Cherries, litchis, strawberries, blackberries, sweet lime, oranges, jackfruit, mangoes, grapes, guava, various types of greens, capsicum, brinjal and herbs of all kinds...

...This is the list of veggies grown on Dr Kali Prasad Saha’s 2,200 sq ft terrace garden in Kolkata’s New Town.

A 63-year-old retired eye surgeon from the Indian Railways, Dr Saha’s interest in gardening began almost by accident.

“It was during my posting at Malda that I discovered my love for gardening,” he says.

“The Malda Horticulture Department had organised a show in which my daughter’s drawing teacher was declared one of the winners,” he adds.

Being at the show, surrounded by such beautiful flowers, ignited a spark in Dr Saha which kept him going all these years.

“While the art teacher would visit our home to teach my daughter, I would often step into their class and end up speaking about various plants and flowers for long durations,” he recalls.

What started with a handful of plants at home today has grown into a diverse collection of more than 250 plants, being nurtured by Dr Saha.

Encouraged by their growth, he also started participating in various competitions and shows in West Bengal.

“A passion that was kindled in my 40s has kept me feeling very content today in my early 60s,” he says, adding that the plants have helped fight his boredom and depression.

Among the many plants he has grown there are exotic varieties too, such as sweet tamarinds, blue mangoes and red guavas.