Gurugram: In her quest to work for a noble cause, Deveshi Trehan at 18, uses technology to redo old clothes and donate a part to charity. She is discovering like-minded people around her who feel for sustainable development, who work for a cause be it charity or save the environment.
Age is truly just a number when you talk about a dynamic lady like Mrs. Seema Sud. An interior designer, yogi acharya, nutritionist, chef, a golfer & tennis player - she has left no stone unturned.
She credits her success to the fact that she was born and raised in an open-minded, educated family. While her other friends would learn to sing and dance, Ms.Seema would be busy taking horse riding and tennis lessons. Although she was an all-rounder, no field seemed to have interested Mrs. Sud more than of Botanics and horticulture. She pursued her interest further and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Botany, Zoology, and Chemistry from M.B. College Udaipur in 1962.
Being born and brought up in a progressive family, she recalls talking about marriage. She says, “Unlike a lot of girls my age, I was never interested in shopping, clothes, and jewelry. I always wanted to pursue my career, which would require me to be out of the house most of the time. Before getting married, I told my husband all I wanted from him were a few helping hands to do household chores”.
Over the years, she has done landscaping work in Kolkata. Her passion for horticulture and botany is further represented in the fact that she has worked for various flat owners and societies in GuruGram.
Fast forward to a few years later, and she started transforming dull lands into beautifully landscaped gardens through her horticulture practice. Even though she lives in an apartment, her love for gardening is well exhibited in her balcony garden - wherein she grows multiple types of herbs and vegetables.
Seema's passion and expertise can be seen in the landscape planned according to various factors - propagation, sunlight, soil, etc. She does not purchase seeds to grow these plants. Rather, they are self-propagated in house. Fertilizers are swapped with home compost. She reused things available to her to create a zen garden in the common areas - uplifting the complete atmosphere of the society.
On being asked about how the coronavirus has affected her work, she says, “What’s there to worry about when we are blessed with technology? I’m working from home now. In the mornings, I attend my meetings and seminars through Zoom. Last week, my grandchildren and I were able to do Yoga together sitting in India, Japan, and America! Technology has been a binding force, without which it would be tough to survive this pandemic”.
The young heart goes on to talk about the importance of sustainability during the lockdown, “I’ve planted fruits in common spaces for the birds to feed on. As humans, we can go to a store and purchase whatever we need. These animals cannot. Due to low levels of pollution, plants are doing well now more than ever. It took a pandemic for humans to start appreciating the beauty of nature”.
For prospective botanists, she encourages gaining knowledge through Youtube videos and attending virtual classes. Encourage children to start gardening so that they start respecting nature from a young age. Mrs. Sud recommends starting in pots or containers in your balconies.
It is important to research before buying a plant and not rely on the knowledge of the seller. One can start with an easy plant like Tulsi. Breaking all stereotypes, Seema Sud proves that age and gender are never a barrier to anything. You can do anything you want to do, as long as you are driven and passionate.
Deveshi Trehan can be reached on instagram@ https://instagram.com/shopsoutenir?igshid=f19x48j37lac
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