Meet the Chennai Gardener Who Planted 500+ Plants on Her Roof & Helped 1500 Others Do the Same

On a sweltering summer afternoon, I found myself standing on my terrace, wondering where to escape for the holidays. The usual options — cool hill stations, scenic retreats — floated through my mind. But then, something unexpected caught my eye.

Across the way, a rooftop burst with colour. Bees buzzed around blooming flowers. Butterflies flitted through the leaves. There were no people, no crowds, just quiet, purposeful life.

This wasn’t a nursery or a community park. It was someone’s home.

And at the centre of this green haven was S Veeralakshmi, a Chennai-based gardener and environmentalist who has turned her terrace into a sanctuary of over 500 thriving plants.

“It all started 15 years ago when I wanted to grow my own food,” Veeralakshmi recalls. What began as a few pots of herbs and greens has blossomed into something much bigger — a mission to turn bare rooftops into ecosystems.

From one rooftop to a citywide ripple effect

In 2014, after years of experimenting, Veeralakshmi officially launched Chennai Organic Farmers, an initiative dedicated to helping others start their own rooftop gardens. Since then, she’s helped more than 1,500 people transform empty terraces into vibrant, living spaces.

Today, the organisation offers a range of hands-on services — consultations, workshops, awareness campaigns, and even a 15-day internship where people can learn how to build and care for a garden from scratch, and walk away with a certificate and a little more confidence.

“When I started, it was just about doing something for myself, for my family,” she says. “But slowly, more and more people began reaching out. They were curious. They wanted to try. I realised this could grow into something collective.”

‘Grow what you eat, eat what you grow’

For Veeralakshmi, terrace gardening is no longer a personal hobby — it’s a philosophy. A deeply rooted belief that change doesn’t need to start big to matter.

“Your concept should be: Grow what you eat, eat what you grow,” she shares. It’s a line she repeats often, but it’s more than a slogan — it’s a reminder that every meal can be an act of sustainability.

Her motto, Be producers rather than consumers, speaks to a bigger truth: that we’ve grown too disconnected from how things are made, grown, and thrown away. For her, sustainability isn’t about grand gestures — it’s about daily choices.

She’s quick to acknowledge that no one terrace can reverse climate change. “But imagine if every terrace looked like this. These plants would act like trees. Together, they’d make a difference. Unity is where the power lies.”

Not just a garden

Beyond its environmental value, Veeralakshmi believes gardening offers something quieter, more personal — a way to reconnect. “It’s the most beautiful form of therapy,” she says. “There’s something deeply healing about watching something grow under your care.”

She urges never to underestimate what’s possible. “Apart from the coconut tree, you can grow nearly anything on a terrace,” she laughs. “I even know someone who grows paddy on his rooftop!”

Her dream isn’t far-fetched. It’s built on soil, water, sunlight, and quiet determination. “We often travel to the hills to experience nature,” she says. “But why wait to go somewhere else? Why not build it here, in our own homes?”

In a world where climate headlines often bring despair, Veeralakshmi offers a seed of hope. She doesn’t raise her voice, but her work speaks louder than most. 

And if you listen closely, you’ll hear it: in the rustle of her terrace trees, the flutter of butterflies, the gentle rhythm of something worth growing.

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear gloves, dig their hands in the soil, and quietly, lovingly, green the world around them.

Edited by Vidya Gowri and Khushi Arora; All pictures courtesy S Veeralakshmi

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