The Indian Institute of Science will open a month-long flower show at its campus on the February 28.
The show has been a regular feature at the campus for the past 32 years where horticulturists in-house grow the flowering plants in a standard pattern as a tribute to the institute’s founder. Over the three decades, the show has grown to include some of the annual blooms, turning the front of the main building into a veritable medley of vibrant colours, with plants ranging from Petula, celosia flowers, coxcomb, zinnia, amaranthus, chrysanthemum and marigold arranged in 12 to 13 layers.
“We begin as early as in November. It starts from picking the right kind of seeds and planting them at the right time for the show,” said Sridhar, a Horticulturist at the IISc.
Sridhar and three other members of his team use seeds from the plants grown during the previous year. “What makes the show unique is that there is zero use of chemicals. It’s completely organic. Seeds used are in-house and are grown with cow dung as manure. We time the sowing of seeds to ensure they bloom during the show,” he added.
Asked why they maintained the standard pattern, Sridhar said: “This is done to give the founder a tribute. If it serves the purpose we are happy. Also, we have several visitors during the month as we also have the court event.”
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