Republic Day flower show will go global, to honour Lalbagh's designer

The Republic Day flower show, which will be held at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden here from January 16 to 26, 2016, will be a megascale international event dedicated to German botanist and garden artist Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel who is best known for his work at Bengaluru’s iconic park.

Jagadeesh M, Joint Director, Horticulture Department, said on Wednesday the flower show would have participants not just from Bengaluru but from across India and the world. What’s more, the flower show will not be limited to the Glass House, but will be held at 50 places in Lalbagh.

The department is creating a floral panorama and ground plantation at a massive scale. The estimated expenditure is being worked out, he added.

He was speaking at the 150th birth anniversary of Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel at Lalbagh on Wednesday. In addition, German representatives will organise a flower show in memory of Krumbiegel in March-April, 2016, to which the Horticulture Department has been invited. German Consul Jörn Rohde spoke about Krumbiegel. German scientist Dr Anja Epperrt, who has researched on the life story of Krumbiegel, also shared her experiences. S V Hittalamani, former Additional Director, Department of Horticulture, Dr Vijay Thiruvadi, who is part of Bangalore Environmental Trust, and noted environmentalist A N Yellappa Reddy attended the event and spoke of Krumbiegel’s achievements.

Krumbiegel gave a new aesthetic floral look to the city of Vadodara and the princely state of Mysore. He landscaped Lalbagh, Cubbon Park, Brindavan Garden, Ooty Botanical Garden and the corporation building in Bengaluru. Speaking on the sidelines, Yellappa Reddy said the Horticulture Department was working on a book on the history of Lalbagh and Bengaluru City, which was likely to be released by March 2016. He said that the department had sought support from MLAs and corporators to deal with anti-social elements who cause nuisance inside Lalbagh, but had achieved little success. “We are also requesting the government for financial support. Work on strengthening the boundary walls and solving the garbage problem is also going on. Old buildings inside the Lalbagh are being renovated,” he added.