Landscaping of Highways
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The landscaping of the National and State highways with trees is an important aspect of beautifying our countryside.
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Planting of trees on highways is necessary not only for the purpose of beautification but also for utility and necessity. The main purpose of roadside trees is to provide shade during the summer. For this purpose, evergreen trees with spreading crowns should be selected.
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For wider roads, double rows can be planted, with the outer rows having shade trees and the inner rows with flowering trees.
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The planting of roadside trees started during the time of Emperor Asoka (268-231 B.C.). The Mughals also planted roadside trees.
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The roadside trees on the national highways not only provide shade but preferably also have some economic value. With this in view many of the highways have been planted with trees such as tamarind, mango, Eugenia operculata (Syn Syzygium operculatum), etc.
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Eugenia operculata has one nuisance value as when its fruits ripe they drop on the road and make it dirty. The stain of this fruit is also difficult to remove from the clothes. Neem (Azadirachta indica; Madhuca indica; Sisso (Sisham), and Shorea robusta (Sal) are roadside trees of economic value.
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The highway trees should never be planted in mixed avenues, but only one species should be planted for a long distance of the road. If a single species is planted in a pure avenue for miles together this looks more beautiful and gives a wavy appearance to the skyline
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The trees should be planted 12 m apart in the row and at least 5-6 m away from the edge of the roads, so that they get enoug h space for spreading and do not interfere with the traffic. If a road is as wide as 30 m or more, double rows of trees should be planted, rows being spaced 10-12 m apart. The inner row may be of a flowering tree.
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Trees with shallow root system such as Millingtonia hortensis and brittle wood as in the case of Eugenia jambolana, Albizzia lebbek, Cassia siamea, and Eucalyptus should never be planted on highways, as during storms they get uprooted or branches are broken and casualties may result on the unaware road users, Neem and Tamarind can grow very well in dry localities.
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Samanea saman and Dalbergia sisso grow better in places having a rainfall of 100 cm or above. Banyans can be planted singly an d a little away from the road at some distances, for its cool shade. Albizzia procera is a good roadside tree.
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Polyalthia longifolia, though not a tree of great economic value, is a very good shade tree and thus suitable for roadside planting. Thorny trees should not be planted along roadside as the falling thorns may damage the tyres of vehicles. Shrubbery borders with suitable shrubs can be maintained along the highways. This will improve the scenery.
Landscaping of Railway Stations and Railway Lines
Railway Stations
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Besides flowering and foliage trees, the railway authorities can also improve and beautify the platforms with tubs and troughs planted with palms and other attractive plants such as bougainvilleas.
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Even hanging baskets can be displayed near the booking office or on the pillars of resting sheds and in similar other places. The railway stations are landscaped with avenues of such flowering beauties as Cassia fistula (amaltas), Cassia nodosa, Peltophorum ferrugineum, Gulmohar, etc.
Railway Line
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It will be a little hard task to landscape the vast stretches of railway lines compared to landscaping the platforms, especially in the drie r tracts of the country. Fortunately, in India we have got beautiful flowering trees such as Butea monosperma (palas), Cassia fistula, Erythropsis colorata, etc., which can withstand considerable drought conditions.
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The landscaping of railway lines poses some problems, the basic being watering. This can be partly overcome by planting drought-resistant trees during the rains. Plants should be deep-rooted and non-spreading. The trees are to be planted at a specified distance from the tracks as per railway regulations. These plants, besides breaking the monotony and drabness of the landscape, will offer shade to the gang workers.
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The innumerable railway level-crossing are the places, which can be landscaped with much ease than the railway line, as the gate-man will be there to look after the plants.
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The gate-men who live there in the houses provided for them can be asked to plant a row of a few flowering trees on either side of the lines on both sides of the gate or in a small group-near the gate.
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The beauty of such trees will not only be enjoyed by the railway passengers but also by the people who pass by the road or wait for the train t o pass.
The following trees are recommended for planting on railway platforms and lines.
