The poem “Roses” by George Eliot comes to mind while strolling in the Rose garden, Ooty.
You love the roses – so do I. I wish
The sky would rain down roses, as they rain
From off the shaken bush. Why will it not?
Then all the valley would be pink and white
And soft to tread on. They would fall as light
As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be
Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!
– Poem Roses by George Eliot (1819 – 1880)
You can really lose yourself in the heavenly scent and beauty of the Roses. The Rose garden is one of the best in the country with more than 3,000 varieties of rose plants vying for attention. Every possible size and hue of roses is grown here. Some plants reach a height of 10 – 12 feet and the size of the roses vary from few centimeters in diameter to 5 – 8 inches.
The landscaping of the garden is done on 4 hectares spread on Elk hill using terrace farming technique. There are totally five terraces. The garden is laid out with a path leading into the Rose garden with pergolas and bowers covered with rose creepers. The very rare yellow rose creeper is a treat to the eye.
The unique and rare black and green Rose is grown here. The effort and research put in by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department is really commendable.
A particular spot in the garden known as ‘Nila Maadam’ is a place from where the visitors can get a bird’s eye view of the entire garden.
The best season to visit the Garden is from May – July and Nov – Jan.
Place Statistics:
Type of place: Rose Garden
Situated: Ooty
Distance: 1 Km from Botanical Gardens
Transport: Well connected by road, local private vans and buses stop near the garden
Facilities: Rest Room, Tea and Snack shops
