PANJIM: Allwyn’s phone rang while I was talking to him. He took the call apologetically, explaining it was an important one. The call came from an old friend, calling him over with his car, to collect plants.
Allwyn Siqueira’s garden is an intriguing tale of transformation. It’s a garden unlike any other, composed entirely of collected plants – picked from the roadside, gifted by friends, or passed on by clients. He recollected buying just one or two plants; the rest of his garden consists of sourced – not bought – greenery.
“When I used to visit those wedding halls with beautiful, neatly landscaped gardens, I remember our son would always ask, ‘Why can’t we have a garden?’ I knew that maintaining a garden is a lot of work, far from easy,” Allwyn explained when asked about his inspiration for creating this oasis.
Before embarking on his gardening journey in his ancestral plot, he consulted various landscaping firms. Their steep cost estimates deterred him, and he turned to YouTube tutorials in search of knowledge. However, the sheer volume of information felt overwhelming. Finally, he heeded his friend’s advice to start with a few small plants, aiming to understand the experience. His initial attempts faced setbacks, but these failures were valuable lessons on the plant ecosystem.
Motivated by passion, Allwyn started to receive cuttings and discarded plants from people who admired his commitment. He embarked on a frenzied planting journey with no guidelines or patterns, resulting in haphazard yet beautiful arrangements. After three to four years of hard work, he witnessed the fruits of his labour, with plants surviving and thriving. He realised that, to sustain these plants, he needed to provide nourishment. So, he gradually began organic composting with natural materials, ensuring no plastic found its way into his compost.
His proximity to nature brought a sense of contentment, reducing stress and boosting his happiness. In his garden, birds, butterflies, monitor lizards, and an abundance of insects now coexist in a harmonious symbiosis.
Allwyn’s garden, established on a plot that had remained barren for five decades in Salvador Do Mundo, echoes the principles of ‘One Straw Revolution’ by Masanobu Fukuoka, embracing a natural farming style. It’s a non-linear garden where trees grow at their own pace, guided by his meticulous care.
Allwyn’s journey began in a time when greenery in his village was slowly vanishing under the relentless expansion of concrete. His efforts stand in stark contrast to the trend of property abandonment by families living abroad. These properties are often sold to the highest bidder, neglecting the land’s inherent beauty in favour of financial gain, resulting in rampant construction.
Now, a few of his neighbours are following Allwyn’s footsteps, tending to their gardens, and his passion for green cover is spreading. He dedicates two days a week to his garden, believing that with his nourishment, the plants look after each other through a complex mycelial network.
To nurture the land, he tilled, used organic compost, added nutrients, and relocated pests, all in the most natural way possible, employing the materials found on his land.
For Allwyn, material wealth doesn’t define happiness in life. Today, h’s a consultant for renewable energy, offering advice on sustainable living and afforestation. He conducts workshops in schools and corporates, imparting the wisdom of self-sufficiency with the help of nature and fostering harmony with the environment.
Allwyn champions the courage to take the first steps and advises enthusiasts to start small. He believes that roadblocks are beneficial for cognitive abilities. As a first step, you can plant an aquatic plant in a bottle, a simple yet engaging way to begin. “As you witness its growth, you’ll become engrossed, igniting a desire to do more.
Learning is endless, and every beginning leads to a journey of discovery. For example, cultivating a common chili plant can reveal the magic of life flourishing,” he quips. In Allwyn’s philosophy, “The plants will struggle to live, and I will make room for them.”
