From the balcony and terrace to the rooms and bathrooms, nearly every available space in Dinakar’s 1,200sqft home has been claimed by plants. More than 1,000 of them grow under his care, including 95-odd varieties of cacti, Chinese aglaonema and Amazon lily. As per a study by IIT-Madras and Okapi Research and Advisory, terrace gardens reduce the temperature of rooms directly beneath them by 1°C to 2°C.
“Wherever there is space, I try to keep a plant,” says Dinakar, a finance professional whose father introduced him to gardening. Karthik G, eco-social changemaker, co-founder, Aram Thinai, says green spaces within the city also act a buffer to the urban heat island effect and air pollution to an extent. we need to adopt and showcase more energy efficient and utilitarian models which can be replicated by more people, he says While Dinakar’s model looks more focussed on aesthetics with lighting systems that need electricity. “But the govt should ensure there are enough blue-green public spaces to create micro-climate and better living conditions in the city and not just push all the burden on to the residents.”
And there is plenty to see. And there is a huge terrarium.