Grow greens in your backyard, save Delhi

NEW DELHI: Ritu Sachdeva takes refuge in her small rooftop garden whenever the din of the city gets too much for her to handle. “Everyone should grow something green, regardless of how much space they have, especially when the air quality is getting worse by the day,” says Sachdeva, a gardening “veteran” who resides in Rohini, even as she gives an envious look to some rare breeds of cacti at the 31st edition of the garden festival, being held at the Garden of Five Senses in south Delhi’s Saket.
Developed by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, the Garden of Five Senses is a park spread over 20 acres near the Mehrauli heritage area.

In the backdrop of the deteriorating air quality in the city, the theme of this year’s festival is “Grow Garden, Save Delhi”. Sudhir Sobti, chief manager, public relations and publicity, DTTDC, said the event aimed to highlight how crucial a role gardening could play in our lives. “We are distributing plants for free and showcasing rare species. At the same time, we are creating a platform for horticulturists from across the country to express themselves,” Sobti said.
Thirty organisations and agencies are vying for competitions in 100 different categories, such as terrariums, foliage, medicinal plants, flowers, cacti and bonsai, among others.
The festival, which started three decades ago at a DDA park in East of Kailash, has found several hosts — from the India Gate lawns to Talkatora Gardens — before finally settling down at the current site in 2005.
In line with this year’s theme, a dedicated “garden bazaar” has been set up as a one-stop solution for all gardening and landscaping needs of an urban house. “We have all kinds of plants, tools, soil, space-restriction solutions and pots under one roof,” Sobti said. Among the participants is a delegation from Northeast that is showcasing local varieties of plants. Rohit Tamang, from Ghising Floraq florists in Darjeeling, said while their collection was only found in hilly areas, with proper care, those plants could flourish in Delhi as well.
Ajay Sharma, a cactus expert from Saharanpur, said he had been selling them since 1992. “One you fall in love with plants, there is no turning back,” Sharma said.