You don't need a big open patch of land to have a garden; it can be done even with a small balcony or terrace. ANUSHA PARTHASARATHY reports
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Manikandan Pattabiraman
Bengaluru
Ever since he was a child, Manikandan, a software engineer, has been growing vegetables. Now, in his home on Bannerghatta Road, he continues to grow tomatoes, capsicum, chillies, coriander, aubergine, mint, okra, watermelon, spinach and gourds.
“My dad and I used to grow veggies in the backyard when I was young. When I started my very own garden, I wanted to grow vegetables that aren't easily available locally. So I started off with exotic vegetables like yellow/red bell peppers, zucchini, lettuce, broccoli, European cucumbers and strawberries. Now I am trying different methods like hydroponics/soilless farming. When you garden, there is an element of surprise every day. The learning never stops. Besides, I also conduct workshops on kitchen gardening,” he explains.
With no pesticides and vegetables fresh out of his terrace, Manikandan says that kitchen gardening has changed his diet. “When you grow your own, you decide when to harvest and this prevents you from eating underripe vegetables and reduces wastage too. It is absolutely possible to start a garden in an apartment. A small balcony that gets 4-6 hours of sunlight is good enough to start a mini garden. People with their own terrace can try a wider variety.”
Manikandan, who is now trying his hand at asparagus and Lettuce Lollo Rossa, blogs about his garden at http://geekgardener.in/
