KARACHI: The Ladies Horticulture Club (LHC) celebrated its 60th anniversary at the Horticulture Society of Pakistan’s Garden Centre on Tuesday.

The LHC was formed by a small group of women from the gardening classes of the Baba-i-Baghbani, A.K. Khan. Officially inaugurated by Mrs Zaib-un-Niasa Hamidullah in Karachi in 1965, LHC’s first president was Mrs Daulat Hidayatullah and first secretary Mrs Yasmin Khan, who served from 1965 to 1968.

In 1970, they published their first book titled Nature’s Bounty, which saw a second edition coming out in 1981 and a third, extensively revised and updated, coffee-table edition coming out in 2017, with the current LHC President Durdana Soomro as its editor.

The LHC has over the years shown great devotion to promoting greenery while upholding causes such as food preservation, water conservation, growing fruits and vegetables.

Speaking on the occasion of its 60th anniversary, LHC president Durdana Soomro said that in a city where green public places were shrinking, they had successfully grown flowers, fruits and vegetables in their personal spaces such as gardens, balconies and rooftops while motivating others to do the same.

“As agents of change, we are spreading awareness about plants and how they improve the environment,” she said.

Later, some memorable photographs of the esteemed members and their work over the last 60 years were shared in the form of a presentation on the big screen.

There were pictures of their early groups, initial meetings and classes. Also pictures taken at the annual flower shows where LHC has always set up a stall. There were also pictures of the gardens they built in the compounds of hospitals and educational institutions. Almost all the pictures, until 2016 when he passed away, had the legendary founder of the Horticulture Culture Society of Pakistan, A.K. Khan in them. One picture also had him teaching the ladies the correct method of watering plants with a watering can.

In one corner of the Garden Centre hall, there was a table of LHC archives, lined with purple bougainvillea flowers. The table had on display their constitution books, their old registers with the names and phone numbers of their members along with the dates they joined, the various editions of their books, yearly subscription registers, framed photographs of pictures taken at their various programmes and so much more.

Later, several former LHC presidents, some of whom also served two terms, were honoured for their outstanding contributions to the LHC.

They included Mrs Sultana Anwarali, late Mrs Habiba Thobani (whose son and daughter received her honour), Mrs Nusrat Hussain, Mrs Rahat Haque, Mrs Meher Kabraji, Mrs Durain Cassim, Mrs Farhana Ansari, Mrs Hawa Abdullah, Mrs Nasreen Afridi and Mrs Hina Obaid.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2025