Botanical Gardens at
Ooty, on the lower slopes of the
Dodabetta peak, was established in 1847 by the Marquis of Tweedale. The gardens sprawl over an area of 55 acres. It is maintained by the Horticulture department of the government of
Tamil Nadu. The lush green well maintained lawns, rare trees like the cork tree, the paper bark tree, and the monkey puzzle tree, a 20 million year old fossilized tree, an Italian-style garden bordering a pool, a vast variety of flowering bushes and plants, fern house with ferns and orchids are some of the highlights of this garden. The gardens are formally laid out with lily ponds, and there are clipped bushes in the form of elephants, with raised trunks. A thousand different species of plants including some thirty types of
eucalyptus, are to be found here.
The best time to visit is April to September. A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plants is held every year in the month of May. The festival attracts a number of people from all over the globe.
Cultural programs relating to classical arts, and adventure sports like trekking are held during the festival.
