Green gardening including Soil-less (Hydroponics), container and vertical gardening is fast catching up with land challenged green thumbs of Delhi and rest of National Capital Region (NCR)
Some of the square foot new eco-friendly gardening concepts which are fast replacing the grass lawn with native wildflowers, bushes, and trees provides the food, shelter, and cover that help to maintain healthy, natural eco-systems and reduces one’s time, cost and labor working on the lawn are being displayed by kitchen gardeners at the two day Vegetable ,Fruit and Flower show organised by the All India Kitchen Garden Association (AIKGA) which opened here today at Gulmohar park .
“This year AIKGA has shifted the focus and theme of the show on Eco-friendly gardening which includes hydroponics, Aquaponics, vertical and rooftop gardening as this trend is becoming popular world wide for growing vegetables ,fruits and fish round the year.” said Ms Bella Gupta, Secretary, All India Kitchen Garden Association (AIKGA) .
“ Eco-gardening includes concept of encouraging growth of birds and bee friendly plants, use of home grown compost and used tea fertilizers, use of discarded plastic bottles and containers, rain water harvesting, use of Aquaponics (growing plants along with fish) . Besides eco gardening, the festival is also focussing on roof top farming and vertical gardening which helps provide the decorative benefit, food, temperature control, hydrological benefits, architectural enhancement, recreational opportunities, and in large scale it may even have ecological benefits. The practice of cultivating food on the rooftop of buildings is becoming popular world wide” said Mrs Gupta .
The hydroponics system entails growing plants in water as opposed to soil, the traditional base. The roots of plants are placed in a container of water mixed with the necessary nutrients, and the upper part of the plant is separated from the liquid and held firm, using Styrofoam, Because it does not require lots of yard space and hard manual labour.
The other highlights of the spring festival are painting competition, session on eco gardening, sale of garden related items, farm fresh vegetables, seeds and plants for summers. Various chapters of the association in Delhi and National Capital Region will be presenting whole range of nutrition food and related recipes to meet the needs of changing lifestyle
