Hakgala: Bulb Garden, Rose Garden and Arboretum

Hakgala can be explored for travel planning through a clear botanical focus: Hakgala Botanic Gardens are located in Hakgala and bring together different plant themes. Three areas show this range in different ways: the bulb garden, opened in 1924; the rose garden on two terraces; and the arboretum, with a large collection of exotic, native and endemic plants. Depending on whether you are more interested in named plant groups, rose varieties or categories of the plant world, different features take centre stage.

Bulb garden: genera and history

The bulb garden opened in 1924. This year provides a clear historical reference point for the area. Lilium, Watsonia, Gladiolus, Agapanthus and Zephyranthes grow there. These five names denote plant genera and make the botanical focus concrete. Many of the plants growing there were introduced from Holland and Japan. This adds two origins to the genera. For those interested in botany, the area thus combines a precisely dated opening with named plants and a history of introduction. The focus ranges from the garden’s place in time to the origins of part of the collection.

Rose garden on two terraces

The rose garden has different features of interest: it lies on two terraces and includes modern rose varieties introduced from England and America. The terraces describe the layout of the area, while the varieties’ origins provide another botanical reference. It is therefore useful to consider the design and plant selection separately. If you are interested in rose varieties, the modern varieties and their origins are central; if you pay more attention to garden structure, the two terraces are the defining feature. Unlike the bulb garden, the focus here is not on an opening year but on the combination of terraces and introduced roses.

The arboretum and its plant collection

The arboretum complements these two areas by offering a different perspective on plants. It features a large collection of exotic, native and endemic plants. These three terms classify the collection according to plants’ relationship to the natural world and their distribution, rather than focusing on individual genera or modern varieties. Native refers to plants that belong to the natural flora of an area; endemic refers to plants whose natural distribution is restricted to a limited area. In standard botanical usage, exotic refers to plants from outside a native context. This distinction makes the arboretum particularly interesting if you are interested in categories and diversity, not just individual named groups. Together with the other garden areas, it offers a distinct perspective on the collections in Hakgala.

Three botanical perspectives

To find your way around Hakgala, you can distinguish between the areas by asking what particularly interests you about the garden: the bulb garden combines named genera with a dated history; in the rose garden, terraces and the origins of varieties come to the fore; in the arboretum, the impression is shaped by categories of the plant world. This comparison helps you see the three highlights as more than interchangeable stops. Instead, you can tailor the botanical focus of your trip to names, design or the classification of plants.

The botanical focus may also influence your decision to choose Hakgala as a travel destination.

Discover more destinations: Kandapola, Maskeliya, Kiriwan Eliya, Pallegama, Muruthalawa, Galaha, Harangala, Galagedara

For the broader travel overview: Central Province.