For 87-year-old Uma De, her garden is the centre of her life, which has come full circle. She now thrives from season to season, growing flowers in one, vegetables in another and fruits in yet another. Every plant in her garden stands for something, whether it is her mood, her well-being or even the condition of her health. It is said that plants react to human emotions. Uma De agrees whole-heartedly.
I was born and brought up in Coochbehar, in north Bengal. So, when we decided to settle down in Salt Lake after his retirement, I made it very clear that I'd want some empty space around the house to start a garden. That was in 1990. I have been taking care of my plants since then.
I have a small garden in front of the house and another one on the terrace. Today, I am 87 years old. My husband passed away less than a year back. These plants are like family to me. I look forward to spending time with them in the morning and in the evening.
I am known in my neighbourhood because of my rose garden. Not many people in Salt Lake can do a good job with roses. I have bred 10-12 varieties of roses in my garden. In fact, so many complete strangers have walked up to me and asked me for tips on how to get going with roses.
I also have an enviable collection of seasonal flowers. In winter, especially, I work with Krishna Kamal, Champa, Marigold, Tagar, Chandni, Aparajita and many others. You name it, I have it.
In summer, I usually like growing fruits like Chiku, Jamrul, Kul, etc. They grow really well under my care. I also like growing vegetables in winter. We have all kinds of seasonal fruits and vegetables in our garden.
There are a lot of people who stop by to pose in front of our house, which looks beautiful when all the flowers are in full bloom. Youngsters come around to take selfies. It makes me happy to see all this.
If you have a garden you tend to yourself, send your address and contact number to The Telegraph Salt Lake, 6, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Calcutta 700001 or email to saltlake@abp.in