Indira Naidoo is no stranger to the spotlight. She has been a familiar face delivering news and current affairs on Australian television for years. After developing an interest in sustainability working with the UN and Al Gore, the Sydneysider found a new green outlet to use to engage with her audience.
'After spending two decades across the world as a journalist,broadcaster and media adviser, I returned to my inner city apartment with its empty balcony. I realised this was where I was most likely going to live for the rest of my life. I wasn't going to have a sea change or a tree change like most people in the world, cities were going to become our homes and instead of going to nature why not bring nature to you. That's when I decided I was going to grow some vegetables on my balcony.'
The brainchild behind The Edible Balcony project, Indira now focuses on helping to enable and educate the community about gardening in the urban environment. Through her writing, workshops, keynotes and commercial landscape projects, the journalist-turned-gardener shows just how fun, easy and rewarding growing plants can be, even if cities do not seem the best place for a green thumb.
'Watering my plants every morning is a wonderful way for me to ground myself and feel connected with the natural world around me. So even though I'm surrounded by concrete and steel and high-rise buildings I focus on my plants and leaves and flowers that blossom is and fragrances and the lovely insects such as hover flies and bees and and birds that come and visit my garden every day.'
More recently Indira has been partnering up with another of our Glowpearians, Jon Kingston, on gardening projects around Australia. From swanky Bondi decks, to the important work of The Wayside Chapel kitchen garden, Indira and Jon have been championing community gardening to the masses. Indira has also learnt to love the urban jungle along the way.
'While I love the joys of what I grow, it's the joy that my garden gives other creatures in our urban environment that really fills me with satisfaction and contentment. To save nature we first have to learn to love it.'
Way to go Indira!
Check out Indira talk to Costa Georgiadis as guest presenter on Gardening Australia, or talking about her best selling book here
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