By -TNN Gayatri Deshmukh

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Terrace gardens with organic farming a fad
Terrace gardens are the next big thing in Nashik. With people aiming to not only beautify their place but also spread the message of organic farming, this has caught the fancy of most Nashikiites.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Thirty-four-year-old Sandeep Chavan has made a 150 sq feet terrace garden at his place and focuses on organic farming. He even gets visitors who take his advice on farming. “One can easily grow the basic vegetables like cauliflower, brinjal, tomatoes, leafy vegetables on their terraces. I also guide people on making organic fertilizers at home without spending much time. Awareness about organic vegetables is also increasing among people,” said Chavan.There are several people like Chavan who have made terrace gardens a fad in the city. Ranjani Gehani, a retired banker, has been nurturing her terrace garden for the last couple of years. She said, “We have now got a professional to help us with our terrace garden. We dry the kitchen waste and make fertilizers out of it. About four days a week, we eat the vegetables which grow in our terrace garden. I am quite proud of the aloe vera plants growing in our garden. I even grow herbs like lemon grass and mint and make herbal tea from it.”
 
 
In fact, the concept of terrace gardens has become so strong that most people looking to buy a place are looking for a bigger terrace to accommodate a terrace garden. Vikram Matlani, a banker, is a case in point. “I rejected a few places because they did not have a terrace. I want to develop a terrace garden as it is essential to have the presence of trees and plants around us.”
 
 “The popularity of terrace gardens has drastically increased these days.”
 
Terrace gardens are also looked upon as a psychological need of people. Dr Supriya

Aagashe, a clinical psychologist said, “People are advised to talk to trees. I have my own terrace garden the fertilizers for which I make out of vermiculture. The response to the demos of terrace gardens has also gone up considerably.”

Terrace gardens are also proving to be beneficial for the improving the environment. A translator and writer by profession Vandana Atre, said, “I have a terrace garden for the past seven years. It is an amazing feeling to see birds make nests in your terrace gardens.”