We are always taking from nature but gardening is an activity that allows us to give back. I love greenery and try to grow as many of them as I can. Also, instead of buying afresh, I like propagating them from existing plants.
Flowers have short-lived beauty so I prefer foliage, that stay fresh round the year. And all their leaves have distinct shape, colour, shade, texture and even character. I have tall trees like Eucalyptus, Badam, Supuri, Kathchampa as well as herbs like Basil and Rosemary that I add to the food I cook. But I cannot remember the names of the foliage. Back in school, we were force-fed so many scientific names in biology, that my brain refuses to retain them.
I pick up plants from every hill station that I visit and consider it my moral duty to nurture them as I bring them away from their own soil. One of my favourite plants is a creeper Bamboo that I had got from Kalimpong. I’ve never seen this grow anywhere else.
Potted indoor plants in Snigdha Mitra’s house
When I go to my son's place in Delhi, the domestic help and gardener are in charge of the plants and I get hysterical if any plant dies out of their neglect. But then dried-up plants and leaves have an unusual beauty in them too. I use dried-up Jhau, Eucalyptus or Coconut leaves as indoor decoration and they last for months.
I'm glad my grandkids are developing an interest in gardening too. My eight-year-old grandson is studying plants in school and has taken five or six pots from me. Every time I go over to his place now he proudly shows them off and talks about how he's bringing them up.