Winters are here!! ... Happy Dahlias to you

There are winter flowers and then there is Dahlia J

Gigantic flowers in attention-seeking shades. Symmetrical flowers... a photographers delight....!

The initial method of caring for a dahlia sapling is more or less similar to Chrysanthemums (see earlier post). They can be started using tubers (you can use last years’ produce), but from my experience, fresh plants procured from nursery or raised from seeds are a much better bet.

Caring for the full grown plant becomes much more important in Dahlia. Dahlia flower is a heavy flower and hence the plant must be supported using wooden stakes (or something similar).

The second significant thing is pruning – though we would love Dahlias to bloom like a Chrysanthemum plant, but it would not! And hence a good gardener must be less greedy and prune her Dahlias to let only a couple of healthy buds to survive. This is essential for heavier, healthier flowers.  

Thirdly, a good sun is essential for blooming however, too much of heat can burn out the flowers which otherwise can survive for weeks together in Delhi winters.

Happy Dahlias to you... This years’ beauties...

Plan your Chrysanthemums (Guldoudi)

Why am I talking about Chrysanthemums at the onsets of monsoons.. ! ! Isn't it a winter plant!?

Chrysanthemums are first flowers of the winter season in the northern plains. They grow in bunches, stay for long, come in varied colors ranging from white, to pink, to deep magenta, to yellow and even blood red! They are ideal for container gardening, in fact they look much better in containers than if planted directly to the soil.

 White Chrysanthemums... my yesteryear produce

They produce their first bloom around september, so yes, if you are planning to rear them from saplings, this is the time to begin!! in fact you should plant them sooner rather than later.

How to 'Option 1': Saplings
Saplings are usually available in the nurseries. However, in the recent years, Delhi nurseries rather want to make people buy full bloom plants rather than saplings (because of obvious difference in profit margins), so they are becoming increasingly difficult to procure.

How to 'Option 2': Cuttings
Guldoudi plants are rather easy to grow from cuttings. So, what you need to do is take 4-6 inch cuttings from an older plant, rip off the leaves on bottom half, and plant 4-5 cuttings together. Planting multiple cuttings together facilitates a 'fuller' container, once they are in bloom. They might wilt initially but should be fine in a couple of days.

Caring for your newly planted Chrysanthemums:
1. Show them morning sun for a couple of weeks, but keep them away from harsh noon sunrays.
2. In case of cuttings, please make sure that the donor plant is healthy, as guldoudis are quite prone to pest attacks.

Here is a picture of the second option to give you some idea on how a newly planted set of cuttings may look:

Day 1: Chrysanthemum cuttings

Portulacas !

Portulacas have become one of my favorites in recent years. They are hardy, low-growing moss-like foliage plant..... They come in a number of varieties: Portulaca Grandiflora being one of the most showy ones, and hence the most ideal ones for your balcony gardens.

One look at them here and you wouldn't wonder why they are also called moss roses

Colours: Yellow, Pink, Orange, Magenta, Peach... you name it.

Sun: They need high sun for rampant blooming. Perfect for Delhi summers, I say!!

Suited for: Hanging baskets, fillers around trees (say, you could line these around your Plumeria (Champa) tree...).

Propagation: These are very easy to propagate using stems. However, you really need a lot of branches to create a good basket.

When: Though they can be planted anytime during the summer season. For the gardens in northern plains, late-March/ April is a good time to plant to make full use of them through the summer months.

And here are few pictures of how you could use them around:

1. As a liner along your pavements...

2. In baskets/ tiny pots - in single or multiple shades

3. As a filler to cover up empty ground in larger pots...See the picture below for understanding.
Such an arrangement can look outstanding with plumeria (champa) trees planted in containers (don't have a ready photo alas!)

And last but not the least, they are very readily available at the nurseries!

So, what are you waiting for! They are a must have for your summer garden!

Summer colors for your garden!

Do you think that Delhi summers are a nightmare for a gardener? Well, I agree and disagree, Delhi summers are as bad as Delhi winters, not much worse though...

The challenge is to regulate the amount of sunlight for various garden inmates, and also choosing the new additions carefully. I have learnt over the years that a gardener must learn to work 'with' the natural elements (water, sun, soil) to enhance the beauty of her green spaces.

So, the scorching summers are a good time to bring some sun-loving beauties to your garden! So bring on some Portulacas, Almandas and Bougainvillea to your gardens this summers!

More of these tomorrow... or may be day after ;-) , I promise!