You know what Sampreeti Chakraborty’s childhood dream has been? On a full moon night, she has wanted to sit in a terrace with fragrant flowers all around. And now every month, in her BA Block home, her dream comes true. In fact, Sampreeti has worked so hard on her plants in the backyard, driveway and even indoors that her dream comes true anywhere in her house.

Bel, Hasnuhana, white Hibiscus, white Nag Champa... as you can guess, my favourite colour, besides green, is white. The only white flower left in my collection is Kurchi.

We have many tall trees outside — Sojne, Kolke, Gulancho, Madhabilata — and not only do they look beautiful but they also provide shade to the street outside. Vegetable vendors come and rest outside seeking respite.

The star of my garden is the Mango tree. This Pearafuli variety bears so much fruit that we eat, gift, leave some for the birds, and still have enough surplus to sell. In season, neighbours say the yellow fruits look like bulbs lit up on the tree.

I have a sizeable herb and spice section too with Oregano, Mint, Bay leaf... There’s Gandal, whose leaves are a remedy for stomach ailments, and Costus Igneus, better known as the Insulin Plant, which helps control blood sugar. I’ve even gifted it to my aunt, who has diabetes, and it has helped her.

Other plants in her care

Besides Neem, Guava, Rubber Plant, I have many kinds of Hibiscus, including an Australian variety, the only one that blooms in winter. Flowers of this plant stay in bloom only for a few hours, from 10am to 2pm on a single day.

I’m a television and theatre actress (having worked for shows like Behula and Gnaatchhora) and sometimes return home past midnight. But it’s never too late for the plants. If needed, I water them even then. Even when I return after a few days of tour, I go to the plants before anything else and talk to them.

Gardening is a lovely hobby, and I want to propagate plants. But others often lack the time and knowledge to care for them and funds to buy them as nurseries charge high prices these days. So, I’ve started preparing saplings myself and selling them. I’ve focussed on Snake Plants and Pothos, which are the easiest to care for. I have over 25 types of Snake Plants in my collection, and my goal is to have 1,000 varieties.