OUR NEIGHBOUR UNCLE BUSY IN DEVELOPING HIS GARDEN

Planting first paarijaat plant in his garden	The then Mayor of his place helping in plantation	Showing the developed paarijaat.

• MAY WE KNOW ABOUT YOURSELF IN SOME DETAIL-LIKE YOUR NAME,QUALIFICATION,JOB

  YES,SURE.MYSELF,NTIN S GHUNE.I AM M.SC.(GEOLOGY).I AM SERVING IN STATE BANK OF INDORE AS DEPUTY MANAGER.I AM ALSO GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY AS 'RAJBHASHA ADHIKARI'.

• SINCE WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN DEVELOPING THIS GARDEN

  SINCE 1989.IT'S ABOUT 20 YEARS.

• WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO HAVE A GARDEN IN YOUR HOUSE?

  IT'S MY HOBBY,SINCE MY CHILDHOOD.NATURE HAS ALWAYS ATTRACTED ME TO IT.AND I LIKE GREENERY EVERYWHERE.

• WHO LOOKS AFTER THIS GARDEN?

  MY BETTER-HALF THAT'S MY WIFE, A HELPER WHO IS INTERESTED IN GARDENING AND MYSELF.

• WHAT ALL THINGS YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN YOUR HOME TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN THE GARDEN?

  NOTHING SPECIAL-JUST AN AXE,PICK AXE,KHURPI(LOCAL NAME).

• WHAT ARE THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF GARDEN LIKE TYPE OF SOIL FERTILIZERS,INSECTICIDES,PESTICIDES ETC.

  I HAVE DEVELOPED GARDEN IN BLACK COTTON SOIL.I USE ONLY HOUSEHOLD MANURE FROM COWDUNG.I MAKE MINIMUM USE OF PESTICIDES AS THEY HAVE OTHER BAD EFFCTS.

• WHICH PLANTS HAVE YOU GROWN IN YOUR GARDEN?HAVE YOU DEVELOPED ANY NURSERY ?

  SEASONAL,ORNAMENTAL PLANTS,AND SOME VEGETABLES IN MY KITCHEN GARDEN. NURSERY--YES I HAVE DEVELOPED SEEDLINGS OF PAARIJAT PLANTS,ALSO CALLED HARSINGAR LOCALLY.ITS SCIENTIFIC BOTANICAL NAME IS Nicthenthus Arbastristis of family olivacy.

• WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN THIS PLANT ONLY ? IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL ABOUT IT?

  ACTUALLY WHEN I WAS A CHILD, I WAS VERY MUCH IMPRESSED WITH ITS BEAUTY--FLOWER WITH ORANGE STEM AND WHITE PETALS.AND ALSO ITS PECULIAR FRAGRANCE.THE ENVIRONMENT AND CONDITIONS REQUIRED TO GROW THIS PLANT IS AVAILAIBLE IN THIS MALWA REGION, WHERE WE LIVE.THE FLOWERS BLOOM TO ITS FULLEST HERE. WHEN I WAS SMALL,FIRST TIME, I SAW THIS PLANT IN MY GRANNY'S HOUSE(MATERNAL GRAND MOTHER AT INDORE).AND I GREW UP WATCHING A BEAUTIFUL CARPET OF PAARIJAT FLOWERS LAID UNDER THIS PLANT EVERY MORNING SPREADING ITS PLEASENT,MIND FRESHNING FRAGRANCE.FROM THAT TIME, I DECIDED TO DEVELOP THIS AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS ALSO TO PLANT IT .

• IS THERE ANY STORY OR ANY INTERSTING INCIDENCE YOU REMEMBER OF, ABOUT THIS PLANT ?

  ACTUALLY,IT IS BELIEVED THAT LORD KRISHNA HIMSELF BROUGHT THIS PLANT TO EARTH FROM HEAVEN.AND IF THIS PLANT IS IN YOUR HOUSE,IT BRINGS HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY.EVERY MORNING I USED TO COLLECT THESE FLOWERS AND MY GRANNY MADE GARLAND OUT OF IT FOR LORD GANESHA AND SHRI KRISHNA.

• DOES THIS PLANT HAVE ANY MEDICINAL VALUE?

  YES AS FAR AS I KNOW, AS PER AYURVEDA,IT GIVES RELIEF IN PILES,ARTHRITIS AND MENSTRUAL PROBLEMS IN LADIES.

• WHAT ARE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS TO GROW THIS PLANT?

  NOTHING VERY SPECIAL.IT REQUIRES BLACK COTTON SOIL,WATER SOME NATURAL FERTILIZERS,ie.COW DUNG MANURE AND PROPER,REGULAR CARE AND PROTECTION FROM ANIMALS OR PESTS.ITS GERMINATION PERCENTAGE IS VERY LOW,JUST ABOUT 8 TO 10%.

• WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE NOT MAINTAINING GARDEN?

  THERE MAY BE MANY REASONS LIKE LACK OF INTEREST, MONEY, SHORTAGE OF WATER, LACK OF SPACE, ETC.

• HOW CAN WE PROTECT OUR GARDEN FROM POLLUTION?

  BY PLANTING GULMOHAR TREES AROUND OUR GARDEN.

• WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ABOUT HAVING GARDENS?

  GARDENS PLAY VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR LIFE. IF WE THINK OF HEAVEN, IT IS HERE ONLY ON EARTH IN THE FORM OF GARDEN, IT IS JUST LIKE HAVING ALL THE PLEASURE. DEVELOPING A GARDEN IS LIKE PAINTING BEAUTY ON CANVAS. GARDENS ADD TO THE BEAUTY OF OUR EARTH. SO WE SHOULD TRY TO PLANT AS MANY TREES SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE GREENERY OF EARTH AND MAKE IT CLEAN AND GREEN. OUR MOTO SHOULD BE 'FIRST SIGHT-GREEN SIGHT'. IF YOU REALLY WANT TO SAVE EARTH FROM POLLUTION OR GLOBAL WARMING PLANT MORE TREES.

• WHAT ARE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS IN THIS FIELD?

  1. RECEIVED RED & WHITE AWARD IN THE YEAR 2002-03 FOR STEPS TO PREVENT POLLUTION. 2. 'PARYAVARAN-MITRA' AWARD BY MAYOR, DEWAS MUNICIPAL CORPORATION. 3. 'PARYAVARAN-SHREE' FROM DEWAS VIKAS PRADHIKARAN(DEWAS DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY). 4. MANY CHANNELS LIKE 'AAJ-TAK', DOORDARSHAN NEW DELHI, BHOPAL, SAHARA, SADHNA, NDTV APPRECIATED MY WORK THROUGH THEIR SPECIAL PROGRAMMES.

Showing seasonal flowers of his garden	Looking after his garden with full devotion	Taking care of his domestic nursery