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3 garden trends to follow in India

Terrace garden set-up for growing organic food

A garden has limitless possibilities when it comes to creativity and functionality. 

It can be a space which you can share with your loved ones or spend your quality me-time. It can be a space where you can pluck your own food or flowers that fill your room with unadulterated fragrance. It can also be a space where you invite and integrate nature – be it the symphony of birdsongs or the sight of fluttering butterflies. A garden has many things on the menu to offer you beyond just greens.

In this age of rapid erosion of our natural environment, you can look at these emerging trends which are now taking centre-stage in landscapes worldwide: 

Foodscaping

Contrary to popular beliefs, kitchen gardens or orchards can serve your individual needs but can also integrate well with your landscaping aesthetics – if designed ad planned well. Imagine plucking your own organic food straight from your front-yard or backyard. By incorporating edibles into an ornamental garden, one can transform your perception of the gardening experience.

Be it everyday vegetables, fruits or the rare, seasonal crops, your garden can be the source of your well-being and health. If maintained organically with sustainable farming principles, this small investment can prove to outweigh every other option.

Rain Gardens

Keen to do rainwater harvesting and worried about the associated costs? This simple and most effective technique to capture rainwater run-off on your land, can be your answer. Rain gardens can help in recharging groundwater with beautifully designed plant beds.

A rain garden is a landscaped area that collects, adsorbs, and filters stormwater runoff from roof tops, driveways, patios, and other hard surfaces that don’t otherwise allow water to soak in. It is the most cost-efficient and aesthetic way of channelizing stormwater and recharging your land’s groundwater easily. Every year, the intensity of storms keep intensifying and rain gardens can be your solution to address the flooding in a controlled way.  

Water bodies

No, I am not talking about fountains. Water bodies are not just an interesting feature of any landscape but can help regulate the micro-climate of your land. Aspects such as lotus & lily plantation, fish, natural rocks can add so much value to your garden design.

There are several types of aquascaping that fits a landscape design theme. From a natural or jungle design that mimics a natural habitat such as a pond or river stream to a more detailed Japanese or Dutch design that its symmetrically defined. However, while designing any such aquascape, one must pay attention to regulate water flow at all times.

The next time you want to add any garden element, think of the above that might help you and our planet both.

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Plant of the Month – Shatavari

Closeup fresh green bush of Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus Willd.)

Botanical Name: Asparagus racemosus

Creating a low-maintenance and beautiful garden is an ambitious combination for many. But not when, one chooses sustainable gardening practices, starting by choosing native plants.

However, a constant challenge is to find native plants who can help us in fulfilling this vision. Today, commercial plant nurseries are flooded with exotic species and information about our native plants is minimal, if not rare.

If you’re thinking of landscaping your large outdoor spaces or greenscaping your smaller indoors such as balconies or terraces, then one such plant that can be easily found is Shatavari aka Asparagus racemosus – “the plant with hundred roots” in Sanskrit.

Often confused with Foxtail Fern (Asparagus aethiopicus), Shatavari is one of the most underrated and underutilised plant in the world of landscaping. Packed with medicinal qualities, it can add both environmental as well as aesthetic value to any garden. It’s beautiful, pine-needle-like foliage coupled with its pretty little white blossoms makes it a winner almost everywhere. One may use this humble plant as a filler in hedges to add that touch of glamour while balancing simplicity among other plants.

In several walks of life, Shatavari is known to be associated with something. For instance, it derives its name owing to its ability to increase fertility and vitality among females “who possesses a hundred husbands or acceptable to many”. In Ayurveda, it is known as the ‘Queen of Herbs’ as it promotes love and devotion.

A native plant of India, one can use Shatavari not just for greenscaping but also for its rich medicinal properties. From treating serious illnesses to enhancing moods, Shatavari is known to a remedy for almost 100 types of diseased conditions. 

If you’re thinking of adding greens to your garden, don’t miss out on this green gold.

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How to start and maintain your own organic kitchen garden

Terrace garden set-up for growing organic food

What is luxury living?

To different people, it may mean different things. From home, car, décor, apparel, other exclusive lifestyle choices, the word ‘luxury’ has several connotations. However, in this rapidly changing environment, where nature is increasingly getting out of reach, luxury would be soon measured with the way we grow, consume, and interact with our food.

Growing your own food organically without using chemicals and plucking what you need, when you need epitomizes luxury today.

