Nestled by Madras Crocodile Bank on one side, and lapped by the waves of the Bay of Bengal on the other, the place reminds me of the Garden of Eden. As I walk through the lush expanse of green, a turkey struts around, announcing its presence. “Oh, he likes to show off. He loves attention,” gushes Suseela Vergis, the proud ‘mother’ of this garden. “To me, these bonsai and bougainvillea need attention just like children do. You need to prune them ever so gently and tend to their needs. Then you get attached to them,” explains the proud owner of over 400 bonsai trees.
What started out as a hobby during her college days in Kerala, soon blossomed into a passion, that has lasted over 45 years.
CHENNAI, 29/01/2019: Bonsai and other plants in a garden at Vadanemmeli, Kanchipuram District, on January 29, 2019. Photo: M. Karunakaran
“When I started out in Chennai after marriage, I had about 100 bonsai plants in my little garden. Over 20 years later, once my sons were married, we moved to our farmhouse on East Coast Road. I gave myself a decade to turn my vision for this space, into reality,” adds Vergis. And what a stunning vision it is: a Ficus benjamina , aged to perfection, stands as a symbol of the longevity of this garden. What had started out as a sapling has moved houses, seen boys grow into men, weathered storms and continues to be the crowning glory at Vergis’ landscaped farmhouse.
“I used to pick up my plants at Cathedral Road, and then from Pune and Mumbai. By the early 1990s I had started teaching small batches of people the art of bonsai. Two decades later, I was part of the genesis of Bodhi — The Chennai Bonsai Association,” says the bonsai master.
There is an unmistakable twinkle in her eye as she takes me on a tour of the garden, exploring pots of different textures, sizes and soil types. We walk past miniature banana palms, bougainvillea, and a host of other petite varieties. “In Chennai, you have to be careful during the summer and rainy season. The heat is brutal, so I spray the plants twice a day, and cover them with a green net. During the rains I have to watch as the water level rises,” notes Vergis, who lost over 40 precious pots during Cyclone Vardah. Luckily, the plants themselves survived, and were repotted soon after.
An adenium bonsai and other plants in a garden at Vadanemmeli, Kanchipuram District, on January 29, 2019.Photo: M. Karunakaran
“You have to have a passion for plants, and plenty of patience,” quips Vergis, going on to explains the Indian backstory to bonsai. Buddhist monks fleeing persecution in India followed the Silk Route to China on foot — she says — carrying medicinal potted plants. As they made their way, the plants took on a miniature form, none the worse for wear. The Japanese then adopted bonsai, and gave the artform some structure, and coded requirements like the height of a plant vis a vis the dimension of the planter. While in Japan, the plants are sourced from Nature, Vergis opines India needs her vegetation. She looks for discarded plants at nurseries, which she then transforms into miniature versions.
Bonsai, requires attention, affection and an aesthetic temperament explains Vergis, “You have to be attached to Nature , and have to look for the potential of bonsai, in any plant. Even if you have a few pots, they can give you the same pleasure, as a massive garden,” sums up Vergis, as she calls out to Ramkani and Marimuthu, able assistants who help her garden grow. She has some parting words of wisdom for me, “Bonsai has helped me fill my personal space, and I recommend this to every woman — find a passion that gives you fulfillment. I believe plants spread positive energy and require it in return. I don’t believe in the green thumb, only in the authenticity of intent.”
CHENNAI, 29/01/2019: Bonsai and other plants in a garden at Vadanemmeli, Kanchipuram District, on January 29, 2019. Photo: M. Karunakaran
For details, contact Suseela Vergis at president@bodhichennai.in
