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Balancing the green in the grey

Garden as a means of joy and wellbeing

March has just begun. Summers usually don’t make their official onset in India yet. Though, here we are today. Instead of the much-awaited spring blooms, we are looking at weather reports. Temperatures soaring to 40 degrees in early March is an unusual phenomenon and alarming for Mumbaikars.

This situation can be easily attributed to a man-made disaster that is swiftly turning into a health and well-being catastrophe – the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. It is rapidly painting our city grey driven by the quest for faster travel, larger homes, bigger accolades and higher aspirations.

Yes, we need all this to some extent, but what about the collateral damage it is bringing along? 13 heatwaves, 2 extreme heatwaves in 30 years, and an average of 8 days annually exceeding threshold temperatures, and of course, the deteriorating air quality. It is imperative that we address this dreadful issue at an individual level now than ever.

The question arises that how could such a huge challenge be addressed at an individual level. The answer lies in first, accepting this problem and second, in adopting simple practices that offsets the grey with green. Making our living and working spaces green isn’t just an aesthetic or aspirational want anymore. It is a necessity for our own survival, health and well-being.

In this effort it is imperative to preserve what we have and to create new spaces by either rethinking the old or building new ones altogether. However, what matters the most are the choices we make in this process. A simple aspect of choosing the right species of trees and plants to provide shade with their canopies, cool and purify air with their large leaf structures, provide shelter to biodiversity and some sensory experiences to people can go a long way for generations to come.

A few things can be done at a individual level to create your own microclimate to beat this heat slowly and eventually:

1) Immediate spaces such as balconies, decks, terraces, offices, etc.

While it may seem difficult, starting a personal garden is quite easy if done using the good fundamentals. From choosing native, hardy plant species suited for indirect or direct light to low-maintenance planting materials can add a touch of green in your day-to-day living.

General notions and misconceptions such as plants attract mosquitoes, post set-up high maintenance, low survival rates indoors, heavy initial costs, etc have long being deterrents towards this effort. However, with sustainable gardening practices, all these issues can be smoothly addressed to give you access to a greener and safer environment at your disposal.

2) Secondary spaces such as building gardens, rooftops, schools, etc.

The most underrated and unused spaces around us can be put to some good use. While most new residential and commercial developments have dedicated garden spaces, the older ones have a sizeable spaces that remain underutilised.

Residential or commercial buildings have tremendous potential of creating large green spaces that can act as a carbon sink, not just for them but for the entire neighbourhood. From vertical gardens alongside the boundary walls or retrofitting old gardens with native trees and plants to creating green rooftops or corridors, there are several opportunities for buildings to create their own microcosm of green.

Being a user of such facilities, all you need to do is urge the members to create such green facilities unanimously. It would not only benefit senior citizens, children but everyone and anyone to reap benefits of your own micro-climate.

3) All others such as farmlands, villas, second homes, resorts, etc.

When it comes to landscape, aesthetics often overshadows scientific logic. To create both an aesthetic and sustainable green space, it is imperative to adopt sustainable landscaping practices. After all, just planting trees or plants doesn’t guarantee green cover. It is the choice of planting as well as technique that matters the most.

For instance, to create a beautiful driveway one often uses Ashoka trees or Palms for visual aesthetics. However, in extremely hot locations such as Karjat, Alibaug where second homes or large developments are coming up, such trees fail miserably. They can neither create canopy and thus, provide almost no shade as compared to fast growing, shade providing and high dust accumulating trees such as Kadamb, Karanj, Saptaparni, Siris, etc.

People who are acquainted with Race Course Mahalaxmi or the Hanging Garden Road, would recollect the tree cover that almost gives a feeling of a green tunnel each time one drives through it. Such magnificent trees not just meet the aesthetics need but also provide a critical ecosystem for everyone’s survival. It is also possible to replicate such an effect on a smaller level with smart choices of plants.

It is time to make a choice between aesthetics over the survival. Both can be fulfilled if there is willingness to try something new (which is adopting older ways in a refreshed form) in this maximum city to a greener for us and our next generations.

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The Times of India: Can a balcony garden actually reduce indoor heat? Here’s what science says

Balcony garden plants to reduce heat

Plants cool their surroundings through a process called evapotranspiration, essentially, they release moisture through their leaves, and that moisture draws heat away from the surrounding air as it evaporates. On a sun-baked balcony in the middle of summer, that process matters more than most people realise. And the research backs it up quite clearly.

