Mint, coriander, curry patta, lemon grass, wheatgrass, chillies and all herbs you can think of, even vegetable plants like tomato and lady finger are being nurtured in homes.
Nurseries vouch for the multiplying sales of herbs and vegetable plants that don't require much space. (In fact, the nurseries have seen quite a change too. At many places, women are at the helm of the affairs. Maybe this could be a reason that the pots being taken home these days are fruit bearing!)
Says horticulturist Anusha Babbar, "Particularly, in the last two-three years, the number of people taking home vegetable and herb saplings and pots has increased." She says, "All one needs to ensure is that the plants get ample sunlight, whether you keep them at a big window sill or a balcony. And if it's a terrace, then it's perfect,"
And, bringing these plants home is bringing in goodness, one way or the other. While horticulturists insist, and it isn't hard to accept either, that to most Indian homes herbs like pudina, curry patta and tulsi plants are not new, the vegetable bearing such herbs came into flats for educational purposes. Says Neha Shah, a mother of two growing up children, "As a kid, I remember spending my holidays in our village, where my grandfather would grow vegetables and fruits. In the city, children miss out on all that. So I thought of bringing home a tomato and a ladyfinger plant for my children to see how nature blesses us." Her kids love to see how their food comes into being, and she says because of its freshness, the food tastes very good too.
Vandana Shah, who once had a sprawling garden on their bungalow's terrace, agrees, "Vegetables from our own garden were definitely tastier. In fact they need lesser masalas." It was her father-in-law Padmashree Dr Ramesh Doshi, who brought city farming to suburbs. He was considered one of the initiators of the Green Revolution of the 1960s. And without doubt it's said that their terrace farm yielded five kg of fruits and vegetables throughout the year. Taking the family's project forward, she's convinced some of her friends too to grow arvi leaves. "It's very easy to grow, and the leaves are tasty and not fattening too. They almost grow on their own in this season," explains Shah.
Chefs like Arindam Bahel also sing praises of fresh ingredients used in cooking. "We have a small kitchen garden, a semi-organic, vermiculture project were shives, mint, and garlic are grown. The quantity is minuscule, but we do utilise it in our oriental restaurant. The fresh ones are rich in their vitamins and minerals. This can be felt on our taste buds too. And of course, he says, "The heightened tastes also come from psychological play. It's the fruit of our own labour. And we know exactly how fresh it is. It lends pure pleasure to the experience of cooking and eating."
For Zarina Khan, her herb plants have made life very convenient for her. "I once just tucked a pudina strand in my pot and it began to grow. Now, whenever I am cooking and I need mint, I just go to my window and pluck fresh leaves."
Think about it: Already most of us have potted flowering plants or the hassle-free money plant for a little green to soothe our visual senses in the midst of the concrete jungle. But city farming could well add value to your meals too. A pot or a basket is enough and you have the freshest vegetable to dish up your daily meals — all organic and almost free!
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