The Hindu : New Delhi News : All the President’s roses

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Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007
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New Delhi

All the President’s roses

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

A new book captures the exquisite beauty of Mughal Garden

NEW DELHI: Of medium height and moderate fragrance, Admiral Rodney has found a patron in former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. Admiring the good looks and fragrance of Admiral Rodney, the poet in Dr. Kalam went on to pen a verse that says, “Touch me softly.…I give fragrance….”

Also vying for the former poet-President’s attention is the very shapely Black Baccara, which Dr. Kalam says has the ability to “cheer sad hearts”.

Admiral Rodney and the Black Baccara along with 159 other varieties of roses that together occupy pride of place in the magnificent Mughal Garden of Rashtrapati Bhavan here have been captured and reproduced in a new coffee table book, “Roses of Mughal Garden”.

The book, brought out by Rashtrapati Bhavan and compiled by Officer on Special Duty (Horticulture) Brahma Singh, begins with a poem, “My Garden Smiles”, by Dr. Kalam. It then proceeds to give the reader a glimpse and a brief account of the different varieties of roses, considered the “queen of flowers”.

The compendium serves a twin purpose. It not only satiates the appetite of rose lovers but is also aimed at helping scientists interested in developing new varieties of roses. Since Rashtrapati Bhavan conserves rose germ-plasms, scientists can benefit from the gene bank to further their research, say officials.

The book, which documents exotic varieties of roses, their scientific and popular names and the year of their release, has an added bonanza for those who long to have their very own rose garden.

In a separate section, it offers tips about ways to cultivate roses and look after them.

A meticulous compilation, the drafting of the book was spread over a year. If photographing the individual roses in a particular stage of bloom was ardours, the research involved in getting the names and the year of their release was no less a Herculean task.

The enviable “Fragrant Rosary” that was Dr. Kalam’s gift to Rashtrapti Bhavan is adorned by celebrated varieties like Mother Teresa, a long pointed soft pink bud that open to large exquisitely formed flowers of pinkish white colour developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in 1994, and Taj Mahal, a deep pink bloom.

In the category of tall, vigorous hybrid tea roses are Bewitched, a 1967 pleasing pink flower, Christian Dior, a crimson flushed scarlet, Eiffel Tower and a lavender mauve long classic bud called Lagerfeld.

In the Floribunda category, grown for perfect blooms, there is Queen Elizabeth in pink and scarlet; Annabell, a salmon red fragrant flower; Michele Mielland, an exquisite pale pink bloom with hints of salmon; a pastel pink and golden yellow Pusa Pitambar, which has a shade of pink.

In the section on Climber and Rambler Roses, readers can feast on Banksian, a vigorous climbing plant, Iceberg that flowers through the year, and Polka, an apricot orange blend with glossy foliage.

The Ployantha roses, a category that is hardy and resistant to biotoc and abiotic stresses, offers a look at Anjani and Damask rose while Miniature rose category that has petite roses includes Don Don a double dark red flower and Over the Rainbow, which is a blend of red, pink and gold colour petals.

Dr. Kalam, who has contributed several verses for the book, describes the picturesque rose garden in the President’s Estate thus: “…Variety of rose, One lovely family of roses, Presiding the dynamic scene, With Pleasant fragrant breeze, My Garden Smiles…”

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