Bijnor :

Mukesh Bhatnagar was just 10 years old when he took to gardening, guided by his father. As he grew up, his interest expanded. He experimented, learnt from his mistakes and his hard work and perseverance paid off. Today, this 60-year-old lawyer is a proud owner of a garden spread over 500 metres, comprising over 100 varieties of flowers, including many foreign varieties, as well as fruit trees including mango, orange, lichi and guava. He has become an example for others, specially farmers.

What’s more, all the fruits and flowers are organically grown. Bhatnagar has developed a nursery in his house for preparing plants and pits for organic manure and organic pesticide. Even the horticulture department has taken note of this garden. Farmers come to learn from him.

Besides, he has a kitchen garden where he grows most of the seasonal vegetables. He has become so self-sufficient that he seldom needs to purchase vegetables from the market.

Talking with TOI, Bhatanagar, said, “I have been growing flowers, vegetables and fruit since I was 10 years old. Most of the flowers are being grown in pots. Whenever I travel and go to a new place, I try to find new plants or seeds, which I bring back. As of now, I have around 100 varieties of flower plants including ranunculus, lilium, Water lily, carnation, stocks, freesia, and geranium. Besides, dahlia, pansy marigold both French and African blooms, salvia, calendula, daisy, Begonia and Rose.

“I have 36 varieties of bulbs like lilium. I grow both perennials and season flowers and also evergreens. Besides, I have a collection of snake plant, crotons, signonium, cacti, caladium and seku.”

He said gardening keeps him fit and healthy as well as acts as a stress buster. “ I am lawyer by profession and spend most of my free time in my garden. I am trying to make people aware about sowing flowers, fruits and vegetables by adopting organic methods. I recycle the waste from my garden — dry leaves, wilted flowers and decaying and withered plants — for making manure by using a decomposer. Besides, I also make bio pesticide and insecticide.”

Bhatnagar credited his father for motivating him to take up gardening. All his family members have taken to gardening as well, he said. His married daughter who has developed a garden of her own in her house consults him whenever she faces any problem. “We share pictures and videos of our garden through video conference,” he added.

Now, horticulture and agriculture departments send farmers to Bhatnagar’s garden to understand his technique and adopt organic methods of farming.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Meerut News / by Harveer Dabas / TNN / March 31st, 2018