Now, one may argue that you would require acres of land to make this a reality. The fact is that even the smallest corner of your home, can be a potential kitchen garden. All you need to consider are the following factors:

Plants: Depending on the available space viz. window, balcony, terrace, or farm, decide the size and type of your kitchen garden. For instance, in window gardens, one can grow edibles that are smaller in size, tend to grow vertically and won’t require much space as compared to a terrace or farm. A few examples include day-to-day herbs and leafy veggies such as pudina, basil, oregano, methi, spinach, green chilies, lemons, et al. The size of your space will determine the type of edibles you can grow.

Materials: In balconies and terraces, one can create a more elaborate set-up to grow veggies v/s a window. From larger pots, fabric grow bags to raised vegetable beds, there are several ways in which an easy-to-maintain vegetable garden can be set-up. For instance, an open terrace can be more fitting for raised vegetable beds to grow space-consuming root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, beetroots, among others. Combined with the use of trellises for climbing veggies such as gourds can even add an aesthetic appeal to the garden.

Light & Air: While a lot of emphasis is laid upon the sunlight availability for a successful kitchen garden, we often miss out on the ventilation and circulation of fresh air. Even in the absence of direct sunlight, it is possible to grow certain kind of edible plants with the help of artificial, spectrum lights. If the space receives direct sunlight, it is important to keep the are clutter-free. For instance, often ornamental plants are thrown in the mix which tend to overgrow and overtake the kitchen garden space. This may not only invite pests but also reduce the overall growth of your produce.

Preparation: Once the above factors have been considered, it is important to get the fundamentals right. Quality and type of soil, efficient drainage & easy access to watering with drip irrigation as well as organic fertilizer such as vermicompost or cow-based manure will eventually make or break any garden. For terraces and balconies, it is important to ensure waterproofing as well as easy drainage from pots, raised beds.

Schedule: Above all, keeping a calendar of crops and herbs to grow as per the season can ensure a steady availability of produce in your kitchen. Practices such as crop rotation, mulching, timely use of organic pesticides and fertilizers can ensure good soil health and a bumper harvest for your own consumption.

As someone wise once said, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Rethink your space and start your own kitchen garden in the space available today.

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Plant of the Month: Aboli

Botanical Name: Crossandra infundibuliformis

Who doesn’t like a perennial, bountiful garden! In this quest, selecting the right set of plants that balances both seasonal and perennial outcomes, is paramount. At the same time, ensuring that it’s hardy, lesser-prone to pests, and vibrant, could make this task a bit harder.

But not with Aboli! Crossandra infundibuliformis easily checks all the boxes with ease. Native to India, it has rightfully earned its position in our botanical heritage, owing to its abundance of bright orange blooms. From embellishing hairstyles of Indian women to becoming an integral part of daily rituals, this flower continues to win the hearts of many.

Once a state flower of Goa, Aboli is gradually and sadly evading the Indian landscape and botanical heritage to its foreign / exotic counterparts. Interestingly, this plant is also called Firecracker flower since its seed pods tends to explode onto the ground like a firecracker when nearing high humidity or rainfall. 

Also being high in medicinal properties, Aboli’s extract is widely used to treat minor headaches, aperitif, fever, pain, and also wound healing. This plant is best suited for people who are looking to create a low maintenance, perennial garden.

Being native to our environment and surroundings, it is better placed to fight pest attacks or diseases. Like any other flowering plant, Aboli likes direct sunlight of at least 3-5 hours to produce those vibrant flowers.

Maintain your garden’s perennial beauty with Aboli!

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Native alternatives to popular exotic plants in India

Native climbing plant of India

You might be wondering why I need alternatives to exotic plants? What harm will these plants bring to anyone? The fuss about exotic plants isn’t just about their aesthetic appeal but sustainability – for you and our environment at large.

Worldwide, developed nations are now realizing the value of native, indigenous plants in their ecosystem and working hard to reintroduce them. This realization has come at a heavy price though. From heavy garden maintenance, biodiversity loss, degrading soil health and erosion, reducing green cover, rising temperatures and the list goes on.

In the short-run, effects are hardly felt. Though some are visibility evident such as the movements of birds, butterflies, bees. For instance, birds use their intelligence to recognize exotic trees and avoid building their nests on them. Non-native or exotic trees are weaker in the rooting system as compared to the native trees and are more prone to falling. A good example of this is Mumbai’s popular Gulmohar tree, which dot our cityscape but also pose as a major threat during monsoons.  

