Winter Blossoms!

Recently a horticulture show had come to my city and I had a chance to visit it.

It was an educational yet fun day especially for the senses with so many varieties of the seasonal flowers (with their fragrance filling the air), plants and the vast knowledge of the horticulturists in tending and maintaining the gardens & plantations. There were so many different concepts in home gardening ranging from bonsai to wall and terrace gardening. Great displays of seasonal plants were put on for the visitors in both indoor and outdoor settings as to show which plants/flowers are suitable for indoor as well as outdoor blooming.

Since winter is in full swing, we thought of getting our readers some information about winter bulbs as during this time the sun doesn’t bother us as much and we all like to be outdoors getting our hands dirty in the soil, digging and planting new shrubbery and blooms. This lazy and therapeutic indulgence enhances greatly when we smell and sight our planted winter flowers in full bloom.

Vibrant and colourful, winter blooms come in myriad shapes, sizes, colours and textures. From the pinkie pink Cyclamen Coum, colourful Carnations to the Dahlias of Mexico (being the national flower there), there’s a lot for us to choose from. And the additional advantage is that they can grow as easily in containers as in flower beds with lots of sunshine.

Be it Gardens, Terrace Gardens, Balcony or Kitchen window ledge, one can simply plant the blooms anywhere in pots or copper containers. One most important thing to keep in mind would be having pots 1-2 sizes larger than the plant.

Some of the most preferred pots are the Copper Planters (tall & flat), colourful Ceramic Planters and the Metal Planters with Trays. After the plantation and during the growing period we have to keep a close watch on pests and remove dead leaves and stems whilst keeping the blooms well aired and clean.

The ideal time to plant winter blossoms would be somewhere in September to early October. The first of winter blooms start to appear in November-December and for the late planters the blooms typically occur in February-March. Most common winter flowers are the perfumed Alyssum, Aster, Calendula (Mary’s Gold) and Marigolds (Tagetes).