A Feast For The Eyes… Hyderabad basks in green glory as grand nursery mela kicks off

Hyderabad: The city has donned a vibrant shade of green as the 18th Grand Nursery Mela, an All India Horticulture Show, opened at People’s Plaza on Necklace Road on Thursday. The exhibition, promising five days of floral charm and agricultural innovation, will run till September 22. An eagerly awaited annual event, the mela has transformed the riverside venue into a paradise for garden lovers and plant enthusiasts alike.

This year, the scale is bigger than ever with 150 stalls representing nurseries and horticultural societies from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Khaleed Ahmed, the event in charge, stated that the exhibition is not just about plants but also about knowledge sharing and modern gardening trends. “Special emphasis is being given to terrace gardening, vertical gardening, and hydroponic systems,” he explained.

“These modern practices are gaining popularity in urban households, and visitors can learn how to adopt them in their own spaces.” The diversity of the mela is striking. Some stalls boast 500 varieties of plants, while others display up to 1,000 varieties. There are also smaller, curated collections, ensuring both serious collectors and first-time buyers find something of value.

Shoppers can explore bonsais, adeniums, water lilies, creepers, and a variety of indoor and outdoor plants. The mela also features organic and inorganic manure, coco peat, garden tools, and farm equipment. A special stall from Kalimpong, West Bengal, showcasing rare and exotic plants, is expected to draw heavy footfall.

Prices range from as low as Rs 500 for common plants to a staggering Rs 15,000 for rare species, offering something for every pocket. The organisers have also made inclusivity a focus this year, arranging stalls managed by differently-abled entrepreneurs. Food stalls have also been set up to ensure visitors can spend hours exploring comfortably. The mela will be formally inaugurated by Yasmin Basha, Director of Telangana Horticulture, with Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao also scheduled to pay a special visit.