ALDONA: Piedade Dias, 49, hailing from Podwal in Corjuem, has been a passionate gardener since childhood. Even with a full-time job working as a lab attendant at St Xavier’s College, Piedade’s love for plants has spanned four decades. “As a child I remember I would exchange marbles for plants; I wanted to spend all my time amongst nature, climbing trees and telling them my secrets,” he recalls with a grin.
For Piedade, gardening is not just about the aesthetic appeal or the fruits and flowers it yields, but also about the medicinal benefits that plants provide. He is a self-taught gardener, having mastered techniques such as grafting on his own.
His day starts early at 5 am with watering the garden, followed by a full day at work. After returning home at 4 pm, he goes fishing, does various chores, and then weaves fishing nets late into the night. His nets include pagear, kataleo, and zaal, among others. Piedade dislikes idleness, finding solace in constant activity, whether it's digging in the fields or crafting nets.
Piedade believes in making time for his passions, emphasising that with interest and dedication, one can always find time for what they love. Piedade has a vast collection of around 2,000 different varieties of plants, including 200 soursop plants, which he takes great pride in.
Despite the challenges of the past, such as fetching water from distant sources and the lack of resources to buy vases, Piedade has thrived by grafting and expanding his collection. He often looks up plants online, buying and multiplying them through grafting. His garden features special plants like the soursop, which he calls his ‘miracle fruit’, known for its lasting taste and aroma, and butter fruit or avocado.
Piedade’s dedication extends beyond gardening. He is known for his skill in climbing coconut trees, a task he performs with care, ensuring the trees are not harmed and continue to bear good fruit. His neighbours appreciate his work, often calling him to pluck coconuts, noting the improved yield year after year.
With the monsoon approaching, Piedade is busy trimming plants, changing soil, and using organic manure made from dry leaves and firewood ash to maintain their health. He believes that ash helps prevent flowers from falling off prematurely. For Piedade, gardening is not a commercial endeavour but a deeply fulfilling passion.
Piedade hopes his family will continue his legacy, though he acknowledges the challenges posed by modern distractions like mobile phones. He encourages his children to take an interest in gardening, showing them the joy and fulfilment, it brings. “They are going for higher studies now and are not at all keen in working with mud and want to stay indoors to avoid the heat,” says Piedade, who remains hopeful that they will one day share his passion.
He advises everyone to try gardening as a hobby. “Our grandfather used to plant trees and say, 'This is for future generations.' But times have changed. Now, we have access to advanced plant varieties that yield fruit much sooner, sometimes in as little as three years. In the past, we had to wait 15 years or more for a tree to mature and bear fruit. It's a different era now, with new technologies and techniques that allow us to enjoy the fruits of our labour much sooner. So, everyone should try their hand at it."