Srinath Pilarsetty home has become a selfie zone thanks to two ‘green walls.’ They stand near the entrance of his independent house at Tirumala Hills near Moosarambagh. “Our house has become popular and people in our locality have started taking selfies at the entrance,” says the amused advocate, adding that vertical gardening near the staircase leading to this building has brightened up the space.
Meanwhile though Pista House’s new restaurant, in Moosarambagh, is yet to launch, its lively green wall is already drawing passers-by, who pause to admire it. This surge of unexpected urban greenery also done by Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) now found on the pillars under most city flyovers, the Khairatabad flyover (‘I Love Hyderabad’), apartment complexes (Hill County) and hostels (Vajram Aster homes, Gopanapalli) are welcome, vertical oases in the city.
Choose your plant
- Money plant varieties – Pothos
- Spider plant – Chlorophytum
- Philodendron Oxycardium
- English Ivy
- Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum
- Syngonium varieties
- Peperomia varieties
- Spider Plant – Chlorophytum
- Ficus
- Pandanus
- Golden Duranta
- Alternanthera Red
- Ribbon Grass
- Hemigraphis
- Lantana Flowers
- Mint / Coriander / Palak
- Basil
- Celery
- Thyme
- Oregano
As they get more popular, residents are also learning how to create small vertical gardens in their homes and apartments. MSN Rao and his wife, who are both teachers, are city dwellers with green thumbs. After they moved into an apartment, they converted their balcony into a small patch of green filled with semi-shade plants, which include syngonium, spider (chlorophytum comosum) and money plants. Rao, who sought expertise from Myro Farms in Hyderguda, explains why they chose this method, saying, “Vertical gardening is the way forward as it brings greenery with even little space.”
Though Mohammad Ali has had a tiring day, he perks up when he walks towards the vertical garden at Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills. “We forget exhaustion when we look at the plants,” he says. Ali owns Green Life Nursery, which has been instrumental in creating some significant vertical landscapes completed The Apollo Hospital wall, using 12,000 plants about three weeks ago.
His team has done about 80 projects in the city over six years including the recent ‘I Love Hyderabad’ signage with more than 16,000 plants at Khairatabad Flyover. With a Ph.D in English, Ali used to teach in Oman and returned to Hyderabad to take care of his ailing mother. In Hyderabad, he shifted gears to start a nursery. His venture Green Life is in partnership with his lecturer wife. “Greenery is not taken seriously and we do not realise the importance of these plants in curbing pollution and creating a better environment.” He adds that this age of rapid urbanisation, this green cover spreading vertically brings cheer to the city dwellers. “Having a small patch of green is economically viable too,” he says.
Nurseries across the city are now cashing in on the growing demand for innovative green practices. At Myro Farms, vertical panels come with a set of three plastic pots and panel fabrication is done with metal pipes. Afzal Ali patiently explains how to set up a garden. ? “Depending on space and sunshine, we advise on the indoor, semi-shade or outdoor plants. Air purifying plants, are popular among semi-shade plants.” A former chef, Afzal began growing herbs to be used in his cooking. Later, he co-founded Myro with his physiotherapist wife Dr Zareena Anjum. Three factors significant in having a good vertical garden are: Choosing a right plant and the area, installation and irrigation. “Red soil is heavy and doesn’t irrigate properly. So most of the vertical gardens have very little or no water and have a manure with cocopeat so that it is lighter and holds water but for outdoor plants we recommend some amount of red soil.” There is another reason to have greenery around; As part of its Clean Air study in 1989, NASA checked several plants in a controlled environment and they found 20 plants filtering the air. Adds Afzal, “It’s indeed proven how these plants clear some toxins in the air.”
Mohammad Ali reveals the design of irrigation system. “Water is needed everyday but irrigation system is designed to save water,” he says, adding that customers can opt for manual watering or drip irrigation. “The pipeline connected to the source releases water as droplets. Plants dry fast in summer hence needs to be watered everyday. Each plant takes about a tea cup of water,” he adds.
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