K'pong nursery boasts

NISHA CHETTRI, SNS, KALIMPONG, 6 DECEMBER 2017: From orchid export,tourism and a small non-descript nursery to a greenhouse for around cactus 1500 varieties and species of cacti. Pine View nursery in Kalimpong town has come a long way.

It all started way back in 1971 when Mohan Samsher Pradhan started a nursery and named it Pine View, because he had planted pine trees all around the place while he was engaged in the orchid export business. While the government stopped the export business after some time, he focused on tourism, and as he did this, he later started importing cactus from North and South America.

The present day nursery at tracts many Indians as well as foreign tourists. Punjabis, Gujaratis, Bengalis, French and English nationals, they fill the nursery during the peak tourist seasons.

 Dhanu Pradhan

"We have more than 1500 different varieties and species of cacti, out of which,the blue cactus is the most expensive,- says Dhanu Pradhan,65, Pradhan's widow, who has been handling everything in the nursery ever since her husband passed away. "Cacti require an artificial temperature of 40 Degrees Celsius for them to grow in the hills. The manure we use is humus and some mixture of animal dung." Mrs Pradhan says, adding that the plants need not he watered excessively.

This nursery is situated on the outskirts of the town, in a place locally known as Atisha Road, around 15 minutes in a taxi from the town.

Presently, 10 members, including the owners, gardeners and caretakers of the plant sales outlet, handle the business.

"I used to observe him take care of the cacti, and that is how I managed to handle it his death,- Mrs Pradhan said, adding that her husband had won many awards and recognitions for the nursery, including the Bijayshree Award.

Tourists have to pay an entrance fee of Rs 20 before they could marvel at the variety of the flowers. Children are charged Rs 5 per head. As this correspondent roamed about the place. Dr Nay Sarkar, a Bengali tourist, said, "It is a very blissful place that has a world-class variety of cacti."'

Another tourist who had been visiting the place all the way from Punjab, said he felt great to encounter such a place in his lifetime.

As she tended to the plants, the daughter of the Pradhans, Navanita, in her late thirties, said she would be happy to impart knowledge and training on cactus rearing and nursery management to anyone who is interested.

"They(plants) have grown up with me, and now I don't want to sell them. I just want people to come and see them," Navanita said, adding that floriculture has always helped them economically.