Chennai: When children start taking up gardening as a hobby, they become more empathetic towards nature. “Also, these days kids often spend more time on gadgets and they don’t spend their time productively. When into gardening, they get to understand the value of hard work of farmers who take care of our agricultural lands,” says nature enthusiast Subashree Vijay.
“Gardening will also help senior citizens to be more preoccupied. One of the big things that they get affected is loneliness. To beat it, they can take up gardening,” she says while speaking to News Today.
From a very young age, Subashree was passionate about gardening. Hailing from Madurai, she moved to Chennai after her marriage. When she lived in a rental apartment, she transformed her balcony with pots. After moving to an independent home at Alwarthirunagar, Subashree slowly changed her terrace into a beautiful garden. Stepping into her terrace garden, visitors are greeted by a fresh wave of smell from several dozens pots and plants.
As Subhasree’s passion for gardening expanded thanks to having a larger place to foster her love for plants, so did her knowledge grew. She got in touch with a Siddha doctor and social activist Nellainayagam. “He undertook several social cause and I took part in his activities,” Subashree says.
She also took part in a workshop conducted by Tamilnadu Agricultural University (TNAU). They taught her the basics
of terrace gardening. “It helped me a lot. I got in touch with several botanists and environmentalists who shared their expertise,” Subashree says.
Apart from reading books on herbal plants, she grows them. “I also have plants that are nearing extinction. You can find almost every plant growing in the city in my garden,” she says.
Subashree conducts workshops on gardening at her residence.