With 1000+ Plants, This Woman’s Terrace Is an Award-Winning Garden Paradise
Looking for terrace gardening tips? Hyderabad's Padma turned her terrace garden into a blooming green oasis with over a thousand plants.
With the sky becoming a lot closer in the glittering high-rises of modern cities, we are leaving the land behind.
Our destinies are confined within cramped apartments and their four walls, making our indoor houseplants as close to nature as we can get. While many of us desire a green haven nearby, balconies and terraces are our only options.
Though they may appear small, for many these spaces transform into more than just escapes from the urban cacophony – they evolve into tiny Edens, brimming with life and possibility.
59-year-old Pinnaka Padma found herself in a similar situation. Moving houses and cities with her husband, she never had the chance to have a garden.
Yet, defying all odds, she has turned her home in the heart of Hyderabad into a bustling mini-jungle, teeming with over 1,000 plants.
“I’ve always felt a connection with the greens,” she shares with The Better India. “And I yearned for my own garden. All my plants are nurtured naturally, with organic fertilisers.”
A lover of greenery from childhood
Padma’s daily routine begins with an early morning rise and household chores. “Since it is winter, my plants need more care, so a significant portion of my time these days is devoted to tending to them,” she says.
She also spends time recording videos for her YouTube channel, which boasts over 4 lakh followers. “I share what I know. With my love for gardening over the years, I have acquired a wealth of knowledge, and I want to share it with my fellow gardeners,” she adds.
So when did her passion for gardening begin?
“I come from a farming family in Telangana, and I grew up near farms and farmers. I was always in love with nature and would often accompany my family to the farms, learning the tricks and trades,” she says.
Padma was known to have a magic touch in her family, as whatever plant she grew would produce good yields. “I would share my yields with my family and friends and would find immense joy in doing so,” she says.
She moved to Hyderabad after getting married to her husband in 1990.
“We purchased our present home in 1990. I was excited to plant trees in my house. Although located in the city, it did not have a lot of space to do so. However, in 1995, we moved to Bengaluru due to my husband’s job and then to Dubai,” she explains.
Moving around so much, Padma did not get a chance to settle down and have a blooming garden, but that did not deter her. “My kids, too, had an interest in gardening, and wherever I moved, I would plant bonsai and small pot plants for them,” she shares.
It was not until 2014 that she stopped moving, finally calling Hyderabad a home again.
“This time we were sure to live here longer and I was very excited. I wanted to utilise every space in my house to plant as many plants as possible,” she exclaims.
Her modest terrace garden stands as a green oasis right in the heart of Hyderabad. The space boasts over 1,000 plants, carefully nurtured in 600 pots. The variety is impressive, ranging from vegetables to fruits to flowers. “We have mangoes, amla, aloe vera, methi, tomatoes, curry leaves, turmeric, cucumber, and broccoli,” she proudly shares.
All natural, organic and green
Having cultivated plants for many years, Padma has not only developed a green haven on her terrace but has also mastered the art of creating compost, fertilisers, and pesticides using natural ingredients.
“I am a proponent of natural farming. I believe that everything a plant needs, whether it’s nutrients or minerals, can be provided naturally. There’s no need for chemical fertilisers,” she emphasises.
Over the past decade, Padma has crafted her own fertilisers, composting techniques, and pesticides through extensive research on the internet and YouTube. “I enjoyed experimenting and blending various ingredients to understand what best nourishes and promotes plant growth,” she shares.
One of her renowned concoctions involves a blend of eggs and neem oil. “Mix 150 ml of coconut oil with neem oil, cooking oil, mustard oil, and eggs. This mixture serves as an excellent liquid fertiliser that can be sprayed on the plants, providing essential proteins for their growth,” she explains.
In addition to this, she produces vermicompost using kitchen waste. “I utilise my kitchen waste and collect some from restaurants and hotels to make the compost. I mix the waste with jaggery powder and soak it in water for three days,” she details, emphasising that the resulting compost is akin to ‘black gold’ for the plants.
The water from the soaking process is also repurposed to create a pesticide. “I mix it with neem oil and spray it, serving as an effective pesticide for the plants,” she adds.
Padma goes even further with cultivating her own beneficial bacteria for the plants. “Mix cow dung with soil and jaggery water. Cover it with newspaper and place a jute bag over it. Keep adding clean water whenever it dries. In a few days, you’ll notice earthworms thriving in the soil. In my village, these earthworms are called the ‘friends of the farmer’,” she explains.
Following the establishment of her mini terrace jungle, Padma started gaining popularity among her neighbours. “They would bring their children to the garden, showcasing different plants. It filled me with pride. Many neighbours began approaching me to teach them how to cultivate their mini jungle,” she recounts.
Agreeing to their pleas, she would share hours teaching them. “But I could not stand for so long and some of my friends suggested starting a YouTube channel. This way I could reach more people and everyone could have their own gardens,” she says.
In 2019, she started her YouTube channel Patnam Lo Palleturu by Pinnaka Padma and has over 4 Lakh subscribers. “My videos are well-liked by many people and they keep getting viewed. So, it is part of my routine to make a video whenever I learn something new,” she shares.
Padma shares that she successfully grew microgreens in the US while she was visiting her children and hosted a microgreens dinner.
Besides this, many platforms have applauded her spirit and awarded her. “I received an award from Social Woods for innovation in urban farming and another one from Hyderabad Greater Municipal Panchayat Raj in 2019,” she says. If you found our stories insightful, informative, or even just enjoyable, we invite you to consider making a voluntary payment to support the work we do at The Better India. Your contribution helps us continue producing quality content that educates, inspires, and drives positive change. Choose one of the payment options below for your contribution- By paying for the stories you value, you directly contribute to sustaining our efforts focused on making a difference in the world. Together, let’s ensure that impactful stories continue to be told and shared, enriching lives and communities alike. Thank you for your support. Here are some frequently asked questions you might find helpful to know why you are contributing?
Looking back on her journey, Padma says, “There is nothing you cannot do if you have the passion and love to do it. I find joy in sharing and planting. Whenever I distribute my produce among friends and family, it gives me a sense of accomplishment,” she expresses.
Edited by Padmashree Pande
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