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Article
AT HOME WITH ....Radhika Anand
Livingetc March 2010
Radhika's lush green balcony
Radhika Anand of Plantology on her passion for bottle gardens, out-of-the-box thinking, challenges and environment awareness.
Plants in glass jars
MY WORK
I STARTED MAKING BOTTLE GARDENS WHEN...I saw them displayed in a shop in Tokyo, I had never seen anything like it before and it rally caught my fancy.
MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE WAS...to balance the elements of ecosystem that was created in the bottle. We have to maintain correct levels of moisture, sunlight and air.
IT TOOK ME A YEAR...to get the first one right. When I started off, there was no such thing as internet research. I had to dig out books, go to libraries and fing groups of same interest.
MY HUNT FOR APPROPRIATE BOTTLES/BEAKERS TOOK ME TO...kabariwalasand Chandini Chowk. There were many a raised eyebrow when I went asking for old liquor bottles.
A garden in a glass table base
MY HOME
ALL THE BALCONIES IN THE HOUSE...are dotted with a variety of plants. I have as many as 600.
I LIKE MY SPACE TO...have an ethnic and natural feel. I love decorating my house with traditional and handcrafted pieces. I don't like to use synthetic materials.
MY FAVOURITE SPOT IN THE HOUSE... is my largest balcony, where I enjoy the morning sun while birds chirp and my plants away around.
I COLLECT... everything possible, and impossible trash that can be recycled. Someone disposed off two bathtubs in neighbourhood. I grabbed them both for growing herbs and water lilies.
I'M CRAZY ABOUT... my two sons and Odie, our Lhasa Apso pet.
COLOUR PALETTE THAT WORKS FOR ME... natural hues in an unstructured manner.
I SELDOM ENTER...the kitchen. God bless Lucy (our saviour for the past 15 years). Day-to-day cooking bores me no end! But yes, I do get involved if there is a big fancy dinner that I'm hosting. For instance, I had 50 guests over and decided on a chinese menu. That was some work but It turned out well and I enjoyed it.
An exquisite table terrarium displaying her love for nature
MY LIFE
THE CENTRE OF MY LIFE IS...my home, which is an extension of me. I'm very house proud.
BESIDES GARDENING... I like travelling. Right now I'm learning Bharatnatyam.
I DREAM OF... going back to our howm in Dharamshala because of nature and peace.
WEEKENDS... are spent at our organic farm in Sohna. I feel so proud when I bring back a car full of vegetables and fruits from the farm.
I HATE... useless kitty parties, which are nothing but gossip havens.
My SECRET DESIRE... is to be the Kiran Bedi of environment awareness.
502, Royale Retreat, Charmwood Village, Eros Gardens,
Suraj Kund, Haryana, Tel:
91-11-41638091-95, Mobile: 9811073996
E-mail:plantology@rediffmail.com
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