While walking into the residence of industrialist Probal Mukherjee, one is struck by the abundance of green that seems to cover every nook and corner of the home. The house, which nestles in a quiet corner on the eastern side of the Circuit House, has an L-shaped garden placed parallel to the entrance. Once inside, the first feature that captivates is the plush rectangular lawn, with a rich growth of grass, especially brought in from Pondicherry. Running along the lawn are seasonal plants, some in pots, others in beds, carefully separated. With the mercury soaring at present, there are only decorative plants, but the team is assured that in winter the place is a rush of yellow, orange and pink.

Probal and his wife, Surita, have meticulously planned the ambitious project complete with a gazebo, a swimming pool, an atrium, a rockery and a lawn. That?s no wonder, considering they are a family of nature enthusiasts, with mom-in-law Bina leading the way. Though maintained at an exorbitant cost, the jaw-dropping effect justifies the means. Back to the home, if one walks further it is discovered that the lawn divides the garden into two. One part leads to an atrium on the south-eastern fringe, that takes one to a swimming pool.

My Garden: While every corner of the garden is special, and every nook has some breathtaking surprise in store, I admit the family does have a weakness for some corners. The gazebo, for instance. It was my husband?s idea and is just the perfect place to have gatherings. Surrounded by a lime grove and pretty blooms in pinks and yellows and oranges, this is the coolest corner to be in during summer.

At present, because of the soaring mercury, we do not have enough flowering plants, as the focus is on decorative plants. Winter months are certainly more colourful with a host of Pansies, Flocks, Salvia, Petunias, Candytufts, Dianthus and Asters.

If the flowers are to really bloom, one has to ensure that they get just the right amount of sunlight, as different plants have different requirements.

In this we are lucky we have Debjit as our gardener, who has been with the house for the past six years even before we came in. Insecticides need to be sprayed at regular intervals but one has to ensure that the chemical content remains low.

Our garden bears a healthy mix of potted plants and beds. The patch right in front of the swimming pool is for the roses. It?s a corner that needs a lot of planning, and the beds are prepared well in advance in the month of September followed by its pruning in October.

The Hibiscus need careful pruning during monsoons, otherwise they grow out of shape, and we lay out the beds in summer itself. Most plants are pruned in June. Summers are critical for all small plants and watering them once a day is important. Bordering the pool is a kitchen garden, which has some jackfruit, mango, guava and papaya trees ? I believe there is just the right mix of every ingredient in the garden.

Such is the charm of our garden that birds have made nests in its different corners. The colourful bougainvillaea that runs across the entire boundary-wall lends it much colour.

A nook, really a favourite, is the rockery and it was my son?s idea to have it. The soil there is mixed in good proportion with moss, which is good for plant growth.