The terrace garden of Priya Nath Moharana. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1: In five years, Priya Nath Moharana is a transformed man. He loved flowers and potted plants, but that has now become a passion. Today Moharana boasts of a massive collection of plants that he nurtures with fondness.

Green enthusiasts like Moharana have found a way to make the best use of their terraces by transforming them into gardens.

From ornamental flowers to vegetables, residents here are decorating their terrace space with a collection of flora. Only recently, experts spoke about the necessity of kitchen and rooftop gardens in the city. While kitchen gardens can help tackle rising vegetable prices, the terrace gardens can breathe a new life into one’s residence.

Maheswar Khilar, managing trustee of the city-based Kitchen Gardeners’ Association, is on a mission to encourage residents of independent houses or apartments to take up the practice of growing organic vegetables themselves.

One can also have essential ingredients at hand by planting green chillies, curry leaves, lemons or even tomatoes.

Unlike Khilar, Moharana has little interest in growing vegetables and is more interested on spending on decorative flowers.

The 61-year-old Rasulgarh resident has about 400 pots growing flowers such as rose, petunia, tulips, marigold, pansy, dahlia, aster, hibiscus and other ornamental shrubs.

“I spend about Rs 1,500 every month on regular pruning to check excessive growth and to keep the garden free from pests. All my friends, relatives and neighbours appreciate the beauty these plants render to my humble abode,” said Moharana.

In contrast to simple gardening, terrace gardens require more planning. The common point that has to be kept in mind is that the roof has to be slanting with a proper drainage system.

Also, it must be sturdy enough to bear the weight of the pots and plants. The positioning of the vases is also quite important, as the plants need proper amount of sunlight.

The fashion of gifting medicinal and bamboo plants is also catching the imagination of the residents. Experts are lauding the trend.

“We have to take care of plants with love and affection. If you take care of plants with proper care, they will definitely return back your love with fruits and flowers. The divine logic behind the human-plant relationship should be understood properly for better productivity. In rooftop gardens even one can experiment with it and grow plenty of vegetables and fruits,” said Abhay Singh, well-known author and a green crusader.