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Literary Review
All you needed to know
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LAEEQ FUTEHALLY attempts a chapter-by-chapter review of a book on gardening that has strong overtones of a philosophy which suggests the unity and sacredness of all life.
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UNTIL now, I have disapproved of those reviews which take the reader through a book chapter by chapter and page by page. But I suppose there must be something to be said for this method, for today I have decided to do the same.
I will, then, start with page one: or even before, with the title page. Here we discover that the author, Meera Uberoi, has published books on the Mahabharata, Leadership Secrets of the Mahabharata, and three books for children on the same theme, including Classic Indian Tales. We also note that material has been used from sources as diverse as The Book of Turkish Verse and Poems by Yevtushenko. Obviously, this is not a standard "how-to-do-it" gardening book; and the author, apart from being a first class gardener, is a scholar and also perhaps a bit of a poet with spiritual leanings. Quotations from poets and philosophers are "boxed" into every page; and the text itself, though practical and instructive, has strong overtones of a philosophy which suggests the unity and sacredness of all life.
To go back then, to the proper beginning of the book. The first chapter gives a world history of gardening, beginning with pre-history. The first few thousand years having been dealt with, we come to the portions which are relevant for us, which have affected or should affect our present thinking and planning. This chapter is worth careful study for beginners; it will give a new dimension to their interest in garden design. They will understand how each great garden style reflected and represented the culture of its time and place. I get the impression that the style most admired by the author is the Japanese, with its religious aestheticism — something which is above and beyond the mere technical expertise of growing things.
After the insights into its history, garden lore is brought down to earth with a list of gardening terms, and another list of the Amateur Gardener's Commonest Mistakes, which come to a round dozen. This is most useful as it carefully describes everything wrong which we have all done, sometimes several times over. From the technical angle, the two sections of Cultivation and Watering teach you about the core of all garden work. If we grasp the basic rules about these properly, we can count on becoming successful gardeners. Uberoi's instructions are clear, definite and simple, with a logical example for everything (eg: if you water plants at midday, a drop on a leaf can act as a piece of glass and burn it), so that the instructions make sense and are easy to remember. The list of Do's and Don'ts is a ready reference and will prevent you making the worst mistakes.
The two sections on Pests and Fertilisers together add up to a treatise on ecological gardening. The gardener's love affair with chemicals is ending, and Uberoi's many suggestions for coping with aphids and suchlike are easy to carry out. I never knew that phenyl could be used to control leaf pests. Apart from that paragon of usefulness, haldi, garlic, kerosene and camphor, all of which can be found in any home, make good insect repellents; while a garden with plenty of marigolds (small variety), nasturtiums, tomato, tulsi, thuja and garlic will provide good ammunition for fighting off pests. In desperate cases where chemicals have to be used, be cautious, do not trust them entirely and always read the small print on the container. And finally, remember the advice of wise old gardeners: "If it moves slowly, step on it; if you can't just leave it, it will probably kill something else."
Fertilisers too should be used in the same spirit of not trusting anything in containers with labels. The short answer to all fertiliser problems is that anything which has once been part of a living unit will be good for a plant — even an old boot — for the leather has once been part of an animal. The danger with cattle manure, especially horse manure, is that unless it is well rotted and dry, it might itself breed pests. However, the author's guidelines for making manure and compost pits should save us from this disaster.
Today the only people who have large gardens seem to be corporations and institutions. For such people, after a few general comments the author wisely describes such showy features as pergolas, arbours and pools. The rest of us, who have to make do with a small space get some excellent advice on aspects of a "small-space garden", from the care of house plants to the creation of complete little gardens in your narrow front yard. By following the author's directions you can create a Japanese, Persian, or English cottage garden. Of the three the Persian garden seems the most suitable for our conditions. Without the whole culture of Japan behind it, a Japanese garden might be difficult to create or enjoy.
My plan of going through the book chapter by chapter has to be abandoned, for I have run out of space. The undescribed chapters deal with annuals, bulbs, rockeries, grasses ("paint a bamboo when you're angry") roses and orchids ("when you're happy"). Then there is the Perfumed Garden ("the smell of basil is good for the heart and head"), the Herb garden, the Moonlight Garden ("mysterious and romantic"), the mini vegetable garden (with recipes) and the Garden for the Gourmet, ending with some particular small trees, shrubs and climbers.
I have already said that the whole book is shot through with the philosophy of the mystics who claimed that all Life, including God, is One. Meera Uberoi seems to suggest that a well-loved garden can be a good physical representation of this belief.
The Penguin Book of Gardening in India, Meera Uberoi, p.242, Rs. 295.
Laeeq Futehally is the author of Gardening.
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