Gardening

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Lets paint our cities green !

The term 'gardening' automatically conjures up visuals of an enclosed planned space, usually outdoors, where both ornamental and food plants are grown. But with shrinking open spaces in urban areas, people have had to become more creative in order to become more green. Terrace gardens! Not only are these green patches a visual delight but they also help provide city farmers with a healthy, organic food palette, free of pesticides.

An expert on terrace gardens, Dr Vishwanath Kadur has some simple tips to grow food on one's roof in earthen pots. Panchgavya, a concoction made up of cow dung and urine, fermented with a host of other ingredients, is another organic solution that can be prepared conveniently. Vani Murthy explains how a roof garden can be enriched through vermi composting.

A garden is possible no matter where you live. All you need to do is to flex your green thumb! Read our FAQ on terrace gardens and get answers to some basic questions that will have you get started on this exciting venture!

 

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Featured Articles
July 9, 2019
Adequate water most important for plant diversity
Study shows how rainfall and temperature affect variety of plants in major bio-geographic zones of India
Image used for representational purposes only. Image source: India Water Portal on Flickr
July 1, 2019
Women hold the key to water for food security and nutrition
Study reveals women are central to both food production and preparation, as well as to domestic water provisioning.
A woman from the Ahir tribe at Chapredi village, east of Bhuj with cotton husks. (Image: Meena Kadri, Flickr Commons, CC BY-ND 2.0
June 18, 2018
Green toilet in my backyard
Ecological sanitation toilets are the best option to deal with mounting sewage burden in India.
Chicu with a pan used in ecosan toilet. (Photo courtesy: Chicu Lokgariwar)
February 17, 2016
Floating gardens for the landless
Flood affected areas in coastal Odisha have adopted new ways of farming. Called floating gardens, these have the scope to reduce the food insecurities of the landless poor.
Women working on a floating garden (Source: RCDC)
November 22, 2015
Sunny balconies and hanging gardens in Goa
Terrace kitchen gardens are slowly making their mark in the tourist hotspot. A couple helps those interested in organic farming either find good farmers or become one themselves!
Karan and Yogita at a workshop on organic container kitchen gardening
April 28, 2015
Delhi Govt bans use of groundwater in city parks
Policy matters this week
The Nakshatra Garden
Bee in safe hands
Amit Godse is on a quest to save bees by relocating them and motivating people to keep bees for honey in their gardens.
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 06 Nov, 2017 11:21 AM

Studies suggest that bees are disappearing at a rapid rate in India. Should we be worried? The disappearance of bees has particularly alarming implications for human existence. Honey bees play a very important role in preserving the biodiversity of nature.
Amit with a bee box installed in a garden at a house in Pune. (Image source: Amit Godse)
‘Recycling is the answer to India’s water woes’
Water expert Dr Sharad Jain believes that unless India adopts recycling of water in an organised manner, the country will soon become water scarce.
Dr T.V. Venkateshwaran and Jyoti Singh
Posted on 22 Jul, 2017 09:55 AM

The per capita availability of water in India is going down progressively and the situation may become precarious unless the country takes measures like the recycling of water in an organised manner, warns Dr Sharad Jain, director gener
Recycling of water is the way forward. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Floating gardens for the landless
Flood affected areas in coastal Odisha have adopted new ways of farming. Called floating gardens, these have the scope to reduce the food insecurities of the landless poor.
Jagannath Chatterjee
Posted on 17 Feb, 2016 09:49 PM

The coastal district of Puri in Odisha is infested with water hyacinth. In 1982, 10 million people and 3 million hectares of agricultural land was affected by floods causing the water hyacinth to increase to such an extent that it has affected the lives and livelihood of communities for almost three decades.
Women working on a floating garden (Source: RCDC)
Sunny balconies and hanging gardens in Goa
Terrace kitchen gardens are slowly making their mark in the tourist hotspot. A couple helps those interested in organic farming either find good farmers or become one themselves!
Chicu Lokgariwar
Posted on 22 Nov, 2015 09:59 PM

It was a sultry Sunday afternoon in Goa, the time traditionally reserved for heavy lunches followed by long siestas but the small crowd gathered at Arjuntree One in Margao defied the stereotype.
Karan and Yogita at a workshop on organic container kitchen gardening
Delhi Govt bans use of groundwater in city parks
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 28 Apr, 2015 11:03 AM

Stop use of fresh groundwater in city parks: Delhi Government
The Nakshatra Garden
Porous pavements to save concrete jungles!
Cities may not be able to lessen their 'concrete footprint', which prevents groundwater from entering the soil but maybe more city spaces can use porous surfacing to deal with this problem.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 08 Jan, 2015 10:20 PM

Despite its shrinking greens, Delhi has significant tree diversity. Pradip Krishen, a naturalist, author and filmmaker, identifies around 250 tree species in the concrete jungle, in his book titled ‘Trees of Delhi’ published in 2007. But these trees do not have the breathing room they need as the Public Works Department's (PWD) pavement tiling projects enclose trees completely in concrete.
Porous tiles act as flood absorbers in the city
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Terrace gardens
Here is an FAQ that answers most popular questions related to terrace gardening and helps you set up a perfect terrace garden.
Sabita Kaushal
Posted on 04 Jun, 2014 06:03 AM

The most popular questions related to terrace gardening are listed here. Browse through it and be on your way to setting up the perfect terrace garden.  

 

Please click on a topic to view more detailed information.
Terrace gardens
Simple ways to achieve water sufficiency
Rainwater harvesting is the easiest way to address the growing water scarcity that we are facing. Read on to find out what you can do at your home, office or apartment community.
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 27 May, 2014 09:18 PM

Fresh water found on land has only two primary sources - melting of ice, and rain. Harvesting rain is crucial for sustaining both the surface and sub-soil water sources.
Recharge well constructed in Chennai
Farm like the rishis!
Raju and Shalini Titus have been engaged in no-till farming for over 23 years. Contrary to pop wisdom, their net income has gone up because of increased yields and a reduction in input costs.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 09 Feb, 2014 08:20 PM

It all started in the eighties when Friends Rural Centre, a group of Gandhian Quakers in Rasuliya village, near Hoshanagabad, Madhya Pradesh came in contact with Masanobu Fukuoka.
Results of no till farming; Image: Titus
UNEP launches water quality guidelines for ecosystems
Policy matters this week: UNEP launches water quality guidelines for ecosystems, committee to explore wider use of Mangal turbines and 6500 fish ponds coming up in Meghalaya.
Ravleen Kaur
Posted on 11 Nov, 2013 08:17 AM

UNEP launches water quality guidelines for ecosystems
Mangal turbine Source: mangalturbine.com
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