The art of gardening and decorating has always had a special place in my heart. I I remember a journey that intensified and deepened my zeal, a trip to a quaint hill station in Kerala called Peermade. A place where the mountains rose high, creating a barrier between the regions of Travancore and Madurai in ancient Tamilakam. I was staying in a guest house, a two-storied cottage, with my family and my brother helped to find this cottage. The family who owned the cottage lived on the lower floor and the guests on the top floor. Little did I know that my perspective about decor and integrating plants would be forever changed by the experience I had there.
The family’s love for plants and gardening was a sight to behold. The proprietors of the cottage, a family with a deep-seated passion for horticulture, left a lasting impression on me. Their abode was a veritable jungle of flora, with an imaginative use of pots, cans, glass jars, and even repurposed waste containers to cultivate an astonishing diversity of plants. The cottage was filled with an abundance of greenery, and the owners would go around with a green plastic plant mister, talking to the plants and showering them with love. That stay opened my eyes to the possibility of making our surroundings beautiful and leaving our signature on them, no matter where we are.
Upon coming back to the UAE after my vacation, I sought out methods to bring greenery into both my home and work cabin. The capability for growth and knowledge housed within a seed never fails to stun me. Dreaming and planting a garden, born from imagination, symbolizes a declaration of autonomy of the soul. It is within these unique areas and touches that we can discover innovative ways to reconcile our sense of beauty with our living spaces.
Gardening is not just about creating beauty, but also about embracing the imperfections and limitations of life. It’s about finding joy in the simple things. Embracing the art of gardening and decorating, enables to leave our mark with a space that speaks of our soul.
