Hakgala Botanical Gardens and the highland gardens worth it for a botanist and how do they differ from Peradeniya

Naturalist so the highland gardens picture Hakgala worth it YES for a botanist absolutely Hakgala Botanical Garden sits at high altitude near Nuwara Eliya (in the cool hill country) and it is one of the islands great gardens specifically because of its COOL CLIMATE collection it is a completely different world from the lowland tropical Peradeniya How it differs from Peradeniya PERADENIYA (near Kandy lower warmer) is the grand famous tropical garden orchids palms giant figs the tropical showpiece HAKGALA (high cool) grows TEMPERATE and montane plants you cannot grow in the lowlands roses and a famous rose garden temperate trees cypress and conifers ferns the cool climate flowers and a montane wild zone it feels almost European in parts up there with the mist and the cool air the two gardens are complementary the tropical lowland showpiece and the cool highland collection a botanist wants BOTH What grows the cool climate flora the rose garden the fernery temperate ornamentals and the native montane species at the higher wild end the misty mountain setting (it sits below the Hakgala rock) is atmospheric Other gardens for a botanist the Henarathgoda garden (lowland near Gampaha historic rubber trees) and the dry zone Mirijjawila garden (arid zone flora near Hambantota) round out the climate zones if you are a true plant person June and timing the hill country is wet now (the southwest monsoon) so expect mist and rain at Hakgala which is atmospheric but bring rain gear the gardens are green and lush the flowers are lovely in the cooler months but it is rewarding year round go in a morning window before the afternoon hill rain so the picture yes do Hakgala for the cool climate and temperate collection that contrasts beautifully with tropical Peradeniya a botanist should see both for the full altitude range and add the lowland and dry zone gardens if you are keen