Going for designer greens

What separates Taniya Singh’s three-foot by six-foot balcony from the thousands of others that overlook hers are its residents.

From exotic varieties of plants to the more regular palm trees and rose bushes, the flora epitomises a growing trend in the city, that of the balcony garden. And increasingly, Bangaloreans are sparing no expense when it comes to nurturing and maintaining their green balconies.

“Among expensive varieties of plants, I have a rose bonsai from Ooty, which cost me around Rs1,000,” says Singh, a software professional. Both she and her husband look forward to the weekend, when they devote the day to taking care of their green wards.

“Weekends are generally spent gardening. However, once a month we get a gardener to do it professionally,” says Singh. The couple is now planning on expanding their garden indoors, with plant varieties like bamboo and English Ivy, which help improve indoor air quality.

“These days, couples spend  to 14 hours outside the home. So, when they come back they want a relaxed ambience. Here the concept of designer balconies comes in. While having a garden all to yourself is not possible in today's apartment culture, through designer balconies one can have the feel of a garden within a limited space,” says Reena Chengappa, a partner at My Sunny Balcony, a company that specialises in creating balcony gardens.
Most of her customers opt for flowering plants.

“However,” says Chengappa, “in many homes, sunlight is a problem and there we need to convince the customer to opt for ferns, palms, etc.” The smallest balcony to which Chengappa has added her designer touch was a mere two feet by six feet: “While basic balconies start from Rs10,000, I have clients who spend up to Rs30,000 to add greenery and aesthetic value to their balcony,” says Chengappa.

Thirty-eight-year-old art consultant Chandini Harlalka recently spent Rs28,000 doing up her 10-foot by 15-foot balcony at her home in Indiranagar. “I always wanted to have a water feature in my balcony as it adds an air of freshness,” she says. “The balcony wall has been created using bamboo.” The balcony is an extension of the dining and living area of the house and now she spends more time there than ever before.

According to Latha Govind, who owns a nursery in Whitefield, species like begonia, dieffenbachia, bougainvillea, rose, hibiscus, and varieties of bamboo are fast moving. “I have customers who come back at least once a month looking for new varieties of plants. There is also high demand for climbers, creepers, and ferns,” she says.