#TGLife
After conducting 26th annual Home Garden competition and 8th Organic Vegetable Garden competition earlier this year, the Botanical Society of Goa (BSG) is organising Plant Utsav festival at Garcia de Orta garden in Panaji next month, in November. As is known, BSG has been promoting the love of plants and education on the conservation of biodiversity in Goa through a number of events and programs including hikes, workshops, seminars and training courses.
The Plant Utsav will be inaugurated at the hands of minister for revenue and IT, Jennifer Monserrate at 10 am on November 15 and will remain open for the next three days from 10 am to 8 pm. The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) is the festival partner in this festival that attracts a large number of garden enthusiasts. Plant nurseries and garden input providers will have their stalls and there will also be knowledge stalls disseminating information on vegetables, medicinal plants, gardening techniques, organic pest and disease managements, etc. Prizes will be awarded on the last day, on November 17 at 5 pm.
There will be competitions in potted plants (flowering plants, foliage ornamentals, cycads, palms, succulents and cacti) that will be judged on the morning of November 15. Entries will be accepted from 8-9.30 am. There will be simultaneous on-the-spot petals’ rangoli, garland (jhelo and veni) making and flower arrangements (commercial cut-flowers and wild flowers) competitions from 5-6 pm on the same day. There will be a fruit and vegetable carving competition on the second day, November 16 from 4-5 pm followed by a demonstration in flower arrangements by Daniel D’Souza at 5 pm.
On Sunday morning, there will be a drawing competition for school students at 10.30 am and a fancy dress (as a fruit, vegetable or flower) competition in the afternoon at 4 pm. This will be followed by the prize distribution function at 5 pm.
Nicholas and Clara Sequeira of Saligao won the Maia de Figueiredo Rolling Trophy four times in a row earlier this millennium - a feat unparalleled since it was instituted by the Plant Lovers of Panaji in 1980. A new rolling trophy is being instituted in the memory of Dr Arvind G Untawale, founding president of the Botanical Society of Goa, who passed away on September 8 this year. It will be awarded to the person who scores the maximum points in competitions held at the ‘Plant Utsav’ in various categories.
For furtehr information, contact: Priyanka Parab 7507887303 by November 5 and Alvito D’Silva on 9421241536 thereafter, or email to [email protected].
