It's a private affair

Not long ago, the City boasted of lush greenery and offered a heavenly experience to all those who came here.

 But now, it has transformed into a concrete jungle. The trees are being cut for buildings and the chirpinng of birds have made way for the buzzing horns of vehicles. The clean breeze that Bangalore was once known for has been polluted by vehicular emissions.

Thanks to urbanisation, these changes are inevitable. But the City-dwellers still have an urge to bond with nature. It is this craving of theirs that has led them to create gardens at home. Samyuktha, a BBM student, sayss, “Houses are incomplete without gardens. Whenever I am stressed, a walk in the garden calms and refreshes me.”Her mother Surekha is a passionate gardener and has pursued gardening for the last 20 years. “It’s a better hobby than reading. Reading requires constant work on the imagination. But in a garden, one can forget oneself and keep one’s pains at bay.

 Gardening is an expensive hobby and in a City like Bangalore, there are innumerable problems,” says Surekha. When asked how she manages, she notes, “The scarcity of water is a threat. Hence, I reuse the water used for washing utensils and vegetables for plants.” She further adds, “All this sounds tedious but people have no choice. To save the environment, we must take up certain responsibilities.” 

“Gardens are full of life. It is hard to enter a house without them,” says Vidya, a homemaker. Many people are taking to organic farming and Vidya feels it’s a good sign. However, there is one problem. “Many housewives like me lack the awareness about the systematic processes of gardening,” she adds. Sixty-year-old Lalitha’s favourite pastime is gardening. “It’s a proud feeling to use the vegetables and fruits grown at our own gardens. Gardening is healthy and a good exercise for people like me.” She adds, “Modern-day kids are detached from nature due to technology.

 The knowledge that they have about plants is zero. It’s high time we start educating them about the uses of plants.” Manvel, founder, Environmental Synergies in Development, says, “Modern innovative methods like terrace gardening, rooftop farming, balconies and indoor courtyards are very effective and problem-free. People should at least begin keeping small plants to sustain greenery.” A number of apartments promote greenery and the importance of planting trees.

 Says Manvel, “It’s a marketing tool. Though people may not know how to take care of them, they are definitely concerned about greenery.” She concludes, “We had organised an awareness campaign in our locality. Many participants, eager and willing to protect greenery, were present. These numbers by themselves are self-explanatory.”