Nurturing love for gardening at the age of 64

An inspiring story of Raj Kumar Kapoor (Khyaal Community Member)

”My name is Raj Kumar Kapoor and I am 64 years old. I was born and brought up in Chhipitola in Agra. I completed my M.Sc. in Chemistry from Mathura. After completing my education, I got a job as a cashier at Canara Bank in 1981. I belong to a very traditional family. My father worked in the Indian Railways and my mother was a housewife. I have two daughters.

After working in Chhipitola for 6 years, I was transferred to Maharishipuram in Agra in 1990. Initially I used to travel home to Chhipitola from Maharishipuram, but gradually I bought my house in Maharishipuram. Moving to the new house was a turning point in my life. All my life I had lived in a small house. We never had the freedom to have plants or a garden. Also, there are a lot of monkeys in Chhipitola that damage plants, so we could not have plants at home. I have always loved nature and greenery and longed for a garden of my own.

This wish came true when we moved into our new house. It was a row house with ample space for a garden. So I finally decided to make my own garden. I juggled with my job and developing the garden simultaneously. My father helped me a lot with planting the trees and laying out the garden. Whenever I had time, I brought plants from the nursery. In the beginning, we planted vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, brinjal, green peas, and so on. That also brought good yields. But we were not able to use up all the produce, so it ended up as waste. The vegetable plants also needed extra care. So we discontinued with growing vegetables and moved on to flowering and other plants such as ficus, snake plant, money plant and monstera. We also planted fruit plants like oranges, black grapes, jamun, guava etc. With time I grew fond of gardening but was unable to give more time. The government conducts many tree planting campaigns, but the trees are not maintained later. So I thought of having as many plants as possible in my house so that I can take care of them.

I took voluntary retirement on January 30, 2016 as a Branch Manager. After I retired, I had plenty of time to devote to gardening. I used to drop my daughter to office everyday. While returning home, I would visit the nearby nursery and buy a plant. This developed into a routine. I have bought a new plant every day since 2016. Normally I buy seasonal plants that only have a short lifespan of a few months. Since 2016, I have bought more than 1000 plants to date. I have dedicated 10% of my pension to my garden. My house has turned into a little green ecosystem. Previously I used to park my car in the compound of the house but now that space is taken over by my plants and I park the car on the road outside the house. My favourite plants are Money plant, Jade plant, Snake plant and Monstera. My family members have always supported me in my hobby. I usually receive plants and gardening items as gifts from people close to me.

I visit the garden first thing on waking up. I inspect every single plant and talk to them. Then I click a photo of one of the plants and post it on the Khyaal WhatsApp group and other social media platforms with a good morning message. I started posting pictures of my plants on social media platforms during COVID-19 because I wanted to share something positive with people at the start of the day. After breakfast, I work in the garden until noon to water, fertilise, repot, prune, plant and maintain. I also make compost at home from dry leaves and vegetables. After lunch, I watch videos about gardening. I like experimenting with plants. I have learned to make kokedama, plant in rocks, make bonsai, etc. I have a variety of plants in my garden like petunias, salvia, gazania, cosmos, genia, cachia, adenium, sansevieria, cacti, succulents etc. I love to spend most of the day in my garden. The plants in my garden have become an integral part of my life. Gardening has given my life meaning. I feel very calm and serene in my house, surrounded by nature. The temperature in Agra is high, but the temperature in my house is lower than the average temperature in Agra.

I use my time positively by taking care of my plants. This helps me to be active and maintain enthusiasm for life. It gives me a sense of peace. Before, only the people at the bank knew me, but my garden has given me a new identity. My passion for gardening has made me very well known in my area. Some newspapers and media channels have also covered my story. Gardening has enriched my life.

One piece of advice I would give to my fellow seniors is that greenery brings happiness. Try to plant as many trees as you can to get closer to nature. It will give you peace and make you more empathetic.” - Raj Kumar Kapoor (Khyaal Community Member)