Spring 2014

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

We are all anticipating spring with lots of hope. Each of us has his own field of interest, which makes the forum very,very interesting.We will get to see the exotic plants, the rare ones and the common beauties loved by all.
Wishing you all a very happy Spring

[jdashraf]

Thank you sir. Wishing every one "Happy Spring" from my side as well.

[Mustansir Billah]

The forum will very much charming indeed!

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

The first one to bloom were calendula (new seeds), the flowers were of low quality so all plants were added to compost bin. Next to bloom were Malva they also ended up in compost bin.
Coming up are;
Wall flower


Verbena

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

The Golden shower has started to bloom.



Lilium bulbs cold stored and planted on 3rd November are getting ready to put up their show.



Arif

[Syed Adnan]

any update about Glads ? mine are about to bloom now in a week or so ......

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

AoA, Adnan, the glads are doing fine. those planted on 15/11/13, pot on the right have caught up with those planted on 1/11 centre pots, out of those planted in ground and in pot on 1/12, the ground ones right upper corner are doing better than the pot on the left.



After a long time I planted Dhalias (nursery seedlings) and am dis appointed.



I grow only Salads in my kitchen garden, on recommendation of nursery man I tried what he called Chinese cabage (in the top row) and found it not to my taste.



Today I have started cutting the foliage of my mature Hippes.

A

[UMARKHANMARDAN]

Brig sb only the Kashmir Dahlia is impressive but not suitable for our climate.Cuttings do well but saved tubers do not flower in the second year.

[Farhan Ahmed]

what disappoints you? about Dahlias
By images you are sharing it appears to me that you are quick to make decision. The poor plant has only just put up one bloom as yet. Some plants are not stand alone such as amaryllis. They are pieces of a bigger scheme to create an impact.

There are over 20000 cultivars of Dahlia, if you incidentally stepped upon one not that charming, shouldn't make you judgmental.
I hope you don't mind . Children can confront elders sometime for the sake of learning.

[Muhammad Arif Khan]

I hope you don't mind . Children can confront elders sometime for the sake of learning. (Farhan).
In healthy confrontation both sides learn, I love to be confronted, it shows an open free flying mind eager to learn and share his knowledge. In Dhalia I like ones having large double erect flowers. The stem should be strong and flower facing up.
I have grown both the seed and Kashmir Dhalia for many years.
I used to keep only selected plants and remove others to prevent cross pollination. I used to sow them in August and would get flowers December onward. Kashmir Dhalia tubers if left in ground start sprouting in end of July and die, as the plant dies back pul out the tubers and store in fridge in moist peat, sow in September and take the cuttings from the growth, the plants from the cuttings give the best blooms.
I gave up growing them as my interest shifted.
Arif