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Going green
It’s a time to go green and no, we are not talking of the wall colours. Even the tiniest urban flat today is finding some space to accommodate a pocket sized garden, reports Ritusmita Biswas
Do you envy the landscape garden in the next-door bungalow? Do you regret not having some space for letting your green finger practise the art of gardening because you are cooped up in a flat? Not to worry, the ever- adoptive human mind can make changes when necessary. So apartment dwellers today are casting off their blues about not owning a house with a backyard and a kitchen garden and trying to accommodate some greenery within the confined space. Quietly, a green revolution is taking place within the urban condo as well.
The designers unanimously agree that flats have been going green with a vengeance and even in flats not more than 1000 sq metre. “Apartment gardens are much in fashion. Everyone wants some greenery in their flats now, be it a small houseplant or a proper terrace garden,” says designer Namita Basu. Obviously a small flat in a congested metro does not often give people much choice. But with imagination, patience and a green thumb people have stretched it to limits.
The most obvious choice is balcony and potted plants as well as creepers running across it. The usual choice of plants varies from exotic orchids to common seasonal flowers. Often the developers create a rooftop garden to cater to the apartment owners. “This has added to the charm of the apartment. Specially during the summer months and after a gruelling day in the office, the greenery is refreshing and just taking a stroll in the garden makes one feel invigorated,” says executive Indraneel Basu in a high-rise apartment at Kolkata that has an excellent rooftop garden. Often apartment owners take turns to maintain it while at other times the facility management does the needful.
“The refreshing factor is the precise reason why people are going for gardens. Green is traditionally associated with freshness. In our polluted and congested metros after hours of travelling a touch of green in the flat can make a hell of a difference,” says psychologist Anindya Basu whose house is decorated with a whole lot of indoor plants.
The best option for indoor gardens is a mix of seasonal and perennial plants. Says M Mullick, proprietor of Globe Nursery in Kolkata: “Ensure that you keep a few hardy plants like areca, china and pritchadia. Creepers as Bougainvillea, Night Queen or Madhulata can add to the volume of the garden.” If the apartment garden is in a terrace or balcony you can make seating arrangement with cane, wrought iron or bamboo furniture adding to the overall ambience of the place.
However, if you do not have a terrace, or if you cannot spare you balcony as it is a must for hanging clothes do take heart as you have other options. Says Meghana Nayaar: “For me gardening is a creative expression. I love to watch plants grow but my urban residence doesn’t give me much of a choice. So I have selected for this season two varieties of roses that I nurture devotedly each day. I am sure when these two bloom it will be a special day in my life.”
Rima Ghosh, who lives in a two-room apartment in Bangalore , has tried out a herb garden of basil, fenugreek, mint thyme etc. In fact, right from ferns and orchids to tomatoes and aubergines, urbanites seem to be trying a whole range of options in their apartment to satisfy the green itch of their fingers.
“Container gardening in restricted space is a challenging job and that’s what makes it interesting,” says Ghosh. A common ploy used by landscape designers in limited spaces is use a three-tier design. While upright plants are going against walls or trellis, or as a centerpiece in a planter box, bushy medium height plants fill the bulk of the containers and trailing plats are placed on the edge of the planters. This gives the place an expression of volume and also makes maintenance somewhat easy.
The choice of containers popular today is cement. However experts suggest that earthenware is still the best option as it is porous and lets the soil breathe which is beneficial for the plants. “You can let your imagination run riot and decorate earthenware pots as per your choice,” says designer Basu.
Whatever be the choice of garden, urban apartment dwellers today are making sure that they have some greenery in their house to soothe their tired souls.
Trans World Features (TWF) |
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