A study, published in Energy and Buildings, examining residential greenery in a tropical apartment found that a combination of potted plants and a living wall on a balcony reduced indoor air temperature by 2.5°C, with balcony surface temperatures dropping by as much as 5.5°C. That’s not a trivial difference, especially in cities like Mumbai, Chennai, or Delhi where summer temperatures regularly push past 40°C and air conditioners run nearly all day.

“Summers are getting unbearable, lethal year-on-year in India. While external climatic conditions such as the El-Nino effect are often blamed, day-to-day lifestyle choices are overtly overlooked. A man-made health and well-being catastrophe, the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, is rapidly painting our city grey depriving us of our most basic survival necessity, the greens. This is further fuelled with the frenzy of bringing exotic plants home that serve very little towards cleaning / purifying, reducing urban heat, helping biodiversity while being high on maintenance,” Dipti Agarwal, Founder and Garden Designer, Peepal told Times of India.

Tackling this issue at a city’s infrastructure level is a gargantuan task but, one can address this issue with smart and sustainable greening efforts at their disposal, home gardens, she adds.

For Indian homes specifically, the evidence is encouraging. A study in Greater Noida found that terrace gardens can reduce ceiling temperature by 2°C to 3°C in winter and 5°C to 7°C in summer.

Agarwal says native and hardy species create a quick, thick green cover of leaves and provide a cooling effect. “Popular exotic plant choices such as Bougainvilleas are often opted in home gardens. However, one must distinguish plants that are heat-resistance with plants that can reduce heat in the environment. Bougainvilleas, while being globally-loved, often fail to maintain a thick, green look with their small and scanty leaves, thus being counter-productive for reducing urban heat,” she suggests.

The expert shares few guidelines on this:
 
  • Choosing the right species of plants that provide shade with their canopies, cool and purify air with their large leaf structures or create a natural green curtain can go a long way in reducing urban heat.
  • Simple garden design elements such as a trellis for balconies or terraces can help create a natural green wall or a vertical garden coupled with fast-growing climbing plants such as Thunbergia Grandiflora, Madhumalti (Combretum indicum), Aparjita (Clitoria ternatea), Chameli (Jasminum officinale), etc.
  • Another effective technique is layered plantation that uses different plant height combinations in descending order. Much like forests, this cascading effect helps in creating overlapping canopies and filtering sunlight before it reaches the bottom. For example, one could pair a tall palm or Champa plant with medium flowering shrubs like Ixoras or Jasmines to create a layer of visual and heat relief.
 

What practical advice would you give homeowners or apartment residents who want to create a balcony garden specifically to combat indoor heat during summer?

“Opting for native plants that have broad leaf structure, deep root systems, dark green foliage colour, can help cool the environment through evapotranspiration process. Releasing moisture, increasing air flow, blocking sun rays, thus reducing internal temperature are just a few of the several benefits of creating a well-planned balcony garden,” she suggests. “The wider leafy surface area you can add to your garden space, the better cooling effect you eventually create. At an individual home level, this cooling effect can be gradually felt with the right plant mix and low-maintenance gardening materials to maintain the garden’s health and look.”

Few examples:

For balconies, says the founder, decks or terraces that receive direct sunlight, exotic foliage plants should bereplaced with native flowering plants. Few examples of medium heighted shrubs include Ixora (Ixora coccinea),Son Champa (Magnolia champaca), Nag Champa (Plumeria Pudica), Parijat (Nyctanthes arbor-tristis), Hibiscus(Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), Kaner (Nerium Oleander) among others. Even edible plants like Lemons, Curry Leaves,which tend to have thick foliage could serve the purpose. Such plants not only help elevate your internalenvironment but also support biodiversity. On the other hand, for spaces which receive partial direct sunlight(indirect bright light), one can opt for palms (although most of them are non-native) for Areca Palm (Dypsislutescens), Rhapis Palm (Rhapis excelsa), and Ficus varieties.

So yes, a balcony garden can genuinely reduce indoor heat. It won’t replace an air conditioner on a 45°C afternoon. But it will take the edge off, cut your cooling load, and make your home more liveable through summer. Plants that you grow anyway, doing something useful all day long. 

