Nature lovers Renu Chandhok from Rajouri Garden and Mundirka Vihar-resident Poornima Gupta first met through a WhatsApp Group named ‘Plant Family Delhi-NCR'. After months of exchanging images and details of their terrace gardens, 57-year-old Chandhok and Gupta (49) finally met at Gupta’s residence. This meeting concluded with Chandhok trading seeds and cuttings of several plant species from Gupta’s lush green garden. “I got Monstera, Turtle Vine, Adeniums, Fern, Succulents, as well as a string of bananas,” she shares. In return for these green beauties, Chandhok has invited Gupta to visit her garden so she can collect the plant species that she’d like to grow.
Anuja Puri (35) from Kalkaji, a green panther and the co-admin of Plant Family Delhi-NCR, has conducted more than 50 plant exchanges this year. Puri’s terrace resembles an urban jungle with abundant plant species, which she happily shares with fellow phytophiles. “I have a lot of Hibiscus at my place, and I want to make space for other plants. So, I posted on the group that anyone who wants Hibiscus can come and collect it from my garden,” she shares. Chandhok, Gupta, and Puri are a few of the many city-based plant enthusiasts who trade plants at ‘Plant Swapping’ events to expand the green havens at home.
Swap don’t buy
Organised events such as plant swaps are a rage internationally and are now being taken notice of by Indian city dwellers. At such events, plant lovers meet each other—personally or via mail—to exchange seeds or stem cuttings of different plant species. Groups on social media similar to the ‘Plant Family Delhi-NCR’ group on WhatsApp, which came into being in early 2020, are consistently flooded with pictures and details of plants. In fact, such groups become mediums for enthusiasts to de-stress and network with individuals of common interest.
“There comes a stage when an avid gardener does not want to buy more plants. They want to propagate them through seeds or stem cuttings. This is why we conduct swapping events,” shares Nitin Goyal (50), resident of Janakpuri who is the co-admin of ‘Plant Family Delhi-NCR’. Swapping is also considered a better alternative to buying plants from nurseries. “Plant vendors or nurseries often cheat you. The plants bought from them mostly die in about a few weeks. Through swapping, you are assured of the quality of the plant,” explains Chandhok. Puri and Chandhok agree that plant swapping is also a cost-effective method of adding new species to one’s garden.
There are other groups on social media similar to that of ‘Plant Family Delhi-NCR’ such as ‘Plant Swap’—a pan-India group on WhatsApp—and ‘Sow & Grow’ on Facebook, that serve as a networking platform for phytophiles. Keeping in mind the sole purpose of such groups, founders ensure that the guidelines here are stringent; members are to refrain from posting promotional messages or messages related to religion and politics.
Beyond just exchange
Plant swap forums have been instrumental in publishing and disseminating information about gardening as well as giving nature enthusiasts an opportunity to appreciate each other’s gardens. Members such as Puri who have been part of the group from the start also help newcomers take their plant journey ahead by giving away seeds and plants without trading. “I don’t believe in swapping. I have a huge garden, and I give seeds and plants without anything in return to those who are still new to this hobby,” shares Puri.
In December last year, six members of the group met for an offline plant swapping event at Connaught Place. “We had a wonderful event. People brought with them plant cuttings, exchanged them, and also discussed each other’s gardens. In fact, we had pot luck too,” says Goyal. The group is planning to conduct another such event next month.
Many such platforms on social media have also managed to induce a sense of community among plant lovers. Apart from the joy of adding new plants to their gardens, such groups also give members an opportunity to forge a bond with other plant lovers. “The group is all about the joy of sharing plants as well as meeting and interacting with like-minded people,” concludes Goyal, stressing on the statement that “sharing plants is sharing happiness.”