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When Blany B. D’Souza, a sought after terrace gardener in the city, says that he has not purchased vegetables for his house since six years, he strongly believes that the Tulsi plant works as a repellent of insects attacking vegetable plants.

Mr. D’Souza at Ist Cross, Manki Stand, has been into terrace gardening since more than a decade.

He said that he placed about six pots with Tulsi plants in his 1,200 sq.ft. terrace garden about one-and-half-months ago. Surprisingly, now the insects attacking vegetable plants have disappeared, he told The Hindu .

He said that earlier even though there was an ‘insect trap’ on the terrace, insects continued to attack the vegetable plants. Mr. D’Souza said that he never sprayed any insecticide control solutions, either organic or chemical.

K.R. Chandrashekar, a Professor of Applied Botany, Mangalore University, told The Hindu that according to a report published in Parasitology Research Journal in 2008, Tulsi plant has larvicidal properties against mosquito larvae. But without in-depth study into this aspect, no conclusion could be drawn, he said.

His passion for gardening after he returned from west Asia 20 years ago prompted Mr. D’Souza to go in for terrace gardening. Now, his garden has about 200 plants of about 100 varieties, including vegetables, fruits and medicinal ones. He has set up more than 40 terrace gardens in the city for others. These include individual houses, schools, apartments and institutions.

Mr. D’ Souza has grown almost all varieties of local vegetables. He has also grown the non-traditional grape in his garden twice. Usually he plants 10 vegetables and 10 fruits on an area of 500 sqft, meeting the requirements of a family.

He is now a resource person on terrace gardening. “If you touch plants and shower love on them, they will not cheat you,” he said. Many school children visit the garden to get a hands-on experience. Mr. D’Souza can be contacted at 9972716340.

Blany B. D’Souza has been into terrace gardening for more than a decade