to share gardening tips and exchange plant seeds and cuttings our online group that started this year has over 90 members from pune alone we felt the need to meet in person because theres much to learn from each other in practice beyond the photos and links online shared sadhana sarpotdar who spearheaded the meet of over 20 members besides sharing tips and exchanging seeds gardening expert ashok marathe shared insights on the kinds of produce that could be home grown every meet now will be dedicated to training members to become better gardeners the meet next month will focus on effective vermiculture sadhana added gone are days when growing at home was restricted to few people with access to knowledge online anyone can start off now many people i know grow their own produce whenever we meet we also exchange seeds or cuttings chat groups to guide each other have also gained pace anuradha addedrestaurants prefer home producenot just individuals but city chefs also rely on homegrown produce for tanuj sinha and swati jindal who run a meal kit service quality and freshness are key we source ingredients like lemon and mint from friends into home gardening besides these we rely on larger enterprises for other farmfresh supply said tanuj adding that space is the only reason they havent started growing their own produce yet but they are open to the idea in future now running a pure vegan service anuradha continues to grow thai basil and spearmint that find place in her recipes chef ajmer singh a city bistro chefincharge also goes for produce from his herb garden for sheer freshness sans any harmful pesticides growing herbs like thyme and rosemary isnt difficult they require the right amount of water and sunlight he shareda cheaper option to the marketgrowing produce at home works on the lines of zero budget farming say these enthusiasts theres minimal expenditure as compared to yield seeds are reasonable and kitchen waste serves as an ideal fertiliser that i then blend in with coco peat and cow dung shared wanowriebased prescilla braggs who recently turned to home growing produce besides pureeing and introducing vegetable and kitchen waste into plants as a fertiliser anuradha suggests that some everyday items like white vinegar neem and turmeric are effective pesticides one does not need huge earthen pots that cost money and take up space sturdy gunny bags can do the job said anuradha0136swara bhaskar is turning vegan