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Engineer Quit His Job To Grow 3000+ Plants With His Mum — & Built A Green Business On Their Terrace
In the heart of Mangaluru, a 28-year-old engineer-turned-gardener, Gyan Shetty, has turned his home into a breathtaking mini jungle of over 3,000 plants. What began as a childhood chore — helping his mother in the garden — has quite literally blossomed into ‘Namma Garden,’ a thriving online nursery business the two now run together.
Spanning across his terrace, balcony, living room, and even his bedroom, every inch of Gyan’s home is covered in lush greenery, all nurtured 100 percent organically, using compost made from kitchen waste. More than just a cooling system, his garden is a living and breathing success story.
As a young boy, Gyan wasn’t exactly passionate about gardening — he mostly joined in just to splash around with water while his mother worked. But slowly, under the gentle guidance of his mother Shobha, what began as a playful distraction turned into a deep appreciation for the quiet magic of plants.
One early memory still brings a smile to his face. “There was a big plumeria tree on my nani’s (grandmother’s) lawn. One day, I took its stem and planted it in a pot on our terrace. Later, we replanted it in the ground near our current home—and now, it’s grown into a full-sized tree, ” he says. Though he pursued engineering and worked in a corporate job for three years, the quiet pull of the garden never faded.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, he found himself returning to his ‘roots’. With his mother taking a step back, he took full responsibility for the garden. He started posting photos and videos on Instagram. The response was overwhelming. Plant lovers from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hyderabad, and even beyond flooded him with orders and heartfelt messages. Buoyed by the encouragement, he officially launched Namma Garden in January 2022, right on a seven-cent plot of land near his home.
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Today, the nursery offers a variety of indoor flowering, ornamental, water and fruit plants. From mango, jackfruit, to rambutan, and pomegranate, you think of it; Namma Garden has it!
With his mother’s green-thumbed wisdom by his side, Gyan has found both purpose and peace in what he sees as a commitment to nature. His message is simple, yet powerful: “If you have a little passion, you can grow a whole forest!” And with every leaf that unfurls and every flower that blooms, he’s living proof of that belief.
Edited by Saumya Singh
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