Gardening and indoor plants have come in and out of vogue over the years. More recently, the coronavirus pandemic pushed many people to stay indoors for long periods for their health and safety.
An increased duration of time spent at home is perhaps one reason that led to a blossoming popularity of home gardening and owning indoor plants in Qatar. The coronavirus restrictions afforded many people more time to put on their gardening gloves and test out their green thumb. Nurseries and gardening experts had many people reaching out to them with photos of popular plants they saw online and which they eagerly wanted to grow themselves in their homes. Many indoor plants – which were once a rarity in town, are easily accessible now with many nurseries taking orders online.But not all are new to the prospering indoor gardening scene of Qatar. Reshmi Rajendran, an avid plant enthusiast, bought a money plant aka pothos as the first plant to grow at her apartment in Doha a few years ago. She was initially a little skeptical about her gardening abilities, but her determination and keen interest kept her motivated to push through all hurdles and challenges of keeping her plants alive. Community recently talked to Reshmi to learn about her green thumb secrets and how to maintain a lush indoor garden.
Tell us about yourself. What do you do and how long have you been living in Doha for?
I hail from the state of Kerala in India. I have happily clocked nine years in Qatar, of which eight years I have been working in Qatar Airways. When I count the years, it feels like a long time but the reality is that time has passed so quickly, maybe because life in Doha has never been monotonous for me.
What sparked your interest in gardening? What was the very first plant you bought?
I come from a tropical place, full of greenery. Growing up, I saw my mom love gardening. I wasn’t into gardening back then. During my first year in Doha, I happened to visit one of our family friends’ home in Dukhan. Being avid plant lovers, they had pothos creeping all across the ceiling, a huge hibiscus plant in his living room and more. I was pleasantly surprised and it literally felt like an oasis. I think that was my inspiration to use plants as décor. When I moved into our first rented apartment together with my husband, I started with a pothos thinking I will grow it across my living room... but now I’ve lost count of the plants I own as I have over a hundred plants in my oasis and counting.
What kept me going was probably the challenge of keeping a plant alive. Sometimes I get to chat with some of my Instagram followers, few of whom tend to describe themselves as black thumb, seeking help. Apart from sharing my tips, I share my story which isn’t all that different from theirs.
So, I started with the most commonly available plant, which is the money plant aka pothos aka Devil’s ivy. With limited knowledge and too much watering I killed that plant. But I didn’t give up; I quickly replaced it with the same kind of pothos. Yes! I didn’t let my brain register that I killed a plant. This time I marked it with the date I got it, June 2016 just so that I know how I kept it alive. I did manage to keep it alive for long but not that long. But that was a start for me and what I have today is what you see on my instagram
@thesecretgardenerdoha.
You call yourself TheSecretGardenerdoha – how did that name come about?
This instagram handle was created to share and showcase my interests and love for plants — with plants alone being the focus. So you will see a lot of plants and guest appearances of my cats Peru and Pheobe. Also, being a little secretive about yourself attracts all the curious kittens to follow me, perhaps.
Can you talk about some of the plants you have grown? Which ones among them would you say you treasure the most?
Right now I do not have a long wish list but there are some easily available plants in it and some are rare. My most treasured plant would be the Monstera deliciosa which I grew from a cutting. It has these majestic leaves with beautiful fenestrations. It’s a conversation starter for many plant lovers who visit my home and also follow me on Instagram.
I started with indoors plants because it’s easier to manage them than outdoors plants, with Doha’s extreme weather. But in the last two years I have also started to fill up my balcony with Doha weather resistant plants.
Would you say the lockdown has renewed people’s interest in plants and gardening?
Totally, there is no doubt about that. It holds true not just in Doha but all around the world. In Doha, there was always a plant loving community and the number has definitely spiked up during the lockdown. Initially, when I started my page I didn’t know many other social media plant pages from Doha other than Qatargreenkiwi(Instagram), mamababaganoush (insta/youtube videos) and the Facebook page named gardening club- Qatar which was very helpful.
