Gardening couple and their green yard!

Mr. and Mrs. M are a typical, cute old couple. They have a charming old house in the camp area, back at Allahabad (my hometown) with a small patch of garden. Their children grew up and flew out of their nest to build their own in bigger cities. Though alone, both are rattling busy souls. A couple so passionate about gardening, there is hardly anything that would keep them away from it. Uncle is a gregarious old Sardar, while Aunty is always chipper. I actually don't think I've ever seen her not smiling. Infected, you just can't stop smiling back. Within minutes of arrival, Aunty dishes out sherbet or chai (tea) with home-made cookies and roasted snacks.

Coming back to gardening, Uncle steals the show since he's the flaunty talker while Aunty is the helpful assistant behind the scene. Though in practice, I think Aunty is more orderly between the two. Their lawn is currently under restoration, and all other plants are in containers. They have put a part of their terrace to use for rose beds and vegetable gardening. Every day, they deadhead and water plants, sweep and re-organize pots to de-clutter their green space.

Their energy and enthusiasm is contagious. When I am home, I make it a point to wheedle out some time to meet them, discover new plants and borrow some for my city balcony. Here's a look at their desert rose (adenium) collection - they have quite a number, but it's just a few that I photographed.