An Ode to the Childhood Backyard Flora

Growing up in rural India, we had all sorts of plants in our backyard garden. Each of them, edible of inedible, enriched my life. Each offered me something to feed my imagination and play with.

If I chose the path of biology, it was largely inspired by these plants.

The maidenhair fern growing from the crevices of brick walls, the vanillin smell of certain grasses, the medicinal juice of Tridax ,  none of them escaped my attention. 

I would notice mahua and jamun seedlings sprouting from seeds dropped by birds. It was easy to grow in that subtropical hot and humid climate.

I would collect the speckled seeds of the castor plants. They say it contains ricin toxin. But I was fine, playing with them. I would nibble on custard apple flowers - though the seeds contain annonacin toxin. I played with marigold flowers and enjoyed bursting the seed pods of balsam plant.

I crafted tools from eucalyptus bark that had fallen to the ground and collected their fun, cone-shaped flower caps.

The divine smell of mango and orange blossoms, made spring time divine with their fragrance.

The huge clusters of mangoes, crunchy guavas, delicious litchis, juicy oranges, pomegranate, gooseberry, jackfruits, and the exotic rose apple blessed my childhood.

There were so much guava, even our cattle relished on those.

The banana, drumstick, and papaya plants were heavy with fruits. We were never short of vegetables

The bougainvillea, ixora, night jasmine, passion flowers, coral jasmine, Arabian jasmine, tuberose, dahlia, chrysanthemum, plumeria, hibiscus, rose, Rangoon creeper, and flaming glory bower graced the yard.

The ginger and turmeric patches thrived under the shade of the orchard.

The opulent pumpkin vines and the taro patch served as healthy vegetables.

 It was a childhood of abundance.

I wish I had photos of all the amazing flora I grew up with. But that was a time well before digital cameras, smartphones, or laptops. Just the memory lingers.

I could go on and on.

Anyway, when I visited the backyard few years back, I made sure to take a lots of pictures. I spent much time taking strolls in the backyard, harvesting fruits and vegetables.

I would pick raw mangoes in our backyard, dropped by mango shower. Then I would help my mother process the mangoes for pickling.

I would pick the Arabian jasmines dropped under the bush and put in a bowl of water. It was natural aromatherapy.

Then I would go to the backyard to see what I can harvest for lunch preparation. There was no dearth of fruits and vegetables to pick from. It was bliss to pick the goodies.

I would come back with eggplant, chili, ivy gourd, tomato, curry leaves—among other things.

Because of that backyard, my siblings and I had great childhood. Even though we were not financially-privileged, those plants made us feel rich.

I wanted the same joy for my kids, so I have a small backyard too, where I grow things. I can never grow as many plants as my parents did, yet every small sustainability effort counts.

I understand that gardening is not everybody’s cup of tea. In an expensive world, people don’t even have the luxury of space.

Yet, I wish every human being, a parcel of land and a bountiful oasis in it. The joy of watching the blooms turning to fruits and harvesting is amazing. It’s therapeutic.

“Watching something grow is good for morale. It helps us believe in life.” —Myron Kaufmann

"The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." —Alfred Austin

I hope I’ve motivated the readers to try gardening.

Thank you for reading.