Ooty: The Government Botanical Garden (GBG) administration on Sunday began planting 3.5 lakh flower saplings after a customary puja to have the garden erupt in a riot of colours when the annual flower show is held in May. This is also preparation for GBG to retain its reputation as a major tourist attraction. Planting will go on till the first week of February.
Nilgiris collector, Dr P. Sankar, said flower saplings of 185 varieties, used in the planting operations, had been grown in the nurseries attached to the garden.

The regulars included the verbena, lillium, French marigold, petunia, dahlia, inka marigold, pansy and others while the new varieties introduced were achelia, bellis, astilibe, deronigam, erysimum, lobilia, among others, which will add to GBG’s blooms this summer. These saplings will be concurrently planted in 15,000 flower pots in readiness for the flower show, Dr Sankar added.

Mr N. Mani, joint director of horticulture in the Nilgiris, said the conditions for planting were ideal now and that they would use proper protective measures against frost bite. They would first plant long-duration perennials, like salvia, delphinium and penstimon, followed by long-duration annuals, bulbous plants and short-duration plants to ensure that the garden was in full bloom from the last week of April.