Homegrown gourmet

Varsha Sara Babuji explores how gardening can be an emergency lifesaver and a path to wellness

Vijay Narasimha’s day is not complete if it does not begin at his terrace garden. Every morning, he and his wife, Vasundhara, tend to their lush green patch before getting absorbed into their hectic professional lives.

For this urban couple, gardening was a dream that became a reality about two-and-a-half years ago. “While constructing our house, we had planned on having a lot of greenery and other environment-friendly things such as a rainwater harvesting structure,” says Vijay, proudly. Since then, the couple has enthusiastically chased their vision of growing a mixed variety of plants at their residence.

“It is a passion turned hobby. We love plants. As soon as we get up, the first thing we do is to have a talk with our plants. We spend almost an hour in our garden in the morning. I always say add green to your life and to your roof,” says Vijay. Today, their terrace is home to about 200 plants consisting of vibrant ornamental flowers and the finest organic produce.

With a kitchen garden in place, the couple is usually self-sustained for at least a few days in a week. “Our terrace garden will feed us for three to four days. We buy some of the vegetables we cannot grow like onion and garlic,” says Vasundhara. However, the couple realised the true value of their hobby amid the lockdown.

The sudden announcement evoked panic among the public and many struggled due to the limited availability of vegetables, despite the diligent efforts of the government and supply chains. Vijay and Vasundhara were not among them. Fortunately, their garden came to their rescue.

“At that time, our garden really helped us. For two weeks we did not even go out and buy anything. We managed with whatever was available. We still had to buy onions and tomatoes. But we had stocked that already,” states Vasundhara. Even though their homegrown greens allowed them to navigate through those tough days, the couple admitted it was impossible for most people in urban areas to entirely depend on kitchen gardens.

Greens grown in Sivakumar's garden

Sivakumar, another gardening enthusiast from Hongasandra pointed out that space limitations were a major factor that prevented this.

“A terrace garden may not be able to provide food for 24 hours or 365 days, mainly because of the limited place,” says the insurance consultant, who has had a kitchen garden for about five years now. On the other hand, these garden enthusiasts claim that their green terraces and balconies are contributors to fresh, chemical-free meals for at least a few days with no middlemen involved.

“When I grow my own food and take it from the garden, the food chain is very short, that is from the terrace to the kitchen. But when I try to buy it from the market, I don’t know how many people have handled the food,” says Vasundhara.

Vijay Narasimaha and Vasundhara

She adds, “I can easily say that the leafy vegetables that I get from my garden are free from all heavy metals. You cannot completely avoid the markets or grow everything in our or anybody’s terrace but certain things can be avoided.” She believes the health aspects of homegrown produce should inspire
others to grow some of their own edibles. “Think of the nutritional value, consuming greens with fewer pesticides should motivate others,” says Vasundhara.

Having seen the wonders of gardening, they urge the public to give life to their green paradises. “Start with a few plants. Once you are successful, you should have a variety of plants. For beginners, we suggest it will be better to start with leafy vegetables like coriander, spinach or methi. Have your own experience and see how the plants react,” say Vijay and Vasundhara.

Meanwhile, Sivakumar concludes that there is no need to outsource seeds or fancy pots. “The concept is not to waste any money in buying anything new.

Use whatever is available and start gardening with that.”
Additionally, these plant lovers state that their gardens elevated their spirits and gave them a sense of satisfaction. “When you have a garden, you will have some sort of relaxation doing things in the garden,” says Sivakumar. He claims that this was true irrespective of the lockdown and also added that gardening was his way of breaking the monotony of life.

Vijay's green patch

In the past, various studies by experts have emphasised the positive effects of gardening on mental health. “The act of gardening involves your senses. You work with your hands, you take in the smell, the texture, you use water and clay. In this process, your senses become more alert. This naturally makes you more mindful and present at the moment. It is more like mindfulness meditation,” says Keerthana Panneer, a psychologist. She adds, “Gardening can be extremely powerful to unwind and reduce your stress. Engaging your senses can be extremely relaxing. It is also known to produce certain chemicals like serotonin which contributes to happiness and well-being.”