Preparations for the 122nd Flower Show, to be held at the Government Botanical Garden in Udhagamandalam, are in full swing, with officials racing against the time to get the garden in impeccable order before the tourist season begins early next month.
Officials said that the 122nd Flower Show could be one of the grandest and most visited extravaganzas in recent times as they expected the crowd to easily surpass the more than 2.2 lakh visitors who came to the Nilgiris during the show last year.
Seed varieties
More than 230 varieties of seeds from Japan, the United States of America, Germany and the Netherlands have been imported this year and grown at the Government Botanical Garden and the State horticultural farms and are to be showcased, with around 5 lakh flowering plants expected to be on display.
Joint Director of Horticulture (in-charge), the Nilgiris district, Sivasubramaniam Samraj, said that the officials were also working towards rebuilding the glass house that was previously unused due to lack of maintenance.
“We are rebuilding the glass house and the sanitary complex at ₹ 2.93 crore,” said Mr. Samraj.
He added that there would be more latrines at the garden this year.
Officials said that 5,000 flowering plants were at the blooming stage and that all the flower beds had started to bloom as well, with the sporadic showers helping to keep the lawns green.
“The Horticulture Department is also set to begin judging the quality of private gardens in the district,” added Mr. Samraj.
