Kotagiri Resident Amazes With 160 Rose Varieties In Home Garden

OOTY: ‘Come out here where the roses have opened. Let soul and world meet’- this quote of Rumi would tell how a rose, considered to be the most beautiful flower on the planet, makes itself a divine creature that astonishes the world with its beauty, brilliance, colours, shape and fragrance.

Yes, the rose is a rose is a rose, yet, there are no words to describe not only its beauty but how and why the heart falls in love with the rose. It is also a fact that no one would hesitate to accept a rose as a gift, Nature's own beauty.

While growing varieties of roses and rose cultivation are generally confined to big gardens / parks, here in the hills, Niranjan Reddy, for whom rose is a soul-mate, grows nearly 160 varieties of roses in different colours and shapes in his residential space, creating a ‘residential rose garden’ or ‘residential rose yard’ at his residence at Gundada village limits in Kotagiri, near here.

Born and brought up at Anna Nagar in Chennai, Niranjan Reddy, who developed an indescribable love for roses, began to grow roses in pots at his residential premises during his childhood days. After settling down for some time in Bengaluru, his passion for roses grew as he began to pursue rose cultivation for home garden / terrace garden and developed the habit of sourcing different varieties of roses from different parts of the country as well as from abroad.

Reddy stated that he settled down in Gundada village limits in the Nilgiris to find a tranquil haven for a peaceful life after retirement. His love for finding a place in the Nilgiris began when he and his family alighted from the famed Nilgiri Mountain Railway train which came to halt half-way through the journey due to a mechanical snag a decade ago that made him and his family enjoy Nature for a few hours among the NMR track which triggered an interest to settle down in the Nilgiris to live with and amidst Nature.

“The agro-climatic conditions in Kotagiri were idyllic to grow roses with renewed interest and enthusiasm. My journey with roses that began during my childhood days began to go the extra mile after settling down in Kotagiri by 2021 and now I have 160 varieties of rose plants in my residential rose garden. The good bloom of these roses would always silently speak about the wonders of colours and fragrance of Nature that energise the soul and mind,” he added.

“My collections include some of the special varieties such as Orange Splash, Claude Monet and Red Pillow, which need more care and focus to be in the pink of health. Though I’m a Commerce graduate, my passion for roses made me visit quite a few rose gardens in countries like Canada, USA, New Zealand and France. I learnt the nuances of rose cultivation from the famed rose growers there and also from experts in agricultural universities and related organisations and applying the techniques for rose cultivation in my residential space here in the Nilgiris to encourage others to take up rose growing to make their residential space charming, soul-filling to connect with beauty and divinity. I am always ready to exchange knowledge on rose cultivation techniques to keep a good bloom of roses round-the-year. Imagine how beautiful it would be if all the residents, schools and commercial establishments had sweet and small rose plants in their spaces! Nilgiris naturally has the potential for it,” he beamed.