Success Story: Success in terrace gardening through permaculture, know the story of Nisha Agarwal

Success Story: Most people imagine a terrace with a few flower beds, potted plants, and maybe a lemon tree or two. However, a terrace is a canvas for nature and age-old knowledge for Nisha Agarwala, a passionate urban gardener from Kolkata. Her rooftop is now more than simply a garden; it’s a verdant forest of fruits, flowers, herbs, and hope that has been completely cultivated using permaculture principles and is devoid of any chemical fertilizer. This was not how her adventure started, however.

A Permaculture Journey Is Started by a Spiritual Encounter

Like many others, Nisha had a typical terrace garden back in 2017 that was lush yet traditional, and she continued to rely on store-bought fertilizers. “There was something off about it. She remembers, “I knew there had to be a better way.” While she was taking part in The Art of Living’s Silence Program at the Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru, in front of the world-renowned spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the “better way” became apparent.

She enrolled in a seven-day residential program called Permaculture and Beyond, which provides a succinct overview of the field of permaculture and is inspired by Gurudev’s vision of reviving ancient wisdom that naturally heals the earth and allows life to flourish even in the most hostile environments by simply following the intelligence of nature. The pivotal moment occurred throughout that course. “It completely changed how I felt about soil, plants, and food,” she adds.

A Fifth-Floor Forest

The conscious system that runs Nisha’s garden is what makes it unique, not simply its size or variety. On her 1,200-square-foot patio, she created micro-ecosystems out of common grow bags and containers by using permaculture principles. Year after year, the soil improved. More significantly, the garden started to take care of itself, she says, as the produce increased.

What a yield, too

Her terrace replicates the variety of a rural farm with papaya, sitaphal (custard apple), guava, chikoo, and pear trees, some of which are over 15 years old, and seasonal crops like cucumber, okra, muskmelon (which used to weigh 4 kg), ash gourd, carrots, beets, and fenugreek. Alongside uncommon types like scarlet okra, white eggplant, and white bitter gourd, herbs like celery, parsley, Italian thyme, basil, and even wild foods flourish.

She smiles. “We made juice at home, and I even grew sugarcane from a piece I got at the Ashram.”

Sweet potatoes and maize fall over trellises in one area, while millets flutter softly in the air in another. Additionally, at least one thing in her meal is produced on her rooftop every single day.

Compost: Her Rooftop Forest’s Lifeblood

Compost is what makes a garden grow if it’s a forest. Nisha has been composting all of her household’s dry leaves and food scraps for more than ten years. She claims that “not a scrap goes out.” So far, she thinks that she has composted more than 20,000 kilos of organic debris.

Nature takes control sometimes. “When the season is right, papaya and guava seeds in compost sprout on their own,” she says. A lemon tree that was previously believed to be dead sprang back to life after a year of dormancy. “The three most important lessons I learned from that tree were patience, trust, and surrender.”

Growing More Than Just Food

However, it goes beyond food. According to Nisha, her terrace serves as a community gathering place, a school, and a real-life example of what is achievable. Her product is not sold. She smiles and adds, “I give it as a gift.” People appreciate plants more when they are given with affection. It turns into a connection and a duty.

Beyond her house, that seva spirit has spread. She is now an integral part of the permaculture community at Art of Living, which consists of over 1,000 active urban gardeners from India and outside who ask questions, exchange knowledge, and develop together.

She has also participated in unofficial meetings and used what she refers to as “kitchen activism” to motivate others. “I didn’t know what to do with the basil when I initially planted it. After that, I learned how to make pesto. I’ll now provide those recipes to you. People grow plants when they know what to do with them.

She also has a love for conserving seeds. She keeps and distributes fenugreek, spinach, okra, and other obscure herbs. Since a large number of her plants are cultivated from saved or donated seeds, every harvest tells a tale of resiliency and camaraderie.

Worldwide Origins, Local Knowledge

The movement was only sped up by the COVID-19 epidemic. Zoom and WhatsApp allowed the permaculture sangha to grow internationally. We currently have members from Singapore, Muscat, and other places. According to her, some are even returning to India to establish their own farms.

Nevertheless, she maintains, “Land is not necessary.” Spirit, not size, is what permaculture is all about. It’s a way of thinking. Even a terrace may turn into a forest if you can listen to nature.

Nisha Agarwala’s narrative is one of alignment—from compost to awareness, from cucumbers to community. Her experience serves as evidence that acres are not necessarily necessary for sustainability. Sometimes all you need is a rooftop and awareness.

“You can never predict what gifts nature will bestow upon you. TLC, or tender loving care, is all that is required.