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Unlocking the healing power of plants

Garden as a means of joy and wellbeing

We often, perceive and use plants for their sheer beauty, overlooking their innate potential to nurture all life on earth. 

Beyond providing tangible benefits such as medicine or food, plants play a far deeper role in supporting us mentally, physically, socially and spiritually. Irrespective of how one engages with them – actively, passively or sub-consciously, there’s constant interaction with plants. In our everyday lives, there are countless instances where one directly or indirectly reaps their benefits. Be it the food we eat or day-to-day materials we use or the air we breathe, every single thing we consume is a derivative of plants.

Unfortunately, over the years, the meaning of gardens and landscapes have changed radically, thus undermining their value in our lives today. From being a place of enjoyment to being a platform of appeasement, the inherent ability of a garden has been truncated. The indiscriminate use of templatized and over-commercialized non-native materials such as exotic ornamental plants, lawns, non-biodegradable products, is gradually changing their identity to mere beautiful decor objects.

On the brighter side, a garden full of plants can be many things beyond grandeur. A pharmacy, an orchard, a farm, a meditation corner, a fitness centre, a cultural or social hub – a garden can serve many purposes if designed with a vision and built with the sustainable principles.

3 things that you must consider in your garden to unlock the healing power of plants:

1) Sensory experience:

Several landscaping experts restrict the use of flowering plants in design in the name of maintenance issues. However, flowers are integral to our environment and our health. Fragrance, colour, texture, the process of blooming, every aspect of flowering plants have a deep impact on our emotional and mental well-being. Such stimulation of senses is one of the important and intangible benefit that such a garden offers.

2) Natural elements:

The idea of listening to running water from a fountain, touching or walking on stones, tasting berries or smelling flowers, together create a healing effect on the mind and soul. What is a garden if it’s not a place that is characterized by peace and silence, free of rubbish but just the sound derived from wind, water, birds or insects! By integrating natural elements such as native vegetation that attract and support biodiversity or water bodies that regulate the internal climate, there are several ways in which a restorative garden can have a healing effect on our body and mind.

3) Garden design:

Design of a garden is not just affected by desire of its designers but also by the establishes who organize it. A garden should be shaped functionally and aesthetically in order to attract and fulfil the user’s needs. From deciding the size of a garden, to creating opportunities to interact with nature and reducing the maintenance in the long-run, there should be a balance between aesthetics and sustenance.  

According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than 1 billion people are living with mental health disorders, with conditions such as anxiety and depression inflicting immense human and economic tolls. Several studies have indicated that nature has positive effects on our health and can be a place for restoration from stress. 

In the coming new year, let this be your new resolution. Don’t think of creating a beautiful garden, alone. Think of how you can create an opportunity to restore the joy and well-being at your disposal, a safe space that helps you establish a deeper connection with nature, an ecosystem that makes you feel beautiful from within.

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Plant of the Month – Parijat

Botanical Name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

A marriage of beauty and benefits, Parijat, popularly known as Harsinghar and Prajakta, has many surprises in store.

Native to India and rest of Southeast Asia, this plant has been revered in several walks of life. From blooming in the night to being used as a key ingredient in food, Parijat is integral to India’s rich traditions from medicinal, religious and landscaping uses.

It is known by many names across the world – Night-blooming Jasmine, Tree of Sadness, Tree of Sorrow, Coral Jasmine, Sephalika and the list goes on. A small, deciduous shrub, Parijat produces striking orangish red and white flowers that are highly fragrant in nature that open at dusk and finish at dawn.

In addition to beautifying any garden or recreational space, Parijat offers a host of other benefits too. The orange dye from the corolla, nyctanthin, is used to dye silk. Traditionally, the native people of Eastern India used the plant to help predict weather and rainfall as the flowers were deeply associated with the autumn season. Being a sacred tree, this divine flower is widely used in India for making garlands, and other forms of worshipping.

Talking about medicinal purposes, the leaves have been long used in Ayurvedic and Homeopathy medicines for treating several bone related illnesses.

Religious and mythological stories around the flower are abundant too. It is being said that this flower has the bark of gold, leaves of copper colour and bears a fragrant, rejuvenate fruit. In Hindu mythology, Parijat was one of the five trees that emerged during the legend of the Samudra Manthana as described in the Mahabharata and the Puranas.  

