LOVE IS IN THE AIR: Bengaluru-based Anand Havaldar has grown tulips in his home garden. The crimson red tulips symbolizing love bloomed around Valentine’s day Anand Havaldar, a gardener from JP Nagar, makes countless trips to his garden these days – five tulips have bloomed there, and he is waiting for the sixth one. “I’m growing three European tulip varieties — Van Eijk, Daydream, and Chameleon Red —with eight bulbs of each variety. Van Eijk is the one that sprouted and bloomed first,” he says. 
Tulips require cold winters with snowfall, followed by mild summers. Bengaluru’s moderate tropical climate makes it extremely challenging to grow tulips naturally. Anand created an English-style winter by keeping the tulip bulbs in his refrigerator. “I gave the bulbs cold treatment for about nine weeks to simulate winter dormancy,” says the 52-year-old, who holds a diploma in agriculture from Gandhi Krishi Vigyana Kendra (GKVK), Bengaluru.Anand first saw tulips during a trip to Srinagar, Kashmir. The breathtaking sight of the crimson tulips stayed in his heart and since then, he has been wanting to grow them in his own garden. “I brought a few bulbs from Srinagar and tried growing them in 2023, but the bulbs rotted,” recalls Anand. Not one to give up, Anand shared his dream with his niece Anupama, an avid gardener and scientist who lives in Paris, and sought her help. “She brought me three varieties of tulip bulbs from Paris. Each bulb cost around Rs 350,” he says. 
It feels surreal to watch the crimson tulips swaying in the wind, evoking feelings of passion and love. Being around them fills Anand with joy. And yet, now he finds deeper meanings in Sylvia Plath’s ‘Tulips’, inspired by a bouquet of get-well flowers. Voice Box “I planted the bulbs in the first week of Jan using a fresh soil mix prepared with garden soil, vermicompost, and cocopeat. The soil mix preparation and bulb preservation techniques were based on my gardening experience and guidance from Rajesh Bhalla of Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry in Himachal Pradesh. The pots were clearly labelled for identification at the time of sowing. Special care was given by ensuring adequate sunlight, controlled watering, and keeping the pots isolated from other plants to prevent pests and diseases.” Anand Havaldar, URBAN GARDENER AND SENIOR ENGINEER AT NEXTEER AUTOMOTIVE INDIA, BENGALURU .
Comments are closed.