Like Gulmohar in the city, our homes are filled with exotic species too. Be it indoor plants such as Monsteras, Pachira, Bird of Paradise or invasive outdoor species such as Lantana, Bougainvillea, Morning Glory, these pretty plants can take up a lot of your time, space and effort if left unchecked.

Here a few alternatives to exotic and invasive plants while planning your home garden which have near similar aesthetic appeal:

Ixora (Ixora coccinea) – Alternative to Lantana

Popularly known as Jungle Geranium, Ixora is a perennial flowering plant with striking clusters of flowers available in different colours

Madhumalti (Combretum indicum) – Alternative to Bougainvillea

Attractive flowers, which blossom like a bouquet of different shades of pink, red and white, can fill your garden with a sweet, unforgettable scent unlike its global counterpart Bougainvillea.

Thunbergia (Thunbergia grandiflora) – Alternative to Morning Glory

Creating a natural green wall couldn’t be easier with Thunbergia. It’s thick green foliage coupled with beautiful purple flowers can create a sturdy green barrier in no time.

Kaner (Nerium Oleander) – Alternative to Thevetia

Drought resistant, perennial, flowering and bushy – what more can a garden demand!

Son Champa (Michelia champaca) – Alternative to Plumeria

A highly underrated, hardy, fragrant plant that adorns our festivities every year. Son Champa can be a great addition to any garden – big or small.

Exotic plants are not bad by themselves. They are just plants after all, but happen to be in a different place, unknown environment, and more often bring along a host of issues. The human endeavor to introduce and multiply exotic plants in non-native conditions creates a negative impact on the local ecology.

Start by adopting these hardy, low-maintenance plants that can serve as great alternatives to exotics.

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Plant of the Month: Ixora

Ixora

Botanical Name: Ixora coccinea Linn.

Everyone loves a perennial garden! A garden, which can stand the test of changing weather, places, people, etc.

In garden planning, the choice of flowers and foliage plants makes a lot of difference. For instance, the simple humble Ixora promises perennial flowering with a colour blast in your garden. A native of India, Ixora coccinea is known by several names that characterises it. From Flame of the Woods, or Jungle Flame or Jungle Geranium, this plant produces flowers that looks a mini bouquet of delicate flowers bunched up together.

Being a native, it is an extremely hardy plant that grows profusely in a medium sized shrub. Though there are several hybrid and dwarf varieties available today to fit your garden as the case may be. For hedging, this is a perfect plant owing to its thick leaf coverage as well as striking flower bunches that make a statement in any garden.

Ixora has been widely used in traditional medicine i.e. Ayurveda due to its richness in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. Owing to this, most parts of the plant from flower, leaves to roots are used to treat conditions such as arthritis, asthma, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and other chronic illnesses. It is also consider to purify air and increase humidity levels, making them ideal in drier climates.

This low-maintenance, happy-go-lucky plant is a gardener’s favourite, which you may find growing throughout India. Hard to believe that one plant can check all boxes, isn’t it! After all, gardening is all about trying and trying until you grow it!

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3 reasons why you need garden therapy

We are surrounded by jargons. Especially in the green world. From biophilia to sustainability, every concept seems convoluted. Though if one tries to dig deeper, the simplicity behind such complexity can be truly uncovered.

To understand, we first need to revisit the basics. What is a garden? What is it meant to do? Why should I have one? Before we deep-dive, we must remember that there’s no right or wrong answer, it’s just a matter of our own interpretation.

There are several definitions of a garden. A plot where flowers, plants, fruits, herbs are cultivated. A place meant for enjoyment with plants. A planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display with grass, ornamental plants.

Well, a garden is all of it and much more. It is a collective of people and plants, where they come together to celebrate life, appreciate beauty, harvest bounty and above all, share joy.

A garden is also one such place, that embraces every kind of gardener – one who is actively involved in planning, observing, nurturing, sharing insights, being physically involved in the act of gardening or making use of the garden for leisure, recreation and other purposes.

And it takes care of the passive ones too – who don’t engage themselves in the process but yet reap the indirect benefits by being around. From the calm and cool of green to the scent of flowers, plants have this magical, intangible impact on everyone.

Here are top three reasons why everyone should consider garden therapy:

Holistic well-being: It is a known fact that plants can heal our body. And, they can also heal our mind and soul. From reducing stress, improving mood and memory, enabling social skills, promoting emotional growth in form of self-esteem, to making one self-aware, a garden has a lot of offer for us.

