Riot of colours at vibrant flower show

The soft folk musical background, the endless rows of blooming flowers made the evening at Garden of Five Senses a memorable one, thanks to the ongoing 27th Garden Tourism Festival.

The chill in the air and the recent downpour were not enough to dampen spirits of the crowd which, unmindful of the inclement weather had come to be part of such colourful surroundings. And the sight of the full blooms--rose, dahlia, daffodils and lilies--in all their colourful array, the pearly drops of rain nestling on the waxy petals was a sight for sore eyes!

Apart from the display of around 5,000 varieties of flowers, the numerous flower arrangements by government departments made for an unusual sight in the heart of the city.

With munificent nature dressing the flowers in the most spectacular hues, one could spot pink roses blooming and lillies bedazzling visitors with their size and unusual colours. The elephant, sparrows, ducks and fawn made from flowers too evoked a similar a reaction compelling some visitors to click their ‘selfies’.

The theme this year being ‘Vertical Gardens’, the Government departments presented interesting options of maintaining a garden in lesser spatial arrangement. These were commendable since some even recycled pet bottles to grow flowering plants in them.
In the same segment, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi showcased how the need for a vertical stand could be eliminated by simply balancing small pots between two horizontally placed nails on a wall.

“These vertical gardens can be used to decorate a dead wall and also fulfill the desire of those who are unable to create gardens due to cramped houses in urban cities,” informs Ajay Kaushik, horticulture incharge of Garden of Five Senses. He helpfully adds that they also enable one to “change the colour scheme by simply replacing one pot of flowering plant with another preferred one. These can also be arranged as per the availability of seasonal flowers.” 

A section dedicated to vegetables and fruits became a favourite among many visitors. Awestruck at the sight of tiny chikus, oranges, strawberries, plum capsicums, chillies, tomatoes, cauliflowers and even melons in pots, the visitors expressed a desire to learn to grow them in their own gardens.

Further, the alleys of pots in varied sizes displaying huge marigolds and lovely dianthuses and oriental lilies captured the attention enhancing the sense of deja vu, reminding one of the lush Mughal Gardens, with the water fountains running in the centre of the panoramic display of blooms.

Serving as miniature examples of perfectly arranged gardens, the Tray Gardens were also on display this time round. One of these had  a small idol of lord Shiva on a raised platform, making the arrangement appear as his abode - Mount Kailash, replete with flora and fauna.

Another, incorporated the element of dam above a river and looked like a school project.

For those who were inspi-red to experiment with their gardens, there were huge options available with sellers. The rudraksha plants and bonsais were in much demand among the garden-lovers.

Even medicinal plants and lesser available Kalpa-vriksha and Bel Patra were on sale. To make these plants look pretty, potters showcased their colourful creations in ceramics, clay and plastic.