My Mother's Enchanted Garden....

My Mother's Enchanted Garden......




I wondered how people lived in this noisy over populated city like Kolkata in the four walls of their homes without a little green to feel life, a little sky to breathe in Everyday.

I always feel suffocated whenever I am unable to see the whole sky and my mother's enchanted forest.
Before the chain of diseases had struck my mother she was a garden enthusiast and a pet lover.

(the green guava's in mom's garden. We had once harvested around 200 fruits from four trees)

I remember my early childhood spent in raising pets and planting trees with my mom. We had all sorts of pets and we loved them.We had 20 rabbits, a chicken farm, a tank of 100 fishes, 50 kinds of birds whom we used set free very often.Some wild pigeons spending their holidays in our open terrace, four ducks, a weasel, a goat once I think, lost cats and so on. Childhood with mom and grandmother was some beautiful days. Our present life is so full of stress and ambitions that one has very little time for oneself let alone to plant trees. But I always make sure in the end of every month I plant some new pods in mom's garden and water them as often as possible.



Mom now hasn't been able to give time to the garden but it used to be something to see when we had first started it thus the name enchanted garden.It used to  have 30 kinds of rose trees, Marigold, daisies of all colours, papaya trees, tow kind of mango trees.These trees were like shrubs planted in big tanks, usually mom used the plastic tanks that the neighbours throwed away, she loved
recycling things. Every Friday mom cooked the home grown cauliflower, tomatoes, chilies, brinjals and other vegetables and she had such a pride in her expressions and my grandmother too enjoyed spending time there.


( the early riser sat silently nudging its wings to fly again)

We have a huge terrace in the south part of Kolkata which is like our recluse from everyday monotony.
Nature has been often the source of inspiration for so many creative projects of mine.



When it came to gardening mom is an expert, she knows which flowers grew when, the soil and fertilizers techniques. How to plant pods and for how long to let them hold roots and water them.
It was a treat to see gauvas, mango, citrus lemon, tulsi, water apple and flowers growing without much effort. It's such a delight to see it.

What I always wondered is when rains showered, various kinds of insects grew in it like the snails without it having cells of growth, isn't it fascinating.
                                                                          ( My friendly crow who always greets me with a caw)



Nature has a way of giving hope and beauty to mankind . I am a nature person and I have always wished to live in the mountains or sea beach.Even if I live in a city I'll build a beautiful natural green house and paint and write all the time some day.Until then this garden is my natural bliss.


(The full grown tulsi shrub which was planted before rainy seasons now helps my sinus problems. I take once this herb tea everyday and believe me its has work its magic.)



I wish I could see this terrace gardening trend followed here . Then imagine the kind of peace one will get and pollution reduced to a greater level. Whenever I see a tree being cut I feel something deep inside has been uprooted. Just yesterday I saw trees being chopped down by workers to clear out road blocks leading to their office when I was going to deliver some paintings.


They can't plant a tree but when nature does work its magic on its own they chop it down.

I did try to stop it but couldn't as the officials were rude.
So I thought I'll visit mom's garden, it does take away some of that load of life away and stash it somewhere out of sight and out of mind.


Guess what I am back into photography, I saw a beautiful dragonfly and last evening a butterfly flying against the wind.
I am not sure for how long this beautiful garden will be here but I will try my best to revive it and I wish you do the same.
Believe me it will make your days ethereal and our city better to live in.



 (the trees cut down spoke their lost story)


(I am always amazed at how theses snails grow every year just during the rainy seasons)



"A bit of the sky I too have,
To dip in its blue ink
And write a verse or two
On the beauty of nature
And the nostalgic journey with
The enchanted garden."

Love
Sufia


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