Cultivating and maintaining a garden is an art. A
garden is not only aesthetically pleasing to the eye,
but plays an important role in providing a clean and
fresh environment. With the rising pollution a
peaceful garden can visually dissociate the hospital
from the urban grime. The trees and plants create a
green landscape, which is the most soothing colour
to the eye and can help the patients relax. Maintaining
a fertile and beautiful garden requires hard work,
meticulous care and attention. However, gardens can
also be beneficial to the gardeners since the act of
gardening has been known to relieve stress.
Cultivating a garden
A garden is a place where there are flowers, trees,
plants, creepers and grass. There are two types of
gardens - a flower garden that lends beauty and a
kitchen garden where vegetables are grown. A hospital
can have both the gardens - one in the front to add
beauty and the second on the backside to supply the
necessary vegetables to the kitchen. The plan and
position of the garden should be settled before the
building is constructed.
Selection of trees, plants and creepers
Selection of plants needs to be given a lot of thought.
The type of trees, plants and creepers should be
appropriate and should suit the surroundings.
Trees
Trees that will provide more shade and trees that bear
flowers throughout the year should be planted
outside the hospital and near the compound wall.
Plants
Plants can be reared in two ways - in the soil, and in
pots. Crotons and flowering plants can be planted
on both sides of the pathway leading into the hospital,
either in the ground or in flower pots.
Creepers
Flower bearing creepers should be selected and planted
near the compound wall to give them the required
support. The newly planted creepers need to have
their tender stems supported by a stilt so that they
grow vertically. This is required until they get firmly
fixed in the soil, after which they can be supported
by the wall.
Lawn
A beautiful green lawn can be planted at the entrance
or on both sides of the pathway. The garden will be
more captivating and attractive if colourful flowers
are planted along the edges or in the centre of the lawn.
Maintenance of a garden
Fertility of the soil
After selecting the trees, plants, and creepers, for the
garden, check if the soil is fertile. Spread the soil
evenly. When doing so, remove any hard rock or
plastic bags that may be embedded in the soil. If the
soil is not fertile, replace it with a mixture of red soil
and sand.
Method of arranging the plants
Dig a pit one foot deep and one foot wide, and let it
dry for a day. On the next day put a layer of sand at
the bottom of the pit. Now mix red soil, sand and
natural manure in the ratio 1:2:2 and put this mixture
into the pit that has been dug. Plant the saplings
firmly into it and pour some water. Do not pour
excess water. After 40 days the sand at the bottom of
the pit should be turned properly. Do not use manure
for 2 months. After the plant has taken root, and
started to grow, manure mixed with water should be
poured once a month. Care should be taken not to
pour manure on the roots. If the plant has to grow
well, the weeds around the plant should be pulled
out. Cow dung is not good manure. Worms grow
out of it, and destroy the plant.
Watering the garden
During the summer, plants need to be watered twice
a day, in the morning and in the evening but not in
the afternoon. When watering the plants, care should
be taken not to pour water on the roots. Dig a shallow
canal around the plant, a little distance away, and
pour water into this canal. Care should be taken not
to pour excess water. Do not forget to sprinkle water
on the leaves. The leaves need to be regularly cleaned,
as dust blocks the pores.
During winter, plants need far less water. Care
should be taken to see that water does not stagnate
near the plant. This will cause the stem and the roots
to rot and the plant will wilt and die.
For pot plants, a hole needs to be made at the
bottom of the pot to allow the excess water to drain
out.
Adding manure
While adding manure, the liquid manure should
not come in direct contact with the stem and the
root. It can be sprinkled or poured at a distance of
one foot. Natural manure is preferred to chemical
manure.
Preparing natural manure
Dig a small pit. Put the dry leaves and stems which
are swept from the garden into this pit and leave them
there for a few days. This will form into natural
manure.
Weeding
Weeds are the parasite plants that grow on and around
the plants. If they are not removed immediately, the
manure and water meant for the plant is used by the
weeds, and the plant gradually grows weak and dies
Pruning and shaping the trees, plants and creepers
When the trees plants and creepers have grown, they
need to be pruned and shaped to look neat. In the
process, the plants can be shaped to resemble peacocks,
elephants, deer, or birds. This adds to the beauty of
the garden
Cleaning a garden
The garden should be kept neat and clean, if the
garden is to look beautiful, and remain healthy. The
dried leaves and fallen twigs should be swept and put
in an appropriate place to form natural manure which
can be used later.
Expanding the garden
New plants and creepers can be grown to expand the
garden by means of seeding, grafting and cutting.
Seeding
The seed bearing plants should be nurtured carefully
and seeds should be collected. These can be sown to
bring up new plants.
Grafting
The mature stem of a rose, or jasmine plant should
be bent and diverted towards another pot or a
polythene bag filled with fertile soil. It should be
inserted and covered with soil so that it is not seen.
After some days the new plant will take root. When
this happens, the stem should be cut off from the
mother plant without disturbing the new plant.
Cutting
A matured stem of a plant can be cut and planted in
another pot or another place in the soil to raise a new
plant of its type.
