In-house Gardening: A beginner’s guide.

When we hear the word “Garden”, the first thing that comes to our mind is full of green plants, flowers and a few butterflies in between.. Ahh..! Such a nice feeling! But when you hear “Gardening”, we see people in dhotis holding a spade or a shovel, their clothes dirty with mud and sweat trickling down their nose. Well. What a contrast huh?

What if I say gardening is as easy as eating a cup-cake? Yes. The whole experience can be so much better if you follow some simple steps to build a small garden of your own, in your home. Let’s explore a few simple, yet effective steps to begin.

First: Find a right place where you can grow some small plants. It could be your balcony, terrace or sit-out etc. Just make sure you have enough space left for your regular use and the rest can be utilized for a small and elegant garden of your own. You need to buy a few pots (numbers, sizes and types depend on your needs/interest), fill them with fertile soil (dig it from an open space around your locality) and you are all set.

Make sure you don’t place them on compounds/elevated places as the chances of them falling and hurting somebody would be high.

Second: Choosing the right plants is crucial. If the place the pots are placed gets sufficient sunlight, you can choose a variety of flower plants. If you are a fitness freak, you should definitely try veggies that can be grown in pots. But if the pots are placed inside of your house, you will have to choose plants that can be grown in minimal/without sunlight. While some of them can be purchased from the market, some can be found for free. You gotta be ‘Street-smart’!!

Where can I get the seeds for the garden?

Seeds can be easily bought from a nearby plant nursery. Better still, if you have friends who are already into this, they could probably share some seeds with you. Some plants require the seeds of the vegetable or fruit itself. This is important, because what you sow, you shall reap!

Third: Most of the plants you grow in-house require minimal care, You must understand that they still need to be cared. All you have to do is spend some 10 mins of your precious time with them, twice a day, at sunrise and at sunset, water them and remove any weeds you find in the pots that could disturb your baby’s growth. That’s it!

Given below are a few pointers you can use when you setup your garden. The garden certainly should be according to your taste and convenience. Given below are categories, see what kind of garden-lover are you.

Sons and daughters of the soil - This category of people can literally go to all lengths and breaths (pant pant) for their in-house garden. Nothing gives them more pleasure than to pick that fresh veggie from the soil. They look after their garden, like their own kids. (Why shouldn't they?). If you think, you fall under this category, you should try putting tomatoes, beans, chilly, pumpkin etc. In a short while, you will host a feast in the town.

‘Love is all I have got’ girl - If flowers make you happy, you fall right in this slot. You are someone who loves visuals and fragrance. After the lockdown, rush to the nursery, get some colorful roses and delightful lilies. Your in-house garden is certainly going to be a visual delight.

‘I dont have time for this’ buddy - There is no garden without time and effort. So get yourself some low-maintenance indoor plants that are great for your health.

Some popular indoor plants you can try:

Snake plant: Requires minimal care and has air purification qualities. It is one of the few plants that also removes carbon dioxide even at night.

Aloe Vera: Is a medicinal plant that grows indoors. It is also resistant to lot of pests. Needs very little water and survives in dry conditions. (meaning even if you forget to water for a day or two, it’s fine)

Indian Basil: This also is a medicinal plant that has been grown in India for over thousands of years. It needs a little more sunlight than the other 2 plants above. The leaves of this plant can be used for cooking, in salads, or just chew on it for good health. The dried leaves can also be used as a mosquito repellant.

Now if you are thinking what does this give you, then let me tell you that you are getting a wee bit of better air than many others ☺, the freshness of flowers every morning, you might find some special guests chirping in your balcony someday, a blissful butterfly’s romance with your flower the other day…. The list goes on! Well guess what, spending a small tie with green will fill your mind and body with a ton of positive vibes which can’t be told. You have to experience it to know it!

So why wait?? Try building your own in-house garden right away!