G20 bloom: First bougainvillea festival celebrates its diversity in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Delhi Tourism is celebrating the diversity of the bougainvillea in bloom in summer by holding the city's first festival on the flower at the Garden of Five Senses.
Over 1,000 plants with colourful flowers, all potted, made their official entry to the festival. Over 14 government and private agencies are participating in the festival. The three-day event concludes on Sunday evening with prize distribution.
"The festival is being held under the theme of the G20 under which several other festivals will also be held. I think the bougainvillea deserves a festival for its uniqueness," said Ajay Kaushik, deputy director of horticulture in Delhi Tourism.
He pointed out that the bougainvillea, a shrub or vine from South American, is one of the most widely grown plant plants here. "It's a species that does well in a tropical area, be it South America, the US or India. It is tough and can survive only on rain. When temperatures risie, like these days, it blooms to it fullest. A common sight today, the vivid colours and kinds have always been a head-turner," Kaushik said.
Although a shrub, the plant can be developed and used in a variety of ways.
"Bougainvillea can be used to cover the ground, it can be a bush, a topiary, a climber, a hedge, a hanging basket and even a tree.... Through this festival, we seek to celebrate the diversity this species offers," Kaushik said.
Set in pots, the festival has rows of plants on display with varieties of flowers in a bunch or solo bloom. Red, pink, yellow, purple, white and variegated are some of the colours of the flowers.
Some of the varieties put on display included desi in single flower, while Citra, Thima, Dr Rao, Mahara, Lady Mary were in bunches and several were grafted.
The organisations and agencies that participated includes DDA, PWD, CPWD, NDMC, Northern Railways, DS group to count a few, officials said.