Soon, you can swap orchids at an iconic British bungalow between listening to talks on gardening.
Owned by the English when they settled down in Coimbatore and later by T Stanes and Company, this heritage venue is now a garden centre. Drawing inspiration from garden centres abroad, Kalyani Narayanan, Senior Manager — Business Development of T Stanes, started working on the concept over six months ago.
The culmination of her efforts, along with a team from the company, is the Stanes Garden Centre. It welcomes plant lovers from Coimbatore and nearby areas with selfie corners, a beverage kiosk selling teas from the plantations of T Stanes, a pond, vertical garden, and of course, hundreds of plants.
“Gardening brings a sense of belonging, and garden centres are local to the community they support. In countries such as the UK, there is at least a small flower pot at the entrance in almost every house. And there are several garden centres. We want to leverage on the interest in gardening in Coimbatore. There are so many posts of home gardens in Coimbatore on Instagram. There is scope to evolve this interest into a knowledge-filled skill through workshops and garden clubs,” says 25-year-old Kalyani.
“The Centre is a one stop shop for garden enthusiasts,” says Lakshmi Narayanan, Wholetime Director of T Stanes and Company. At the centre of the driveway, in the shade of green nets, bar-coded pots of plants are lined up on tables. Baskets are available for customers to pick the plants of their choice.
There are more than 15,000 plants here, from 300 categories — flowering plants, fruit trees, herbal plants, cactus, and crotons, to name a few. One section has plants and trees that are recommended for different birth stars and another is dedicated to herbs. All the plants are tropical varieties that can be easily grown locally.
For those who want to buy pots, fertilisers, pesticides, or garden tools, the Centre has in-house developed organic products. “We have been interacting with farmers in rural areas for several years and some of our products are house-hold names. We want to make these available for urban plant lovers,” adds Lakshmi.
Set between the new saplings and old trees are stone benches for the visitors to sit down for a cup of tea or catch up with friends. A lily-pond with a vertical garden on its edges and a selfie point is another attraction.
To encourage people to gift their friends plants, the centre encourages visitors to pick a plant and pot, then just share the recipient’s address with the staff at the Centre, who will get the plants delivered.
There is also a helpdesk where customers can take guidance from experts and avail of after-sales support too to maintain the plants. In the days to come, the Centre plans to have workshops focused on home gardening, gardening clubs, and events.
For more details, Call 6380829127/ 9080384045
