[1]Thanks to the skyrocketing vegetables prices and increasing awareness about the benefits of organic produce, many kitchen gardens (or rather kitchen pots) have sprouted in the city’s balconies and terraces.
Sixty-five-year-old Mr V.S. Mani of Adyar gets fresh vegetables and greens from his garden. “Now I get fresh vegetables and fruits from my garden which are tastier than those I buy in the markets. It also keeps me engaged in my free time. Plants have become a part of our family now,” he said.
Like him, over 350 families in Besant Nagar and Adayar enjoy fruits and greens grown in their own houses. Good Governance Guards (GGG), a voluntary organisation, provides them with guidance to make use of roofs, balconies and other small spaces available in flats to grow plants. They say that a kitchen garden is an easy way to tackle price rise and fight global warming.
GGC president Mr S.S. Radhakrishnan, 64, a retired additional commissioner of Customs, himself grew over 1,400 ladies fingers and 400 tomatoes in his garden in his last harvest.
“Kitchen garden is a social movement. We can put up a brave fight against climate change by keeping a small pot in our flats. We launched the kitchen garden movement in August 2011. I am happy that many young couples are joining our movement now,” he said proudly.
Mr Radhakrishnan’s young friend, teenager Priyanka who is a Class X student, grows vegetables in 50 pots.
“I was amazed by her activity. I am confident that the kitchen garden movement will spread across Chennai shortly,” he added. GGC members send plants as Diwali gifts to their friends and relatives. On special occasions, they plant saplings and encourage setting up of kitchen gardens.
GGG can be contacted at: 98410-23448
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/terracejpgcropdisplayjpg-954