Pollution-free environment: Every plant exhales oxygen and inhales carbon dioxide. It’s a natural phenomenon called photosynthesis. By doing so, every plant contributes towards cleaning the air we breathe, bringing the rainwater we drink and cooling the climatic conditions we live in.

Health and lifestyle: By adopting organic and sustainable methods of gardening, one can produce his/her own food chemically-free. From herbs to vegetables, an organic garden can help increase vitality, longevity of people while also inviting beneficial pollinators to pollinate our food naturally. After all, a healthy body and mind can enjoy life to the fullest.

A garden is more than a place of past-time or a hobby. It has the potential to heal our body, mind and even soul. This form of therapy is the most pioneering, pure, and powerful gift of nature for us.

Try it to believe it!

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How to set-up a low-maintenance home garden?

Low maintenance home garden

You have been thinking of bringing plants home for some time. But you’re confused or hesitant on which ones to get, where to keep, how not to kill them. Or, you already have plants in your garden space (window, balcony, terrace, lawn) but keep jostling with their survival from time to time. Well, this is a journey for most of us. Starting your garden with the right knowledge and materials is the key to addressing your concerns.

With the help of the internet especially Instagram, one may argue that choosing houseplants is simple and straight-forward today. Nursery operators have elaborate sections inundated with “indoor plants” they claim are maintenance friendly. And to take care of them, we now have mobile apps powered by AI that can help us to identify the names and diseases and perhaps, better take care of them.

While all this may be true to some extent, the challenge lies in getting the right information meant for your own garden space. Not generic rulebooks meant for all. Before you decide to buy any plant or pot, you must consider the following factors in your house:

Light condition For spaces or corners that receive direct sunlight, choose plants that can withstand it such as flowering plants such as Ixora, Jasmines, Desi Hibiscus, Kaner, etc. Or herbs or edibles such as Pudina, Oregano, Lemon, Ajwain. Certain foliage plants include Rubber Plant, Schefflera, Palms, etc. Even exotics like Fiddle Leaf Fig or Radermachera thrive in direct light against popular belief. Depending on the hours of sunlight that space receives, you can pick the desired plant that won’t burn out in the sun or won’t wither away in its absence.  

Ventilation This is a very important factor to consider given the hot, humid, and unpredictable weather of Mumbai. Lack of fresh air can degrade the health of plants, just like ours and invite pests, diseases which make them high on maintenance. Instead of keeping plants in zero ventilated areas, choose a spot which allows fresh air at least for a few hours of the day. Or move the plants is breezy spot at least twice a week.

Materials If your house lacks bright daylight, then avoid using non-porous materials such as plastics or ceramics as they don’t allow water to evaporate easily. In turn, use fabric grow bags as inner liners in place of plastic pots or simply use the age-old terracotta planters to always keep your plants healthy.

Watering This is the most critical aspect which can make or break your garden eventually. Whichever material you choose, watering the plants should be regulated and personalized to each plant’s need. Terracotta needs lesser water as the clay keeps the soil moist and aerated for a longer period. Plants which are kept in direct sunlight always, may need water daily v/s plant which are kept in indirect light.

Above all, use native plants that are indigenous to our land, climate, and environment. Such plants by default make a garden low maintenance yet maintaining its natural beauty. While setting-up a home garden seems daunting, the tougher part is the post set-up maintenance.  

Plants make a great addition to décor. However, this experience can be daunting if style takes over sustainability. Hence, it is imperative to strike a balance between science and aesthetics.

Simple techniques such as selecting plants to suit light + space conditions, reducing clutter, choosing the right materials, can help in creating a self-sustaining home garden.

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People are the heart of buildings. Gardens are its nervous system.

Since time immemorial, gardens have shared a symbiotic relationship with its people. A relationship meant for recreation, for food, for shelter, for oxygen, for medicine, for rejuvenation. A relationship which believes in co-existing, supporting, depending on each other. A relationship that enhances mental, physical, social, emotional, spiritual well-being.

It’s the garden which has been at the epicenter of all life, for all people. Human beings, birds, bees, butterflies, alike. However, it’s very purpose has changed over the time – and its size, too.

Today, gardens have become a beautification element rather than a necessity. In housing societies, commercial complexes, or public projects, gardens are designed to suit our needs over the others.

