An aspect that immediately strikes one on entering the garden of former principal of Bishop Westcott Girls? High School V. Pankaj, is its easy elegance. Nature has been left to her own devices here without any ?tampering? or extra touches. The pleasant patch that is tended by her and her only, contains Pankaj?s signature style right from the bonsais and orchids, to the bed of seasonal plants in the middle of the garden.

V. Pankaj, who had no help from gardeners, managed to create this individual space because of her passion for plants and because of the influence of a nature-loving father. Pankaj believes that with a little ingenuity, beauty can be obtained at the lowest cost possible. Take her example for instance.

She picked up the orchids from Saranda Forests during her travels, a first bonsai from a school drain and the white stones that line her pots and plants, from Ramgarh roadside.

My garden: I have no gardener to help me out and that?s fine by me as I mostly go by books and instincts.

Over the years I have perfected a process of watering and pruning the plants, that I have naturalised by now. I water the plants daily, once a day during winters and twice during the summers. In October I prune my plants, while I protect them from extreme weather always.

My family and I take unabashed pride in the garden. We are all pleased with the fact that we brew our special blend of coffee that comes from the coffee tree in the garden behind the house. My father planted the tree years ago. We also eat mangoes, lichis and coconuts that are grown here.

Usually, it is me, who prepares the flowerbeds and buys the seeds or saplings from Bahu Bazaar and Kutchery Road. I have a weakness for seasonal flowers, like petunia, pansy, salivia and inca marigold, which remain in full bloom till November .

My fondness for bonsai was accidental. I found this perfect little dwarf-sized peepal near a drain and got it home. The plant gave me the idea for bonsai.

The peepal is my piece-de-resistance, a full-grown yet tiny tree complete with hanging roots. These roots need to be pruned carefully during the rainy season. After the peepal, bonsai of banyan, tamarind, neem and kamranga (which bears green and yellow fruits, too) followed. For the bonsais, the soil is changed twice a year. In October the old soil is thrown out and a type of manure called ?ketchua khad? and cow dung is used to make a fresh bed.

Also for all the plants there needs to be regular pruning and shaping. Over the years I have travelled with family to Chakradharpur, Saranda Forests, Kirubiru, Chidia Mines, Manorharpur and Ramgarh ? and surprisingly most of my orchids are from these familiar places.

On the way to Ramgarh, I would get down from the car and enter the forest to seek for orchids. I experimented by planting them in the garden and the idea fortunately clicked. I have three varieties in purple and white colour. There is one special variety that comes in white and brown and normally grows during Easter.

Exercise this!

Gardening is an excellent exercise especially for those who are not really that young as they would like to believe. Early morning activities in the garden is as good as a morning jog. Instead of a heavy duty garden, a small refuge of potted plants can offer equal satisfaction.