The lawn where everything is considered of immense value

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, November 4

Nothing goes waste from the garden in the sprawling house of Manjit Singh Anand, an income tax lawyer, residing in Basant Avenue area here. Even the wooden logs cut from huge trees were moulded into creating beautiful boundaries.

Anand’s lawn is filled with decorative plants and ferns, aesthetically placed after a lot of thought process. A number of artifacts like a wooden boat was made at home, lucky charms of feng shui (a famous Chinese art used for striking a subtle balance of living spaces with nature) and some other items from Mcleodganj, two statues of deer from Ludhiana, wooden shoes from Amsterdam, an animal skull wall-hanging imported from Bali and more grace his garden.

Though he had a love for plants from childhood, it only welled up when he shifted to Basant Avenue in 1990. He also was fond of collecting artifacts — thus, items from Mcleodganj, Bali and several other parts of the country. “The lockdown gave me a lot of time to work on my lawn. It was a difficult time…but my plants helped keeping my mind healthy,” Anand says.

He has also created a wooden hut surrounded by bamboo and other trees. “This is my refreshing space. It houses a mini library and a small bar specially created from a big wooden log,” he reveals.

The three pine trees and a beautiful wooden work on the edgings right at the residence’s entrance give it a unique look. A hanging rare variety of double-shaded banyan tree with an idol of Ganesha placed in is only garnishing the surroundings of the entryway. While majority of people would prefer floral plants to ferns and shrubs, Anand has gone for the latter. “Floral plants are seasonal. They need a lot of maintenance and care and require to be replaced with new ones. I prefer these decorative plants which fills the gap and also enhances the beauty of my little garden,” the income tax lawyer remarks.

Anand has also arranged for colour lightings focusing on different corners of his garden. A ‘’cactus corner’’ has been set up on a wooden trolley, tucked away at a corner and is still in harmony with his varied yard. “Cactuses are usually not welcomed at the homes. My family also has some reservations about it but I have created a little corner of cactus which adds variety to my lawn,” he shares.