The month-long National Tree Fair 2023 has begun in the capital. Running from 5 June to 12 July on the trade fair ground in Agargaon, it has brought many species of plants, as every year. But the one drawing eyes is a banyan bonsai from Barishal Nursery. The tree, more than 50 years old, has been priced at Tk 7 lakh.

This was seen on a visit to the fair in Agargaon on 6 June.

Md Selim Ahmed, in charge of the Barishal Nursery stall, said: "We imported the bonsai 15 years ago and have looked after it in the country since then. The tree is more than 50 years old."

According to the fair authorities, 73 stalls have been given this year to nurseries, gardeners and sellers of related products from different parts of the country. The stalls are elaborately decorated; each looks like a small garden, with beautiful plants on both sides and a path through the middle.

Besides bonsai, the fair has orchids of various species, seasonal fruit, local and foreign flowers, organic fertiliser and modern irrigation equipment, among much else. The Amazon lily is also a centre of attention for visitors.

The fair is a gathering for lovers of cacti and indoor plants too. Every stall has cacti of various kinds, and there are separate stalls for indoor plant decoration.

For those who want a touch of green on an office desk, usable bamboo pots are on sale. Rooftop gardeners in the city will find everything they need, from organic fertiliser to stalls selling equipment for automatic irrigation of rooftop plants.

Because of the intense heat, there are fewer visitors and buyers from morning to midday, but numbers rise as the afternoon wears on. Visitors can come every day from 8am to 8pm, and no ticket is needed.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.