SUBURBAN PATCH IN THE CITY

It was in the year 2001. One of the neighbors, Sumathi, gave me a photo of Mother of Aurobindo Ashram of pondicherry. The way of praying to Mother is through flowers. According to her, each flower has a meaning. And if you offer any particular flower in prayer, your prayers will be answered. Sumathi also gave me a book titled “ Flowers and their meaning.”

For example lotus, both pink and white, signify wealth. Red hibiscus signifies energy, so on and so forth.

I began by placing flowers before Mother’s photograph.

That was the time I started noticing trees, plants and flowers as I walked on the roads. I noticed many trees, the type of flowers they bore and the months of flowerings. I also learnt about the perennials, seasonal, creepers, climbers etc.

I became interested in plants. Slowly I got some potted plants and kept them in the terrace in bright sunlight. Initially the plants flowered but all of them died after some time.

I too dropped the idea of growing plants, and started buying the flowers from the vendors.

But the vendors sold only the commercial flowers, like rose, jasmine, marigold chrysanthemum.

So I went to the wholesale market and got flowers at wholesale rates. But this could not be done on a regular basis. Finally I had to settle with the inconsistent flower suppliers. 

Then we moved into our own home, which was in the fifth floor. We had 2 balconies; one long and the other slightly less in length.

I always wanted to own a garden. But how does one do it in the fifth floor?

In the mean time we went to hill stations like, Ooty, Kodaikanal and Yercaud during our yearly trips. Each time we got some plants from these hill stations. These plants that looked so flourishing in the hills, dried and decayed in the hot and humid Chennai weather.

But the love for greenery persisted.

Meanwhile one of my colleagues, gifted me a feng-shui  lucky bamboo plant, when she visited us, in our new house. 

This colleague lives in a house with a wonderful garden, with all types of plants and trees. She had the green thumb, and the plant she gifted me grew up healthy and robust. Very soon I had to change it from original glass bowel container with water, into a pot with soil.

This plant bought with it the much needed luck and thereafter many plants I picked up from the numerous plant nurseries started to grow well.

All the window sills in the house were occupied with pots of different plants. But most of the spots did not get enough sunlight.

So the next question was how to overcome the problem.

 I was in the fifth floor, and could not just leave the flower pots on the   balcony for the fear of them falling on some innocent walker’s head.

So I was thinking, how to solve this problem?

I met a welder who makes gates and rails for the houses. I explained the project to him. He came and took measurements of the balcony. We came up with a design that would hold the flower pots securely in place and fixed the rails on to the side walls of the balcony.

Now I could easily put 10 flower pots with different plants on the balcony. This side of the home got the light form the setting sun and the plants got just enough sun and shade to grow up in good health.

In the other balcony we built a cement shelf, on the top of which we could put up another four pots.   

We had two pots on the window sill, one in the kitchen partition, two near the TV cabinet. I alternated the pots, so that all of them got enough sunlight.

Now my garden had grown, and is a pleasure to watch. I have attached some of the pictures for you guys. Hope you too like it.

Each day as I water the plants, first thing in the morning, it fills my urban heart with happiness, that there is still the possibility of a suburban patch in the city, even though it is just a small strip in the balcony.

the plants on the balcony

the plant on the shelf