As a child, Madam Lalitha Nair would watch her grandmother tend to herbs in their backyard garden.

"I learnt gardening from my grandmother. But it was not exactly a gardening lesson, it was an outdoor classroom for me. My grandmother came from a family with a background in Ayurvedic medicine. So naturally, she knew the benefits of herbs," the 58-year-old gardener said.

Ayurvedic medicine, or Ayurveda for short, is an ancient Indian healing system developed more than 3,000 years ago. Ayurveda practitioners consume herbs to maintain a balance of energy in the body for good health.

Madam Lalitha rents an 8,000 sq ft plot of land in Kranji to pursue her love for gardening. Known as The Nature Nook, the garden has more than 80 types of herbs, vegetables, and fruit trees such as curry leaves, mint, corn and sugarcane.

Madam Lalitha also grows balloon vine, a herb plant she considers extinct from markets today. She would harvest its leaves and grind them with fermented rice and black lentils to make dosa, a crispy pancake typically eaten for breakfast.

"My grandmother used to make balloon vine dosa because of its medicinal properties. You can also boil the balloon vine leaves to make rasam or soup. The leaves are good to keep your body warm and prevent joint pains."

As Madam Lalitha recalls fond memories of playing in her grandmother's garden, she expressed her desire to create a similar gardening experience for children at The Nature Nook.

"Doing gardening today is allowing me to relive my childhood. Since I have benefited from my grandmother's knowledge, I thought I should share them with children. I want the kids to touch the dirt and feel the joy of gardening. When they learn how to love the environment, one day they will be the ones who will protect the environment. "