‘No other flower like rose’: At annual flower show in Delhi, visitors explore 70 varieties

Each rose bed had a steel plate on which a unique name was engraved. These names, according to Dr Ajay Pal Singh (81), a member of the Rose Society of India who retired as a director of the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), are either given by the breeder or are based on the strengths the rose poses.

“I invented the Bhim rose variety in 1970, a cross breed of the Delhi Princess and Oklahoma. I chose the name as it blooms into a huge flower,” he said, adding that he named around 89 varieties of roses in his tenure.

‘Gemini’, according to a gardener, has been bred in the United States and boasts of 25 to 30 petals.

Kuldeep Saddy (99), who served for 35 years in the Horticulture department of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and retired in 1985, now serves as the president of the Rose Society of India. “There is no other flower like rose — the colour, fragrance is unmatched… it is still used as a gift, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru himself used to put one in his pocket,” he said.

Saddy said he was tasked to set up this garden when he was in service. However, his most cherished memory still remains of setting up a garden for former Vice President Zakir Hussain. “I went to the place 3-4 years after he died and I was surprised to see that the rose beds I had made 15-20 years ago were still in the same place, with just different roses planted in them.”

Even as flower shows are common in the city, visitors were curious about the new varieties. “This is our first time coming to this rose show. We go to the Delhi Tulip Festival every year,” said Vikas Gupta (48) who came with his wife Preeti (47), “Such events allow us to experience nature during winters,” said Preeti.

Another visitor during a video call to his mother went about the garden, showing the exhibits by institutions such as NDMC, Central Public Works Department, Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), among others. “Mom, we’re at the rose garden. This place is just perfect for you,” he said enthusiastically.

According to Saddy, growing roses in Delhi is difficult as the soil is alkaline and water is salty.

The preparations for this annual show started in October. But not all rose beds had flowers blooming.

One of the gardeners said that pollution levels affected the growth significantly. “There has been less growth since the last three years. Some beds have only 3-4 flowers, otherwise the entire space is full. When the pollution goes down, they will be in full bloom,” he said.