Build your own kitchen garden Growing healthy vegetables at home can be a rewarding experience.

A wise man once said that gardening is one of the purest human pleasures. Indeed, the patch of green you tend to and watch over lovingly is where you are in communion with nature and meet it halfway every morning or evening. A friend who takes great pride in her kitchen garden, where she grows herbs and an impressive assortment of vegetables, likens looking after her plants to nurturing a child or caring for a pet. “It is pure joy to watch the seeds sprout, grow and bear flowers and fruit,” she says.

Each morning after her walk, she spends time with her favourite plants. She talks to them in soft, loving, dulcet tones, like a mother to her baby. She claims that speaking “nicely” to plants helps them grow better, although I cannot vouch that this helps. But what I can say with certainty is that her ­garden yields a bountiful harvest of fresh, organic, pesticide-free vegetables and herbs, which she magnanimously shares with her friends.

Science tells us that even though plants can’t understand or hear what we speak, they pick up vibrations caused by our voices. So harsh words spoken loudly give our green friends bad vibes. If those who subscribe to the ‘talk affectionately to plants’ theory are to be believed, then low-level vibrations between 115–250 hertz are ideal for promoting photosynthesis and plant growth. At any rate, being happy and cooing to your plants will elevate your mood and can do you no harm.

Setting aside the science of talking to plants, let us consider starting our little kitchen garden. Since we have eleven more months to go this year, it would not be a bad idea to include this project — if you do not already have your patch of green — as part of your resolutions for 2025. If you do, you could use the information being shared to improve your kitchen garden.

So, where does one begin? Location is of prime importance. You must choose a spot that enjoys four to five hours of sunlight, preferably during the first half of the day. Post-noon sunlight can be harsh on plants, ­particularly during the peak summer months. If you can’t find the ideal location, you could provide a light cover for your plant, available at most nurseries, or make one with a thin cloth that does not entirely block sunlight and air. The cover you make must be tied or mounted above the plants, leaving sufficient space for ventilation.

If you are lucky enough to own a house with a backyard or terrace, the ideal location will be there. However, most people live in flats in highrises and must find space in balconies or window sills. Once you have fixed the area for your kitchen garden, you must zero in on where your plants will be grown. Old bathtubs, buckets, and clay pots with perforation at the bottom to allow water to drain can all serve as receptacles for the soil in which your plants will grow.

The soil you choose must be ­nutrient-rich to support your plants. You could get soil from a nursery and add natural manure (cow dung), compost (from decomposed plants and food waste) and coir peat. The last mentioned is the fine particles and dust from the inner husk or pith of the coconut, which is commercially available for use in home gardens. Coir peat has water retention capacity, binds the soil and allows root penetration. It is also said to be antifungal.

It is now time to sow the seeds. It would be best to go with open-pollinated seeds rather than hybrid ones. If you are serious about gardening, you will opt for the former since you can replant seeds from your harvest year after year. Open-pollinated seeds promote greater genetic diversity and adapt to local growing conditions over time. However, hybrid seeds are often recommended since they offer higher yields in the short term.

After zeroing in on the vegetables you intend to grow — tomatoes and chillies are recommended for beginners since they are easy to grow — you can get down to the serious business of sowing the seeds. To enable drainage, you could start with a seed-starting tray or a single pot with a perforation at the bottom. Make a hole twice the size of the seed, cover it with soil and water it enough to keep it moist. Covering the seeds with a net would be good to keep away birds, squirrels and other pests from eating them.

Once the seed sprouts and the plant has its third leaf, transplant it into a larger pot. Ensure enough space is left between plants for them to grow. Water once daily in the morning or evening and watch the plant grow and bear fruit in about three months. You can check by pressing your fingers into the soil to ensure that the soil has enough moisture. Additional water may have to be provided during the summer months.

A kitchen garden can grow a variety of vegetables and herbs, including tomatoes, spinach, brinjal, chilli, okra or bhindi, bitter gourd, coriander, peppermint, basil and lemongrass. And with experience, you will discover more delightful plants you can grow in your patch of green.

You may initially require the services of a local gardener or mali to set up your kitchen garden and later tend to it when you are pressed for time. But ensure he/she does exactly what you want them to do. Malis have a bad habit of introducing hybrid seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides for better results. However, the vegetables and herbs that are produced may not be any better than what you can source from the market. That defeats the very purpose of a kitchen garden.

Finally, now that you have the basics, it is time to get started. And as they say, the proof of the garden is in the gardening!

The writer is a senior journalist who writes on environmental issues