Government Botanical Gardens, Udagamandalam

The Government Botanical Gardens at Ootacamund, Tamilnadu state, India, was laid out in 1847. The Gardens, divided into several sections, cover an area of around 22 hectares, and lie on the lower slopes of the Doddabetta peak. The garden has a terraced layout. This botanical garden was created by John Sullivan, Collector of the district of Coimbatore in 1819. The Marquis of Tweedale prepared the initial layout during late 1840s.

The Gardens have around 1000 species, both exotic and indigenous, of plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, and herbal plants. In the centre of the Gardens lie a fossilized tree trunk estimated to be 20 million years old. The Gardens consist of several lawns, ponds with lilies, beds of flowers and ferns laid out in an Italian style, several plots of flowering plants, a variety of medicinal plants.

The rose garden situated in Ooty has the largest collection of roses in the country.Fact|date=June 2008

See also

* [http://www.hoollat.com More Info]
*List of botanical gardens
*Herbalism-- [Special:Contributions/59.96.25.157

The present government Botanic has their origin in 1845 which was established by subscription @ Rs 3/month amongst the European residents for the purpose of supplying vegetables at a reasonable cost. During the time that Ootacamund was under British military control, considerable cultivation of vegetable for the market was carried on by the so - called European settlers and others. Captain Molyneux of 2nd European Regiment managed vegetable cultivation. The site occupied was, so it had been ascertained, the present new garden- a section below the pond. The subscriber received the vegetables free of cost. But this arrangement did not work out and in early 1847; a fund was raised by means of donations and subscriptions with a view to form a horticultural society and a public garden. The Marquis of Tweed dale who was at the time, Governor of Madras took a special interest in the establishment of Garden. In addition to become becoming a regular subscriber to it, contributed a liberal donation of Rs 1000/= . Mr. Bell of the Bombay Civil services and Major Grant, the officer Commanding, Ootacamund appear to have been the moving spirit of the first committee The inferiority of common vegetables than that of England and the almost total absence of fine flowers for the growth of which the climate is so admirably adapted, is also very justly complained of. There were very few horticulturists at that time. Seeds and sapling were not available but there were and are still today beautiful indigenous flowers in the jungles that surround them. To correct this, if possible, it is proposed to establish a public garden. For this purpose, a wood has been selected between Lushington Hall (the Present Hebron School) and General Sewell’s Property (The Present Governor’s House). Shortly after formation of the Society, the Committee preferred a request for state aid for providing a scientific and practical gardener and granting funds to meet his salary. This suggestion was accepted and Mr.W.G.McIvor from Royal Botanical Garden, Kew was sent to Ootacamund, He arrived in March 1848, converted the upper portion which was a forest and the lower portion which was a swamp into a beautiful garden. He took ten years to complete the lay out of the Garden.

A conservatory was built on what is now the lawn below Band stand but later on it was removed. The ornamental pond on the terrace below the drive to Raj bhavan in 1867 by McIvor. At that time the Italian Prisoner of War of World War were shifted to India by the British and they were placed under the control of Military station in Ootacamund. They were asked to work in creation of Garden. They were asked to make a garden of their choice. They made this part into Italian Garden – the present name for band stand. As soon as the Band stand was completed, the military officers used have their band played on the ground hence the name.Two canons used by the British army were placed on the Band stand.

The Band stand or Italian Garden is the most attractive place in the Garden, Most of the annual flowers will be planted in their respective beds in the Band stand. Asters, ageratum, Balsam, begonia, petunia, pansy, phlox, cosmos, zinnia and perennial flowers like salvia, delphinium, larkspur, and dahlia are the main attraction during the season.

It covers an area of 22 hectares, ascending the slopes on the hill at an elevation of 2400-2500 metres M.S.L.The garden enjoys a warm temperate climate, with an average rainfall of 140 cms most of which is received during south-west monsoon, with frosty nights from November to February. The maximum and minimum temperatures are 28∙C and 0.C respectively.

