The amount of usable land currently is decreasing in Bangladesh along with other countries as it is a global phenomemon. There are many people who cannot cultivate or do gardening as they wish due to lack of adequate and suitable space. Although Abdul Quddus of Chatmohar upazila in Pabna has a little amount of land, there is not much land for gardening.
Having an indomitable willpower, he has built a hobby roof garden on the roof of his house. Although he started his roof garden as a hobby, now it has become his source of income.
About his roof garden, Abdul Quddus said that he moved to Saudi Arabia in 2000 to earn a living. He spent many years there.
He used to come home on holiday after a couple of years. He came to the country on holiday in 2008 and planted a Maltese garden next to hia house.
Despite his multiple ailed attempts, ina 2015, after watching a video on YouTube, interest in gardening was revived in his heart.
Later, he bought Chinese orange saplings from Jhenaidah and planted them in a tub on the roof.
This roof garden started from there. The green color of the leaves fascinates him, Abdul Quddus said.
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‘I have been in the country for almost four years’, he added.
He added that now his roof garden has Bari-1 Malta, Dragon Fruit, Chinese Orange, Kamranga, Small Cardamom, Saudi Arabian Date, Big Cardamom, Arpali Mango Tree.
He is cultivating these fruits and spices in 50 drums. Besides, he has also cultivated spinach, red spinach, green spinach and date variants like Maryam, Azwa, Barhi, Amber in his garden.
He produces saplings by nurcharing the garden himself. He is now earning a good income by selling these fruits and spice saplings. His family are getting fresh and safe fruits from the fruit trees.
Vegetables are meeting the needs of the family. His wife, son and daughter all help him in caring for the garden.
He said that those who do not have their own land for gardening but have a roof can plant a beautiful garden in a small space on the roof of the house if they wish.