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Small, yet beautiful

It's just a case of making aesthetic use of the space available and creating a green patch in the house, says HARJEET KAUR ALLAGH

COZY AND COMFORTABLE Craftily carved garden enlivens the ambience CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR

`Small is Beautiful!' That's the first thing that comes to mind on looking at the garden of K.V.P.Basaveswara Rao and Pramila Rani. It's just a case of making aesthetic use of the space available and creating a green patch in the house.

As their home faces the west, not many plants survive without the sun. The front garden is small but the east-facing backyard is full of flowering shrubs.

Outside the gate itself, there is a row of Ficus plants growing abundantly.

A rectangular patch of lawn is bordered with roses of different hues and pink Ixoras on all sides. Right in front is a single Ixora bush that is trimmed and shaped to look like an umbrella. Ceramic pots by its side are planted with maroon leaved Oxalis or Shamrocks. They have clover-like leaves with three leaflets and small purple flowers that close up at night along with the leaves.

Terracotta artefacts

A ledge built in one corner has a dark green Ficus potted in a large ceramic urn. A pair of terracotta elephants, elaborately carved horses and a set of pots, painted brightly in red, green and gold by Pramila, accompanies it.

Giving them company are clay models of a horse-driven carriage and a small bullock cart. The center of the lawn there is a black terracotta tripod with a round engraved pot in which a Monstera grows profusely. Three other pots are lined at the back. A black and gold pot is done up with delicate filigree work, another with flowers and a small one in the rose bushes. Pink and bright red Euphorbias are planted at two ends of the lawn. A gold-coloured footstool with an urli on it has bright yellow and orange Gerberas floating in it. A pair of terracotta turtles seems to amble along slowly in the grass. The clay model lady carrying a potted plant on her shoulder walks along.

A row of bright red terracotta pots below the bedroom window is planted with Asparagus, white and green Ficus, a lush Aloe Vera, a thornless cactus and other plants.

Multi-hued flowers

A huge Cycas is growing abundantly and like a palm in a huge cemented pot. Coleus, Adeniums, Bougainvillea and Palms are other plants in the garden. Flowering plants like Hibiscus, Nerium or oleander and Chrysanthemums in different colours and sizes grow in the backyard.

Pramila needs 108 flowers for her puja, every Friday and Saturday, so she says: "I prefer to grow flowers on my own, rather than to buy or pluck them from other gardens. That is why I nurture the flowering plants." She is very knowledgeable about plants and species. She likes to read and maintain a good home. Basveswara Rao is a businessman with an interest in politics. He is an avid reader too and likes spend time with his friends. Both their son, Sivi Srinivasa, living in Detroit and daughter Deepika are married, thus leaving the couple with immense time to pursue their hobbies.

The backyard looks very colourful with blooming flowers in different hues. Traditional flowers like Jasmine and Kankambaram too are grown along with the traditional Tulasi plant and trees like mango, lemon and curry leaves.

Overall, it's a garden with a variety of plants all in different corners but completely in harmony with the whole theme. Soothing to the eye and to the mind!

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