Prabha`s passion for Gardening

Thanks to the Lockdown,  since I am unable to go for a walk at Bessy, I go around the Corporation playground in front of my home and also  within the compound of the home every morning. Yesterday I was pleasantly surprised to see a ripe `Pomagranate``fruit on a plant among the many plants lining the inside walls of our compound. It brought back memories of my wife Prabha and her abiding interest in gardening. Her passion for gardening as a hobby was legendary both in our family & friends circles. I always used to tease her that her first love was gardening – everything else was secondary.

For over  30 years until her death in January,2013, she had managed to grow hundreds of flowering plants and other green plants. We used to have over six varieties of jasmine (Malli) :-Nithya Malli, Pavala Malli, Mullai, Jadi malli, adukku malli, & gundu malli, and over forty varieties of crotons and scores of colorful Hibiscus, Exora and Arali plants; flowering plants with no fragrance.

We even had fruit bearing trees – Sapota (chikku), Guava, Lemon sized Japanese oranges (called Kungfat) besides a coconut tree, banana tree, mango tree and even a drumstick tree!. (Of these only sapota, Coconut, mango and drumstick plants are surviving after she passed away)

In the absence of a regular gardener, Prabha used to tend to each plant herself. Every morning she would go around the compound checking,  trimming, weeding, cleaning and generally looking after the plants.  Spending  nearly 60  minutes on this particular activity. Without fail every day!

As soon as we returned  from any tour, the first thing she would  do is to go round inspecting the plants as if saying “Hey Guys, I am back to look after you!” There was a perceptible difference in the appearance of the plants as well; those drooping suddenly seemed to perk up when she went around ! I wonder if there is any truth in the belief that plants can also communicate with their patrons.

In the morning she would pluck flowers for Puja, and in the evening she would be busy collecting Nithya malli (jasmine) flower growing on our terrace. Come rain or sunshine she would spend about 60 minutes every day plucking these fragrant  flowers (nature`s aphrodisiac) and spend another 30 minutes tying them on a string to make a nice ‘maala’ for her hair or for use in the Puja room the next day.

Like all women who are crazy about gardening, when  visiting  friends and if she found  a garden around the host`s house, she would  go on an inspection tour before she even said ‘hello’ to the host! Invariably, the host pleased with the guest`s interest in his/her hobby, would  gift her a few plants which she would  promptly place in a pot as soon as we returned home  and nurture  them carefully until they  caught on. But when she tried to pluck saplings from plants in public gardens, where plucking of flowers and saplings was  prohibited and  hide the  items in the folds of her  Sari,  I used to  feel embarrassed.  

A week before she passed away, on her request, I took her around her favorite plants in the compound.  She was in a wheel chair. Suddenly, she looked up and  asked, `If I die who will look after all my children?` I was confused. Why is she asking me this question when our children were all married and we had four grand children. She clarified, `I am talking about all these plants which I have looked after for the last thirty years like my own children`. I was moved to tears. I assured her that I would look after them as long as I am alive.

With the help of a part time gardener I have been trying to keep the garden alive. Though a few flowering plants have withered away and there is  nobody to collect the Nithya malli which is still flowering copiously  every day. However I am very happy that every day I am able to collect enough flowers from Prabha`s garden and use them in my Puja room, apart from placing a flower on Prabha`s photograph every day. That is one of the ways I am continuing to celebrate her memory!