She runs a hi-end door-to-door maali service

Nature-lover Anusha Babbar has introduced a door-to-door gardening service out of Green Grower, her Bandra-based nursery, hoping that the convenience encourages more Mumbaikars to grow Chillies, Water Cabbages and Brinjals

Positioned right across the road from Bandra Talao, Green Grower, a nursery run by a team of 60 was set up 11 years ago by NS Rao, Anusha Babbar's grandfather. She inherited her love for greens from him and her grandma Lily who'd spend almost all her time in their garden, pruning roses and orchids. "We had a greenhouse on our terrace, and she'd grow grapes there. She acquired over 80 certificates in gardening. The land around our bungalow still has Jackfruit, Coconut, Mango and Guava trees," says Anusha. It's hard not to ponder over destiny when she tells you that her Armenian grandmother's maiden name was Varthanoush, meaning
sweet flower.

Anusha Babbar sits by a lily pond at the landscaped garden on the second flower of Green Grower nursery. pics/Narendra Dangiya

Expert maali available
Anusha, who signed up at the Burnley Campus of Melbourne University for a course in horticulture says most people she meets are eager to go green, but harassed by local gardeners who shorn their plants or fertilised them to death. Horror stories prompted her to set a service that arranges for a trained mali to drop into
your home.

In just a year, she got 300 people to sign up, especially those who don't know enough about plants, and enjoy the convenience of not having to prune, trim and fertilise them.

Plants as b'day gifts
By offering unique services like tree transplanting, and guiding customers on which plants are suitable for their homes, Anusha hopes to pave the way for a greener Mumbai. "I'm happy to have kindergarten kids over to plant saplings, and I was thrilled to see parents opting for little saplings for return gifts at birthday parties."

Green Grower gift packs plants; they are a hit with corporates, she says. The cost varies according to the selection (Rs 5 onwards for plants). "No matter where you live, you'll find space for at least one plant," she says, suggesting you grow your own Chillies (Rs 25), Tomatoes and Brinjals. And if you'd like something fancier, you can have them arrange Water Cabbages (Rs 5) in an imported wooden wine barrel (Rs 4,500) with guppies (Rs 35 a pair from Nautilus Aqua System, located in the same building) in the water to ensure that it stays mosquito and bacteria-free.

Also available: Sprayers for Rs 60 to Rs 250, watering cans at Rs 160 onwards, decorative pebbles at Rs 30 per kilo, plant seeds, fertilisers and a variety of books
on gardening.

At: Mahatma Gandhi Sewa Mandir, opposite Bandra Talao, SV Road. Call: 26415985 / 26427094. For more information log on to www.greengrowerindia.com

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