The joy that a single brinjal or a slowly ripening tomato from your own garden can bring is quite unique. Even more so for those of us who achieve this despite living in concrete jungles, and double for those with thriving kitchen gardens.

This week, residents of the city will get a chance to showcase their prized vegetables and fruits that they have grown in their backyard, balcony or roof top gardens and maybe even win a prize.

In a bid to increase the city’s green cover from 5 pc to 25 pc, the Chennai Corporation has planned to incentivise kitchen, roof top or balcony gardens that are maintained by the residents in their households. Under the scheme, which has been planned as one of the 66 schemes announced to mark the Chief Minister’s birthday, the civic body will inspect these gardens and give away prizes to the top three gardens that will be selected by Parks Department officials under various criteria.

Apart from this, the residents will also get a chance to showcase the produce they have grown in their gardens, at an exclusive exhibition to be conducted on February 14 and 15. Suitable prizes will be given after a selection process, said the officials.

To participate in the exhibition, the Corporation has requested the residents of the city to register with the civic body through snail mail, phone or the Internet, following which the participants will be informed of the yet-to-be decided venue for the exhibition.