On The Ascent

When it comes to plant species, there is a dearth of good publications that focus on smaller plants. T. S. Srinivasa’s Discover Garden Climbers aims to introduce readers to the world of ornamental climber varieties for their personal garden and landscaping projects.

Since time immemorial, climbers have been a part of home gardens, public parks and private gardens. In India, Jasmine, Malati and other flowering climbers have been grown as a source of flowers for worship and adornment, proving to be a common sight in most neighbourhoods. Apart from these fragrant plants, backyards and open spaces at homes often also have gourds, pumpkins, and many varieties of beans or passion fruits.

Climbers have been extremely popular in private and public gardens, grown mainly for ornamental purposes. In the middle ages, as seafaring voyages brought the world closer, climbers from different parts of the world were introduced into gardens based on their ornamental value or economic importance. Pepper – king of spices and valued more than gold in those days – led to wars, conquests, colonization, slavery and even sale and exchange of territories.