Bloom Day – September

Rains are finally over, though just to surprise us there were a few showers early morning. September is here and the lower temperatures have thrown up some nice flowers this day. Let us start with the plant of the month… In my garden right now it is definitely Bougainvillea. This creeper has burst into various colours over the last couple of days

Reddish- Orange Looks Beautiful in the evenings

The Natural Way is to make it climb a tree…

Whatever its drawbacks it certainly makes a grand appearance when blooming.

Annual plants at this time are in short supply, I have four varieties going today these are Portulacas, Periwinkles, Coxcomb and Cosmos (almost finished though). Of these my favourite is the Portulaca Grandiflora, they look like the stained glass of a church window when in bloom. Keep them in a shady flower bed so that they bloom till late afternoons, (flicks I took are at five in the evening) otherwise they are very shy and in direct sunlight shut at about 11:00 AM.

Portulaca Grandiflora

We also have some Indigenous varieties, this is the brilliant purple

There are some indigenous varieties of portulaca which can be reared as perennials these are extremely hardy and to increase their number, you can take root cuttings. When the time comes for winter annuals, transplant them under a tree and they will go till next year. Also these can be propagated from seed, the way I do it, since winter flowers are prettier in my opinion and I lack space for portulacas.

Lovely Colour Isn’t it?

And there is a white one too; this one is a double variety and texture of flowers is like paper

Periwinkles or ‘Sada Bahaar’ are available in Purple and White

Best part is that they are still growing and will reach full potential next month

A picture of the young plants in the flower bed…

And there are also a few Cosmos around though these are the last few of the season…

Coxcombs, a variety of Balsam like Periwinkles are still very young, though a few are peeking through. An unrewarding plant; keep manicuring to keep them looking good as they have a tendency to grow crooked.

Flowers though are worth the effort…

These annuals don’t flower but a good garden has to have them, I had originally planted these Cochias as a background and had Xinnias in front but even now they look very dignified in my opinion…

Perennials on the other hand have more variety, this lantana like bush which I have called ‘fire bush’ since I do not know its botanical name is my favourite due to its brilliant flowers

Some flowers can create a fire as well…

Plumbagoes are delightful and form a lovely hedge…

Lantana is also in full bloom…

I am currently rearing two new varieties in my nursery they are Musanda and Ixorra. I just got them about two months ago and will keep them in pots for the first year well protected. A routine I have to follow because young plants die in the arid semi desert air of my garden. Anyhows with patience and lots of Tender Loving Care these next two specimens would have multiplied manifold by next year.

Young but promising, A white Musanda plant in bloom

Some old Raj-Era Englishmen say that this is the king of the Indian garden the Ixorra

And Finally Roses are coming out in a good size…

This one is a Blood Scarlet, delicious.

I need an ID on this dwarf variety, it grows along the ground and likes warm weather. Flowers all through the year in the warm months, quite a nice green cover does a lot for the garden during those dry summer months when very little else remains green.

Another plant I am multiplying at an astounding rate is the chlorodendrun bush. A very versatile plant this, it makes a lovely hedge and also can be made to climb walls. Also gives out white flowers which make a pretty shape against the lovely green foliage of the plant.

Night Jasmine spices up those evenings with a lovely fragrance at night

“Raat Ki Raani”

I also have two creepers in Bloom, one of them is Joohee or the Climbing Jasmine. One of the best Indian plants, it gives out lovely fragrant white flowers and the stems form lovely wooden barks giving it the appearance of a Bonsai tree. The other one I need an ID on, it is also a lovely creeper, but it cannot take the summer heat in my garden, so am growing it up in the nursery and will probably have to be creative to keep it alive in the summer.

Climbing Jasmine, known as ‘Joohee’ in Hindi, is a must have in any Indian house

This one is a bit delicate but worth looking after because of its lovely flowers

Lastly there are the permanent plants and trees, a couple of these are blooming currently. The Kikar is discussed here as it is a native tree of my area, at this time of the year it sheds its ugly thorny appearance and gets quite lovely in a coating of golden yellow flowers. It attracts lots of squirrels, who gorge themselves on the flowers.

Even a Kikar can be beautiful at the right time of the year

The true King of my Garden, the Gardenia tree has lovely flowers and they are so fragrant, that I can smell their lovely scent distinctly sitting in my room in the evenings.

Citrus give lovely fragrant blooms and sour Vitamin C rich fruits, these grow well in my area

Though they were in full bloom last month, the Lagustronia tree still has some of its vivid pinkish – purple flowers. This is another classical Indian tree.