“I had only seen Kokedama on Instagram and was always fascinated by the art form, though I assumed it was too difficult to try on my own. Now, I have not only made my own piece of art but also learnt how to care for it,” says an excited Nikhil Vyaskara, resident of Lakeshore Greens. He was amongst the select few who signed up for the Kokedama Workshop held by Dr. Sheetal Pachpande from Eco Vibes at Lakeshore Greens, Palava.
Kokedama is a Japanese art form that makes indoor plant ornaments from living plant moss balls. These plants make beautiful hanging planters, work desk companions and living room masterpieces. The participants were provided different types of succulents and moss with strings, bottles and soil to make their own planters. Getting their hands dirty, they were taught to mix the soil and moss, roll it into a ball, wrap the roots of the plants, bind them in twine and finish with sheet moss and spritz of water. In the words of resident AK Prasad, “It was a hands-on workshop where we learnt the essential skills to make our own Kokedamas at home and do our bit to appreciate and conserve nature. I am looking forward to the next workshop by the Palava City Management Association.”
The earlier weekend PCMA had hosted another green workshop: Kitchen Gardening. Conducted once again by Eco Vibes, this workshop taught participants how to grow their own kitchen garden and make their own kitchen composting. Palava has always encouraged sustainable living and continues to share best practices to make it a lifestyle for its residents. Acknowledging this intent, Dr. Sheetal Panchpande said, “As stated by our Prime Minister at the COP 26 Summit last year, India is projected to reduce its total carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now until 2030, and it is inspiring to see Palava encourage its residents to make environmentally friendly, conscious choices to support this endeavour. Today with growing urbanisation it is people who can make a difference and such green initiatives undertaken by Palava encourage its residents to begin reducing carbon footprint from their homes.”
Three cheers to going green and nurturing an array of green thumbprints in Palava!