As I sit with the cool morning breezes wafting across from my organic, a little over grown and lush, full garden; I cannot help wonder why most people cannot and have not allowed greenery to fill their lives and spaces.

There is zero pollution in my home although I am situated next to and in a polluted area. My back lane has tall trees and a multitude of beautiful floral creepers whose aroma fills me when I open my windows. Everyone yes everyone can grow greens in gardens, terraces, pots, tubs and containers, recycled Pots, hanging baskets and now even hydroponics.

There are homes laden with green walls where owners have banished any negative air with plants as well as magically transformed their interiors, also terraces overflowing with vegetation and blocking off unseemly adjacent buildings and kitchen gardens, in soil or in pots or even wooden crates where families can joyfully harvest their vegetable and herb requirements.

Those with space do multi-cropping, fruiting trees, crops and afore mentioned herbs and vegetables. Many terraces are filled with cascading creepers as well as so many stunning indoor plants. These are not at all complicated to grow.

Just love and a little effort and the intent to transform your space health and life. Layering and also placing plants at various levels and creating green walls are really a very contemporary fashionable interior trends.

Either way its a win win. Just a beautiful tree surrounded by ground cover or trailing plants and florals can be a master centre-piece, or surrounded by pots or a raised bed to sit.

As a designer I view all from the aesthetic or beauty point of view. Yes practicalities go hand in hand. But its so easy to beautify and energize your environment. Its also important not to have only the passé notion of over cut manicured gardens.

Let plants proliferate. They sing their song . Make your compost, use cut grass and fallen dry and green leaves to fill your beds to act as mulch. Not only would it look like a natural forest bed but would work wonders for all plants as well as reduce tremendously the water needs.The future will require us all to rethink about what we grow and how we cultivate. I would love to see more perennial lush and natural gardens or terraces filled with plants flowers that fill all our lives.

Give your feedback or share your experiences in the comment box below

Banni comes back from the school, and without removing the school bag from her shoulder, she goes straight to the kitchen and asks “Mom! what have you made for lunch today?”
Mom – Vegetables, salad, curd and roti
Banni – Which vegetables?
Mom – Beans, carrot and potatoes
Banni – Why do you make vegetables I hate them! I want to eat noodles instead.
Mom – Vegetables are full of vitamins that make you healthy.
Banni– I don’t want to be healthy now, can I please have noodles?
Mom – Vitamins is the need of the body. They are the good soldiers to fight against the bad soldiers in our body.
Banni – Bad soldiers? What do they do?
Mom- They make us fall ill. We get headaches, stomach pain and feel lazy.
Banni – Then why don’t the good soldier fight back and win the battle.
Mom – It all depends on the number of soldiers. If the good soldiers are more in number, they win. And we feel strong, active and creative. Also, we are less likely to fall sick. But if the bad soldiers are more in numbers, they win, and we get many diseases.
Banni – But I never told my body to have bad soldiers in me.
Mom smiled and said – You feed the bad soldiers by eating more junk food.
Banni – I eat your cooked food too, not so keen on vegetables today.
Mom- if you eat little good food along with chocolate, chips, burger in a day. Who do you think will win?
Banni – oh mom, by mistake, I served more food to the bad soldiers.
Mom- Now, if you eat home food half-heartedly and outside food with joy, it is like that you feed bad soldiers and become extra friendly to them. On the other hand, you don’t enjoy the company of good soldiers. Never appreciate and encourage them.
Banni does not want to hear any bad words about her favourite foods but what to say? She started looking outside the window.
Mom knows what is going on in Banni’s mind.
Mom – How do you feel when your teachers do not acknowledge your good work?
Banni- I feel very bad. Which are the good food and bad food, mom?
Mom – All the packed food, including snacks that come in beautiful wrappers, have preservatives to make them stay for long. They are lying on your grocery shop for one week or sometimes more than that. They are not fresh and healthy. They are bad soldiers. Food made by mom and all fruits and vegetables are the good soldiers. Fired food made at home is ok too because mom uses the fresh oil.
Banni – but I love to eat chocolate, biscuits, noodles, pizza, burger and whatever is there at the food joints. If they are so bad, then why are they sold in the market?
Mom –They are sold in the market to make more money. I am happy that you are so truthful also I understand your temptation. How about one point to the bad shoulders and two points to the good soldiers? And always remember water is the best friend of the good soldiers.
Banni – I know what I will do now.
Mom – What?
Banni- I give four points to the good soldier by eating vegetables, salad, curd and roti with you. And in the evening I will eat noodles that give 1 point to bad soldiers. How about that, mom?
Mom hugged Banni – God has sent me a very intelligent child. I love you Banni, and you are much smarter than me.