Her house bears a prominent plaque with her address but frankly, one doesn’t need to look at it. As one veers into FC Block one cannot but turn to the lush green bed in the midst of a concrete jungle and one is sure this must be the home of green thumb Mita Roy. The lawn has a hedge of pink Rangans, red Salvias and humungous potted Marigolds. No wonder locals know the house as the “niche gamlawala tob bari”.

I grew up in Baguiati where our plot had tall trees, colourful flowers and even ponds. I grew up loving plants and so when we moved into Salt Lake in 2000 I knew I would have a cozy corner for them in front of the house.

In winter, I gauge the temperature not by a thermometer but by my Marigolds. If they look sad I know it isn’t cold enough. But this year, they are smiling and I couldn’t be happier! The flowers have been in bloom for 15 days already and if the temperature remains low, will remain so for another fortnight.

Every year, I send my Marigolds to the flower show and they always fetch prizes. I hope to do the same this year too.

But along with seasonals like Marigolds and Salvias, I have some potted Chillies in my front yard. They will eventually be planted in the soil behind the house but that patch doesn’t receive sunlight in winter. So I’m keeping them in the front yard to soak in the sun during their nascent stage.

The adult Chilli plants in the backyard bear so many fruits that we never need any from the market. There is also a Mankochu plant that bears vegetables round the year. I prepare tasty dishes with them, using narkol baata.

I used to do up the terrace too but with the lockdown my gardener had got irregular and I couldn’t do it alone. But whenever I can, I shall redo the terrace with Tomatos, Brinjals, Lemons and Guavas. Brinjals used to grow very well under my care and we would eat delicious Begun Bhaja out of it. The taste of one’s own vegetables is way superior to the ones we get in the market anyway.

My husband and son do not have time to toil behind the plants but appreciate them. Our friends are always admiring them too and whenever they come over, they click selfies with the Marigolds outside.

My only worry is pilferage. Not just flowers but entire pots have gone missing from the garden and it breaks my heart. It’s become such a fear now that even if I wake up in the middle of the night, I go and peep outside to check if my plants are safe.