Flower show in Ooty attracts tourists allover

Ooty, May 19: Hundred and twelfth flower show at the Government Botanical garden in Ooty attracted tourists from all over the country and abroad as well.

Roses, daisies, lilies and orchids could all be seen in Ooty as it hosted a spectacular two-day flower show, with an estimated one million flowers on display. The show was held from May 17 to May 18. Hordes of tourist from across the country and abroad visited Ooty for this spectacular flower show. "Every year we used to get nearly 150,000 visitors for the show. But this year we are expecting at least 30,000 more. So this is a unique feature of Ooty. It is one of the main events of the summer festival, which attracts more visitors not only from India but from abroad as well," said R. Selvaraj, Joint Director Horticulture.

With flowers in full bloom, coupled with good weather, the show was an instant hit with the tourists, who throng the hill station during this time to escape summer heat.

"We are very fortunate to be in Ooty at the exact time when the show is going on. Coming from the plains, we have no idea of what kinds of flowers there are in this part and variety and health of plants and then different... the sheer riot of colours, as friend puts it. It's absolutely amazing," said Aatri, a tourist.

Varied varieties of flowers of every conceivable colour at the show proved to be the prefect feast for eyes of the tourists.

"I have come to this flower show for the first time and this show is really very beautiful. I haven't seen such a large variety of flowers any where in my life. We saw many different colours of attractive flowers," said Saranya, a tourist.

As an added attraction top ten flowers from all over the world were also displayed at the show.

The major attractions at the two-day show included 23 feet high spacecraft model made with nearly 25,000 carnations and a flower mount 20 feet high decked with 20,000 gerberas and carnations.

Apart from these, vegetable carvings and fruits grown in the regions were also on display at the show.

India's annual flower production is about 1,000 tonnes. A large number of flowers meet the huge domestic demand while most of the cut flowers are sent to Amsterdam from where they are distributed to other European countries.

The floricultural products include cut flowers, which contribute about 60 per cent of the global trade, flowering and green potted plants and bedding plants from a small segment of the floricultural crop production worldwide.

Though a lucrative trade, India's share in this global floriculture market is just 0.75 per cent.

ANI