Nurture the Greens, nourish the Self

Find the right soil and follow the perfect sunlight – and life will take a new form - every day. Growing plants, creating a healthier environment also helps release stress while we spend time out in nature. It is fascinating how we bond with our home garden like a mother to her children, in the process learning to be a nurturer and a natural care-giver unconditionally. And later when we quietly sit in the balcony garden and hear the leaves rustle in synchrony with our own breaths, the happiness of that harmony is truly unparalleled and indescribable.

Few weeks ago we spotted Sujata and Taniya (Su & Ta) trimming some of the dried rose twigs in their garden to perfection, their “dadu” (maternal grandfather) who used to be an amazing gardener and social worker himself was the source of inspiration behind these little experiments they carry out whenever they find some time off the hectic schedules. Their “Maa” knows these hacks too. What we see in the end is a beautiful, lively amalgamation of age-old techniques and a few unconventional and spontaneous but simple and noteworthy tricks!

Once the twigs are ready, they are planted on half-cut (raw) potatoes which act like pots for the rose plants to spread their roots before they merge with the soil. The tips are usually cut in a slanted way so they can be easily inserted. Also, potatoes are a great food source for them. These small babies are then shifted to slightly bigger (actual) pots where the potatoes are dipped into the soil completely and the containers get further covered with another jar (or polythene) leaving small openings for them to get sufficient moisture over the next 7-10 days. This also prevents pests or birds from eating away the potatoes (I mean who doesn’t love potatoes, right?) Now the wait seems long to see them blossom into pretty white rose plants!!

Like us humans, plants too need water and nutrients to survive and grow, mostly carrying them between their roots and leaves. Also like each one of us, their needs vary depending on their biological structure and environment conditions. Given the limited spaces in or around our homes in recent times, we can’t help but stick to finding corners that are ideal for their survival. But it’s a wonderful hobby to garner during the phases of lockdown, won’t you say?

There’s something else that has now become an annual ritual for Suta – planting 300-400 saplings every year and watching them grow into trees. Isn’t that amazing? Although 26th April is officially celebrated as National Arbor Day for tree plantation, but is there really a perfect time for it? Trees sure would have a difference in opinion! Since a time immemorial, trees have been vital to our survival and yet time and again we’ve forgotten this simple fact and had to be reminded the hard way after going through an entire cycle of ‘deforestation’ and ‘afforestation’. They have unconditionally provided us with food, oxygen, and many other necessities for sustainability. So basically when you plant a sapling, you plant hope, that grows from beneath the ground and rises above our heads to give shelter someday. And for those of us who love the outdoors and enjoy a photo-shoot in the midst of nature every once in a while, could you possibly imagine any of those photographs WITHOUT the greenery? The first thing that comes to my mind when I see the color GREEN – in literally any shade of it – is its underlying significance of positive energy, which in turn is associated with meanings of growth, harmony, freshness and beauty in the purest sense of it! The very word carries with it the vibration of new beginnings, of hope, of health, of peace. It heals. In short, greens sustain “LIFE” and in light of our primary source of life, let’s plant more trees! Deal? Sounds like a safe bet.

This brings us to the originator and pioneer of tree plantation in Suta - meet *drum roll* Nityanand kaku ☺

A humble man who used to make a living by selling "murir moya" and other snacks before he honored us by joining Suta. He is the one who inspired us to start this tree plantation journey. He plants them, nurtures them, nourishes them like his own children and look how grown up these saplings are now! This is a very small tribute to the man, the inspiration, the magic he creates every day!

Every small act of kindness towards nature eventually becomes a big one for humankind. I know, sometimes we get lazy and become negligent. Let's pledge not to anymore, be more mindful of our surroundings and how our choices impact them - one baby step at a time! There's the easy way and then there's the right way. It's not always easy to take the right way because it involves tremendous time and energy to be conscientious but every day we get inspired to make mindful choices more often - by making bio-enzymes, composting, not using plastic containers, up-cycling scraps of fabric and we know a lot of you darlings who constantly inspire us to :)