Swetha Suresh By Express News Service CHENNAI: When you plant your own vegetables and fruits, you are rewarded with safer food, says 48-year-old Muthulakshmi G. So firm is her belief that her street – Vivekanandar Street, KK Nagar, wears posters depicting the importance of a terrace garden. A resident of Chennai, Muthulakshmi started her terrace garden eight years back. Now, there are more than 60 varieties of vegetable and fruit-bearing plants and several flowers, the sight of which pleases all who pass by. “I always wanted a space for a garden in my house, however, living in a city proved it impossible. However, my dreams came true in the form of a terrace garden,” says Muthulakshmi. She takes pride in her garden for its ability to bear home-grown fruits and vegetables, which she converts into scrumptious and filling meals. She spends her mornings tending to her plants. “Since my father was a farmer, I learnt everything about gardening from him. He has put in a lot of effort to help maintain my garden. He often waters the plants when I’m not around,” says Muthulakshmi. Her garden houses eggplants, 12 varieties of spinach, chillies, tomatoes, beans, cabbage, carrots and more — all neatly arranged in rows of pots and containers. Trees like pomegranate, plantain, guava and papaya add colour to her garden, along with her collection of 25 varieties of medicinal plants, some of which contain anti-diabetic qualities. A wide array of containers show off the flowers she painstakingly grew like lilies, powder puff, koli kondai, krishna kamalam, vada malli, avaram, and more. Her secret is simple – timely watering of plants every day and avoiding use of pesticides. Instead, spray a mixture of ginger, garlic and chilli to keep away pests. She uses goat’s droppings and vegetable waste as fertiliser. “Building a garden is a one-time investment and can be cost-effective if you plan wisely,” she says. Muthulakshmi also runs a nursery, Brindavanam Gardens, where she sells saplings and seeds of various medicinal and flowering plants at prices varying from `25 to `150. She says she helps her neighbours with all their gardening concerns.

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