Lalbagh to get 2.5 acre garden inspired by Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay

You may soon be able to experience Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay right here in the Garden City of Bengaluru. The Karnataka State Department of Horticulture (KSDH) is developing 2.5 acres of land at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden on the lines of the Singaporean attraction.

As part of the project, the department has introduced fog and mist technology for the first time and will be planting 50 different species that are shade- and mist-loving. Officials said the species are being brought from various parts of Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and Himachal Pradesh, among others.

Officials said the fog and mist technology is already being used in hill stations such as Kodagu and Ooty to cultivate climate-sensitive crops such as coffee, tea, exotic fruits, spices and floriculture.

M. Jagadeesh, Joint Director, Horticulture Department (Parks and Gardens), said: “This 2.5-acre land is located in front of the Department of Horticulture. A few years ago, a valley-like area was built in front of the office so that rainwater from surrounding areas, especially from the Lalbagh Rock, can flow into it.”

Mr. Jagadeesh added: “Since this 2.5-acre valley houses some old trees that provide a lot of shade, we thought of planting exclusive and rare varieties that are not in our garden. However, these plants need purified water that is sprayed using this fog and mist technology. Hence, the ultra-fine nozzles used in this technology were bought from Germany. We have used stainless steel pipes to supply water to these nozzles. A separate Reverse Osmosis (RO) water facility has been established in our office. Normal water or water from borewells will be purified in this RO facility to remove dissolved salts and heavy metals, and then supplied to pipes and finally to nozzles that spray it in the form of fog.”

He also said the entire system is automated, with the nozzles spraying water intermittently for 10 minutes and stopping for another 10 minutes.

Further, the department has used natural stones available locally in Bengaluru to construct a revetment for the valley.

Check dams built to capture more rain water

Elaborating on how the department plans to ensure a supply of water even during summer, he said: “We have built around 15 check dams measuring 60 metres wide and 5 metres high. Whenever it rains, water gets collected in these check dams after flowing through the valley. At least 20 crore litres of water that gets collected in these check dams will help us water hundreds of plants and trees beyond this 2.5-acre area. The water will recharge rainwater-harvesting pits and the underground water table will also increase.”

Shade loving species

Department officials have gone a step further to identify shade-loving species by visiting different States.

Mr. Jagadeesh said: “Some of the species include Bird’s Nest Anthurium, which is found in the rainforests of Central and South America. We are procuring it from vendors within India who specialise in growing such plants. Matchstick Bromeliad from Tamil Nadu, Yucca gloriosa from Himachal Pradesh, and species of Elephant Ear plants, which are natural air purifiers, are also being introduced. These are mostly indoor plants used to enhance the decor of homes and offices, but we will be using them outdoors.

“Among these, we are introducing Pearl Grass from Kerala for the first time in Lalbagh. All these species are known to absorb water provided in the form of mist. Over a period of time, this will lead to the creation of a microclimate within Lalbagh.”