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April 22, 2004
No holds barred
Flower shows have been all the rage for some time now, but some home owners have opened up their luscious and breath taking gardens for viewing purposes, writes Shanaz Ramzi
For years now flower shows have become an important part of spring festivals celebrated in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. While floral societies put together amazing displays of potted plants and fresh flower arrangements in unusual containers for all and sundry to admire, many garden enthusiasts also open their doors to friends, acquaintances and even the general public so as to share with them the fruits of their year-long labour of love.
Two such homes are located on the outskirts of Lahore on Raiwind Road. Occupying adjacent properties that are part of a farm housing scheme, the homes remain open to outsiders throughout the year. People are free to walk through the gates and take a leisurely stroll along the pathway running between immaculately manicured lawns and view the seasonals in full bloom. However, impressive though the gardens may be at any given time of the year, they are quite another story in spring. A veritable visual feast, the aesthetically landscaped lawns are as much a delight to an aesthete as to a layman in the spring season.
So beautifully have the two gardens been laid out that although they are the works of two separate individuals they seem to be an extension of one another. Facilitating this concept, an obscure opening in the wall separating the two houses allows one easy access from one abode into the next, without subjecting visitors of one place to go through the hassle of walking all the way back to the front of the house in order to enter the other one.
This was the tenth year running that Chaudhry Tanvir Ahmed’s garden received the first prize in the category of 16 kanals. Reluctant to take the entire credit for this magnificent work of art surrounding his home, he claims that his wife, Shafqat, had a major hand in the fascinating designs and arrangements of the various flower beds adorning their house. Brilliantly colour coordinated, each bed is a profusion of vibrant hues that take the viewer’s breath away.
To add to the garden’s character and enhance its charm are a host of interesting accessories that have been placed strategically throughout the undulating lawns. With waterfalls, fountains, birdhouses and garden furniture, not to mention wheelbarrows and a horse-carriage bedecking the sprawling lush yard, it is not surprising one feels transported to a make-believe land the minute one sets foot on the plot belonging to the Ahmeds. Bushes pruned in unusual shapes — the one of a bear comes immediately to mind is yet another quaint touch to the garden.
As one winds one’s way along the picturesque setting created by the Ahmeds and enters the no less luxuriant and breath-taking premises of Sheikh Ashraf, one can’t but marvel at the dedication and taste with which the latter has single-handedly planned out the entire landscape. Although he understandably bemoans the fact that his children have not inherited his passion for flowers, one feels his garden is none the poorer for his solitary efforts.
Personally involved in every step of his garden’s development right from the word go, Ashraf claims he designs the layout of his flower beds and their colour schemes himself. At first, he painstakingly sketches the patterns and shapes of the flower beds on a sketch pad and colour codes the beds. Then, he plants the seeds in pots and places them in their desired positions within the beds. Only after he is absolutely sure of the colours of the flowers, does he transfer them directly into the beds.
Ashraf keeps extra pots of all the flowers to be found in his garden so that if he ever needs to replace any, he has no problems finding the right substitute. The superfluous pots are not lining the driveway, as one may well expect, but have been used to create a nursery just outside his home, so that one can get an idea of what lies in store, even before one steps into the house.
Strangely enough, Ashraf does not enter his garden in any competition as he does not approve of the methodology for judging gardens. However, it is obvious that that does not keep him from meticulously toiling over his lawns, which boast no less than a hundred species of flowers. Gorgeous seasonals, unusual trees — such as bottlebrush — and attractive garden fixtures, such as a gazebo and not to mention a swimming pool, are just a few of the elements that make Ashraf’s garden a treat to visit. A must-see feature in his home is the rockery overlooking his drawing room, comprising a wall imbedded with colourful ceramic and glass decorative pieces, which makes for fascinating viewing.
The two homes in fact offer far more than just a visual treat to visitors. Free saplings and grass are there for the asking, no matter what time of the year one visits Ahmed’s home, and he is just as generous with proffering gardening tips and advice. And, if one happens to visit the two havens on March 23, the day the two neighbours jointly celebrate a ‘Flower lovers’ Evening’ one can partake of a sumptuous traditional meal served on the house after feasting one’s eyes on the beautiful surroundings. What more can one possibly ask for?
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