Next time you take the Metro into Salt Lake, look down to your left just seconds before City Centre, and you’ll see a lovely landscaped garden. That garden would be Ranjana Deb’s. This is a lady who hasn’t stopped at growing flowers in pots. She’s also built a pathway that winds around the house, three rock gardens, and a lush lawn at the back where she and her husband enjoy pleasant evenings. So Ranjana quite literally lives in the lap of nature.

It all started with my hobby of decorating the house. The architecture of our home is beautiful, and I was quite delighted to see that there was ample space around it for plants too.

I grow more foliage than flowers. Flowers, in any case, can’t be kept near the gate as they get pilfered. I enjoy playing with contrasting colours, so at the entrance, there’s a red Dracaena, light green Bamboo, and deep green Nalini, arranged one after the other. A row of Debdarus forms a natural green boundary wall, and the actual wall is almost totally covered by Ivy.

But I like flowers too. We have Lavenders, Togors, Lilies, and plenty of Hibiscus. Without fail, at least one Hibiscus flower will bloom every day. There are several Orchids, too, but they’re tricky to grow. I once brought home a beautiful variety from Kalimpong, but it couldn’t survive the heat. So now I prefer buying from local nurseries as these plants are used to the climate and are more likely to thrive.

We also have a huge Mango tree that yields thousands of Amrapalis. But it also brings its share of headaches. We have to find someone to climb up and pluck the fruits, then sort, store, and send them off to friends. The ripening Mangoes also attract birds that are often attacked by cats…

I mustn’t discount my husband’s contribution to the garden. He (Amit Kiran Deb) once sowed the seeds of a Papaya he had eaten, and now, that tree is growing tall in our backyard.

I also take care of the plants on the footpath outside. I’ve planted varieties like Bougainvillaea and Christmas tree there — the Bougainvillaea especially is a great choice for such spots as their flowers spread generously over a huge space and brighten up the neighbourhood.