Revelling in nature's bounty

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, March 5

This house falling across the Urban Estate market road is a cynosure for all eyes. Almost all commuters passing across this house slow down while passing in front of it to enjoy the nature’s bountiful glory. Hundreds of potted flowers of double-shaded petunias, pansies, dahlias, cineraria, salvias and dog flowers in almost all possible bright colours greet everyone here.

It was my husband Capt Mandeep Singh, who was very fond of flowers and gardens. Before his martyrdom when we used to live in Jalandhar Cantonment, he used to tell me to see how other families had been maintaining their gardens so well. The passion that he ignited in me continues to develop further. — Rajwinder Kaur, Deputy Taxation Commissioner

A proud owner of the house, Deputy Taxation Commissioner Rajwinder Kaur, has made sure that all her flowering pots are arranged in the best possible manner. She has arranged pots on the stands kept in the outer lawn of her house. Her walls on the ground, first and second floor have shelves and outer extensions, so that they can all be arranged well. Several of them hang from the walls of the balconies and extended iron bars. The bloom is so rich that some pots of petunias are generating as many as 150-200 flowers per plant. Even the best nurseries in the city do not have flowers of such rich quality and shades.

The flowers in shining white, bright yellow, red, dark pink, purple, orange and peach colours kept outside make the outer façade of the house so eye catching that one gets all the more curious to have a peep into what could be in store inside. And surely the plant set up made inside the house keeps on enticing one further more.

The verandah of the house has beautiful, big size white and yellow liliums. Bonsais of banyan, ficus, orange and bougainvillea too have been nicely done and arranged on a shelf around a waterfall. There are multiple palms, zz plants and cacti.

Rajwinder Kaur, and her collegiate daughter Bani, also showed her gardening workshop on the rooftop. “It is here that I do all the experimenting and readiness for the next season. She showed how she tried to create balls of petunias to hand by joining two baskets. I know that my flowers which are on frontal display at the moment will not last for more than 45 days or so. So, I have to be ready with my next set of pots. Here, I have some late varieties of pansies. My multi-colour dianthus, geraniums, verbenas, carnations, bougainvilleas and hibiscus which have just started blooming now will last till June and these will then be moved from the rooftop to the front of the house”, she said.

She added, “I save the seeds of the rare, desi flowers. I even keep the bulbs of my liliums saved for the next season”.

Rajwinder turned a bit emotive, “It was my husband Capt Mandeep Singh, who was very fond of flowers and gardens. Before his martyrdom when we used to live in Jalandhar Cantonment, he used to tell me to see how other families had been maintaining their gardens so well. The passion that he ignited in me continues to develop further. I keep on watching YouTube channels on gardening just to improve my set-up and improve flowering. Whenever I feel sad and lonely, it is these flowers that cheer me up again”.