Phlox is my spring delight

I wrote about growing phlox last year. See Phlox tips for more. This year, I had some blooms from the seeds I saved last year. I took some pictures from the garden my in-laws have. The last picture (seedlings) was taken about three weeks after I sowed the seeds.

Re-telling...thoughts.

It's hard to watch parents growing old. Trying to cope with the change is tougher. My parents are having trouble doing the things they used to handle effortlessly. They face memory glitches, repeat themselves, are tired easily and often sick. I am guilty of feeling impatient, and at times angry at them and finish feeling dim about it.

When they call while I am at work and repeat themselves, I promptly cut it off by saying "Yeah, you've told me that before", or promise to call back once I'm home. As we age we no longer wish to share our ordeals with parents sparing them the stress that we'd rather deal with on our own. There is a lack of things to talk about, and therefore a repeat conversation is likely to be some sort of a connection or interaction for them. I read that the point of talking to people isn't to receive information in the form of words; it's the pleasure of the interaction and expression of sharing and trusting.

So, I tell myself that listening over and over again, or simply receiving the interaction, is not really so hard to do. But I feel sorry for the way I act sometimes with my parents.

Sorry Ma. Sorry Dad. I hope you will understand.

PS: Pansies mean 'thoughts', so these ones in my garden just for my parents.

Homecoming...!

It feels like a homecoming. Echoing a saying here: "Homecoming means coming home to what is in your heart. "

I have a lot to tell. While I organise my thoughts and make more sense, I'll leave you with some spring shots from my balcony garden.

I hope to be more active here though I have a whole lot to check out on all my favorite blogs. And a big thank you to each one of you who stopped by my blog and sent me messages.

Phlox tips

This was phlox bloom last spring. Phlox makes for a bright border plant and grows well in containers. It's a beginner's delight since it's relatively easy to grow. They are available in wide range of colors like pink, red, lavender, purple, and white. You could plant it with ferns or vines or other herbaceous perennials to make it more attractive. See the bright green sweet potato vine in the picture. Isn't it beautiful?
Phlox grows from seeds and need shade, moisture and loose soil to germinate quickly. The seedlings can be transplanted in 3 weeks into containers and window boxes. A well-draining potting soil mixed with organic compost works best. Phlox thrives in sun and needs to be well watered but not allowed to sit in water-logged soil. Left to dry, phlox wilts and the leaves turn brown. As the plant grows and the tips are pinched, flower heads will be more. The plant might need to be staked as they grow unless you like the trailing effect. They begin flowering in 2.5-3 months from sowing, and bloom for 2 months.

throw in shoe flowers

Hibiscus rosa sinensis or china-rose is an evergreen perennial shrub. Generally red in original variety, now there are varieties differentiating in bloom size, colors and other aspects. The bloom can be single, semi-double or double, depending upon the variety. Also many colors are available in a single, double or multi-shades.

In a climate like ours, they flower more in summer than winter. It does not prefer extreme temperatures, but needs light and warmth to thrive. They grow best in well drained loamy soil, rich in organic matter is ideal. Water stagnant or soggy soil will adversely affect the flowering and growth of the plant. Once assured of a well-draining soil, it is safe to water the plant regularly.

Pruning is done to shape the plant, keep it bushy and full of blooms and and is normally done in late summer or early monsoon. Use a sharp cutter and cut just 1/4^th of an inch above about an eye that is pointing in the direction you want the new growth to appear. Alternatively, pinch off the tips of branches to encourage multiple growth tips further down the stem.

Don’t feed your plant after pruning. Watch for new shoots to appear and then start feeding. Hibiscus like organic feed, so feed your plant with bone meal or once in every two months. Remember winter is the resting period for your hibiscus, so do not fertilize in winter. In summer, fortnightly feed it with a balanced fertilizer mix. The health of the plant may be gauged from its foliage that should be a deep glossy green.

At a time when you observe roots coming out of the bottom of the pot through the drainage holes or the soil is compact and difficult to break through due to the roots, this is a good time to re-pot, but only in early autumn. When the root ball has been carefully loosened and lifted out of the pot, completely cut away any dark brown and soft roots and re-pot. Never prune off more than 1/3 of the root mass. Propagation is by layering, cutting, and grafting. Green semi-woody tip cuttings, treated with rooting hormone, does well.

Other names for hibiscus are Jaba Kusum (Bengali), Gudhal (Hindi); Shoe flower is another common name in a reference to the use of the crushed flowers as a black shoe polish.

song of india

Dracaena reflexa, known as Song of India is a yellow-green striped foliage shrub grows fabulously in bright, indirect sunlight.

This plant needs a good potting soil that would both retain water and drain well i.e. 1 part garden soil, 1 part peat moss and 1 part sand. Drench the soil and then allow dracaena to dry slightly until watering it next. Feed every 2-3 months with a water soluble fertilizer. If it gets too tall, prune it back in early autumn or spring. To propagate, air-layer, remove basal shoots or stem cuttings in spring. Chop off a foot length, remove the leaves from the bottom half, and push in into some compost soil. Keep it moist, in indirect light and wait a few weeks. Some of the original leaves may drop off, but after a while it should bounce back to life.

It's raining lilies!

Rain lilies that you see here in yellow and pink are autumn blooms, lasts for a day and flourishes throughout the rainy season, especially after heavy showers. Soon after flowering, the heads brown and dry up and these are the seed pods. You can harvest the seed pods, break them open and find black flakes. These flakes can be sowed immediately in a slightly moist environment for the seeds to germinate. I have both the yellow and pink ones planted in a shallow rectangular container that I shift around for display. My pink ones surprised me with a bloom this spring. Since I forgot to take snaps, I’ve put up pictures from the web for your ease. There are white rain lilies too, though I’m yet to lay my hands on them.

Where the lilies bloom...

These red lilies were a part of my spring bloom early this year.

Growing lilies in containers brightens up the garden and provides an attractive display for one season, remaining unnoticed for the rest of the year. With careful planning, the bulbs may be lifted after flowering and replanted each year to make room for other seasonal plants in limited spaces. The bought or stored bulbs of the lilies are planted in late summer or early autumn to be ready for display in spring. The bulbs are planted in free- draining fresh compost to avoid water-logging or the bulbs may rot. They are planted at twice their own depth and one bulb’s width apart with the growing tip facing the top. Avoid over crowding bulbs in a pot. Once planted, the bulbs in containers should not be allowed to dry out when in growth and should be fed regularly in 2-3 weeks with high potash low nitrogen fertilizer to boost flowering.

When foliage leaves begin to turn yellow, usually a month after flowering, gently lift the bulbs, clean off the soil, and dead and dry flakes. Cut the drying foliage, leave it overnight to dry, dust them with fungicide and store them in clean labelled paper bags in a cool and dry place in summer. Alternatively after flowering, the bulbs may remain in the pot, kept moist and shifted to a shaded place to rest till early autumn.