Never start a day without aloe vera and a day in the garden

CHENNAI: Rehena Sultan, a homemaker, has been living in Bengaluru for the past 20 years. She comes from a family of farmers in Mizoram, and settled down in the southern city after marriage. It was a difficult move and she was failing miserably to adapt, till she started gardening.

One day Rehena decided to take a hobby to keep herself occupied, and snap out of her black moods. Her mother encouraged her to start kitchen gardening and Rehena says that is caused a drastic change in her behaviour. Now, 20 years after, she is a successful homemaker and enjoys caring for her plants in her mini garden. Today, gardening is not a stress-buster for her but a passion. Kitchen gardening acted like a therapy, says Rehena.  Her garden has a lush patch of aloe-Vera, coriander, mint, tulsi, peas, chilli, roses and neem.

“Gardening has given me a whole new life,” she says. “Working in my garden relaxes me and makes me happy. Learning about the plants and new techniques and trends in gardening keeps me busy”.
Her garden has remedies to many health concerns. Aloe vera keeps out mosquitoes and is useful to treat skin diseases. Coriander helps control blood sugar levels and gives you a good sleep. Mint aids in digestion and helps treat nausea and headache. Tulsi is a natural  remedy for anxiety and helps with acne. And she is particular about organic gardening using eggshells and tea-leaves, along with kitchen waste for her vermicomposting.

Rehena hopes to grow Mexican red chillies and mushroom in her garden next, and she routinely goes hunting for at the horticulture department in Lalbagh. For reference, she simply asks her mother. “She will always remain my inspiration and there is no better teacher than her,” says Rehena. “I don’t refer gardening books,” she adds. Her favourite plants are aloe vera and mint for their medicinal benefits. Every morning, without fail, she eats a spoon-full of aloe-vera.

Tips

Plant the right plant at right time
Make sure young plants get plenty of water
Go organic to prepare the soil and fertilise it, and choose organic pest control methods.
Select native seeds