A  huge cotton tree, ladies fingers, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, peppers, chillies, potatoes, brinjals, carrots, cabbage, and beetroots - this was the backyard of our home when I was growing up.  The front section was relatively a colorful one in hues of bright reds, pinks, violets and oranges,  so much so that it was easy for the security guards to direct visitors to our place;  “the house with a large flower garden in the front” did it.  Marigolds, sunflower, dahlias, rajnigandhas, arali, and an assortment of flowers whose name I’m not sure of adorned the house.

My mother loved gardening. She spent hours and hours tending to the plants while my brother and I were at school. It came to such a point that my brother, all of three years, insisted on having only ladies finger for lunch and dinner every day. We moved cities and countries after three years in that small town, and never got to live in a individual house with a front and back yard. Years later, I found the same passion for plants in my father-in-law. He grew everything from palaks (the tastiest I’ve ever had) , mint, radish to cauliflower, potatoes and broccoli.  We rarely shopped for vegetables in the winter. Most of the produce from the garden was cooked.

That’s where my weakness for greens comes from. The limited 8*4 feet balcony space is no deterrent. Last summer, the pots mainly contained flowering plants. This summer, I’m repotting them with jasmines, and white and oragne hibiscus. I’m also adding some vegetables to the mix.

Certain vegetables thrive well even in pots. You can grow them in deep pots of 14″-18″ size or use planter boxes. It all depends on choosing the right vegetables - the ones whose roots don’t grow very deep. Get started with me if you want to grow your own vegetable garden.

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