‘They called me crazy’: 40 lakh investment! Meet Asghar Ali of Pakistan - He turned his home into mini forest for mother

So far, Asghar has spent more than 40 lakh Pakistani rupees on the project and spends over ₹30,000 every month on maintaining the greenery, he told BCC Urdu in a video. 

More than a decade ago, Mian Asghar Ali’s mother shared a simple wish with her son – to have a garden around their home. And what began with a single saplling in 2016 has since grown into a labour of love.

Today, their six-marla house in Pakistan has been transformed into a mini forest, with more than 5,700 trees and plants. This is not just a garden but a living tribute to a mother’s dream that her son continues to nurture.

Asghar, a resident of Pakistan's Punjab province, planted the first sapling in his house built on the 0.037-acre plot in Punjab’s Pattoki in 2016. Back then, Asghar was not sure whether he could even fulfil his mother’s wish for a not-so-big parcel of land on which the house stood. He even tried to convince his mother that there was not enough space near the house to create a garden and that such plans were meaningless.

“But seeing her disappointed face gave me the passion to start this. It was in 2016 when I bought about 50 plants, placed 10 inside the house, and 40 along the outer wall. Since then, I have gradually added more,” Asghar told BBC Urdu in a video story.

In the BCC video, Asghar is seen explaining how he planted trees on doors, walls, curtains, and throughout the house to fulfil my mother's wish. “People used to call me crazy, but today, when they visit and see my small haven, they appreciate my work and view us with respect,” he says.

So far, Asghar has spent more than 40 lakh Pakistani rupees on the project and spends over PKR 30,000 every month on maintaining the greenery. The cost includes expenses for saplings, soil, and tools, as well as the ongoing upkeep required to keep thousands of plants alive and healthy year-round.

“Since our house went viral, people from far away come to see it. Initially, there wasn't much lighting, but now I have installed lights throughout the house so that day and night feel the same,” he says.

People used to call me crazy, but today, when they visit and see my small haven, they appreciate my work.

Asghar said he used specific plants that thrived in sunlight and are resilient to extreme winter frost, so he doesn't need to cover them as traditional nurseries do. He says in the video that the daily routine involves spending two to three hours watering and caring for the plants after Fajr (Dawn) prayers.

Asghar says he aims to grow 10,000 plants and attempt to set a Guinness World Records title.

About the Author

Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.

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