A tiny plant—can it offer the same intimate comfort as a pet dog, cat, parrot, or any other living being? The answer to this question is subjective. There are people like me who love greenery and have many pots on their terrace and in their courtyard; for them, these plants are an integral part of the family. There are also those who dislike even touching soil and may see plants as an additional burden. Some remain neutral in this matter: if they are there, fine; if not, no problem. However, my experience suggests that plants are a powerful means of enhancing positivity in our lives.
Even when I was serving as an officer in the government in Delhi, I would keep at least one money plant vine in my cabin. From time to time, I would change its water, and it gave me a sense of positivity. At home, we lived in a joint family with my parents, and my mother did not like plants. Therefore, the arrival of plants in our home happened only after 1997, when I was working at the Royal Danish Embassy, overseeing a bilateral assistance program in the water sector between Denmark and India. There, my money plant had quite broad leaves. It was in a pot, and its vine extended gracefully from it, forming a neat line along three sides of the ceiling, enhancing the beauty of the room and energizing me.
I still remember the day when I brought home two leaves and a cutting from that plant and planted them in a pot. That marked the beginning of plants in our courtyard. Gradually, we convinced my mother, and soon our courtyard was filled with a variety of seasonal flowers and perennial plants. We even hired a gardener to take care of them, and their presence brought a sense of divine peace. They began to feel like members of our family; watering them became a joyful activity.
However, I had to wait until 2007 to fulfill my desire of creating a terrace garden. My mother did not approve of it, and my father supported her. Eventually, we began with a few pots where my father, after retirement, could sit and enjoy the sunlight. Gradually, the number of pots and plants kept increasing. Today, they are nearly a hundred.
We still buy vegetables from the market, but the joy of growing spinach, coriander, radish, cauliflower, tomatoes, brinjal, ridge gourd, okra, and more in boat-shaped pots on our terrace is simply unparalleled. Don’t ask how much is spent on seeds, fertilizers, and maintenance. Who counts money when it comes to love and peace?
— Vijay Kumar Dhingra
Inspire Positivity 