Mousumi Mondal, a Kolkata native, has dedicated 27 years to gardening — not only as a hobby but as her identity and source of income. Her journey is one of passion, resilience, and creativity.

Growing up, Mousumi nurtured her family's beautiful garden, sparking her love for plants. However, frequent relocations after marriage kept her from gardening for nine years. But this early love for gardening laid the foundation for her future pursuits.

In 1995, she moved to a new house with a spacious courtyard. She planted fruit trees like jackfruit, guava, mango, and betel nut alongside blooming flowers, turning the garden into her sanctuary.

Sadly, construction forced her to cut down the fruit trees, leaving her heartbroken. But Mousumi remained steadfast, refusing to let her passion fade.

Determined, she moved her gardening to the terrace, where she now nurtures over 100 plants, from fruits and vegetables to seasonal flowers. Her terrace garden became a vibrant extension of her dreams.

In 2016, when her son moved away, Mousumi felt a void. He encouraged her to try YouTube, fuelling a new passion for sharing her gardening journey. This step opened up fresh avenues for her.

Mousumi launched her YouTube channel, initially sharing her garden tours in Bengali. Encouraged by viewer feedback, she soon added gardening tips in Hindi, reaching a broader audience. What began as simple tours transformed into a knowledge-sharing platform.

“I spent almost two years perfecting my video-making/editing skills and learning the language. But the positive comments and income encouraged me to make videos regularly,” says Mousumi. Her efforts have drawn over 1,00,000 loyal subscribers.

“It takes hours to deck up the garden and for shooting videos, lighting is very important. Thus, everything should be done in the daytime itself. I manage the whole process alone, from taking care of the plants to uploading the video. It is tiring, but so satisfying as well,” she adds.

Today, the gardener’s greatest support are her grandchildren who frequently appear in her videos too. She also teaches them gardening techniques which the kids love doing with their grandmother.