Mom Inspired by Ancient Japanese Planting Method Creates an Entire Garden Out of Upcycled Waste

Overlooking the rolling hillsides of the Indian state, Kerala, the home of Anjali Pavan (@riddhiplants.in) in Posadi Gompe is not just a cozy shelter carved in wood and stone. It’s the feeling people get when they imagine enchanted fairy gardens of fantasy lands. Walls are blanketed in fresh moss. Ceilings drip with planters that spiral and swivel through zigzagging vines. Yards come alive with trays of flowers and lace-wrapped planters that dance like the wind chimes.

Sounds mesmerizing, but if you could peek behind the scenes, you’d be stunned to realize that the foundation of this enchanting green paradise is rooted in sheer sustainability and love of nature. In a conversation with The Better India, Pavan revealed how her fascination with a Japanese gardening art inspired her to transform her home, her garden, her life, and the environment.

It wasn’t long ago when Pavan stumbled upon this Japanese gardening method called “Kokedama.” It was love at first sight. Captivated by the art, she initiated a gardening movement starting from her home in South India. Little did she know that it was more than just an artistic impulse. As time went by, her gardening caught the attention of the locals, and gradually, her passion converted into a full-fledged startup she named “Riddhi Kokedama,” a portmanteau of the Japanese word “Kokedama” and the Sanskrit word “Riddhi,” meaning success.

What is Kokedama?

According to Pine Lane Nursery, “Kokedama” is an ancient Japanese gardening method, deriving its name from the words “koke,” meaning moss, and “dama,” meaning ball. Gardeners use this method to craft bonsai-inspired designs by wrapping their plant roots in seed balls roughly the size of grapefruits. “I loved the Kokedama so much that I wanted to create my own,” Pavan told The Better India. 

Although she didn’t have any prior knowledge of the craft, she immersed herself in YouTube videos and pored over the internet. Eventually, her gardening spree gained momentum. Fast forward to the present moment, her house is an otherworldly jewel bathed in rejuvenating freshness, dreamlike magic, and earthy colors of nature. Yet, sitting in the dark roots of this sprightly lushness lies the bedrock of sustainable waste management, a habit she learned from her amma (mother).

Designed with upcycled materials

While she was engrossed in peppering her yard with new trees, her mother guided her to adopt innovative ways she could upcycle old and waste materials to make the garden a little more eco-friendly. Beneath the Wordsworth-ian beauty of her green heaven sleeps a coterie of upcycled materials, from coconut shells to old TV antenna dishes, tires, saucers, nylon ropes, terracotta baskets, and even old, tattered clothes.

“Our entire garden is full of waste materials. Amma uses things like old paint cans, tyres, coconut shells, tyres, coconut husks, plastic bottles, old sewing machines, and drums,” Pavan shared with the media outlet. Another feature that highlights in Pavan’s garden is the unusually beautiful plant hangers her amma carved using macrame art. “She even made pots using old clothes in our home,” she described.

In another Instagram post, Pavan is seen pulling her kokedama plants from the soil and dipping them in water. “Soaking my thirsty kokedamas in water. While removing, squeeze the excess water and keep them back in their places. You can soak more kokedamas in the same water and finally pour the remaining water into your pots or outdoor plants. In this way, you can save water and also keep your kokedamas happy in this hot weather,” the gardener described in the caption.

You can follow Anjali Pavan (@riddhiplants.in) on Instagram for enchanting garden videos and gardening content.