In botanical terms it is not a flower … surpise ???? me too ! …. it is actually a bunch of flowers (compound flower) ….

They’re inexpensive yet brighten ups the garden with its orange - maroon - yellow colors. In India they’re
being used in garland n to decorate houses on auspicious ocassion.

Marigold can also be grown from its stem. I brought stem of this marigold from Vridaban (my mashima lives
there) … planted it in a pot n watered it regularly. In few days new leaves  began to grow … but the
squriel - those beautiful looking creatures - used to eat its flower n buds. Couldn’t do anythis about it
… so took it to my shop - there it blossom Perfectly !!

While uncle (from Assam) was staying here - he bought this marigold plant which was full with buds and
flowers. After a week later when the bloom flowers dried up the plant began to dry up … n those buds never
bloom !!! so never buy marigold from plant vendor - it is always better to grow them at home from its seeds.

Uncle brought it from a dried pond (the pond is in a park near our house). This year it dried up compeletly.
Well … after he brought the marigold plant - he didn’t have any pot to plant it … so he took a normal
poly bag and filled it with potting soil and planted the marigold plant in it. i never thought it will
flower … but at last it did but the sad part is .. the day after i took the photo someone picked it up (it
was quite near the gate) … people can be so nasty !!!

This one too … uncle brought from the dried pond. Didn’t think it will survive the cold of Delhi … but
it not only survived - it is one of the best marigold we had grown this year … n that too by chance as we
didn’t know what type it will flower. The plant was full of orange marigold … Beautiful n mesmerizing

I have kept these dried flower for next year. My grandmother (nani) says …. if you keep the seeds from outer part of the flower … it will produce normal marigold flower n the inner part seed will produce “chutki” marigold  (those with fewer petal). To see if true or not have to wait till next year !!!

My uncle came from Assam last November n brought some plant from his garden. One of them is a blub which will grow in rainy season… Hopefully they’ll survive the summer of Delhi. I’ll do my best … but the sad part is that all the plants i brought from Kolkata n Assam last January ___ died

I’m extremely lazy …. n gardening isn’t for the lazy one - this time i have to keep them alive n healthy …. i just have to - no other way around !!

So i have decide to gather information on how to take care for these plants :

BEGONIA ….

They are of 3 types : Tuberous , Semperflorens (most common), Perennials (uncommon) …. mine is Begonia “Richmondensis” (i guess they’re perennial types).

They like rich fertile soil but loose which drains well. Water them thoroughly, but the soil must be allowed to be dry between waterings.

Different groups of Begonia have different cultural requirement but most species come from tropical regions …. they require bright shade - few will tolerate full sun.  Mine type of Begonia likes filtered sunlight but can take some sunlight in winter.

They like humidity - n doesn’t like cold weather ___ bring indoor before frost. Keep it near a sunny window for first few days….  gradually reduce the sunlight (or can keep it near the window whole winter) …. sudden temperature change cause leaves to drop. After a week or 2 Begonia will adopt the lower light n dry conditions of indoor.

In the growing season : pinching tips n pruning outer stems give bushier plant. Re-pot the plant if they appear crowded. Remove dead flowers leaves n stems … trim off long stems help retain its compact shape….

At my uncle’s place (Karimganj - Assam) the plants are very fresh n healthy …. i guess it’s because the weather is moderate n moist throughout the year ____  whereas in Delhi it’s extremely cold in winter n extremely hot in summer…. n off course i’m lazy too.

Let’s just hope for the Best !!!

I noticed one thing - wild flower are so different n exotic … very colorful too. I like these type of wild grown flower.

i call them “Spring flower”

These are very tiny flower that spread on the surface of the ground. i simply love its tiny dark light pink shade - so i brought one of them home. They are grown abundantly in a near by park’s pond.

Unfortuntely they are seasonal - my plant is drying. Very few flower are blooming - old ones are turning white n so the name “Spring flower”.

“Little white flower”

“Unknown”

One of my fav … i simply adore them. Guru Rabindra Thakur was right - it is amazing how we people do not notice these grass flower growing by the roadside or at the corner of the house or anywhere in the wild. Seasonal - seen in winter.

Row of white flowers … that what i call them

This is another plant -  which looks like dry weed but its whitish pinkish flower makes you think twice. It also grow low on the surface of the ground n seems as if the flowers are growing direct from the ground. So it looks as if on the ground white patch are grown - Really beautiful…!!!

I did tried to grow one at home but failed. Seasonal too - end of spring till very hot summer.

