SRINAGAR: Weeks after donning his crown of thorns as the first J&K chief minister since it became a Union territory, Omar Abdullah had in Nov 2024 laid the groundwork for a carpet of blooms in a weed-infested patch near Srinagar’s Dal Lake — that promise has now blossomed and is ready for pickings.Chrysanthemum Theme Garden will be thrown open to the public on Oct 25 by the CM at a time the assembly is in session and J&K’s politics revolves around land bills and Rajya Sabha polls (Oct 24).Omar had laid the foundation for the site on Nov 22, 2024, proposing it as an autumn garden. Almost a year on, the new garden — also called Bagh gul-e-Daudi — has come alive with flowers on all sides.The garden adjoins Srinagar’s famed Tulip Garden on one side and Raj Bhavan on the other. Since it is a near forest area, it was earlier frequented by bears.No wild encounters anymore. Officials believe Chrysanthemum Garden will be a new Kashmir attraction in autumn when visitors arrive in droves. “We have planted nearly one lakh flowers, with more than 30 lakh blooms. At present, the garden covers five hectares but we plan to expand it further. It was the CM’s commitment to open it this autumn. We completed the work in about six months to make sure it was ready,” floriculture officer Javaid Masood said. For Tulip Garden , lakhs of the bulbs are brought from Holland. “Unlike Tulip Garden, all flower plants and resources for this (Chrysanthemum) garden were sourced from within the country. During snowfall, you will see the garden in full bloom this winter (till Jan),” Masood said.There are 50 chrysanthemum varieties in shades of yellow, red, orange, white, pink, purple and others. While chrysanthemums are not popular in the valley, the successful experiment of the first Chrysanthemum Garden could change that, Masood said.Work began this June and the flowers sprouted in early Oct. The garden also has many maple trees. Pathways have been made using local stones. “We wanted to extend the Valley’s floral calendar. The chrysanthemum’s long bloom helps extend the tourist season into winter,” Masood said.Tourists are trickling in. “I came from Mumbai and this wasn’t on our itinerary. I saw reels about it on Instagram. I decided to visit and it turned out to be marvelous,” Phalak, a visitor, saidGardener Noor Mohammad Bhat said he and his team spent six months clearing the land and developing it into a garden. “About 30 of us worked on it. Seeing how it has turned out now fills me with pride,” Bhat, who has been with the floriculture department for 30 years, said.