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Ornamental: Albizzia procera, Bauhinia variegata, Cassia fistula, C. javanica, C. nodosa, Delonix regia, Gliricidia maculate, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Lagerstroemia spp, Michelia champaka, Peltophorum ferrugineum, Polyalthia longifolia and Saraca indica.
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Economic: Anacardium occidentale, Averrhoa carambola, Dalbergia sisso, Mangifera indica, Melia azedarach, Shorea robusta, Swietenia mahagoni, Tamarindus indica, Tectona grandis, Terminalia arjuna and T. catappa.
Landscaping of Bus Terminus and Airport
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Now-a-days, with the increase in road traffic many State Governments are constructing large bus terminals and bus stations. The bus terminals should be beautified on the lines of railways stations.
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Airports should also be beautified by planting ornamental trees, lawns, flower beds and displaying plants in tubs and troughs. Fortunately, many of the airports in India are quite nicely landscaped, but there is some scope to improve them.
Landscaping Along Banks Of Rivers And Canals
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The banks of the rivers and canals passing through towns and villages are well-suited for landscaping. The plants themselves will be objects of beauty and their reflection on the water surface is an additional attraction.
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The moisture-loving trees will do better along the water-front compared to others. In India, the rivers Jamuna, Ganga, Kaveri etc. are regarded as sacred and on the banks of these rivers are situated many old Hindu temples and ghats.
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The banks along these places should be planted with flowering trees, especially the sacred trees such as Kadamba (Anthocephalus cadamba) and Asoka (Saraca indica) which are associated with Lord Krishna and Sita, respectively.
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The bank of the river Hoogly on the Kolkata side has been beautifully landscaped by the Kolkata Port Commissioners with shrubs and trees and has become a place for recreation for the citizens of the metropolis who can breathe fresh air away from the congested city. Besides, beautification, planting of trees along banks of rivers and canals help soil conservation also.
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The dam sites which generally look drab should be converted into a place of beauty by landscaping with such beautiful trees as Cassia nodosa, C. javanica, Gulmohar, etc. A garden or park can also be planned here, if space permits. The Brindavan Gardens in Mysore constructed below-a-dam site has become a place of great tourist attraction.
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River banks near places of historic importance, such as Taj on the bank of Jamuna, should also be landscaped with beautiful trees. The following flowering trees are recommended for planting along the banks of rivers and canals.
Amherstia nobilis, Anthocephalus cadamba, Barringtonia acutangula, Bauhinia variegata, Browneas, Cassia fistula, C. javanica, C. marginata, C. nodosa, Delonix regia, Largerstroemia flos-reginae, L. thorelli, Melia azedarach, Peltophorum ferrugineum, Samanea saman, and Saraca indica.
Landscaping of City, Town and Countryside
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In India most of the old cities and towns are very much unplanned without any consideration given to landscaping with trees and plants and as a result they look nothing but like brick and concrete jungles.
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The vast majorities of our population in the congested cities are cramped inside the four walls of their dwellings and are constantly inj ected with the fumes of petrol and other polluting agents.
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Our towns and cities can be made more livable, healthy and beautiful and resorting to bio-aesthetic planning.
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This can be achieved by planting roadside trees and establishing parks planted with green plants.
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In the old congested cities this can be achieved by planning garden suburbs. Garden suburbs are nothing but satellite townships developed among parks and avenues.
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The cities can further be beautified by accommodating the slum dwellers in multi-storey buildings and utilizing the surplus land thus obtained for developing parks.
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The planning of new towns poses no problems as this can be planned in advance even before construction starts.
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In a tropical country like India, the planting of roadside avenues are not only important for beautification, but also from utility point of view.
Landscaping of City Parks
Selection of trees for cities and towns with main criteria should be beauty and shade.
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The broad roads in the cities should be planted with double rows of trees; the outer rows should consist of shade trees, so as to provide shade to the footpath users and the inner row consisting of flowering trees adding beauty.
