Riyaz Bhat
SRINAGAR
Situated in the foothills of Zabarwan Hills, overlooking Dal Lake, Asia’s largest Tulip garden was officially thrown open to visitors on Tuesday.
The 15-hectare vast garden is known for more than 70 varieties of Tulips and nourishes around 1.3 million tulip bulbs every season.
The Tulip Garden remains open for around one month as the life tulips is not more than 15-17 days. However, the floriculture sows the tulip plants three times. “There are three periods: 10-15 percent are late Tulips; 20-25 percent are Late flower plants and around 60 % are mid flower plants which are grown in the peak tourist season,” said a Floriculture official.
“Tulips bloom in spring (mostly April) and this year they bloomed little earlier,” the official said, “thus it was opened earlier this season.”
The Floriculture department this year imported around 4 lakh 20 thousand tulip bulbs. “We had obtained 3 lakh 60 thousand tulip bulbs, of 24 varieties, from Holland last year which we have also sown this year,” the officials said.
District officer of Floriculture, Nazir Ahmad Reshi told Kashmir Life, “the early blooming of tulips will lead the tourism department in profits because more the days visitors spend here, the more profit government will gain.”
