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Blossoming beauty

Raynah Gardens is a delightful getaway in the heart of the city, says HARJEET KAUR ALLAGH

SPLENDOUR Absence of flowering plants is not felt PHOTO: RAJU. V

The garden is a delightful getaway in the center of the city. A 400 yards of a lush green cover and another 100 yards housing a red tiled bedroom, a patio and a kitchen with a thatched roof. Hard to believe, but seeing is believing! When Jaspal Singh Lamba and Harjinder Kaur built their home, they hardly had any space left for a garden.

But a vacant plot behind their home in Guru Nanak Colony prompted their son, Manpreet Singh, to realise his dream of grooming a garden in the backyard.

The brick red boundary wall has a granite board that reads— Raynah Gardens, named after his little daughter. The large gates open into a well-groomed patch of land. A paved pathway leads to the patio. To the right of the path is a vast expanse of a lush green lawn. It is bordered on all four sides with trimmed Duranta hedges in lime green, complementing the dark green shade of the carpet of grass. The garden is tastefully ornate but not overdone.

Aesthetic sense

Aesthetically placed urns, benches, statues, and columns add to the verdant ambience. The benches are made of slate stone and bricks. A corner of the garden has a small bar table made of bamboo and matching bar stools.

This is painted black and so are the terracotta pots in columns and other pottery, which is in starkl contrast to the green. A wooden statue of the Bhils (ribals) sits pretty on a stone pedestal. A lifelike image of a giant toad in terracotta looks like it would jump any moment.

Around the edges of the boundary wall are giant king palms interspersed with areca palms and hardy crotons like silver queen, maria christina and tropic sun. The lack of flowering plants is not felt. Flowering plants cannot stand the scorching sun of Vijayawada or Blazewada, as the place was called in the past. Hardy plants are an obvious option as they are easy to maintain.

Green expanse

In the center of the lawn is a tall lamppost surrounded below by tapered Alternetra in green and white with red Amaranthus in the center.

Two earthen urlis filled with canary yellow Gowari Chadi flowers stand out in the wide expanse of the greenery. A red parasol is kept handy for those who are afraid of the harsh sunlight.

Easy chairs and seats are stored in the room. The air-conditioned bedroom has comfortable beds and an attached bath.

A music system is placed on side stools to provide entertainment. The glass windows of the bedroom provide a panoramic view of the garden and of the few rose bushes below the window.

The garden is illuminated with lamps all over the place. Cascades of Swedish ivy hanging from pots wired to bamboo posts lend a class to the place. The patio in the center doubles up as a dining area during parties hosted by Manpreet Singh and his wife Sapna, and a dais for celebrations of gala events like Holi, Lodhi, Baisaakhi or even a Valentines Day.

Their two daughters, Sabreen and Raynah, are present on all occasions.

Performance of lively dances like Bhangra and the colourful Gidda that are part of almost all celebrations by the Sikh community, enliven the place.

`Gardens spread tranquility and the colour green is a feast to the eyes' says Manpreet.

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