Floriculturists enhance Kashmir's Tulip Garden with new varieties

Floriculturists at Asia's largest Tulip Garden here have sowed fresh and new varieties of the flower with an aim to attract tourists during the next flowering season.

The Department of Floriculture has introduced different varieties of Tulips, some imported from Holland. The tulip bulbs are being sowed on time, so that the flowers blossom on time.

A dedicated team of floriculture experts and gardeners were seen busy preparing the land, cutting the beds in different patterns and sowing the tulip bulbs.

Farmers at the garden said that the hard work will reap results when the garden is in full bloom the next season.

"Since last one month, we are sowing tulip bulbs and working very hard. Now, we are sowing bulbs that have come from Holland. All of us are working together and we have added more varieties of tulips to put together a breathtaking garden," said a farmer, Nizar Khan.

By April, tulips are usually in full bloom in and around Srinagar, lending an ethereal atmosphere to the Kashmir valley.

The tulips, set against the backdrop of the majestic snow-clad majestic Himalayan range, are a major tourist attraction.

One of the workers at the field said that he was confident that the garden would provide an impetus to the state's tourism.

"We all hope that the tulip garden blossoms here, it is beneficial for our tourism department and attracts visitors from all over. We are working very hard on the fields. Our tulip garden is number one in Asia and we are confident that it will look very beautiful once ready," said another farmer, Ali Ahmed.

Kashmir boasts of Asia's biggest tulip garden, named Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden at Siraj Bagh Cheshmashahi in Srinagar.

A festival is held annually in the month of April when tulips are in full bloom.

The sprawling tulips of varied colours make the garden look like a silken carpet with intricate designs.