‘Spring’ the winter away!

Maredpally: From growing alluring roses on one hand to mouth-watering tomatoes on the other, the terrace garden of legal consultant K Parthasarathi at West Maredpally can only be described as a feast for one’s soul. Brimming with joy as he offers tender care to the colourful Chrysanthemums in his garden, the 78-year-“young” nature enthusiast, who has been gardening for almost 30 years, believes it to be no less than a sanctum sanctorum where stays in the company of God's most magnificent creations every day.

From the Red Fireballs that embellish his entrance to the strong aroma of Kolkata betel leaves that grow in his backyard, K Parthasarathi’s house is now a home to nearly 1,000 varieties of Indian, exotic and hybrid plants

From the Red Fireballs that embellish his entrance to the strong aroma of Kolkata betel leaves that grow in his backyard, Parthasarathi’s house is now a home to nearly 1,000 varieties of Indian, exotic and hybrid plants.

“I was passionate about gardening ever since my childhood. Inspired by my father and uncles, I used to try planting saplings along with a few of my cousins. It is always a pleasure spending time with nature as it soothes me after a tiring day of work,” shares the legal consultant.

Spending four hours every day to make sure that sufficient sunlight is available to the plants and misting them at regular intervals to ensure they are not attacked by pests or insects, Parthasarathi nurtures the flowers as his own children.

“It takes only Rs 12,000 yearly to maintain this terrace garden but the happiness it gives is priceless. Nowadays, no one has the time to raise even a Tulasi plant at their luxurious flats, but I still feel that if I owned even an acre of open land, I would have created wonders with these plants,” he shares. He only has one regret that none amongst the younger lot, especially men, experience the surreal joy of gardening and nurturing plants citing time and space constraints they have.

The 12-time winner in “Terrace Garden” category at the State-level Annual Flower Shows (both before and after bifurcation) reveals that it is his passion for gardening that played cupid to him and his neighbour’s daughter whom he subsequently married. Despite being limited to only 650 square yards, Parthasarathi’s terrace garden is unarguably one of the best arranged and charming places in the city. “The beauty of flowers belongs to its trees. Who are we to tinker it? And my wife too feels the same.

It is she who stops me from plucking flowers in case we need it for someone or for pooja,” he shares.Unlike others, Parthasarathi doesn’t believe in buying plants from nurseries.

He sows seeds, adds homemade organic manure to nourish the plants and once they bloom, he cuts stems to plant them in soil and see them multiply. Even the neighbours stop by or peep out of their windows to admire the hues that reflect on top of Parthasarathi’s house. “Motorists who pass by my house during the winters could have met with accidents as they turned to have a quick glance of my red fireballs!” chuckles the legal consultant.

By Maitreyi Tadepalli