The gardeners were judged on the basis of their knowledge, skills, experience, and feedback received from their employers
Parks and gardens are an oases in cities. According to Dr Ashok Kothari, President, National Society of the Friends of the Trees (NSOFT), people who take care of these parks, are silent heroes. To honour these heroes that lend urban jungles their green covers, Dr Kothari took up a unique initiative — to felicitate gardeners in Mumbai.
Last week, at the annual vegetable, fruit, and flower show at DG Ruparel College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, 10 gardeners were honoured for their work.
A four-member committee, headed by horticulturist Dr Chandrakant Salunkhe, who heads the landscaping at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), examined 17 applications by gardeners before deciding to felicitate 10.
“Gardeners are often unappreciated. So we thought the award would be a nice way to appreciate their effort and keep them motivated,” says Dr Salunkhe and adds, “This is the first time we have done this. We hope to have more gardeners in the fray next year.”
The gardeners were judged on the basis of their knowledge, skills, experience, and feedback received from their employers. The gardeners who were felicitated received a certificate of appreciation, a hat (to wear as a guard against the sun), and a cash reward of Rs 2,500. The award was presented to the gardeners by renowned chemical engineer and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr Man Mohan Sharma.
Among the gardeners felicitated was Ramachandra Shilke, the chief gardener at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSVMS). “I learnt gardening from my grandfather, who in the 1980s, was a gardener at Hanging Garden (Pherozeshah Mehta Garden) in Malabar Hill,” says the 54-year-old. Having worked at the museum for over 20 years, Shilke has seen the museum lawns change over the years. While Shilke is glad that the work of gardeners is being publicly acknowledged and appreciated, he is driven by other motives. “As a gardener for the past 35-years, my true prize is when a person comes near a patch of blossoming flowers and smiles. That is my true award.”
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