Mangalore, Feb 15: The focus was on kitchen and terrace gardening at the annual flower show jointly organised by Department of Horticulture, Siri Horticulture Society and Zilla Panchayat, Dakshina Kannada at Kadri Park here on Saturday.
Various stalls featuring horticultural products, farming equipment, equipment to start gardens and other rural derivatives such as vegetable and flowering seeds and herbal products, home-made products and handicrafts made by artisans and self-help groups were frequented by agriculturists and curious onlookers at the flower show. For those with a green thumb, there were also stalls selling equipment to grow plants such as ornamental lillies and different kinds of flowers at home.
Creatively-designed carvings by Raghavendra from Kundapur, who carves designs on vegetables as a hobby, were crowd-pullers. His carvings of Shiva-linga, basket and flowers on watermelons, pumpkins, radishes and tomatoes were appreciated by visitors at the show.
Decorated with over 50 varieties of flowers, the highlight of the flower show was a scene depicting the local sport Kambala made from 50,000 deep red Dutch, although it failed to draw big crowds. Various flower decorations were part of the event, with few exhibits also brought in from Ooty.
There was also a stall displaying a personal collection of cultivated orchids at the flower show.
Another display which stood out was a stall featuring ornamental craft made out of used and dried coconut shells. Various craft made over the years by Pradeep Soori-Indira couple with coconut shells such as small table lamps were displayed for viewing.
The three-day flower show was inaugurated by Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology B Ramanath Rai, who stressed on the need to show interest towards processing and protection of the rich produce grown by farmers and planters of horticulture crops.
Farmers and planters should utilise the benefits provided by the government under National Horticulture Mission and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana to produce more yield and also attempt to get higher profits for their yield through selling products directly to consumers, he said, speaking at the inaugural programme.
Deputy Director of Horticulture Department H R Yogesh welcomed the gathering and made the introductory remarks.
Mangalore South MLA J R Lobo presided over the event.
Mangalore North MLA Moidin Bava, zilla panchayat vice-president Rithesh Shetty, Lakshmi Rao Aroor of Siri Horticulture Society and others participated in the inaugural programme of the flower show.
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