“Exotic weed … with amazingly lovely blue color”

The color n the size - awesome. They are very tiny n mostly grown in fields among other vegetable plants. So they are weeds - never thought weed’s flower can be so - so very beautiful..

Took the photo while i was in Andhermanick (my home town).

My rose plants were dying (got infected by something that looked like red powder). So i did some research found how to take care of the rose plants.

SOIL N SUNLIGHT

Rose are grown in well-drained soil with optimum sunlight. Clay or loamy soil are ideal. Warm temperature always preferred and grown best when grown seperately. (But i do not know - why people here in India say/think that roses grow best in winter. I always knew they were winter flowers.)

Rose plant can survive drought but they won’t thrive - to have a thrive rose plant, keep the soil moist all the time. That means - when top soil is removed by few centimeter, the soil should still be moist. For that, the soil must be soaked to 6″ to 8″ deep and not just sprinkle the water.

Keep the rose plant moist all the time but never allow the roots to sit in water - otherwise they will rot, also the plant becomes more vunerable to diseases.

FERTILISING

When it comes to fertilizing - time is also important. For example - during active growth and blooming stage, rose plants need more fertilizing. The plant need frequently feeding and generously.

Cow manure is best preffered as fertilizer for the rose plants - but other organic fertilizers like compost are also used. Rose plants requires 2-3 times feeding during the season.

PLANTING ROSE PLANT

When you bring rose plant and cannot plant it immediately - leave the plant in the box and lightly sprinkle the roots every day. Do not let the roots to dry out. Plant the rose plant as soon as possible. If cannot plant it immediately to the desired location, plant it in a container.

Dig a planting hole according to the roots, the rose plant has:

If it is a good plant (which is 2 yrs. old and field grown). Then dig a planting hole at least 6″ deeper, so the roots of the plant can be accomodate without crowding or bending. Mix some fertilizer (cow manure or organic compost) with the soil in the planting hole - plant the rose plant carefully, spread its root and fill with soil. Firm the soil tightly around the plant.

If the rose plant is not so old and has less roots - then dig a lesser deeper planting hole.

Rose plant can also be grown by its stem - but the stem’s diameter must be at aleast be half inch thick.

How to plant it :

Cut a stem from a rose plant. Mix fertilizer with some soil, add little water with this mixture and make a firmly tight lump at one end of the stem.

Dig a planting hole (index finger deep) - place the stem with lump side down, fill with soil. Firm the soil tightly. Keep the soil moist contineously for 2-3 weeks.

PRUNING

Main aim is to remove old wood (that will no longer flower and encourge to grow young & healthy stems). Also helps in keeping the rose plant in desireable shape and manageable size. Best time to prune, when the plant is at dormat phrase.

TYPE OF PRUNING:

Hard pruning:

Cut stems to only 3 or 4 buds. Hard pruning recommended for newly planted rose plant or to rejuvenate neglected plants.

Moderate pruning:

Stems are cut back to half their length. Recommended for all established rose plants.

Light pruning:

Stems are cut back to 2/3 their lenght, so that the main stems are merely tipped. Light pruning generally results in profusion of flowers.

This is the “Kundo” plant which i bought from Kolkata. It is taken last month- right now the is not flowering but new shoots are coming. I have trimmed it last week.

The rose plants were doing well. They were kept in my garden at the roof-top. Its leaves were dying so thought because of excess sunlight its happening. I brought them downstairs and kept it in the balcony. For some days i got busy with my boutique and did not really see that birds are eating my rose plant. When i did realise, I brought them in and kept them on the stairs - but they were dying.

Pest started eating them too. Now I took the plants to my shop and kept them there. I washed their leaves with the solution of detergent and edible oil (small amount of both - oil preferable coconut oil or vegetable oil).

Today they looked fine, new shoots are coming but the sad part is that i had three rose plant from which one died. Hope the other two will grow health and pest free.

I also had brought many other flower seed from Kolkata and Karimganj.

“Dopati”(Impatience balsamina) - they did germinate (four of them) but they all died. Maybe I watered them too much. My “chilly seeds” - they never saw the sunlight. But my “Sondhe Tara(three of them) and Aparajita(one)” shoots are doing well and has grown up to 5 inch tall. Birds ate some part of the “Aparajita” - so I took that plant to my shop too.

In the coming days - I’ll take most of my plants to my shop for two reasons:

Plants will get shade and there will be no squirrels and birds to eat them. They will grow in PEACE..