After retiring as director of the state’s agriculture department, Nevil Alphonso spent over a year writing a book about his passion to encourage gardening and agriculture.
‘Grow At Home’ is the fruit of this effort
DIANA FERNANDES NT NETWORK
Nevil Alphonso joined the Department of Agriculture in 1986 and spent over 37 years there. He retired several years ago as the director of the department. In his time there, he had to answer many questions relating to gardening and agriculture. It was this, coupled with his passion for all things related to gardens and growing, that compelled Alphonso to write ‘Grow At Home: A Practical Guide to Growing Vegetables, Fruits, Flowers, Ornamentals, Medicinal Plants &
Microgreens at Home’.
After retiring, he spent over a year putting the book together. What has emerged is a comprehensive 312-page guide with 112 illustrations for anyone who wants to take up gardening, whether in their homes, on terraces, balconies or any open space. With growing interest in the field and the rapid urbanisation in the state, a hands-on guide to setting up and maintaining a garden to grow fresh vegetables and nutritious fruits has
also become popular.
“With growing urbanisation and small space, my initial interest was in creating a guide for those interested in growing in containers or pots. I’ve found that there are many people who are interested in this. People have also become very aware about healthy eating and healthy living and they are interested in growing their own vegetables and fruits at home. Microgreens and vertical gardening have become an interest among many,” he says.
And the book covers it all: the importance of growing at home, choosing and planning the right site, soil, vegetables and fruits and practices to ensure proper plantation, plant nutrition, watering and other aspects related to gardening.
It however doesn’t only limit to the urban crowd.
“I wanted to include something for the horticulturist and those who have a little more space to grow as well. So there are chapters on managing pests and diseases in an organic way as well as growing flowers, ornamentals and medicinal
plants,” he says.
In the process of preparing the book, Alphonso spent a lot of time on research and talking to people in the field. “I visited and spoke to owners of home gardens, farmers and researchers as well as all the information that exists. I wanted it to be something for everyone interested in gardening,”
he says.
An interesting discovery he made was that while there was a lot of books and information for the rest of India, a guide made specifically for Goa was very difficult to find.
“There was nothing as comprehensive, so I thought the book will help a lot of people. In addition to the gardening enthusiasts and farmers, it will also be of help to agriculture extension officers, school students, teachers and institutions at large. My entire aim became to simplify the entire process,” says Alphonso.
The book also covers the basics of kitchen composting and some frequently asked questions that he has been regularly asked like what to do for non-flowering mango grafts and lime trees and premature nut shedding and fertiliser management in coconut.
He also covers the concept of green gifting whereby live plants, saplings, seed kits or eco-friendly gardening items are gifted instead of conventional gifts.
