Considering the important contribution of the horticulture sub-sector under the agricultural sector to the economic development of Nepal, with the aim of improving, promoting, researching and expanding horticulture, the Kathmandu Research Garden was established in Bikram Sambat 2019 BS by the joint efforts of His Majesty's Government and the Government of India in Kirtipur, Kathmandu. In BS 2020 BS, it was renamed the Horticulture Research Center, Kirtipur. Realizing the indispensability of horticulture development in the all-round development of the country, the study, research and production related to fruit cultivation were targeted at a rapid pace in the mid-hilly region. The work related to the plan implementation, monitoring and supervision of all research projects under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the Department of Agriculture (National Agricultural Research and Service Center) of the present Nepal Agricultural Research Council, Khumaltar, was done by the decision of the then Government of His Majesty's Council of Ministers on 2044/7/25, and this center was placed under the said council from 2044/9/17. In 2046/047, this center was renamed as the National Horticulture Research Program and accordingly, the goals and programs to be implemented under this program were given priority in the research-based area. From 2049/4/1, this office was again placed under the Department of Agricultural Development (currently Department of Agriculture since 2052/4/1) and the programs were being run under the name of Horticulture Center, Kirtipur. According to the new departmental structure implemented from the month of Baisakh, 2061 BS, this center was given priority at the central level and named as Central Horticulture Center, Kirtipur. In the present context, with the country moving towards federalism, this center is under the union and its name has been changed from Central Horticulture Center to Temperate Horticulture Center.

From the fiscal year 2043/044 to 2055/056, the Horticulture Development Project, with the support of the Government of Japan, conducted study, research and experimental programs on various winter fruits (pears, grapes, haluwabed, katus, etc.) and citrus fruits (oranges, jujubes, etc.) in an area of ​​about 8 hectares of this center for twelve years. Since the project ended in the fiscal year 2056/57, all the programs that the project has been running since the fiscal year 2057/58 are being continued by this center under the regular program. This center has been mainly engaged in the promotion and conservation of improved and local varieties of winter and orange fruits collected in the past years, production and sale and distribution of grafted plants and seedlings, support in technology dissemination and skill development through external services, and conducts one-week training courses at various levels on fruit farming. In addition, this center has been conducting inspection visits to various districts to provide technical services to commercial fruit farmers and fruit nursery owners, soil testing, identification of diseases and pests and fruit quality analysis, and teaching practical skills to on-the-job training students.