If you’ve felt like seasons aren’t following the script lately, you’re not alone. In Bengaluru, torrential rain swaps places with sudden heat, and cool breezes mix with heavy humidity—all in a single day.
This climate chaos has left gardeners puzzled: Should they prepare for monsoon, plant heat-resistant crops, or build an all-season oasis?
Aditi Rai Dastidar seems to have found a solution. Her 25×6-foot balcony garden overflows with philodendrons, sunflowers, orchids, cauliflowers, and herbs. Gardening runs deep in her family—she fondly recalls picking flowers for teachers and gathering mangoes after storms. Today, she carries on those traditions, nurturing nearly 500 pots around her home.
To keep her Amazonian anthuriums alive in Bengaluru’s dry air, she uses humidifiers and frequent misting. Different plants get custom soil mixes—hoyas thrive in cocopeat and pumice, while aroids need airy blends of charcoal, coco chips, and clay balls.
Aditi insists no plant is truly “indoor.” All need sunlight, just in varying degrees. She positions heat-loving vegetables in bright spots and shelters delicate foliage from harsh rays.
High-rise winds can damage plants, so she’s planted palms to act as windbreakers. For resilience, she recommends choosing native, climate-adapted species like tulsi, marigold, and amaranth.
Smart watering—like drip irrigation and clay pot methods—reduces waste and protects roots.
Despite the effort, Aditi smiles: gardening teaches patience. “You’ll always be on your toes. But understanding light, rain, and wind makes all the difference.”