Blossom buddies

KOCHI: Colourful roses, attractive cacti and unique varieties of hybrid plants are attracting the flower enthusiasts from far and near at the 39th edition of Cochin Flower Show, organised by the Ernakulam Agri Horticulture Society at the Ernakulathappan Ground in the city.  

Entering the venue, one is awed by the fascinating flower arrangements done using fresh blooms covering an area of 5,000 sq ft. Beautifully crafted terrariums by a Chittoor-based teacher, named Manjusha, adds to the refreshing charm of the show.

Vine Arts, an indoor plant selling venture based in Panampilly Nagar, has also displayed some unique plants as well as pots, which have been trending ever since the pandemic saw a renewed interest in gardening among city dwellers.

The moon cactus, which has a ball-shaped flower on top, is one of the stars on display. It comes in different shades such as red, yellow, orange and pink.Overall, 24 nurseries from Wayanad, Kayamkualm, Kollam and Ernakulam have displayed their plant collections on sale.

One of the organisers of the show, Jacob Varghese, says plants have been displayed over a total area of 40,000 sq.ft. “Seasonal flowering plants like dahlia, marigold, vinca, cryptanthus are the major attractions,” he adds.  

“The flowering plant that stands out is a new hybrid variety of chrysanthemum –  ‘multiflora’. It is short in height and even the flower is small. But, over 150 flowers bloom at a time in a single plant. This is probably the first time this flower variety is being exhibited in Kerala.”

Air plants, which do not need soil to grow, also have been attracting a lot of visitors. No flower show is complete without the all-time celebs, the orchids. And the Cochin Flower Show boasts about 1,500 dendrobium orchids and 300 phalaenopsis variants.

“Phalaenopsis is one of the most preferred varieties by the customers,” says Santhosh D of Indo-American Hybrid Seeds (India) Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru. “The price of orchids start at Rs 550. The price of anthuriums starts at Rs 250.”

About 40 varieties of lotus, which includes the Australian and the tropical varieties from a startup named Vaab World, are the other crowd-pullers. However, what steals the show is the insectivorous pitcher plant, which is close to one feet in height. Besides add-on attractions like a floating garden, flower arrangement classes are also being held.

Gardening supplies, handicraft products, clothes, footwear, toys and even food products from tribal settlements are also on display. Live snack counters have also been set up.  

Interestingly, the fashion designing department of St Teresa’s College, in association with the Agri Horticulture Society, will conduct a “flower prince and princess” competition on January 21.

KOCHI: Colourful roses, attractive cacti and unique varieties of hybrid plants are attracting the flower enthusiasts from far and near at the 39th edition of Cochin Flower Show, organised by the Ernakulam Agri Horticulture Society at the Ernakulathappan Ground in the city.   Entering the venue, one is awed by the fascinating flower arrangements done using fresh blooms covering an area of 5,000 sq ft. Beautifully crafted terrariums by a Chittoor-based teacher, named Manjusha, adds to the refreshing charm of the show. Vine Arts, an indoor plant selling venture based in Panampilly Nagar, has also displayed some unique plants as well as pots, which have been trending ever since the pandemic saw a renewed interest in gardening among city dwellers. The moon cactus, which has a ball-shaped flower on top, is one of the stars on display. It comes in different shades such as red, yellow, orange and pink.Overall, 24 nurseries from Wayanad, Kayamkualm, Kollam and Ernakulam have displayed their plant collections on sale. One of the organisers of the show, Jacob Varghese, says plants have been displayed over a total area of 40,000 sq.ft. “Seasonal flowering plants like dahlia, marigold, vinca, cryptanthus are the major attractions,” he adds.   “The flowering plant that stands out is a new hybrid variety of chrysanthemum –  ‘multiflora’. It is short in height and even the flower is small. But, over 150 flowers bloom at a time in a single plant. This is probably the first time this flower variety is being exhibited in Kerala.” Air plants, which do not need soil to grow, also have been attracting a lot of visitors. No flower show is complete without the all-time celebs, the orchids. And the Cochin Flower Show boasts about 1,500 dendrobium orchids and 300 phalaenopsis variants. “Phalaenopsis is one of the most preferred varieties by the customers,” says Santhosh D of Indo-American Hybrid Seeds (India) Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru. “The price of orchids start at Rs 550. The price of anthuriums starts at Rs 250.” About 40 varieties of lotus, which includes the Australian and the tropical varieties from a startup named Vaab World, are the other crowd-pullers. However, what steals the show is the insectivorous pitcher plant, which is close to one feet in height. Besides add-on attractions like a floating garden, flower arrangement classes are also being held. Gardening supplies, handicraft products, clothes, footwear, toys and even food products from tribal settlements are also on display. Live snack counters have also been set up.   Interestingly, the fashion designing department of St Teresa’s College, in association with the Agri Horticulture Society, will conduct a “flower prince and princess” competition on January 21.