Page 35 - seniors today August issue
P. 35
believe that next week it flowered and since then
Gardening is so much fun it is my pet plant.
I keep looking for overripe vegetables and take All this keeps me so happy and calm.
out the seeds, wash and dry them, and then In the morning I see small colourful birds sit-
plant them. ting on my plants, and I thank God for getting
Potatoes get “eyes”, that is new shoots are com- me interested in gardening.
ing out. Plant it in soil; if the potato is big cut I don’t get to eat any fruits that grow in my
into two pieces and put in the soil. garden, but I feel happy that I am growing anar,
When you cut an onion, cut the root side a bit guava, custard apple, peach etc for them. Squir-
thick, place it on soil and water. Tulsi (holy ba- rels, parrots and other birds come and eat them
sil) can also easily be grown. and I enjoy watching them. I feel as if grandma
You can used soaked chana, rajma, dry mutter, has served a special lunch for her grand-chil-
peanuts and tamarind seeds as well as china dren. The thought never comes that I am not
orange seeds. eating the fruits I have grown.
Don’t use any chemical pesticide or fertiliser; Multi-coloured butterflies come and sit on the
compost is the best. flowers, and I bless them saying take as much
For pesticides, in an empty 1-litre Colin bottle as you can take. I have a purple flowering plant,
add 1 tsp white vinegar and juice of half lemon. and when it flowers tiny yellow butterflies in
Mix and spray on plants. the hundreds sit on the flowers and the plant
If there are no fruit or flowers, then add 1 tsp looks as if purple and yellow flowers are bloom-
soda bicarb in one litre water and spray. ing.
When plants are growing fine and healthy, it Ladybugs walk around freely.
feels as if your children are healthy and happy. These days our children don’t get to see and
I share my plants with my friends and also get enjoy nature. When my grand-children visit me
plants from them. I keep the pots ready and give them seeds from
the kitchen to sow them in pots. They water
them regularly, and watch them sprouting, then
getting leaves and then slowly growing.
They enjoy, and I enjoy watching them and lis-
tening to their conversation with the plants. It’s
an overwhelming feeling.
In short, I can only say that gardening is fun
and very satisfying. Enjoy gardening!
Even a small space can be turned into a
lovely garden nook
My family
I have created a family of plants. I am mother
and granny to so many plants and my friends
who give me plants are also nani and aunts.
When we talk of those plants we say nani is
coming today, look nice to receive them. The
plants respond to my talking to them.
One day I scolded a plant saying, “You don’t
behave well even after so much caring and love;
I will throw you out of my family.” You won’t
35
Plants respond when you talk to them
SENIORS TODAY | Volume 1 | Issue 2
