mumbai to the Maldives and finally from the Maldives to my birth city Guwahati in Assam, India. In each of these transitional periods created a vacuum within me as I had to sensibly lose my plants. But, during these nomadic journeys, I could not resist or refrain myself from having plants in my home and balcony even though I knew I will have to leave them once I head for my next destination.
But finally, when I am based in my own city now I tried developing my space with a little garden. This cute garden has extracts of plants sourced from all possible centres and circumstances. I bought them from nurseries, got it from my relatives, picked from the roadside and each of my plants has its own story to tell and I make sure to carefully keep rearing their stories every morning when I meet them. Their freshness collates me with the purpose and instinct of nature that each being has the right to live delightfully and happily. And when you are responsible to look after a life, be grateful to the Lord that you are capable of doing so. When your plants give flowers and fruits, you are energised with productivity which brings positivity into your life and to your home. If you have still not started with gardening, I would like to tell you to start with a pot and after a year, count the number of pots you multiply into. Believe me, it is such a bliss!
So, this was the story of my little garden. I await to know what is yours. My posts can be watched and listen to in my YouTube Channel and Podcast #amrapali_talkarts in all leading podcast streamers.
If you are new to gardening, I have placed some links of gardening stuff for the ease to start. Check it out!
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