He’s helped by his mother but make no mistake, 10-year-old Siddhartha Ghosh is the captain of this ship. It’s he who combs the Net to learn how to make fertilisers, he who consults the nursery owners, and he who chooses what to plant next. Siddhartha finds greenery to be a symbol of peace and by the simple and earnest act of growing flowers, fruits and vegetables, the boy is living proof that you’re never too young to change the world.
This hobby started during the pandemic. I was bored and so took some Potatoes, Garlic and Ginger from my grandma’s kitchen and planted them in the backyard. When I saw saplings emerge from the ground I got excited and decided to plant more of them.
Now I have flowers like Hibiscus, Camellia and Alamanda and last winter I grew Tomatoes, Capsicum, Beans and Onions. I had loved eating the home-grown Piyajkoli as well as the Potatoes and Kochu that got cooked with Macher Jhol. I also grow Chillies but they’re too spicy for me so I’m happy letting my parents eat them.
My favourite plant is the Pati Lebu. Other plants were purchased from the nursery as saplings but for this one, I pinched out the seeds from the lime we were eating and sowed them in the soil. I’ve watched the plant grow from scratch.
The folks at the nursery are very fond of me and even gifted me a Lettuce. Coming to think of it, I’m not fond of Lettuce either so my parents shall do the needful once again.
I love birds — we have some Budgerigars as pets — but they swoop in on the terrace garden and eat up the saplings. I have mixed feelings about this as I love both the plants and the birds. I had tied plastic bags over the saplings to protect them and it worked for a while but a permanent solution would be a scarecrow. I suggested it to my mom but she shot down the idea thinking she would have to make it!
I’m a Class V student of DPS Newtown and once our class teacher had asked us to get plants to decorate our classroom. I happily took our Snake Plant from the terrace and kept it on our classroom windowsill.
I don’t know of any friends who are into gardening but I find it to be a lovely pastime. It stands for peace and is a way to connect with nature.
