The Nilgiris District Collector Innocent Divya on Wednesday inaugurated the planting operations for the 123rd Ooty Flower Show at the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam.
In a press release, officials from the district administration and the Horticulture Department said that over 230 varieties of seeds from different parts of the world, including Japan, the U.S., Germany and Holland, were imported and would be grown at the Garden and State horticultural farms, before being showcased during the Flower Show in May.
Officials said that more than five lakh plants would be on show. Moreover, over 15,000 potted flowering plants would be arranged along the viewing galleries at the entrance of the garden. The 123rd Flower Show would feature cyclamen plants, geraniums, gloxinia, ornamental kale, oriental lilies, Asiatic lilies, daliahs, petunias, French marigolds, pansies, zinnias, delphiniums, verbenas, sunflowers, celosias and violas, among many others.
Ms. Divya told the presspersons that the 122nd Ooty Flower Show drew more than 28.7 lakh visitors.
With 2019 marking 200 years since the British ventured up the slopes and “discovered” the Nilgiris, it was expected that this year would bring in more visitors to the show.
Shiva Subramaniam Samraj, Joint Director of Horticulture, The Nilgiris, and A Shanthi Ramu, Coonoor MLA, were present at the event.