Bizman and his wife now reap health benefits, also conduct workshops on terrace kitchen gardeningFrom coal trading to selling planters

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 6

A house in the Mota Singh Nagar area of the city speaks volumes of its owner’s love for plants. All the floors of Pankaj Jain’s house are packed with plants. A businessman by profession, he took to gardening around four years ago. Today, there are more than 100 plants, including fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants, adorning his abode.

Such is his passion that he converted his nature of business from trading iron and coal to selling planters, various saplings, pots, and sharing knowledge on gardening. “I changed my business slowly. It wasn’t an easy decision to make. My family members were a little apprehensive too. But seeing the craze of people towards gardening, I knew this was my calling,” Jain shared. He added that his wife, Riti Jain, wasn’t keen on him taking up gardening as profession, but now she takes care of the plants more than him.

The ground floor is decorated with pots of different shapes such as faces of a king, queen, tooth, tie and bow. Other than this, even gift plants and insulin plants are grown in the same floor.

Various fruits and vegetable plants have been grown in the second floor. Jain has also been conducting workshops on terrace kitchen gardening.

Expressing his love for plants, he says, even a mini plant he owns is a family member for him. “It is disheartening to see any of our plants wilt. The passion began when we became more aware of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and what is better than having green plants all around giving us oxygen all the time,” said Jain.

He also gives herbs to the customers. Pankaj, who is also associated with Kheti Virasat Mission, an NGO also uses green grow bags wherein he has planted broccoli, tomatoes, cauliflowers. His house is indeed an eco-friendly abode!