Dwarka- Col Naresh Razora's terrace garden- a quaint corner in the sub-city

Gardening is an act of love you perform with Mother Earth. In the simple process of growing saplings, we learn the virtues of hard work and appreciate growth. Moreover, the flowers bring us beauty and the leaves bring us closer to the roots of nature.

CitySpidey met one such gardening lover recently in Dwarka. We visited Colonel (Retd) Naresh Razora, 62, in Fakhruddin Apartments, sector-10 Dwarka where he lives with his family and 2 dogs. Colonel solely is the artist behind his beautiful terrace garden which is a spectacle worth witnessing amidst mundane life. For Colonel, gardening is therapy and the time spent at his terrace, the happiest hours of his day.

Colonel begins every morning in his terrace garden with his family and two dogs. He spends almost 2 hours daily looking after each and every plant and looking after what they need. Coming from an agricultural family in Bulandshahr, he spent his childhood watching farmers grow their plantations closely which instilled a love of gardening within him.

“I belong to an agricultural background so my love for gardening came naturally to me. After retirement, I wanted to stay active and fit. Gardening was a hobby I had to leave because of other responsibilities and this was the best time to take it up again. I love gardening and that’s why I decided to find a house with an attached terrace. Luckily, I found one here in Dwarka," says Col Razora.

Colonel emphasizes that it is very important to stay active, especially after retirement. "We have been following a said routine for 30-35 years and must stick to it after retirement." After retiring as an Army Officer, he took up gardening full time in 2018.

Almost 50 types of plants can be found here such as Croton, Lilly’s, Rose, Aloe vera, Coriander, tomato, Curry leaves, Tusli, Marigold, and many others. Col. Razora does everything on his own and from cutting plants, sowing seeds to the regimentation of plants. He also talked about his favourite daily routine.

He says, “I never took anyone’s help till now and done everything by myself. I love flowers and especially Lilly’s. In my terrace garden, you can find lilies in every colour. Monsoon is the best time for plants as they feel happy when rains showers on them. I also love it because whenever it rains, I sit on my terrace swing and enjoy the view.”

He always talked about his wife and daughter pointing towards a small banana tree Tulsi planted there he says, “Both of them are very religious. According to Hindu rituals, watering the plant Tulsi and the Banana tree every morning brings positivity and peace. So, especially for them and their happiness, I bought both of these plants from the nursery.”

While giving us a tour, Colonel also shared with us his favourite and most memorable moment connected with the terrace garden.

“My son is also an army officer. When my granddaughter was born they came here to stay with us. I saw her crawling, walking, and laughing here. She still loves this place and loves flowers like me. Whenever she comes here, she first runs to the garden and later inside the house." remembers Colonel.

Col. Razora is not only a gardener but a tennis player too. He has been playing tennis since 1984. He goes to Dwarka Sports Complex daily at 8 a.m. to play tennis. He has played tournaments conducted by International Tennis Federation, and a few months back he went to Thailand to play one. Colonel also runs a CNG pump in Dwarka.