Adventures of a Botanical garden - by Flavia Placidus

It is officially called SemmozhiPoonga “Classical Language Park" a botanical garden in Chennai set up by the horticulture department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.   

No place one can find enormous relaxation other than in grassland with overflowing aroma from fresh flowers and green trees. As one enter the aroma garden welcomed greenhouse for winged visitors, with species like parijatham and pavalamalli(Nyctanthes arbor-tristis) found to flock the place in bulk. The garden is right in the heart of Cathedral Road–Anna Salai junction, opposite the American Consulate, where fun people sit for fresh air chatting and snapping the good times.

 Since 2010 the garden  features eight sub-gardens displaying flora of different varieties, such as a tree court, mural walk and bonsai, herbal and exotic gardens, in addition to an artificial duck pond. Incorporating elements of an Indian-Buddhist garden, the garden has a wide variety of indigenous species across 22 exclusive areas including palm court, tree court, golden garden (featuring plants that flower in different shades of gold), water and rock garden, butterfly garden, fern garden, sunken garden and theme garden. It also said that twenty-five thematic gardens, including herbal, aromatic, maze and cascade adorn every corner of the park.   Couples, lovers like to take snapshot next to exotic herbal species and 90-odd spiral-shaped and multi-branched miniature trees grown in containers.  No perfect snap background in nature would beat that of Bonsai garden dotted with trees whose height range from 1 foot to 4 feet.

Define a romantic outing without a view of a butterfly garden near the cascade fountains along the Anna flyover which carved up into the shape of a butterfly, with flowering plants of more than 30 species.   For those who are fun of gardens party there is an amphitheatre with concrete benches and covered by ferns has been built on the rear side of garden to host social and cultural functions.

The garden has more to offer all fun related, it inclusive features includes disabled-friendly ramps, a mural walk-through, and areas dotted with fountains, vertical gardens, ponds and cascades.

To enter the garden remains open for morning walkers from 6 am to 8 am. For visitors, the park remains open from 10 am through 8 pm on all days except Tuesdays.  An entry fee of 15 is collected from all people above 10 years of age or 130 cm height. For the early morning walk, the entry is permitted only for monthly pass holders, for which 150 is charged.  Visit the aroma botanical  garden,  for relaxation fun.