Rough and tough cop in love with nature

In the police force by choice, Singh graduated in Botany and then did his post-graduation in agricultural science from the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University at Hissar.

He has a large collection of plants and flowers, from ornamental to wild ones, at the backyard of his bungalow in Lalbaug area, showing his interest and love for nature. He has collected all these plants over a period of more than five years and carries them wherever he is transferred. His collection also includes some rare species, which he claims cannot be found even in the Ajwa garden. Ornamental and wild palm trees, croton, exora, supari, ficus, cycas and the exotic marigold, among others adorn his garden.

Among his collection is an eight-feet potted Christmas tree, which was gifted to him by the erstwhile royal family of Mangrol during his posting in Bhuj in 1993. The royal family, impressed by his knowledge and love for plants, had gifted him the sapling, which was then half-feet tall, on the condition that he looks after it well, considering the unfavourable climactic conditions in Gujarat.

Though the plant is grown in a humid climate, especially in places like Ooty and nearby areas around Tamil Nadu, Singh took all the care necessary to see that it lived. However, looking at the difficulty in carrying such a huge tree everytime he was transferred, he has now decided to gift it to Mohanbhai Patel, Director Parks and Gardens, to be planted at the Ajwa garden.

Interestingly, unlike other gardens, most of his plants have not been brought from nurseries but are a result of grafting. According to Singh, only scientific knowledge about the type of soil and the climate in which different plants grow is not enough for growing flora. One must have patience to see a plant grow and blossom, especially plants like cycas, he says.

“My wife was getting impatient at the slow growth of cycas and wanted to throw it out. But I was firm and did not do so. Today, it has grown into a reasonably big plant,” he adds proudly.