Paint my backyard green

One of the rooftop gardens executed by Ajay Narayan in Ahmedabad in 2020

Kerala-based permaculture designer Ajay Narayan has been associated with farming for over three years. This Saturday, he will bring his mastery and skill to the digital medium, partnering up with the online learning platform Habbit, for an hour-long workshop on urban farming, that will teach attendees how to create edible gardens in their own backyards. "For this trial class I've been preparing to teach the basics of urban farming - aspects such as how one can grow produce in tight urban spaces like balconies, backyards, and frontwards, and basics like what kind of soil to choose. With this, people will have a sense of what kinds of techniques are possible in an urban setting," says Narayan.

Narayan at work

This is Narayan's first virtual venture with Habbit, and the class is part of a series of trial sessions that are scheduled to be conducted this weekend as part of their Weekend Hobby Sale. "We're hoping to get people to tell us what they've learned and understood through the session or aspects they might have found missing so that we can try to optimise the experience in the actual course. The course is not limited to just lectures; we will also provide supplementary videos, audios, and more to make it as close to a physical experience as possible," shares its co-founder Raghav Goyal.

During the session, Narayan will also conduct virtual walk-throughs of his own garden, to show attendees the techniques that he uses for his produce. "I have about half an acre of land that I'm working on here, in Trivandrum, at the moment; I can also show attendees the techniques I'm using here as well as the diversity of the plants that I have at my disposal," adds Narayan.

On: Today, 8 am to 9 am
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 49