Government Rose GardenLocation: Elk Hill Road, Ooty, Tamil NaduPrice: ₹40–₹75 per personTiming: 7:30 AM – 6:30 PMBest Time to Visit: April to June occupying more than 10 hectares on the southern side of Elk Hill slopes, the Government Rose Garden is the most popular as well as one of the largest rose gardens in India. Established by the Tamil Nadu Government in 1995 to enable research and development of the cultivation of roses, the garden aims to preserve a wide diversity of varieties and colours of roses. The garden currently hosts over 20,000 rose plants of more than 2000 varieties of roses. The garden, which is a feast for the eyes of lovers of the pretty flowers, is particularly popular among photographers, and visitors love exploring its verdant surroundings. Lying on a terraced slope descending in five levels, the garden provides an awesome view of the lush green Ooty valley and its surrounding vistas. The neat pathways in the garden allow visitors to wander through, with the refreshing mountain breeze wafting around them, and all kinds of colourful rose varieties at their full bloom. Some of the many Beautiful Varieties of roses grown here are the Hybrid Tea Rose, Floribunda Rose, Miniature Rose, Climbing Rose, Rambler Rose, Polyantha Rose, Green Rose, Black Rose and Striped Rose, apart from numerous imported and Hybrid rose Varieties. Each section of the garden illustrates a distinct Theme related to Rose's colour, petal structure, or fragrance. Besides the enchanting collection of roses, Decorative Arcades, Climbing Roses adorning pergolas, colourful fountains, manicured lawns, relaxation benches, and several panoramic viewpoints can be found here, wherefrom one can capture some lovely images of the garden. Moreover, Information Boards are available here providing details on all of the above-mentioned Rose Varieties and their origin, which the visitors might find helpful.
