Sullia: Nestled in the remote Kuriyaje of Kodiyala village in Sullia is the residence of State Krishi Pandit Awardee Tirumalesh Bhat. He has made his presence felt in the field of agriculture through his various achievements, but a look at the lush green garden around his house will make sure that this man loves plants.
(See more: Pics: Ornamental garden of Krishi Pandit – https://goo.gl/zX83SP)
With a lush green lawn welcoming the guests to breath-taking flowers lined up all along, a visit to Bhat’s house is truly a feast for eyes. Ornamental plants, fruits, rock gardens, there is everything here which can bring solace to heart and mind.
While everyone loves to have flowers in their garden, Bhat has deviated from the routine, even here. Bhat’s passion and love for various varieties of cactus is evident with the number of cactus that have been planted here. All in all he has 350 varieties of cactus aesthetically placed along a rock garden. He has traveled far and wide to get these varieties of cactus, which need to be nurtured with utmost care. Looking at the garden, one may be forced to wonder if Bhat is a farmer or an artist who is yet to reveal his artistic side to the world.
A small Lotus pond, an idol of Cauvery Thayee (Mother Cauvery) holding a pot of water and models of peacocks, fish, parrots, cranes all seem to look alive in this garden.
Steppers, Bonzai, London Pine etc only add to the glory of the garden.
Another highlight of Bhat’s garden are his stone collections. Amidst an array of wonderful and eye-catchy stones, Bhat proudly shows the stones that float on water!
From Nepal to Ajantha, from Kerala to Dundigal, Bhat has stones from various parts of the country. Many of the beautiful stones have been hand-picked by him from a stream near his house.
Another section of the garden has a beautiful line up of fruit bearing trees. Apart from local varieties of fruits, Bhat has successfully grown imported varieties of fruits like Rambutan, mangostein, dragon fruit etc. In an acre of land, Bhat has planted over 25 varieties of fruits.
Without any use of chemical fertilisers, Bhat has shown to the world how a farmer can reap outstanding returns just by banking on organic manure. His achievements in the field of agriculture has bagged him several awards and has also made him one of the most respected farmers in the state. His garden shows the artistic side of this ‘son of soil’.