“I had only seen Kokedama on Instagram, and while I’ve always been captivated by the art form, I believed it would be too challenging for me to attempt on my own. Now I have not only created my own work of art, but I have also learned how to care for it,” says Nikhil Vyaskara, a resident of Palava, and one of the gardening enthusiasts who registered for Dr. Sheetal Pachpande’s Kokedama Workshop at the Lakeshore Club of Palava.
Kokedama is a Japanese art form that makes indoor plant ornaments from living plant moss balls. These plants make beautiful hanging planters, work desk companions and living room masterpieces. The participants were provided different types of succulents and moss with strings, bottles and soil to make their own planters. Getting their hands dirtied, they were taught to mix the soil and moss, roll it into a ball, wrap the roots of the plants, bind them in twine and finish with sheet moss and spritz of water.
In the words of resident AK Prasad, “It was a hands-on experience where we learnt the necessary skills to make our own Kokedamas at home and In the words of resident AK Prasad, “It was a hands-on experience where we learnt the necessary skills to make our own Kokedamas at home and do our bit to appreciate and conserve nature. I am looking forward to the next such workshop by Palava.”
The weekend before, the city held Eco-vibes led session on kitchen gardening and home composting. Another wonderful experience where the residents were guided to grow pesticide free veggies and herbs in limited spaces. Not just that – the expert also gave tips on creating the compost by repurposing the kitchen waste! A basic example – So, if you’re eating a banana, do not discard the peel. You can either soak them in water for two to three days or simply let them rot around the base of the plant, to provide your plants with ample potassium. It’s just that simple!
Palava has long promoted sustainable living and keeps on sharing best practices to help its citizens adopt it as a way of life. Dr. Sheetal Panchpande acknowledged this intention and stated, “It is inspiring to see Palava, an International City with an Indian Heart encourage its residents to make environmentally friendly, conscientious choices to support this endeavour. As stated by our Prime Minister at the COP 26 Summit last year, India is projected to reduce its total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now until 2030. Today with growing urbanization it is people who can make a difference and such green initiatives undertaken by Palava encourage its residents to lower carbon footprint from their homes.”
Three cheers to going green and nurturing an array of green thumb prints in Palava!