Reena Kaur is a hobby gardener. She loves plants and that is evident in her entire house setting. In every room of her house one can spot a small plant. She manages a terrace which holds upto 60 pots. She has a great variety of ornamental plants at her apartment in a posh South Delhi colony. It was interesting to visit her place and see her wonderful collection of plants. And having a terrace garden set up since last 8 years she gave a lot of factual information for the project.
A woman today has so much work, professional and family commitments. How do you take out time for your garden?
Definitely maintaining a terrace garden is a difficult job and requires a lot of attention and time, however since i am not working I have a lot of time to spend in my garden. Everyday when i come back from my morning walk I water my plants. However it is not that a woman who is working may not be able to find the time, my sister in law she is working but still has a beautiful garden of her own and she takes out time to maintain it herself.
How many plants do you have in your garden?
I have about 30-35 plants. Along with this I have a vertical garden too.
Where do you buy plants, pots, medicines, fertilizers etc?
I have a gardener who comes to visit my garden every other week so he brings all the necessary things like pots and manure etc but I also visit nurseries from time to time and buy plants like from the exotic garden nursery.
What motivates you to maintain such a garden?
I have always been interested in gardening, it started as a hobby but about 5 years back I started to make my terrace garden. It is a delight to have so many green plants outside my house.
Does your family share keen interest in helping you manage the garden?
Not particularly, however, they always support me to do something new and experiment with the garden. we have recently added a terrace garden too.
Since this project is on terrace gardening and you also have such a beautiful garden, what information can you share with us? What all plants can be grown on a terrace?
Gardening is not an easy job, and you definitely need funds and professional help. Along with this you need space and the flexibility to experiment with new things.
People for whom gardening is a hobby must try to create a small terrace garden for themselves. in my garden I have tomatoes, oranges, lemons, coriander etc. Along with this I have many flowers and other plants.
Is it important for us to consult a trained professional for the terrace garden?
Yes for sure, because unless one has the knowledge one needs the expert advice on which plants are seasonal and which are not, one may not always find the time to bring the medicines and manure so that is also taken care of in that way.
In what ways does a terrace garden benefit us?
It gives you a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits and also it is a delight to sit in a terrace garden and appreciate the nature around.
Lastly, if a person decides to take up terrace gardening what all challenges can he/she face?
Firstly giving your time is one big challenge. Then obviously to be able to spend money on plants and taking care of them is another challenge also sometimes
certain plants may not be apt for your garden so to gain an important understanding is also important.
[She wasn’t comfortable sharing her photograph.]