Monsoon rain brings a sigh of relief to Pune’s garden enthusiasts

People who are living in housing societies along with real estate developers are roaming from one nursery to another to buy seedlings of popular flowering plants such as hibiscus, marigolds, balsams, periwinkle, and rain lilies. Besides this, the demand for fruit plants has also gone up.

Regina D’Souza from Fatimanagar shared, “March and April were very harsh on my garden. Many plants dried up. Last week, I cleaned the space, added vermicompost, and planted some new saplings. This is the ideal time to begin.”

Laxmikant Kavade, who runs Pushpalaxmi Rose Nursery, said, “Usually we prepare saplings in May to sell during the rains. But this year, rains arrived early, and the demand for plants like hibiscus, roses, orchids, snake plants, and more has already picked up.”

Nurseries are also selling plants that can be grown easily in shady and damp conditions—coleus, impatiens, begonias, mogra, and ferns. Besides this, the demand for several products like antifungal sprays, fertilizers, and vermicompost has increased.

Experts advised gardeners to use neem oil spray and make a good arrangement for drainage because waterlogging is dangerous for plants. It is also essential to protect plants from pests and fungus during the monsoon season.