| - By Deepti Singh and Santosh Kumar Department of Horticulture, G.B.P.U.A.&T., Pantnagar, Uttarakhand |
| Jamu , winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir state, the city of temples in the foothills of the Himalayas with mighty river 'Tawi' flowing alongside the land of grand forts, ancient temples and beautiful places is now being christened as the garden city with the largest seasonal flower garden of the country coming up at the suburbs of the town at Bhour Camp, Jammu. The seasonal flower garden based on the pattern of Netherlands in Europe is spread over an area of five hundred sixty three kanals of land amidst surroundings with a rivulet flowing on the one side and green pastures on the other side. The seasonal flower garden is the brain child of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad who takes keen interest for its development and inaugurated the first of its seasonal flower garden on 31st of March 2008. The land in question was undiluted, sandy and it was very difficult task for us to complete the phase first of the garden within shortest possible time. An area of Two hundred kanals has been undertaken at inception to lay the flower beds 'during November 2007.Block of ten beds of size 212mts x 13mts were laid with impact of same seedlings in five beds of each block to give color effect. |
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| The significant aspect of these varieties on their color composition and contrast which gives a unique rainbow spectrum td it. Open ollinated seeds were collected from principal growers namely MIS Beauscape farms & MIS Plantsman seeds, Punjab, India and were sown for transplantation in five beds of each block. More than twenty varieties of seasonal open pollinated seedlings were planted in closely made blocks with two mts and five mts walkways between the blocks. The winter annuals grown are: Well decomposed manure, Vermi compost, chemical fertilizer and poultry manure were tried for the improvement of soil fertility. |
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| The main problem in sandy soil is that the fertility status becomes low due to percolation. For irrigation of the flower annuals in beds the underground bore well done by P.H.E Department (Groundwater Division) and the complete irrigation system with hydrants were laid. High mask lights have been installed for the illumination of garden. The garden benches have also been installed on five mts walkways. On the economics of the garden, particularly-wake of the rugged and barren spot with high level of salinity in land, the cost expended in its laying was not much higher. The flower beds being loaded with seasonal varieties and the garden is not only a major tourist attraction for the visitors but can be contributor towards the revenue generation also. The annuals planted are likely to generate the seeds which would suffice the entire Jammu & Kashmir departmental parks. The garden would also inculcate the habit among Jammuities to plant more and more flowers thereby making it a green and colorful garden city. Garden also provides an example motivation for the farmers with marginal land holdings. Cut flowers are in great demand these days and process for these exceptional varieties; the garden offers ample scope for progressive farmers, as also the researchers of the subject. Those planning to do research works in botanical sciences, the garden is again a boom area for them. The farming community living adjoining the garden site. It is one of the best relaxing and entertaining spot for those trying to escape for the hectic rush of the city life. Some of the winter annuals like Chrysanthemum paludosum (white), Phlox mix, Viola Cornata (Miss Helens Mount), Verbena Teniusecta, Coreopsis picketa, Sweet William (Black prince), has remained in flowering for more than sixty days which prolongs the beauty of the garden. Mesembreynthemum mix, Nasturtium (TT mix), Phlox mix, Phlox red, Chrysanthemum paludosum (white), Petunia (Royal blue), Calendula orange has shown unique spectrum of color effect. All most all the varieties of annual seedlings have shown significant result under,.Jammu climatic conditions and it was an experience to us to develop such a grand seasonal flower garden in the shortest possible time. The seeds from the winter seasonal flowers have been collected and stored for the sowing in the next season and for the distribution to farmers.and poultry manure were tried for the improvement of soil fertility. The main problem in sandy soil is that the fertility status becomes low due to percolation. For irrigation of the flower annuals in beds the underground bore well done by P.H.E Department (Groundwater Division) and the complete irrigation system with hydrants were laid. |
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| High mask lights have been installed for the illumination of garden. The garden benches have also been installed on five mts walkways. On the economics of the garden, particularly-wake of the rugged and barren spot with high level of salinity in land, the cost expended in its laying was not much higher. The flower beds being loaded with seasonal varieties and the garden is not only a major tourist attraction for the visitors but can be contributor towards the revenue generation also. The annuals planted are likely to generate the seeds which would suffice the entire Jammu & Kashmir departmental parks. The garden would also inculcate the habit among Jammuities to plant more and more flowers thereby making it a green and colorful garden city. Garden also provides an example motivation for the farmers with marginal land holdings. Cut flowers are in great demand these days and process for these exceptional varieties; the garden offers ample scope for progressive farmers, as also the researchers of the subject. Those planning to do research works in botanical sciences, the garden is again a boom area for them. The farming community living adjoining the garden site. It is one of the best relaxing and entertaining spot for those trying to escape for the hectic rush of the city life. |
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Some of the winter annuals like Chrysanthemum paludosum (white), Phlox mix, Viola Cornata (Miss Helens Mount), Verbena Teniusecta, Coreopsis picketa, Sweet William (Black prince), has remained in flowering for more than sixty days which prolongs the beauty of the garden. Mesembreynthemum mix, Nasturtium (TT mix), Phlox mix, Phlox red, Chrysanthemum paludosum (white), Petunia (Royal blue), Calendula orange has shown unique spectrum of color effect. All most all the varieties of annual seedlings have shown significant result under,.Jammu climatic conditions and it was an experience to us to develop such a grand seasonal flower garden in the shortest possible time. The seeds from the winter seasonal flowers have been collected and stored for the sowing in the next season and for the distribution to farmers.
During summer season (2008), different seasonal flowers have been transplanted like: The summer seedlings (2008) stand transplanted in the beds in the same pattern as winter annuals (2007 -08).The people of Jammu should cultivate seasonal flowers, so as to make the city as 'Garden I Flower city'. Farmers I Growers should adopt on 'commercial lines' under such climatic conditions as there is lot of scope for commercial floriculture. In this way the farmers can raise their economy and have better living. Floriculture Department, Jammu and Kashmir Government, Jammu is doing a lot of work in this direction and helps the growers. |
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