Love plants? Head to the horticulture expo this weekend

HYDERABAD :  You cannot grow a garden overnight, but People’s Plaza on Necklace Road sure got a green makeover in a day with the Horticulture Expo that began on January 28. The open ground looked like a large garden with hundreds of flower saplings, decorative floral arrangements, succulents and pots spread in the area.

As you enter the gate, you cannot miss the stall of ‘Pots N More’ with its large array of succulent arrangements. Shell Jhanb, the proprietor of the shop who has come all the way from Faridabad, said: “Succulent arrangements are the new bouquets. They do not need much water and do not wilt after three days. They are aesthetically as pleasing as flowers.

You can propagate them easily through cuttings in a variety of containers..” It’s not only saplings and flower arrangements which were on display. Fertilisers, insecticides, moss sticks to support plants and pots to grow them were also being sold. Tilak Singh, the proprietor of Reetu Ceramic Pots, said: “We have flower pots, vases and bonsai trays.

They come in vibrant colours, and some of them are shaped like ducks, tortoises and other animals. Our ma in shop is in Chaderghat.” Occupying a serene corner of the expo is ‘Breathe Easy’ by Neelam Ahuja, offering fairy and Buddha gardens. Every fairy garden typically has a plant, succulents, figurines and stones to create a visually appealing piece.

Pointing to her stones collection, she said: “I use totems like tortoises, frogs and swans in my arrangements as they are believed to raise the vibrations of a place. I colour the stones and write positive affirmations like faith and healing on them to spread good vibes.” Besides these, organic and healthy alternatives to regular grains were on sale at the expo.

At Mitraa Organics stall, you can buy diabetic-friendly Telangana Sona rice which has a glycemic index lower than other varieties. Sameera, the proprietor of the stall, said: “Our fields in East Godavari district follow cow-based farming where everything used in growing the crops is sourced from the fields. We also grow organic cashews and peanuts which are essential for providing the body with micro-nutrients.”