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M.S. Randhawa suggested long back that wide roads in the cities and towns should have two lanes on each side, one for fate-moving vehicles and the other for slow-moving vehicles flanked by footpaths. Each lane should be separated by a patch of land planted with grass and shrubs, while the outer rows are planted with double rows of flowering and shade trees.
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Planting the roads in a town or a city is a difficult proposition and this should be done in coordination with the electricity, telephone, and sewerage departments.
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The tree should not interfere with the telephone or electric lines of the underground sewers.
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Tall trees (Eucalyptus, Araucaria, Millingtonia hortensis) and trees with spreading habit (Banyan, Cedrus deodara, Ficus benjamina, etc.) are not suitable for city or town roads.
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The tropical flowering trees are generally deciduous in habit and flower in leafless condition, which may be at a time when shade is needed to the maximum. The solution is, wherever feasible, to have an outer row of small shade trees such as Ficus infectoria, Putranjiva roxburghii, Silver oak, Mimusops elengi, etc., and inner row of flowering trees. The trees in either the rows, or when there is only a single row, should be planted in pure avenues, i.e., with one kind of tree only.
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In many cities a piece of land is left out at the intersection of roads as a safeguard against accidents. These plots should be planted with grass and shrubs. One more novel way of beautifying the city roads is to train creepers on iron structures at regular intervals on foot paths.
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In city there may be parks of several sizes from very large to medium size and also squares or small gardens are generally found at street intersections. The small gardens or squares are planted with a view to relieving the eyes of the people passing by them or for a short resting period for shoes who care to use them.
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Therefore, these may be planted with a patch of grass, few flower beds, one or two shade or flowering trees or a group of shrubs and trees. The medium to large parks are meant for a place of recreation and these are considered as lungs of the cities. These should be a place of beauty as well as utility.
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Good flowering and shade trees should be planted in groups or singly in some corners or other suitable places for creating beauty as well as a place for resting. Garden benches should be constructed at regular intervals especially under the shade of the trees. Few interesting and rare shrubs should also be included. Besides these, some garden adornments such as statues and fountains can also be planned in appropriate parts of such parks.
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City parks may be called as pleasure grounds which have large reserve areas for playing games, and often this is the main feature of these parks. A restricted swimming pool is also often a feature of a pleasure ground. If it is meant for the children, features such as swings, see-saw, sliding chute, merry-go-round, etc., should form part of the park.
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Due to hard usage it is almost impossible to maintain grass area within this park. Some trees and shrubs are planted aesthetically to keep the place pleasing to the eyes.
Trees recommended for Town Road
Ornamental Shade Trees: Anthocephalus cadamba, Ficus infectoria, Melia azadirachta , Polyalthia longifolia, Putranjiva roxburghii, Swietenia mahagoni, Tamarindus indica.
Flowering Trees: Bauhinia purpurea, B. variegata, Cassia fistula, C. javanica, C. marginata, C. nodosa, Gliricidia maculate, Jacaranda mimosaefolia, Lagerstroemia flos-reginae, Peltophorum ferrugineum, Poinciana (Delonix) regia, Saraca indica, and Spathodea campanulata.
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Landscaping of Country Side
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The planting of trees in the countryside is done on a completely different criterion. Here more emphasis should be given on economic consideration and utility. The trees planted should provide the villager either with fuel, timber, fruit, or fodder.
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Babul is a common tree in the village, which is a cheap source of fuel and is used for the manufacture of wheel of bullock-carts. The bark of this tree is used for tanning leather.
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Desi (seedling) Mango and Jackfruit trees also yield timber for making doors and windows and other household articles.
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Dalbergia sisso is also a good source of timber and fuel.
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Sal (Shorea robusta) trees are good for both fuel and timber.
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Some minor fruit trees should be planted along the country road in open spaces. This will not only provide shade but will yield valuable fruits for the villagers.
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Jackfruit is an important fruit tree for arid regions.
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The Toddy or Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) is an important tree, which yields a minor edible fruit but the leaves are used extensively for thatching roofs of dwellings.
