One look at the huge red Roses in Sulekha Banerjee’s garden will make you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day all over again. But she also has a large collection of Petunias, that are so abundant that one can barely see the leaves underneath. Even her Bougainvillea and Hibiscus nearly cover the walls they grow in front of.

My interest in gardening developed when my husband and I moved to Rourkella and then to Kulti. When we came to Salt Lake in 1997, I brought along my plants but very few survived.

Heartbroken, I asked my husband to get me some more from Sealdah nurseries but little did I know how many he would order! An entire pushcart full of plants trailed my husband’s car! I was taken aback but also delighted.

Thereafter almost all the plants growing in our house are but descendants of that first batch. I am most fond of flowers so Roses, Chrysanthemums, Petunias, Jasmines, Hibiscus, Bougainvillea are always around me. Some of the Roses stay in bloom for up to 15 days and some are light pink at the centre and deep pink on the edges. Some even bear red and pink flowers together.

Passers-by often stop to admire the flowers at the gate and couples have sought permission to pluck a Rose or two. But I don’t have the heart to tear them off.

Once when we returned from a trip to my son’s place in Mumbai, I found nine plants missing from my front yard. I was furious and upon enquiry learnt that a chap living in a nearby garage had stolen them. I went over and threatened to have him arrested. He returned the plants but not all of them survived the onslaught.

We have some fruits and vegetables too. The Aata tree bears delicious fruits, the Lime tree bears more fruits than I can distribute among friends and family... Only the Litchi tree, gifted by my son from Mumbai, is yet to mature.

If I had my way I would have flooded our driveway with plants but my husband grumbles for space to take the car in and out of the garage. So we have compromised.

It’s not just plants that I love but the entire process of gardening, warts and all. A few weeks ago, when it had got extremely cold my family members tried to coax me into hiring someone to water the plants but I refused. What would be my contribution to the garden if I outsource the gardening?