Bangalore’s green cover is waning steadily even as people with green interests are coming up with verdant solutions. Citizens are being constantly encouraged to restructure their neglected gardens, putting up balcony and terrace gardens, and landscaping their home gardens so that they do not lose touch with nature around them. The urbanites who are aware of the need of the hour, and the ones who are ready to do their bit to alter the situation, are finding themselves pressed for time or space and sometimes, both the aspects. It was at this juncture, Myna Batavia, an enterprising businesswoman, came up with a green answer way back in 2002 by way of her retail outlet, ‘Green Carpet - The Garden Centre’. To put it in her own words, “ The place is meant to be a one-stop shop for all your green needs, and aims at providing a single umbrella for all gardening and landscaping needs without the accompanying headaches.”

A visit to Green Carpet will reveal its endeavours to cater to the needs of people who span across a broad cross section of cultures and nationalities following differing lifestyles, with varied tastes and diverse budgets. The range of products available in this place covers garden tools, fertilisers, pesticides, garden artifacts, furniture, pots, gardening clothes, accessories, Bonsai and terrariums. The varied products sold in this outlet are sourced not only from local suppliers but are also imported from Germany, Italy, South Africa, Australia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Besides providing what many may consider ‘obvious’ garden requirements, Green Carpet stands apart by running a plant clinic in which ailing plants are nourished back to health and plants of people who are on a vacation are taken care of, in a professional manner for a price.

Avid gardeners understand that gardening artefacts add value to a garden’s appearance by attracting birds besides reflecting the owner’s personality and complementing their home. Curio shops and showrooms that sell decorative stones, shallow bowls, pitchers, fountains, sculptures of damsels, animals and birds, birdhouses, bird baths, etc, are finding their businesses doing well with the coming of the new trend. Vasanthi and her family, hailing from a village in Andhra Pradesh, who sell porcelain and terracotta artefacts on the Outer Ring Road in Bangalore, happily mention that they are able to sell garden worthy art pieces, worth at least a thousand rupees, each weekend.

Having a green cover around us will not only prove to be detrimental to the demonic global warming threat which is hanging over us, but will also step up the economy in sectors that are auxiliary to a green cause. So why tarry? It is time to put your green thumb to test......