New hobby: Gardening

Since I started my entrepreneurial journey four months back, I've found it very relaxing to garden as a break from typing away at a computer. We engineers are accustomed to living in a world of man-made wonders. Technology makes everything available to us instantly and at a deeper level, if we really introspect, we will likely realize that tech can make us less patient. When gardening, one realizes that not everything depends on us. All you do is prepare the soil, plant the seed and water the plant. The actual growth does not depend on you, but on the way nature has been programmed, the way the divine Designer set it up to be. Gardening has taught me patience and the value of waiting on the Lord to bring my efforts to fruit. It takes days and weeks since the soil is prepared and the seed sown, for the plant to come up and grow.

I initially had a very boring view outside my window while I worked - a plain concrete balcony. My fourfold strategy to make it green was:

1. Potted plants elevated by placing on a ledge - visible from inside and outside
2. Hanging pots to grace the higher regions
3. Plants laid out in corner triangular sections - architectural pots forming part of the balcony itself
4. Creepers from the ground floor garden guided up to the balcony

I had all the material to set up the potted plants - the potted plants were ready in the front yard. I placed the bricks and cement blocks on the balcony to prop up the hanging pots and then placed them above the ledges. The hanging pots were also available. I just opened up the rings in the balcony ceiling to hang the pots from and voila it was done. The triangular sections were built while constructing the house but unused for years. Finally I decided to lay out soil in theme and plant some cuttings from the hanging pots. Finally, the creepers from the front yard garden I guided up by cords to the balcony along the railing and around the whole balcony. Now I have a balcony so green, it's really overgrowing and I just need to guide and direct its growth. So after a little work and lots of patience and waiting on the Lord, I have a enjoyable balcony garden and a nice view while working - some natural beauty to complement the artificial beauty of technology.