As soon as he gets home from the office, Rafiq Ahmed rushes to the plants on his balcony. He keeps some indoor plants there. Space is small, but the garden is neat: plants sit in pots, on racks and hang from the grille, and climbers have decorated the grille beautifully. The day's toil and stress all slip away with a little touch of green, and he feels refreshed.

In this mechanical city many, like Rafiq, find happiness in greenery, and it does not cost a great deal. For a hobby, the will is what counts. What is the use of filling a balcony with discarded things? A little greenery can change the look of a balcony that has gathered dust for years. That is what Eva Rahman said. She too keeps indoor plants on her balcony, along with a place to sit, where she and her husband have tea and snacks. She has cleverly added a pair of pet birds in a cage, and the whole balcony now has a natural feel. When guests come, they prefer to sit there rather than indoors.

Yet a little while ago it was impossible to sit on that balcony. Many people now keep plants on balconies, in living rooms, on stairs, in kitchens, on study tables and on rooftops. From students to the elderly, everyone is turning to a little greenery and finding peace of mind. Plants keep a room cooler and make it more beautiful, and free time becomes more colourful.

Indoor plants do not need much care. Water them when the soil dries out and make sure the media (soil mix) is good. Clean dust off the leaves by spraying water. A little urea dissolved in water and sprayed every two months helps the plants grow. Broadly, that is all the care indoor plants need, says expert gardener Zakia Sultana.

Hobby gardeners actually struggle elsewhere: finding good plants. Many do not trust buying online, because what is shown and what is delivered can be worlds apart. Nursery and pavement plant sellers, meanwhile, are adept at handing over any old plant. So what are new gardeners, who cannot yet tell plants apart, to do?

There are some trustworthy online sellers whose words match their deeds. They even replace plants damaged in courier transit, follow up after a sale and do not hold back from giving advice. Business is not everything to them; they want satisfied buyers and more greenery. It is not just reviews: plant groups have recognised them as trusted sellers and given them seller codes.

Here are some such pages. "Oroni" has nearly twelve thousand followers, and you will find all your favourite plants there. "Greendecor" is the plant collection of a university student named Bushra Islam, offering almost every species of pothos alongside other plants. "Beauty Green BD" has around forty thousand followers and sells not just plants but all the accessories too. There are also "Jungle Bari", "Chakkar", "Green-E BD", "Asif the Cacto Boy", "Alcove" and others. Those especially interested in crown of thorns and bougainvillea can contact the Green-E BD page.

Within Dhaka, most sellers offer cash on delivery, and plants arrive within one or two days of ordering. Outside Dhaka they send plants by courier, which requires advance payment. Almost all trusted sellers refund the money or send the plant again if it is damaged in transit.

Plants cost from fifty taka up to a lakh taka. Seedlings are cheaper; mature, older, bushy plants cost somewhat more. Prices vary with the plant's age, species, size and quality.

Whether indoor or outdoor, a newly bought plant should not be planted straight away or mixed with other plants. Keep it in one place for at least seven days. If possible, spray it with a fungicide or with hydrogen peroxide dissolved in water.

The writer, Muhammad Shafiqur Rahman, is an indoor plant grower and an assistant manager, sales operations, at Fair Distribution Limited.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.