Parijat can be easily grown at home in pots, provided the plant receives full sun – 4-5 hours of direct sunlight. It does wonders in an outdoor environment, if planned well.

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3 ways to transform your terrace

Let’s be honest. To have a terrace space in a space-starved city like Mumbai, is a blessing and privilege, both.

Beyond serving as a hang-out zone or an unused corner, a terrace can fulfil several lifestyle goals for its users, be it a personal or society space. With a burgeoning concrete jungle around us and rampant felling of trees, creating your own green sanctuary could be a good idea for your long-term health & well-being.

Here are a couple of ways in which you can transform your terrace into a multi-functional garden space:

1) Edible Garden

To have a sun-kissed space and not utilizing it to generate your own organic food, can be a big oversight. While several experts may argue that a vegetable or herb garden doesn’t meet the aesthetic goals of a terrace landscape, the fact is that there are ways on which it can accomplished.

From creating neat garden beds around the walls to raised beds which can serve as a central courtyard, an edible garden can be wisely integrated with the other elements. All you need is the intent of plucking your own food, at your convenience, at your doorstep. Be it a herb garden or your favourite fruits or the daily veggies you consume, such a terrace garden can become the purest source of your health journey.

2) Fitness & Wellness  

If the idea of an edible garden seems overwhelming, then you can consider balancing it with something more suitable to you. If you’re a fitness enthusiast, imagine working out in an open environment which is free of pollutants, fresh air and perhaps a degree or two cooler than its surroundings.

Yes, this can be made possible by integrating nature thoughtfully in your space. For instance, in place of using exotic hedging plants, one can create a border of tall, dense fruiting and flowering trees. Just the corners while keeping the central space free for your gym equipment or yoga mat. This way you can ensure two things a) create optimum shade in the central space while ensuring privacy from the surroundings b) maximize therapeutic benefits with the fragrance of fresh flowers in the mornings and fruits, edibles that you can relish. 

3) A Green Extension 

Still looking for something simpler? Then, consider having a simple green space which could be an extended space of your interior. Sometimes having even a smaller patch of green is good enough. Several studies show that people who spend time gardening or in garden, tend to have a better quality of life with improved physical, mental and social abilities.

From selective potted plants to an open lawn space with a comfortable outdoor seating, a water feature or just simply a green carpet, are a few ways in which this minimal green space can be created.

However, before you embark on this green journey, there are a few thumb rules to follow. Fundamentals of setting-up a terrace garden starts from waterproofing, drainage channels, structural strength and weight-bearing capacity are paramount to creating a low-maintenance gardening effort.

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Plant of the Month – Thunbergia

Climbing plant that produces blue bell like flowers

Thinking of creating a vertical garden? Then, ditch the commercial systems and bring home Thunbergia.

While the green walls look beautiful from the outside, they often require heavy maintenance. Even the initial set-up costs for a vertical garden can be daunting as much as the post set-up maintenance. Moreover, the constant upkeep that’s required to keep the plants healthy in the small pocket-sized planters can be discouraging.

On the contrary, setting up a vertical garden with the help of natural systems can not only bring down costs but also enhance aesthetics and sustenance in the long-run. Plants such as Thunbergia grandiflora can fulfil this desire with ease.

An evergreen vine, Thunbergia is a fast-growing climbing plant that produces thick green foliage and vibrant bell-shaped lavender coloured flowers. It is best to create a green façade anywhere in no-time with negligible maintenance. All you require is a trellis or chain-like fence or arbors for the plants to climb on and they will do the rest without your intervention.

Native to Asia, this plant is known by many names in different regions. From Bengal Clock Vine, Bengal Trumpet, Blue Trumpet Vine, this plant can be easily grown in any region in India.

Besides the beauty, Thunbergia also finds its place in spiritualism and medicine. Symbolizing the colour of Lord Krishna, it is known to create a calming effect on the mind. In ancient medicine, several parts of the plants were used to treat headaches, piles, and early rectal cancer, depression, skin problems, joint pain, etc.

Being an indigenous plant of India, it is very hardy in nature, requires very little maintenance and can survive the worst of all seasons. One can easily grow this plant in balconies, terraces or larger outdoor landscapes.

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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!