The rage is of organic. The blogger sitting right next to me brings a box of organic peanut butter sandwiches to work, every day. The raw fragrance does its magic and brightens up my day, frequently.

Organic gardening must be such a peaceful choice for someone who wishes to find stability in the fast-paced world that we lived in.

Jeevna Murlidharan found it at her own terrace in “Jeeva’s Urban Organic Garden.” She grows okra, watermelon, chilies, aloe vera, and a lot of other fruits and vegetables in her garden. we also hear that she sells out the extras to her friends and family. We got in touch with Jeevna to ask her how her love and conversations with her plants accelerated their growth.

Did organic gardening begin as a hobby?

Organic gardening happened for me by chance. I had to quit my job due to unforeseen circumstances, and somewhere, I rediscovered my passion in organic gardening. 

What did your rooftop look like before it became an organic garden?

My rooftop had looked like any other barren terrace before it became a magical terrace that could bear fruit! My terrace was never dumped with trash as in the case of many houses, things were easier for me to start off with a few bags of greens which yielded in less than a month. 

Who waters the plants when you are away?

So speaking literally, when I am away, I give the responsibility to my maid, and she takes care of my babies. Otherwise, my husband makes for a wonderful garden assistant.

A hilarious trespassing story you’d like to share?

There was this time when my pomegranate tree bore a couple of fruits for the first time, and I found a squirrel happily chewing away a tiny piece. And the very fact that I love squirrels made me feed them with cooked rice and millets, thereafter. 

Ever stolen fruits from a garden in your childhood?                

Yes, I have stolen monkey fruits from my school compound in the Nilgiris when I was 7-years-old and shooed away by the watchman whom I hated, back then!

How do you spread the word about organic farming?

I conduct workshops in schools, hold discussions about organic farming with my friends, as often as I can. I also attend workshops, agriculture exhibitions, etc., and share my experiences. I try to be consistent on my social media pages in spreading the message to “Go Green by Growing Green.”

Did any neighbors get inspired to start a rooftop farm of their own?

Oh, so many of them! Though, only a couple of them has started their own garden. The reason is simple. It takes a lot of hard work, and not everyone has that kind of time on hand. But over a couple of months, I have been receiving an overwhelming response from all over the country helping them set up their rooftop gardens.

A striking health difference you noticed in the family since you started sowing the seeds?

Well, there are a few things we have noticed. For example, consuming fresh greens from our garden almost every day has helped reduce hair fall. We feel much fitter for two reasons: working in the garden while also consuming the freshly cut vegetables.

“Nurture your garden with love and care… water … prune… keep a watch on pests… play music… be active in your garden always.” Do your plants enjoy listening to music?

I really trust and believe that my plants enjoy listening to music. I also like to have conversations with my plants. One of my Okra plants, for example, did really well after I spoke to it regularly for a few days.

Wow, incredible, isn’t it?

What does the future hold for Jeeva’s Urban Organic Garden?                                                                         

Jeeva’s Urban Organic Garden intends to create a niche for itself in helping a considerable size of people across the country by contributing towards making our Mother Earth a better place to live in for our coming generations by spreading the word of “Going  Green by Growing Green.”

“Kitchen scrap to Black gold or compost” is also my ongoing project which will help every individual to positively contribute with diminishing the urban waste problems. Yes, that means looking for value in what we throw away.