In 2016, Ganesh Kulkarni (41), a librarian and resident of the Phulambri Taluka in Aurangabad, decided to take up gardening as a new hobby. He bought a rose plant and started watering it every day, but slowly the health of the plant deteriorated and it died.
With no gardening experience or a friend to turn to, Ganesh began his research online, where he found many gardening-related groups on Facebook. He joined ‘Gacchivaril Baug’ (Terrace Garden) and began seeking inspiration from urban gardeners across India.
Slowly he learned to care for his plants better and soon had around 400 flower pots and different plants on his terrace. After his project became popular with his friends and family, he founded a WhatsApp group in which the residents of the city could exchange plants and discuss gardening issues.
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Shortly after the COVID-19 lockdown, Ganesh moved to a new home, where he decided to grow vegetables in addition to his existing crops. Today its 800 m² terrace offers all the seasonal vegetables you can imagine.
Ganesh is a librarian who enjoys gardening in his spare time (Source: Ganesh)
“Part of the green revolution”
Ganesh’s plant collection includes five types of pumpkin, including brinjal, tomato, okra, and pumpkin. He also has leafy vegetables such as spinach, mint, ginger, coriander, fenugreek, chilli, cabbage, curry leaves, onion and garlic from among 200 types of vegetables, fruits and flowers.
He says he grows different vegetables every two weeks and that the food he grows is enough to support his family of four.
About his experience of learning on Facebook, Ganesh says that his questions were answered politely and people helped him every step of the way. “I learned how to make organic fertilizers, use cow dung and prepare vermicompost. I have reserved 300 square meters of space for making compost. I also looked for pest control suggestions by sending pictures and looking for remedies, ”he says.
Ganesh has over 200 plants on its terrace (Source: Ganesh)
But growing all the vegetables would require a huge amount of soil, which could weigh down the roof and thus compromise the structural integrity of his newly built home.
“I took advice from the architect and made structural changes. Also, instead of growing bags and pots, I built permanent pits along the walls. I use a mixture of vermicompost, sand and leaves to avoid using soil and thereby reduce the overall weight on the roof, ”says Ganesh.
Ganesh says his hobby has become an obsession. “I started growing aloe vera, drumstick and other plants on 4 hectares of the Sant Savtamali Gramin Mahavidyalaya, an educational institute I work at,” he says. “I also founded an NGO, Green Trust, which helped plant 1,500 seedlings on the college campus with the help of volunteers.”
Ganesh says he has 10 groups of 1,500 WhatsApp members in town today. “We started with eight members and ended up inspiring others through word of mouth and testimonials. I understand the potential of social media and it has helped me stay busy and gardening despite the lockdown. Today we have become a community that helps each other with gardening issues and motivates each other to grow our own food, ”he says.
From being an amateur and seeking help on social media, he has become a mentor for newcomers. “I am proud and happy to be able to lead it. Gardening has given me friends in different parts of India and the confidence to be part of an urban green revolution, ”he adds.
