Milind Soman has always been idealised for his muscular, healthy body and active lifestyle. From running marathons to a three-decade-long career in modelling to a noteworthy acting repertoire, Milind Soman is an inspiration to many.But it isn’t just his professional success that has impressed his followers. The actor-model won hearts when he revealed that he had developed a rather unexpected passion for gardening, which he picked up during the COVID-19 lockdown.Milind Soman and his wife grow pumpkins and many other vegetables in their home gardenOver time, he has shared many glimpses of his home-grown yield on Instagram, Milind once posted a video of himself plucking a large, fresh pumpkin from his garden, along with the caption, “Gardening efforts bearing big fat fruit along with bottle gourd, tomatoes, brinjals, chillies, beans, cabbages, cauliflower, methi, palak and radish. Pumpkin for the next five days I suppose,” while asking followers to share their favourite pumpkin recipes.His wife, Ankita Konwar, has shared similar glimpses too, once posting a picture of herself holding a pumpkin from the same harvest. Pumpkins are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, and are often associated with skin health, immunity, and heart health. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at Milind’s gardening journey.
He grew far more than just pumpkins
Milind’s garden is not just a one-fruit affair. Along with pumpkins, he grows bottle gourd, tomatoes, brinjals, chillies, beans, cabbages, cauliflower, methi, palak and radish, as he talked about in an Instagram post where he joked that he had “pumpkin for the next five days.”Ankita Konwar posted her own harvest update too, mentioning that they also grow muli, bhindi, and more along with pumpkins, calling it “gardening at its best.” Their posts painted a picture of a genuinely thriving kitchen garden, not just a lockdown hobby that faded quickly.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.
He built a small greenhouse at home
One of the most interesting parts of Milind’s gardening journey was his decision to create a small greenhouse. He built the structure shortly before the 2020 lockdown, turning it into a dedicated space for growing vegetables.In an Instagram post, he jokingly called himself a “bearded farmer,” something that Ankita had wanted him to become, and credited her for encouraging the idea. He also revealed that the caretaker at his home had given the greenhouse a simple, charming name: “Sabzee ka Ghar.”Pictures from inside the greenhouse showed plants and creepers covering much of the space, with Milind captioning one post that it had turned “green, green, green, and a bit of purple, red and yellow too.”
You can also grow vegetables in your DIY greenhouse
Here are some simple steps to follow for this hobby:
- Vegetables need light to grow well, so choose a terrace, balcony, or corner of your yard that gets several hours of sunlight, ideally in the morning.
- Wooden planks or bamboo shoots work just right to create a simple frame in the size you want. Keep it strong enough to hold up the covering sheet.
- Wrap the frame with UV-stabilised polyethylene sheets or acrylic sheets. These let sunlight in while trapping some warmth inside, which helps your plants grow steadily, especially in cooler weather.
- Use a mix of garden soil and compost in pots or grow bags.
- Water your plants regularly, but don’t overdo it, since soggy soil can harm roots. Check on your greenhouse every day for pests, wilting leaves, or too much heat.
