The Ooty Botanical Garden is meticulously designed into different sections as follows:-
1. Lower Garden: The lower garden is a lush spread of Kikiyu grass embellished with 127 species of ferns along the road leading to Raj Bhavan. One of the most attractive pieces of garden work here is the carpet-bet design of the map of the Indian Union laid out with assorted plants and the fossil trunk which is a whopping 20 million years old, erected on a platform. Other tress present here include Hymnosporum flavum, Cordylline australlis, Cedrus deodara, Cupressus funebrils, Araucaria bidwillii, Cupressus macrocarpa, Cryptomeria japonica, Eucalyptus maculate, Eucalyptus citriodora and Quercus grilffithi among others.
2. New Garden: The new garden, as the name suggests, is a newer section of the garden which has a beautiful rose garden with as many as hybrid roses, Floribunda and Polyanthas rose varieties. FLower beds and carpet bed emblems of the Government of Tamil Nadu and the Government of India are present here as well. Trees such as Taxodium mucronatum, Pieris ovalifolia, Juniperus virginiana, Eucalyptus eugenoides, Pinus wallichiana, Photinia lindleyana, Pinus canaariensils, Ginkgo biloba, Araucaria cunninghammi and Cupressus lawsoniana are present here in abundance. A quaint pond with aquatic plant varieties is present here as well.
3. Italian Garden: This part of the garden is called so because it was laid down by Italian prisoners after the World War I, who at that time was shifted to Ooty. Astres, ageratum, balsam, begonia, petunia, pansy, phlox, cosmos, zinnia and perennial flowers like salvia, delphinium, larkspur, and dahlia are the main attraction in this part of the garden. These are laid out in typical Italian fashion where the beds surround the central octagonal bystand. A crescent-shaped lake gives way to lotus and other aquatic plants as well.
4. The Conservatory: The conservatory is a public accessible establishment meant for classifying various flowering plants into groups. Cineraria, Schizanthus, Calceolaria,
Balsam, Cyclamen, Gloxinia, Tuberous begonia, Coleus, Geranium, Chrysanthemum, Primulas, Tydea and Achemenes find a place in this conservatory.
5. The Nurseries: Lying about 300 feet above the lower lawns, the Nurseries consist of glass houses and terraces that are meant for the breeding of exotic plants. Begonias, Ferns, Cacti, Succulents, Orchids and Bulbous plants are the main focus of the nursery, while the terrace is used for growing plants for cut flowers, seed and also for trial purposes.