Chennai: In this modern and fast-paced world it is generally perceived that gardening is not for everyone and that it is time-consuming, apart from requiring a lot of effort.
However, despite being a professor at one of city’s famed colleges, Shanthi Venkatesh (44) doesn’t necessarily feel so, for her terrace garden has more than 400 plants that not only help fulfil her family’s food needs but also act as a stress buster. This reporter had a chat with her, surrounded by the serenity in her terrace.
Here are the excerpts from her interview:
Q: What interested you to setup this terrace garden?
A: My dad Natraja Moorthy (75) and mom Rajalakshmi (70) were ardent home gardeners. Understanding the know-hows of gardening from my dad, I too developed great interest in it and decided to give it a try a couple of years ago. As of now, I have 400 plants grown on the 1,300 square feet terrace of our house.
Q: What are the methods to setup a terrace garden?
A: There are certain aspects I followed which made my garden a success story. Firstly, my soil consists of four layers. Coconut fibre is at the bottom to reduce overall weight while red soil stays above. Above and over them are organic manure and cow dung. Secondly, I won’t over-water the plants and there is a spill-proof slate under every pot. I spend around Rs 500 a month for the entire maintenance which includes procurement of organic manure and pesticides.
Q: What do you grow in your garden at present?
A: From roses, sunflowers, vegetables like brinjal, tomato, capsicum, herbs and spinach to ornamental plants, I have them all. I did research on each of my plants before adding them to my garden. Most of them are country varieties as they are easier to grow, require less care and are extremely resistant compared to the hybrid ones. The most unique variety in my garden is Adenium. It’s a drought resistant plant and is a delight for many gardeners. Other highlights of my garden are mint, kesavardhini, sweet leaf bush and thavasi keerai, which are said to prevent cancer.
Q: What challenges did terrace gardening pose? Also, tell us about your future plans.
A: The biggest challenge is growing certain plants like rose which require extreme care. Secondly, it’s very difficult to keep pests at bay. Water availability is another big challenge. During summer, I water the plants at least twice a day. Even in winter, I have to add pesticides and water the plants once a day. Soon, I am planning to buy a farm in the outskirts of the city to take this gardening initiative even further.
Q: Your advice for aspiring gardeners.
A: Commitment and passion can make everyone’s garden a success story. Patience is key to develop a beautiful garden. Summer makes for a good harvest season and winter is the best growing season. The best way to maintain plants is by grouping them. Gardening is all about trial and error. We need to understand each and every plant, their behaviour and growth pattern, and take steps accordingly.
Shanthi Venkatesh resides near Sai Baba Temple in Keelkattalai and can be contacted at 9840097489.