There are some days and sometimes such days go on for many weeks where one doesn't want to wakeup, be enclosed, not face the world or say face themselves.
On such days I was blessed to have this blessing of a mini garden, it kept me curious and creative in ways I never knew is possible.
The bird bath near the plants gets visitors in morning hours and in the early evening hours. They demand cleanliness and attention. I have to makesure I wash the pots clean and fill them with clean water. There were days when the water would frequently be dirty and filled with algae. To my amusement, a pair of crows who would be fed by a neighborhood kid with dry chapatis would come to this bird bath and soak those chapatis to make them softer. What an intelligence!!
But then I had to find a creative way to shoo them away and keep the bird bath and the water in it, clean. I searched online and found that crows doesn't like strong smell and for a day or two I applied layer of eculyptus oil to the edge of the mud pots and it worked magic :).
Coming to the mini garden, the biggest lesson that I learned was about resilience. There were phases in my gardening journey where I wanted to grow specific plants in designer ceramic pots and arrange them is such a way that there is small ecosystem with butterflies, tiny bird visitors, pigeons (who would test if I am harmful to them by strolling on the railings of the varandah and constantly keeping an eye on me while I sit in my chair and stay like an statue🗽) etc
Those days I would have planted few plants and either due to my lack of knowledge or adverse weather conditions, I lost them. It broken my heart and for long time I din't dare to get another plant and carried this huge burden in my heart that I am not capable of nurturing those sensitive plants.
In the initial phase, a tiny cut branch of a money plant was brought to me by a toddler (My love Adi); his mom was pruning her own garden and as asked him to handover a piece of that plant to me so that I can grow and I was so taken by those little hand's offering and innocence and love. Some plants were a result of an adventurous midnight ride on two wheeler with a roomie and two other neighbouring friends (but that was a last as I felt deeply guilty about we engaging in stealing saplings and few pots from nearby under construction temple site), Some plants came as gifts on a new job or as apologies.
In my fear to not be able to care and hurt these set of plants and eventually loose them, I wanted to donate them to someone who could better care of them but the day never came. And those new guests and I became accustomed to each other. Whenever I sensed things are not what it should be i.e. leafs turning brown or dropping immaturely, or even becoming crumpled, my heart wanted to do something about it and I researched online.
For each plant, without my knowledge I became more attentive. Especially the ones very tender and sensitive. I learned about side-effects of over watering, the need for replenishing the soil time to time or add better manure, I learned that sometimes they are better off by themselves even if struggling, they grow better and bloom. I even started to accumulate rain water in a bucket for the days when rain water didn't seep enough in the pot mud.
Many times I was also the caretaker for my neighbour's plants while her whole family was away, travelling. I would sense the plants feelings and would attend to them all daily, before the arrival of my office cab for pickup. I would reassure them that their mumma will come back soon. They all cooperated so well and to my neighbour's surprise, a creeper which she had assumed it to be a decorative pot plant, had grown tall and was spiralling on the railings next to it.
The plants forced me to get out of my bed everyday even when it felt hopelessly dark and meaningless. Somedays I would play healing music for plants growth and that music eventually calmed me down.
Plants which almost died and had no traces of reviving, surprised me with a fresh new leaf when all I was left was a small twig of hope in my heart and with it and would do everything to cure for the rotten root eg..cleaning the infected part soaking the better one in turmeric water and drying it out before sowing them again. Today that plant is so self sufficient and blooming in the most beautiful way and always stays close to the sleeping Buddha statues (gifted by a couple friend).
In many ways these plants and trees are like us or say we are like them. When the cold weather withers away all the ease and growth, I kept the plants together and near to eachother so that their collective strength to survive the harsh weather can help them. The taller pots and plants were always on the edge and encerciling the younger or tiny ones placed in the middle.
There was this one instance of cyclonic rains and wind was so chilled with no traces of sun anywhere for a few days. I was concerned for the plants and don't know from where, the wisdom came to me to warm-up the garden corner by burning some cowdung cakes and let it burn slowly. The smoke and sambhrani (again a gift from neighbour) created a magical aura and a blissful moment....if not for plants atleast for me☺️. In my heart, I knew I did the right thing.
Those mini plants are my companions and strong expression of me because for days when I am so disconnected to myself, they suffer where as they are the once that help me get back too.
I tried planting seeds of a flowering plant named Sadabahar (periwinkle), as a love for my mom cause it is her favorite flower. The seeds dint sprout 🌱 for a very long time and when they did it filled dme with immense joy but I saw that the growth is not that fast and later I had to travel overseas, upon my returns (~15 days) I see the plant pickup growth and was bearing buds and white flowers. My heart swelled with pride and I even told my downstairs neighbour that probably she did some magic ✨.
There was also this Sansevieria trifasciata, commonly called snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue. I experimented with it's leaf and planted it in a random pot with mud....to my disbelief, I saw three tiny ones being born from it....but because my pots were full, I posted a advertisement in my office chat group for its adoption...
"One twin and a single green siblings available for adoption.
I am going to keep them at my desk. Have named them 'Tom & Dick' + Harry.
They are naughty (😉) in a good way though....they only know life💝 and to grow 🪴 (evident from their way they clung to mother leaf).
They do well with once a week watering (in cold weather), good porous piece of mother earth and a healthy manure. Born to an organic clan...would love no chemicals or pestisides but herbal and local manure.
Feel free to welcome them to your abode🙏🏼💖"
It is fun and helps me nurture the nurturer in me
I thank Mother Nature for all the ways in which it has nurtured me, enabled me and trusted me.
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