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City-based architect converts terraces into productive landscapes
Lockdown has been tough on many professionals, however, Saleel Savarkar, a city-based architect and urban designer has found a way to release stress and convert it into a sound investment
Lockdown has been tough on many professionals, however, Saleel Savarkar, a city-based architect and urban designer has found a way to release stress and convert it into a sound investment.
Savarkar cofounded My Homestead, an urban farming company with likeminded friends who help people convert their terraces into productive landscapes.
“Gardening is all soulful searching. It is all about life and passion and at a time when the pace of life was in peril, the pace of growing plants seemed more encouraging and blissful. It was my single source of enjoyment and encouragement. My garden has a unique blend of fully trees popping into it and my own planted shrubbery,” said Savarkar.
He lives in a quaint family in a condominium complex in Erandwane. Calling it as level four of his house, this barren terrace has now become the reason to look forward to, being together and sharing and generating positive vibes with family members and friends.
“As an avid gardener, I had always found my love for plants often not matching the mark of my actions. The lockdown following the global pandemic last year gave us an opportunity to relook at a vacant terrace space and reimagining it as a thriving mini ecosystem. It has been a year into this process of gardening and home farming that have been a seamless integration into my daily routine,” he added.
Over the years, the terrace seemed to have gathered over 100 pots lying unused. What started off as a sowing and planting exercise in May 2020, assumed the proportion of careful planning, making budgets and finally ordering and planting shrubs, plants and even trees on a terrace.
“The idea was to give a sense of signature ‘Gharchi Baug’ a recollection of the bungalow garden which I had always heard from my grandparents and parents as a treasure they enjoyed through their childhood and growing years. We chose a selection of flowering plants, typically Indian flowers. Along with it we chose certain Ayurvedic herbs, kitchen herbs and some flowering trees that can grow in large pots. To fill the gaps and give a sense of evergreen, we chose certain minimum exotic flora like crotons and grass,” he added.
“My father, Sanjay Savarkar, was an avid gardener. He would have been 60 this year. We initially coincided the culmination of our phase 1 in June last year to celebrate what would have been his 60th year with 60 potted plants. Gradually new ideas, new efforts and new inspirations has now made level 4 a thriving garden of over 250 plants and some trees,” said Savarkar.
He encountered many people who had to give away a part of their home plants because of relocation and redevelopment last year, that he happily adopted their plants.
“Covid lockdown has got its tremendous downside in our personal and professional lives. But it also taught us the essence of time, patience and joint efforts and the taste of hard work and family values, just as I learned through home gardening,” said Savarkar.