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Both Date and Palmyra palms look beautiful when planted in rows along country roads or on the borders of cultivated fields or when planted in informal groups.
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Mahua and large-fruited Jamuns (Syzygium cumini) can also be planted.
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The foliage plants yield valuable fodder for the cattle and goats
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Babul, Kachnar (Bauhinia), neem, and Ber (Zizyphus species) also produces edible fruits.
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However, ornamental trees should also be planted near the Panchayat, Schools, Churches, Mosques, Temples and Gurudwaras and along the field boundaries and near the village well or pond.
Landscaping of A Country Home
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A villager in India may not need a sophisticated garden. However, a countryman will need as much privacy as a city dweller. A village home has to be planned with more utility items.
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A villager would like to grow more vegetables and fruit for his family consumption and consequently more area should be earmarked for this purpose. But few shade trees and some area reserved for children’s play-ground is definitely needed.
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Some utility flowering trees such as Michelia champaka, Plumeria acutifolia and shrubs such as Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Tabernaemontana coronaria, Barleria, Crossandra, and jasmines yielding flowers for worshipping and hair decoration should be included for planting.
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The common flowering annuals such as marigold, zinnia, balsam, and sunflower can be grown for beauty and cut flowers for various purposes.
Landscaping of Cemeteries and Burning Ghats
- The landscaping of cemeteries and burning ghats may sound paradoxical under Indian conditions. This is a country where a large number of people do not even get the minimum amount of food to keep them alive during their life-time, so the idea of having a garden around their tombs after death may sound ridiculous at the first thought.
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But there is a need for this also, not only from the point of peace, tranquility, and beauty, but also to fight pollution and provide shade. Whether the body is buried or burnt in an ugly surrounding or a beautiful landscape matters nothing to the departed person (unless, of course, we believe in life after death), but it certainly has some sobering effect on the sorrow-laden hearts of the near and dear ones who attend the funeral. While bidding final farewell one would definitely like the last resting place of one’s dearest in a quiet, peaceful surrounding. For this reason also, a cemetery needs to be landscaped with trees, shrubs, and grass.
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The cemetery is sub-divided into several sections and each section is made accessible by providing driveways at a distance of 50-100 m depending upon the size of the place. In small places of 3-4 hectares no driveway is needed and the walks in such cemetery may be left in grass only. Most of the area in the cemetery should be left under grass with few trees grouped here and there for immediate effect. More trees, especially the evergreen types, are planted along the boundaries. Some flowering trees etc, of course, selected to bring a bright and cheerful effect. The buildings should be modest in appearance and be planted with shrubbery and vines.
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Under Indian conditions also it is possible to keep the cemeteries in a park-like fashion without much elaborate arrangements. The basis will be the same as stated above with emphasis on modesty and sobriety. In India many cemeteries have been planted with trees mainly for the purpose of shade and to create some formal effect. Very often there will be some shade-trees such as seedling mango, banyan, neem, etc. and the roads are lined with Polyalthia longifolia var, pendula, Plumeria acutifolia may also be planted in burial grounds, which flowers freely under most Indian conditions.
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The burning ghats in India present a picture of horror and sorrow, which can definitely be improved upon by proper landscaping. It is not possible to have a formal garden with grass, flower beds, etc. in a conventional burning ghat, for obvious reason, but the picture can be changed by planting in groups, some shade and flowering trees. In most cases these ghats are located near water tanks, ponds or rivers. The ponds can be planted with water-lilies and lotus while the banks can be beautified by planting shade and flowering trees. In modern electric crematoriums it is possible to layout a formal or an informal garden around it with important features such as trees shrubbery, flower beds, lawns, etc.
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The “Towers of Silence” of the Parsi community afford good scope for gardening. Since these towers have long stretches of ground all around them, a nice garden with lawn, shrubbery, and flowering trees along the periphery, can be laid out. For instance, the Tower of Silence near Bangalore has a long avenue of jacarandas which, when in bloom, present wonderful scenery.
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