Exotic plants are widely used to ‘enhance’ aesthetics, thus displacing native plants and with them, biodiversity. Lawns have taken a centerstage to give a greener look over the grasses, medicinal plants that are lifesaving for many. Old trees are being uprooted, giving way to concrete pathways or appeasement structures, dismantling homes of countless life-forms from birds, insects, that depend on them for food, shelter. Colourful leaves that make a statement are chosen over flowers, which are useless for attracting any pollinators.

While we may imagine a garden to be a huge, open public space, it is now confined to our buildings. Sometimes to our windows. Parks are becoming private and individual.

This change brings a greater responsibility for its residents. Of restoring the ecosystem one plant at a time. Of creating a microcosm for other living beings one garden at a time.

But what’s in it for us? Why should I care about plants, birds, or bees? Well, without them, our existence too is in jeopardy. Without nature’s humble pollinators, we will have nobody to propagate our food. Without the old tree cover, we won’t have clean air or shade to escape from the sweltering heat. Without the humming sounds of birds and fluttering of butterflies, we won’t have mental peace. We have much more to lose than them.

The habitat loss created by urbanization and consumerism is making the biodiversity vulnerable and dependent on us. Though, this trend can be reversed if we stand united in this battle. If each housing societies makes informed, meaningful choices to build or transform garden spaces into sanctuaries for its people, we will be able to create an equal, hospitable environment for all. Be it a building park or an individual’s home.

The idea of a garden should be barter, not banish. To shape the way we live, play, enjoy and do just anything.

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5 reasons why you need a sustainable landscape

We are surrounded with landscapes in our everyday life – be it backyards, balconies, parks, public green spaces, roads, and even office spaces.

Using sustainable practices in your garden, no matter where you live – whether you create a garden in a balcony, your housing society or farmhouse, can do good for you and our environment. Sustainable landscapes enhance our environment’s ability to clean air and water, reduce flooding, combat climate change, and provide all the other natural benefits that support life on earth. Sounds big?! Let’s break it down in simple words.

A sustainable landscape works with nature, not against it. Irrespective of its size, it maximizes environmental and health benefits for the current and future generations. In short, a sustainable landscape is a beautiful garden that protects or restores the benefits nature provides us that are essential to our everyday lives. It can be a space for outdoor recreation, gathering with family and friends, stormwater mitigation, plain relaxation, or a home for wildlife. The choice is yours to make.

5 benefits of creating sustainable landscapes:

This approach not only benefits the environment but also enhances the quality of life for you and community at large. It offers the best of both worlds, blending beauty with practical benefits.

Clean Air Plants naturally remove pollutants from the air, take in carbon dioxide, and provide the oxygen we breathe. Rapid concretization in urban cities is taking a toll on public health and mindful landscaping is one of the key factors to protect it.

Clean Water Plants and healthy soils capture, break down, and bind water pollutants. Stormwater runoff from developed land is the leading cause of water pollution of urban areas.

Build Healthy and Fertile Soil Maintaining soil health and fertility is one of the foremost benefits of this method. Turning landscape trimmings into compost or mulch benefits landscapes and minimizes waste materials in the landfill

Control Erosion and Sediment Runoff On terrains which are prone to soil erosion, landslides, a sustainable garden can offer more than concrete can. Vegetation holds soil in place and decreases the likelihood of erosion and sediment runoff

Mitigate Urban Heat Island Vegetation helps to moderate air temperatures by providing shade and releasing moisture into the air. Sustainable landscapes shade dark surfaces and use light-coloured or porous materials to mitigate urban heat islands.

Urban development and the replacement of vegetation with dark impervious surfaces such as conventional roofs, roads and buildings can absorb and trap heat which causes cities to have warmer temperatures than their rural surroundings. This phenomenon, known as the urban heat island effect, increases the demand for cooling energy in buildings and accelerates the formation of ground level ozone and smog.

Above all, sustainable landscape provide habitat – plants and soils fuel the dazzling diversity of life on this planet. There are more soil microorganisms in a teaspoonful of soil than there are people on the earth! Sustainable gardens can provide habitat for a variety of plant and animal species that are paramount to human life, too.

Home gardeners or not, you can work with nature and as a part of nature to support and build biodiversity in your way. Even a small garden, can have a big impact.

By Dipti Agarwal Founder and Chief Gardening Officer, Peepal Resident of Kemps Corner
Mobile: +91 7400XXXXX| Email: dipti.agarwal@peepal.one | Website: https://peepal.one/ | Instagram: peepalindia