Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru is set to open a 2.5-acre outdoor mist garden within about a month, creating a cool, moist microclimate for orchids, ferns and air plants through a network of nearly 300 foggers.
The project is being developed by the Karnataka State Department of Horticulture on either side of a natural valley near Lalbagh’s Double Road gate. The valley carries rainwater collected from the Lalbagh rock and already contains several large and small trees, with nearly half the proposed garden under natural shade.
Unlike conventional mist gardens, which are typically built inside covered structures, the Lalbagh installation will remain open to the sky. Existing trees, natural shade and artificial mist will be combined to recreate conditions similar to a tropical evergreen forest.
Dr M Jagadish, Deputy Director of Lalbagh, said the garden would include nearly 200 varieties of colourful shade plants sourced from Thailand, China and different parts of India. The plant collection will include orchids, ferns, air plants and other species suited to shaded, humid conditions.
The mist system will have fogging lines rising to about 12 feet around the trees. Each line will carry between 12 and 13 nozzles that release fine mist, while sprinklers will be used to irrigate the plants and lawn. Officials expect the artificial mist to support a moist microclimate suitable for more than 50 varieties each of orchids and ferns, in addition to air plants.
The orchids, ferns and air plants will initially be placed on tree trunks and branches, where they are expected to establish over time. The project will also feature pearl grass, lawns and around 40 large natural stones, which have already been positioned across the site.
According to the Horticulture Department, ground preparation, sprinkler installation and placement of the natural stones have been completed. The fogging system and the remaining work are expected to be completed in about a month.
The department said the project was inspired by a mist garden in Singapore, but is being developed as an outdoor version rather than within a covered enclosure. Its design uses the existing landscape of Lalbagh, including the valley, mature trees and naturally shaded areas, as the foundation for the planting environment.
The garden will add another specialised horticultural space to Lalbagh, one of Bengaluru’s principal public gardens. Visitor access arrangements and any separate operating guidelines for the new area were not specified in the information released about the project. The department’s next milestone is completion of the fogging and associated installation work within the expected one-month timeframe.
