Greens cape

Walk in at Niti Sidhu of Maya Jewellery Store8217;s Sector 10 residence and you8217;ll know what we are talking about. A green corner highlighted with a stone tortoise and mushroom, the lady with green fingers feels that garden accessories are now an integral part of doing up a house. As we hop on stone steps that act as the perfect camouflage for dead grass, Niti8217;s little garden embraces a lavish spread for an alfresco evening tea. 8220;It8217;s my space for reading, relaxing and some deep thinking,8221; she tells us.

Naughty stone frogs, bird baths, turtles, wrought iron tables, clay benches, pots, the city8217;s planting them all. Now that she8217;s replaced her dull mud pot with cute pots in animal shapes, Tina Sidhu, a housewife is very happy with her wild in the green concept in Sector 33. 8220;They add character to the garden and keep my seven pets company,8221; laughs Sidhu. From artifacts in wrought iron to natural materials, 8220;it8217;s the stone age for gardens,8221; chirps interior designer and architect A P Singh, adding how each stone comes in ten different finishes and 150 different colours. 8220;Low maintenance, eco friendly and all weather,8221; is how Singh defines the stone accessories. Singh says that to make the stone more durable one can easily brush the piece with a sealer.

House lawns are being redefined into personalized spaces and the 8220;the traditional blank look is out,8221; says Geeta Singh, a landscape designer, who loves free flowing structures. 8220;Chandigarh is blessed with greenery and it8217;s up to us to bring it to good use,8221; Geeta feels the best parties in town are those thrown in the open lawns. Tee light holders shining bright in her collection, Geeta says that the beauty of garden accessories is that they don8217;t follow a rigid division of functions and can be changed anytime. 8220;A beer barrel can be designed in a fashion to hold the contents of a complete bar and a decoration piece can be used as a lamp or candle stand,8221; she ideates.

Mahesh Gupta, an industrialist, who hosts many parties credits his gazebo in the back lawn of his house in Sector 28 as the centre of attraction. 8220;This is one venue that never needs any preparation. It8217;s always appropriate, whether it8217;s a formal or an informal do.8221; Guneet Singh of Absolute Perfection Event Management Solutions, agrees, 8220;Fuss-free and trendy, one can create themes in the lawns,8221; she adds how one can create a vintage, outdoor style with an old bench or use the straight line concept to give a upbeat feel. With a bench for two, priced at about Rs 5,000 and a frog potter at Rs 850, it is easy to get enamoured by burnished patina of garden artifacts. 8220;Aesthetically pleasing, they are high on functionality too,8221; feels Guneet.

8220;Chandigarh is amongst the first places to adopt this natural change,8221; says Sonali of Zen Space, Delhi, who is bringing her collection to Chandigarh on November 14.

Are you ready to dig?