Tulip, the grand imperial flower usually grown in several winter-prone countries of Europe, is now being successfully cultivated in Rajshahi.
Hundreds of bright, red, violet, white, red-white Tulip flowers are seen blossoming in rows at Dreamer's Garden of Hasan Al Sadi in the field of village Palashbari of Godagari upazila. Not for any commercial purpose but out of fancy only, Sadi imported the saplings of Tulip from the Nederland and cultivated those experimentally in rugged, red soil of Barind region of Godagari.
Sadi said, he took the cultivation of Tulip in Rajshahi as a challenge.
He mentioned, the land below the mango orchards of the Rajshahi remains fallow and unused round the year. He took the decision to use this unused land for cultivation of Tulip flowers. When he started to till the land below the mango orchards, most of his neighbours and friends discouraged him and said no other crop or plant will be grown inside the mango orchard. But, he took the matter as a challenge and started to cultivate Tulip in unused land below the mango orchard.
Sadi further said, he cultivated 1,000 saplings of various varieties of Tulip. So far, the result is very inspiring. Flowers are on the bloom. He would start to cultivate Tulip in a large scale next year if the cultivation proves successful, But, he added, so far the flower is growing smoothly and successfully in the Barind soil. Since the temperature in the Northern region of the country remains low during the winter, he hoped, the Tulip will have a perfect growth in this region.
Mazdar Hossain, Deputy Director of Agriculture Extension Dept in Rajshahi informed,' Tulip is being cultivated for the first time in the Barind region of the country. If the flower is cultivated successfully, there is a potential of commercial cultivation of Tulip in the region.'
