IISC to Begin ‘A Month-Long Flower Show’ from Today

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) will hold its annual flower display beginning March 3 for a month.

The flower show has been a part of the institution's history for 35 years, and it is conducted to commemorate the birth anniversary of the founder, J N Tata.

The plants on display are cultivated on campus and are displayed from the main building's door till the founder’s statue on the campus.

This time, around 15 different plant varieties will be on display, including phlox, zinnia, coral zinnia, celosia, and hollyhocks, as well as several forms of marigold, candytuft, and nasturtium. According to B Sridhar, horticulturist and exhibition curator, the plants were picked for their height and color to complement the floral tribute design.

"We add microbial culture to the process to make it organic.  This makes the plants look brighter and allows them to reveal their real color," he added.

Sridhar and team crew of 10 have been growing these plants since last October, spacing them out according to their flowering cycle, which varies from 50 to 130 days.

Fifty percent of the plants are set to flower by March 3 and the rest will blossom by the third or fourth week of March, he added.

About Indian Institute of Science (IISc)

The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) is a deemed public research university that provides higher education and research in science, engineering, design, and management.

It is located in the Indian state of Karnataka, in the city of Bengaluru. The institute was founded in 1909 with the active support of Jamsetji Tata, and is thus also known locally as the "Tata Institute." It is one of India's most prominent academic institutions, with the greatest citation per faculty of any university in the world.