When GD Block invoked goddess Saraswati in its community hall this year, it did so with a floral welcome. That was the day when the block’s rose garden was inaugurated.

A patch of land next to the community hall has been cordoned off to provide a home to dozens of blooms. The garden is the brainchild of block president Amitesh Banerjee, who stays just across the park.

The corner has 75-80 plants which are predominantly roses of about half a dozen varieties. “Pink, white, red, maroon, yellow...” Banerjee counts on his fingers. The area, he points out, was a garbage dump. “So I thought why not a rose garden? The flowers would be bigger if we can plant them on the land. Most roses reared in houses of individuals in our township are grown in tubs, which restricts their growth.”

The block took permission from the local councillor Ranjan Poddar, who readily agreed. Then work started on December 24. A study was done on which points in the park receive adequate sunlight. “Roses require direct sun. So instead of leaving the areas devoid of sunlight barren, we planned a grass mound where Mexican grass was planted, lending a bright green elevated look. A champa tree was also worked into the park’s boundary,” he says.

Finally the opening took place when block residents gathered for the ritual. But not a single flower was allowed to be plucked from the garden to be used in the puja. “Ami phuler boli pochhondo kori na,” says Banerjee, whose father Umesh Banerjee, a deceased judge of the Supreme Court, was president of the Bengal Rose Society.

In fact, to save the blooms from human predators, the park is kept under lock and key, with the keys kept with the caretaker. “Some morning walkers pluck flowers ruthlessly, damaging the plant. People are welcome to enter it but under supervision, he says.

As long as the flowers are in bloom, the park has become a popular spot for photo shoots for local residents. “A neighbour had suggested letting the area out for pre-wedding shoots, which are quite the rage these days. But we do not want commercial activities here,” says the lawyer, for whom gardening in a timepass.

Residents are welcome to sit under a gazebo which stood from before and now is situated just outside the park’s boundary, thus allowing those seated underneath to enjoy the view.

“We are proud of this unique initiative,” says secretary Debabrata Mandal. Inspired by the rose garden, an initiative has been taken to plant a narrow carpet of grass all along the boundary wall where a row of eucalyptus trees stand, punctuated by a mango tree and several coconut trees. “We are planning to beautify the backside of the rose garden as well,” Mandal says.

Write to saltlake@abp.in