I have a small little garden on my balcony – it’s more of a collection of mismatched pots and containers than anything else, and it’s created through foraged seeds collected on my morning walks or when I go out to feed my gang of community dogs. So it’s far from a well-manicured mini Mughal garden that many a gardener would be delighted and proud to show off. Mine is more like a jungle out there but the best part is, that my plants are self-sustaining, they can withstand any weather conditions. They can brave their way through the many days when I do not get time to water them. They can go for months and sometimes years without any special treatments or fertilizers. Sometimes I feel they just grow because I want them to grow – I tell them not to die on me and they listen. I love my plants! I love the wabi-sabi of the mismatched imperfections which have got together to create a mesmerizing feel of a perfect jungle that attracts butterflies, dragonflies, and birds of all shapes and sizes. But what I enjoy the most is watching the seeds grow. It’s that feeling of anticipation whether they will grow at all, and when they start growing, the curiosity of what they will grow into! The other day I came across a jar full of spoiled whole red lentils full of bugs and my first thought was to throw them into the garbage but I instinctively threw them into one of my pots instead – bugs and all. See the picture below to see how they sprouted into the most delightful greenery. My garden teaches me a lot of things. Seeds foraged from the roadside plants (some of them could even be weeds) looking so unattractive, all dusty due to the pollution, some of them growing in garbage, looking so beautiful in my balcony pots. Seeds ravaged and turned unpalatable by bugs, looking so gorgeous in my little garden. They all teach me that everything considered ugly or useless has another side to it. A beautiful one! And the one that comes out when planted in the right place. All you need is a conducive environment and a little bit of encouragement (I know my plants listen to me). Then water or no water, you will grow, you will flourish and you will make your surroundings beautiful.