Historical documents that form a part of the British Library Oriental Collections tell us that the discovery of Ootacamund was a source of fascination for the British. In an essay on the British Raj, Prof. Veale of the University of Nottingham, U.K., tells us why:
Dense jungles
The British were charmed by the area's “wonderful climate, fertile soil and spectacular wildlife.” The Blue Mountains were soon to become a retreat for Europeans who were in a delicate condition and fragile health after being exposed to the heat of the plains.
Of peaches and apples
The Nilgiris were also seen as the ideal place to establish plantations and English gardens and grow trees, flowers and vegetables.
Documents also show that the first attempts began with English apple and peach trees and strawberries being sent from Britain in 1821. Later on, vegetables were grown, for fruit and vegetables formed a very important part of the British diet.Central to all these efforts was the establishment of the Ootacamund Government Botanical Garden, when William McIvor, a trained gardener from the famous Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (established in 1759), came to the Nilgiris in 1848 to begin his task “at the site in the dense jungle”.
Fruits and flowers
He succeeded and soon the garden was in full bloom offering apricots, almonds, cherries, guavas, pears, blackberries and currants to name a few of the exotic varieties.
A little later, flower and plant varieties and seeds began to be sold to the public. Medicinal plants and trees made an appearance too because of the “constant threat of tropical diseases” across India.
Botanical gardens were an integral part of the British Raj and came up in many parts of India.
The more notable ones were in Ooty, Calcutta and in Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The Garden is now a central part of the fame that Ooty enjoys.
