A Jungle of my own
I grew up in a large house surrounded by gardens in a relatively small city (at least back then!) Seasons were dotted with life in the garden, seasonal flowers dominated the landscape in spring. 8, monsoons were marked by afternoons spent with my grandmum repotting bonsais and in the peek of summer, my wife dad would call from his office to tell us to run outside and mist his prized araucaria (for which a shelter was made every April to protect it from the harsh North Indian loo). Our house looked like a jungle, my mum would keep swapping plants, even back then when indoor plants weren’t fashionable.
I lived the larger chunk of my adulthood in Delhi in park facing homes and that's the one thing I've missed since moving to Bombay. My search for a hobby, has brought me back to what has clearly been genetically coded into me - An obsession with flowers and plants.
Here is a fun list of books to guide you through creating your very own urban jungle.
1. Kinfolk Garden:
The most beautiful book on gardens, put together by the good folk at Kinfolk that showcases some of the most amazing gardens from around the world. Pour yourself a glass of wine, put on some music, sit around your plants and get inspired by the stories in this book.
2. Rhapsody in Green:
Your seeds didn’t sprout? You favourite plant got infected with aphids or overnight your cactus just drooped and died- if any of these things have happened to you, pick up this book for a welcome break. A British story of a young man’s adventures in this garden and the many pitfalls of the glorious life of garden, told in a hilarious fashion. I can assure you, if you have ever brought home a living plant, you will find yourself in this book.
3. Urban Jungle:
A book behind the phenomenon of bringing plants indoors, a visual feast of homes filled with plants and styled in an interesting, eclectic way.
4. Botany for Gardeners:
The Royal Horticulture Society has perhaps the most comprehensive books on plants and flowers. This and their encyclopedias are a must for anyone who wants to understand plants better. They also have an incredible range of books on pruning, growing vegetables and treating pests. These are essential studies if you are a series gardener.
5. Encyclopedia for plants and flowers
6. Urban Botanists:
A great guide to indoor plants, you’ll use this as a ready reference every day!
7. Botanicum:
Whether you care for plants or not, go buy this book, for the most stunning illustration of flowers, plants and seeds. I wish our science textbook looked like this!
8. The New plant Parent:
A must have for any new plant parent; it has all your basics covered in great detail.
9. Wild at home:
If you are a plant lover and on Instagram, you have to know Hilton Carter, a musician turned botanist and plant parent, he’s most famous for the giant fiddle leaf that sits in his bedroom. His book is a crash course with the most stunning images that detail how to shop for plants, care for them and style them at home.
10. How not to kill your plants- Trisha Bohra:
Almost all of Pinterest is trying to emulate tropical plans that are perfect for our climate, Trisha presents care for indoor plants from and Indian perspective outlining what truly works and doesn’t in our apartment homes.
BONUS: The Drunken Botanist
What’s the point of all the effort, if you cant have some fun at the end of a hard day of pruning and fighting pests- the drunken botanist is an incredible book on plants, herbs and flowers that have inspired some of the most unique drinks all over the world.
