Towards a blooming Kandy

"I want to make Kandy another garden city like Nuwara Eliya and have an annual flower show here," said Governor of the Central Province Tikiri Kobbekaduwa outlining his 'Nagarayata Uyanwathu" concept to The Kandy Times. "Today there is poor land management. This is a project carried out to develop home gardens, floriculture and landscaping in the Kandy Municipal area. As the first step we will start with Kandy and expand to other areas later, perhaps by next year," he added.

The Governor's wish came true when an exhibition was held in collaboration with the Central Province Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Services, Royal Botanic Gardens Peradeniya, the Central Province Department of Agriculture, the Education Department and the Kandy Municipal Council combining the "Nagarayata Uyanwathu" project with the agriculture exhibition "Govi Bimai Meda Ratai" on September 27, 28 and 29 at Getambe, Peradeniya.

"Nagarayata Uyanwathu" was a competition to select the best garden in the Kandy Municipal area for the Governor's Trophy. The competition which will be held annually was divided into six categories - Home Gardens, Government/Private Institutions, Schools, Hotels and Resorts within the city limits, Hotels and Resorts outside the city and Common/Public Areas and Official Residences in Kandy.

Contestants were invited for seminars and workshops conducted by the Botanic Gardens and the Department of Agriculture. The first, second and third places were selected in each category by a panel of judges from the Departments that organized the contest and they received trophies and certificates.

The best garden which won the Governor's Trophy was Pushpadana Balika Vidyalaya while the trophy for the best Hotel Garden was won by Mahaweli Reach Hotel. Indra Traders won the trophy for the best Common /Public area garden, Army Sinha Regiment was placed first in the Government Institutions category, Earl's Regency Hotel was selected as the best Hotel Garden outside the Kandy city, while the best Private Home garden went to Mr. R.M. Tennekoon of Heerasagala and the trophy for the best Flower Garden was won by Ms. Champika Lalani Jayaratne of Bowala. Kalyani Samaraweera.

Assistant Director of Agriculture said there was keen interest in the competition and even schoolchildren had worked hard on their school plots. There was a beautiful miniature home garden created by the Department of Agriculture which attracted many. Some went away with the aim of making their home gardens like that.

Around 25,000 people visited the exhibition over the three days. No entrance fee was charged as the Ministry of Agriculture wanted more people to visit the exhibition and learn of the new techniques in agriculture. Small scale entrepreneurs had their stalls of milk products, potted plants, coir products, food items etc. There was also a stall by the Veterinary Department.

On the third and last day of the exhibition the chief guest was Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake, who gave away the prizes for the 'Nagarayata Uyanwathu' competition. “As our country is known for its agriculture, people should start planting their home gardens with vegetables for their own consumption without going to the 'pola' to buy their food requirements.

At one time the country was self- sufficient in red onions, chillies, potatoes and green gram. If the 25,000 people who visited the exhibition give the message to others of the need to grow our own food crops there will be more people involved in agriculture," he pointed out.