This month the Indraprastha Horticulture Society recognises one of its earliest members, Ms. Kusum Gupta. This spritely 80 year old belies her age with a wealth of enthusiasm and knowledge that she is always ready and willing to share with others. She attributes her passion for gardening to her father, who not only held a senior post in Army Headquarters, but also managed the garden there. She recounts that he would also create beautiful gardens with fountains, rockeries and other features in the homes they lived in and involve her in helping with these gardens. At school her knowledge of plants increased through the study of her favourite subject, botany.
After marriage, her husband’s job as a mining engineer saw them living in homes with lots of space for gardening. In these large spaces KusumjiĀ avidly grew fruit trees, vegetables as well as flowering plants. With plentiful water availability, she even experimented with growing Basmati rice and wheat!
After retirement, she and her husband moved to East Delhi, where she made a beautiful back garden, as well as one on the terrace. This is the time she joined IHS, quickly becoming a very active and knowledgeable member, always ready to use her experience to help and guide others.
She has won many awards for her garden and her varied collection of plants which include bonsai, cacti and succulents, hanging baskets and a wide range of medicinal and foliage plants.
Her participation and presence at IHS meetings and events are a source of inspirationĀ to us all, a confirmation that a gardener is forever young!