“For someone to move from the nature-dense town of Jagityal to a bustling city like Karimnagar was like swallowing a hard pill. I never knew that city life would be starkly different from the town I grew up in. I moved to the city after my marriage. Life went on and I was occupied with taking care of my children and family. However, the COVID-19 has changed my life drastically. I lost both my parents due to Covid within six months and it certainly pushed me into a state of depression. During that phase, my family and well-wishers advised me to take up rooftop gardening to keep me occupied in the time between my morning routine and night routine. My son, Pratham, has gifted me four grow bags. It started with a measly number of 4 plants. Later, I started investing time and effort in growing the plants on our terrace naturally. With time, I entered a beautiful community of gardeners in a few online groups, and that brought with it an exposure I never knew existed before.

From flowering varieties, vegetables, fruits, succulents, indoor varieties, and many more, my garden grew in size and number. Currently, we have a collection of more than 300 plants. I am cultivating 40 varieties of fruits and vegetables including some of the exotic ones like dragon fruit, star fruit, passion fruit, anjeer, guava, and many more.

We make compost through natural manure like cow dung, vegetables, and fruit compost for the healthy growth of the plants. When the monsoon rolled in, I could safely count on my garden to provide me with the essential vegetables, and fruits that I needed daily. My husband and children also help me with gardening every day in the morning and evening. Every day I spend at least three hours tending the plants and it certainly led me to stay active. Today, we eat chemical-free vegetables and fruits to lead a stress-free life.”

• Pranitha Vetcha, Terrace Gardener