VIJAYAWADA: Gardening is considered to be good exercise and people used to prefer gardening in olden days. But, living in an apartment makes it tough for people interested in gardening. Around 200 roof gardens are being developed in Vijayawada with flowers, vegetables and plants. Women are raising turning their roof into a garden as it gives them mental relief.
When we enter the terrace of the residence of Auditor, K. Syam Sundar at Kusumanchi Venkata Gupta Street, we feel we have entered a botanical garden. More than 200 varieties of plants like Bonsai, Cocktails, Indoor plants and kitchen verities greet us. The garden is developed in an area of 2,000 feet and maintained by Ms Vishala Syam Sundar.
Verities of plants under shade nets, shell designs, toy hall, wall embossing, a pond, a well, lawn, toy house, rock shell, and a kitchen garden with many vegetables. 100 Haritha Priya members aim to encourage residents to grow saplings in lawns and on the terrace of the buildings. Haritha Priya members share their ideas on raising different saplings.
“I am happy to say that our roof garden is among the best in the city. We have been raising it for 12 years,” said Konkimalla Visala, who retired as the principal of Siddhartha Mahila Kalasala. “Though I am staying abroad, my life is always devoted to the garden in India,” she added. Her husband, K. Syam Sundar, said, “Many plants, flowers and leafy vegetables are being raised in the lawns. Fountains and waterfalls have also been constructed,” he said.
“We have taken care of every aspect - the slab was constructed with waterproof facility to prevent leakage. The width was increased by us to five inches instead of the usual four. Waterproof liquid was mixed in the concrete mixer and the slope has been set carefully for rainwater movement. Some plants are grown in pots to reduce the weight on the slab,” said Mr Sundar. “Without personal care and interest, nobody can develop roof gardens. Roof gardens give a sense of pleasantness and to develop it, one needs to spend Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh depending on the plants,” Kandula Sarada Vani, a cutting designer said.
