Green flag: Meet Delhi's own garden ninja from Moti Bagh, who has bagged another win

For Vartika Prakash, expensive gifts hold no charm as she would rather receive plants. This Delhi-based homemaker has recently won the residential garden award at the Indraprastha Horticulture Society’s competition, marking her second consecutive victory.

A gardening enthusiast since her childhood, she cultivated her interest in competing during her days in Lucknow, where she won the Uttar Pradesh Raj Bhavan Competition 2020. It's been three years that Prakash has shifted to Delhi, with her family, and has since then transformed her Moti Bagh home into a flourishing oasis. With over 1,000 potted plants, including succulents, orchids and tulips, her garden is a lush retreat for any plant lover.

“In today’s fast-paced life, everyone needs a space to breathe fresh air and exhale stress. My garden is that sanctuary,” shares the 45-year-old.

While her IPS officer husband and children support her passion — whether by clicking pictures of new blooms or lending a hand in maintenance — gardening remains her personal escape. “Often when my children are in college or school and husband is busy with work, I have a lunch date with my plants. I also play music for them,” she shares as if revealing the secret behind her green thumb.

Now, she hopes to inspire others to find solace in Nature by becoming a plant influencer and passing down the green wisdom she learned from her mother and naani (maternal grandmother). She shares, “We can easily create compost from our kitchen waste, and use it to grow plants. There are so many options these days,” she shares, adding, “But in the whole process of gardening, patience is the key. Just like humans, plants too need love and care.” It's truly her labour of love that has made her plants the talk of town!

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