This Valentine’s Day, there were Chrysanthemums on sale which were grown not in a far-away nursery but on the divider of a road, overlooking which stands Biswa Bangla Gate. And as long as there are flowers in bloom, they would continue to be sold right from the spot.

“People loved the chance to choose the flowers themselves directly from the garden that they want the bunch they buy to be made with. So we plan to continue with the sales counter by the divider till perhaps Dol,” said the chairman cum managing director of the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco) Debashis Sen.

Hidco had harvested a two-acre stretch of the median divider with Chrysanthemum and Tuberose plants. The Chrysanthemum bed was lit up all December with LED lamps at a height of 2.5ft. Those passing the road going from the Gate towards Balaka Abasan had seen the lights aglow from 6pm to 10pm to boost their growth in the winter weeks when sunlight hours are inadequate.

The Chrysanthemums were being sold in bunches of a dozen from several counters, other than by the flower bed, on Sunday — at New Town Bus stand, all the gates along the Major Arterial Road of Eco Park, mother’s Wax museum and Coffee House New Town.

“We sold 300 bunches, worth Rs 6,000 on Sunday,” said Sen. But a tour of the sales counters by The Telegraph Salt Lake revealed that Chrysanthemums lagged far behind in sales compared to the bloom of choice for the day of love, the Red rose.

A customer at Eco Park buys a rose from a stall where chrysanthemums are also being sold

Roses rule

When 30-year-old Rajnish Roy, a resident of Baguiati, walked in quickly through Gate 1 of Eco Park on Sunday afternoon, he was carrying a cake. After buying the tickets, he suddenly noticed flowers being sold near the counter. He stepped up to ask about the prices. The choices were Chrysanthemums (Rs 20 for a small bunch or Rs 40 for a big bunch) or red Roses at Rs 30 each. But who is bothered about prices on a day when all that matters is a gesture. He opted for the Rose.

“Today is Valentine’s Day. My wife is waiting inside and I have got cake that we can cut together. It’s almost sunset and I haven’t got her a gift. If I don’t buy roses, there is every chance she will not cook dinner tonight. So red Rose it must be!” he said, while paying before quickly heading in.

The Chrysanthemums were being sold outside Eco Park at Gate 1, 2, 3 and 4. Not all of them sold Roses as well. Prashanta Dhar, who was in charge of the flower counter at Gate 1, said: “I have sold six bunches of Chrysanthemums since morning. People are asking for Roses. Most of them went back because we didn’t have any.” The stall at the Biswa Bangla Gate sold merely eight bunches through the day till 4pm. It did not stock any Roses either.

Swapan Bagchi was selling flowers on a table outside Gate 3, beside Misti Hub. “I don’t sell flowers every day, but only on special occasions like Valentine’s Day, New Year and Christmas. On other days, I sells toys. Today I have sold Roses for Rs 50 each. All the customers come for Roses and I have them in all colours right from red to white, yellow, peach, etc. I source my flowers from Howrah and on such occasions a bunch costs Rs 450 each. Red Roses are the most expensive,” he pointed out. Three steps further up, the Chrysanthemums were being sold by a uniformed security guard of the park. Here too sales were dismal, in single figure.

Sneha Sikdar, a third year student of The Bhowanipore Gujarati Education Society and a resident of BA Block in Salt Lake, was entering Eco Park with two of her friends. They stopped to buy yellow roses at Gate 1 which she said stood for friendship. “I am here to celebrate Valentine’s Day with my friends. But Chrysanthemums are not suitable for this day. The idea is novel but not apt,” she said, when the cheaper Chrysanthemums were pointed to her.

The bed of chrysanthemums on the median near Biswa Bangla Gate

As the day wore itself out, the excited chatter died down in the park and selfie cameras flashed from unexpected corners in the bushes for the last souvenir of the afternoon. Most couples retreated into Misti Hub and Cafe Ekante for a bite before heading home walking past the unsold bunches of Chrysanthemums.

“We allow salesmen to sell Roses privately outside the gates against a token fee for occupying the space. Whether Chrysanthemums would have sold better if the Roses were not available on sale is a hypothetical question but we had no intention to deprive visitors of a bit of fun and the sellers a quick buck. What is important is our Roses inside the park were unharmed,” said Sen.

Indeed, the guards posted near the rose garden inside Eco Park looked relieved as dusk set in. In 2019, Valentine’s Day had proved to be quite a nightmare for them. The flower beds had been vandalised as most of the roses were mercilessly plucked by the visitors. “They were running away before we could spot them from afar and catch hold of them,” a guard recalled.

This year, however, the authorities had stationed guards all along the garden so that no one could touch the roses. The outlying branches were netted in. The guards patrolled the Rose garden on all sides and kept strict vigil even on those trying to take photographs. The efforts bore fruit and the Rose garden remained unharmed till sundown.

Would Hidco consider selling the Roses from its garden next year on Valentine’s Day? “We realise Roses would have worked better. That’s a learning. We will work on it,” Sen replied.