Even nurseries didn’t have active social media accounts. It slowly started with Facebook but now on Instagram as well, it’s a booming business. It’s attracted a lot of people to turn into sellers and a lot of established nurseries are connecting with their buyers to bring in the ‘plants in demand’ into Qatar.
How has the market for indoor plants changed in Qatar in your opinion?
There has been a major change. Sometime in 2019, I really wanted to acquire a ZZraven. That plant really amused me, the rich black foliage was mind blowing to see pictures of. I never ever imagined I would ever find it in Qatar. But guess what, I was at loss of words to find a beautiful bunch of ZZraven during one of my random nursery visits in Omani Souq. The staff didn’t even know the name of the plant. They gave it to me for QR35 and I was dumbfounded. It’s difficult to get that plant for that price on the Internet.
Fast forward to this moment where you name the plant and the nurseries are fast trying to get it for you. I have had a chat with three nursery owners, who wanted to know my plant wish list so they can try to get them for me. Basically you have access to most plants if you are willing to spend your coins for it. I would say Doha is still pricey in terms of some plants. That being said, you don’t have to break your bank for plants. It’s easy to spend money and get whatever plant you want from wherever you want. But there is always fun in growing your own plants through cuttings, propagation, seeds etc. I for one have given myself a strict budget to keep my plant spending in check. I have given myself a cut off limit, above which if I have to spend on a plant – it better have been on my mind for months, if it’s worth that price.
Is it possible to grow herbs and vegetables at home in Qatar?
It’s totally possible during the growing season in Doha or using hydroponics or a greenhouse. I stay in an apartment and have a balcony. I don’t have the luxury of having a backyard with earth and soil. Even if you have window sill with good sunlight, it’s still possible to grow your own little herb garden. I currently have basil, curry leaves, tulsi, lemon grass, mint, ginger, ajwain, turmeric, passion fruit plant (haven’t yet had fruits) pumpkin and spinach growing in my balcony. I have friends who succeeded in growing rosemary, neem etc.
Can you describe the tools and equipment you’ve used to help you with your home garden?
Basic tools kit for home gardening could include your gloves, pruning shears, garden fork and a small spade. But can you start without it…? Of course you can! You just need some soil, pots with base plates (you don’t need mess around), seeds and cuttings.
For people on a low budget and busy schedules, what are some of the plants you would recommend?
Snake plants, aloe vera, pothos, peace lily are a good start for people on a budget. I for one believe gardening shouldn’t have to cost you a bomb or stress you out. You can spend a small amount and still surround yourself with greenery.
Any daily gardening tips for beginners to maintain indoor plants?
As a beginner, to read up about the requirements of the plant you want to buy or you already own, the Internet tells you everything these days. That’s how I learnt most of what I know today.
Also my mantra, to newbies plant owners is, DON’T BE A HELICOPTER PLANT MOM! Plants know how to take care of themselves as long as they have water and sunlight. Resist the urge to always take care of them and sit back and read about their requirements. A major tip on what NOT to do: Don’t over water you plant, that’s a major plant killer among us.
Do you think gardening or having plants in your home affects your personality and well-being?
Plants and greenery have a positive effect on anyone. But there is still a stigma of having plants inside homes because there is a school of thought that believes plants compete with us for oxygen at night. But in reality, plants produce around ten times more oxygen during the day than the trivial amount of oxygen they use at night.
My husband initially refused to have plants in the bedroom, but I made sneaky moves and today he has a dracaena right next to his bedside table.
Don’t you feel the difference when you enter an office space or restaurant full of plants, with a good vibe around it? So why not have that feeling of having plants all around us in our own homes – it’s like being in a garden in itself. I love the look of surprise when a guest enters my house, they don’t expect to see so many plants inside an apartment. Words like meadow, jungle, tropical, garden, savannah are what they describe feels like being in my house.
