Varieties of roses on display at the North Bengal Flower Show at the Kanchenjungha Stadium mela grounds on Sunday

The 29th Annual North Bengal Flower Show began on Kanchenjungha Stadium mela grounds in Siliguri on February 7. The show, organised by the Siliguri Horticultural Society, will conclude on February 11.

The five-day festival has more than 600 participants from different parts of north Bengal such as Siliguri, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, Malbazar, Oodlabari, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Mirik and Takdah.

Flower aficionados from places in south Bengal such as Calcutta, Arambagh and Sodhpur and the neighbouring state of Sikkim are also present at the show.

A child participates in a sit-and-draw competition at the flower show on Sunday

The Siliguri Horticultural Society has been conducting the flower show since 1984.

“We made a humble beginning with only 300 potted flowers and plants displayed by participants mostly from Siliguri and the adjoining areas at Baghajatin Park. Over the years, the number of participants increased and so did the number of plants exhibited at the show,” said Prasanta Sen, the general secretary of the Siliguri Horticultural Society.

He said around 30,000 people had already visited the flower show and 20,000 more were expected.

The flowers and plants have been arranged under different sections such as bonsai, seasonal, perennial, fruits, roof gardening and home gardening.

One of the unusual displays is 2,000 chrysanthemum flowers also known “chandramallika” in Bengali in a single potted plant. There is also a potted jujube tree (kul in Bengali) bearing 200 fruits.

“This year, we arranged for the flowers to be kept in a green house to save them from dust, sun and pollution,” said Sen. Around 50 nurseries also have stalls at the show to sell their plants.

The organisers have also arranged for discussions on topics such as pollution and its harmful effects on flowers, techniques of rearing different flowers and how to increase their longevity. There are also buyer and seller meets at the event.

Dance, songs, recitals, fashion show, antakshari, sit-and-draw and quiz competitions have been lined up for children at the five-day event.

Common name: Abracadabra or Tilotamma Scientific name: Rosa hybrida Where the flower is normally found: Europe, North America and Asia Who put up the display: Arindam Bose of Matigara, near Siliguri Why it is unusual: This hybrid rose shows different colours in the three stages of its growth — first deep yellow as a bud, a mixture of yellow and grey later and eventually, a combination of maroon and yellow in the final stage

Common name: Chrysanthemum (Chandramallika in Bengali) Scientific name: Chrysanthemum morifolium Where the flower is normally found: China, Europe, Australia, India, Germany and Japan Who put up the display: Subhas Chandra Sarkar of Jalpaiguri Why it is unusual: Normally, only around 20 flowers are grown in a single potted plant. But Sarkar managed to grow more than 2,000 flowers in a single potted plant

Common name: Red Nelly Dazzler Scientific name: Cymbidium Where the flower is normally found: Australia, the Netherlands and New Zealand Who put up the display: Tokjen Tamang, who runs a nursery, Darjeeling Gardens, in Mirik Why it is unusual: Its longevity ranges from three to four weeks and has a variety of colours

Common name: Jujube (kul in Bengali) Scientific name: Ziziphus jujuba Where the flower is normally found: India, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Iran, Pakistan, Lebanon and Korea Who put up the display: Debjyoti Sarkar of Jalpaiguri Why it is unusual: Jujube trees are not grown in pots and usually attain a height of over 16 feet. But Debjyoti has managed to grow the tree in a pot and the plant has attained a height of around four feet and borne 200 fruits