Pune: Ramrao Jagtap (85) spent a lifetime convincing people that a rose could be more than a flower. It could be a livelihood for a sugarcane farmer, the foundation of a thriving nursery, or the beginning of a gardener’s lifelong passion. The scientist-turned-horticulturist behind Pune’s renowned Jagtap Nursery passed away peacefully at home on Thursday night, July 9. He is survived by wife Chandralekha Jagtap, sons Sangram and Devendra and daughter Preeti Bhoite.Suresh Pingale, honorary secretary of the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India, called him one of the finest rosarians of the country and said his passing is a big loss to the gardening community.Gentle in manner and generous with his knowledge, Jagtap believed gardens revealed something enduring about human nature: no matter how crowded cities became, people would always make room for something green. His only sorrow was that modern apartments, with their shrinking balconies and scant sunlight, were slowly leaving his beloved roses behind.An SPPU alumnus and former scientist at the National Chemical Laboratory, Jagtap’s love for roses began when his elder sister used to ask him to water the plants at their Shukrawar Peth home. After the family moved to Camp following the Panshet floods, he began growing roses as a hobby, sharing cuttings with nearby Parsi families. “He later left his chemical business to pursue rose cultivation full-time. Being a scientist, he approached it with precision and meticulous research,” recalls his daughter, Preeti (56).He was among the first to propagate and commercially cultivate the Gladiator rose variety, helping thousands of farmers in Pune, Nashik and Sangli take up rose farming in the 1980s. He later served as president of the Pune Rose Society and the Indian Rose Federation, earning several honours for his contributions to horticulture. A prayer meeting will be held at his home in Camp between 3pm and 6pm on Sunday.