The present Botanical Garden – named as Government Botanical Garden, is divided into 5 sections 1) Lower Garden, 2) New Garden, 3) Italian Garden, 4) Conservatory, %0 Fountain Terrace 6) Nurseries-- () 06:14, 8 October 2008 (UTC)1. LOWER GARDEN

The lower garden comprises of the entrance and lower lawns and the new garden. The entrance of the garden leads into an extensive, undulating lush green lawn of Kikiyu grass (Pennisetum Clandestinum) which is unrivalled for its springy vigour by any other grass in the hills. A fern house with 127 species of ferns is situated on the left-hand side along the road leading to Raj Bhavan amidst another expanse of lawns. Historic gate houses remind the glorious past of this garden.

The prime attractions in this section are the carpet-bet design of the map of the Indian Union laid out with selective plants and the fossil trunk of 20 million years old, erected on a pedestal. The centenary flower festival pillar is being installed to commemorate the famous and historic event.

Tree species of botanical interest such as Hymnosporum flavum, Cordylline australlis, Cedrus deodara, Cupressus funebrils, Araucaria bidwillii, Cupressus macrocarpa, Cryptomeria japanic, Eucalyptus maculate, Eucalyputs citriodora, Salix babylonica, Salix heterophylla, Podocarpus taxifolia, Dracena lanuginosa, Pinus patula, Rhododendron arboretum, Quercus Montana, Q.cerris, Q.Serrata, Q.grilffithi, Q.illex, Magnolia grandiflora etc., can be seen along side of the lawn leaving a beautiful open undulating lawn in the centre and mixed borders on the periphery.

NEW GARDEN

The New garden developed recently, comprises of the are between the front garden and the crescent-shaped pond at the bandstand. This section consists of the following:

(a) A rose garden with three hundred varieties of hybrid, floribunda and Polyanthus rose varieties.

(b) Large number of flower beds designed to match the slopes and contour of this area.

(c) Carpet-bed emblems of the Government of TamilNadu and the Government of India.

(d) Natural ponds with aquatic plants.

Important tree species such as Taxodium mucronatum, Pieris ovalifolia, Juniperus virginiana, Eccalyptus eugenoides, Pinus wallichi, Photinia lindleyana, Pinus canaariensils, Ginkgo biloba, Araucaria cunninghammi and Cupressus lawsoniana sprinkled all over the section add to the panoramic view of the garden."'THE ITALIAN GARDEN"'

The informal landscape garden from the entrance merge imperceptibly into the formal fashioned beds laid out in an Italian pattern, surrounding the centrally situated octagonal bandstand. This part of the garden present always a gorgeous look with several varieties of colourful annuals. In the foreground, is a crescent-shaped lily pond for growing several varieties of aquatic plant species. The tree species grown in this part of the garden are Prunus puddum, Saurauja nepaulensis, Grevillea hilliana, Aesculus punduana, Pinus sabineana, Cupressus torulosa, Syncarpia laurifolia, Pinus longifolia, Albizzia julibrissin etc

THE CONSERVATORY

The public conservatory was constructed in 1912 with the object of grouping in an attractive manner, various gorgeously coloured flowering plants, throughout the year. Such colourful annuals and perennials like Cineraria, Schizanthus, Calceolaria, balsam, cyclamen, Gloxinia, tuberous begonia, coleus, geranium, chrysanthemum, primulas, Tydea, Achemenes, etc., find a place in this conservatory.

The bog garden lies towards the east of this conservatory and forms an adjunct to provide a good site for marsh loving plants such as the weeping willow, hedychium, arum, hydrangea etc.,

THE NURSERIES

The nurseries which are about 300 feet above the lower lawns, consist of eight glass-houses and a series of terraces for introduction and multiplication of exotic plants. The glass-houses are utilized for growing begonias, fern, cactii and succulents, orchids and bulbous plants for providing a continuous supply of potted plants to be grouped periodically in the conservatories. The terraces are utilised for growing plants for cut flowers, for seed and also for trial purposes.

FOSSIL TREE TRUNK

The fossil tree trunk displayed is from 20 million years old rocks. Trees carried by rivers and deposited in inland lakes were transformed with replacement of the woody matter by silica to give rise to fossil tree trunks.

The fossil tree was presented by the Geological Survey of India, from the National Fossil Park, Tiruvakkarai, South Arcot distrilct, TamilNadu.