Planning a colourful winter garden? Discover five seasonal flowers to consider now, including marigold, chrysanthemum, pansy, snapdragon and dianthus, with planting advice suited to Indian conditions.
Towards the end of September, gardeners in various regions of India can begin their preparations for flowering in the winters. Depending on which region you are from, the climate and whether you grow the plants from seeds or purchase nursery plants, some of the most popular choices include several colourful annuals.
For a more accurate and well-researched list, here are five choices which could suit your purpose, especially if you garden in areas where winter temperatures allow seasonal flowering.
Marigold is always a great way of adding yellows and oranges to your garden. Marigold blossoms within 90–100 days and is known to produce beautiful flowers particularly during January-March. October 15 was also determined to be the most favourable date for sowing for winter marigold.
Chrysanthemum flowers have a direct association with winter flowers and are available in many different types of flower colours and types. However, the sowing time varies significantly according to the location. The crop is sown early in order to ensure that flowering takes place from September to December. Hence, gardeners who purchase plantlets at this point may have more success.
Pansy is one of the most popular cool season flowering annuals and has an especially appealing appearance when grown in pots and small flower beds. In addition, pansies are classified among important flowering annuals by ICAR along with snapdragon and dianthus. However, in cold regions, they can be used for creating a winter flower show, taking into consideration the local temperature conditions.
Snapdragons have the ability to provide height along with flower coloration to the winter flower show because of the flower spikes which grow vertically from the stem. Snapdragon is among important flowering grown for ornamental purposes.
Dianthus is yet another seasonal flowering plant that could perform well in containers, borders and small-sized gardens. It is a good choice for those planning on having a colorful winter garden. Like pansy and snapdragon, performance will depend on the local climatic condition.
Make Your Winter Garden Climate-Friendly
No one calendar can suit all parts of India. Temperature, altitude and local climatic condition might affect your planting schedule by quite a margin. Ensure that you have good drainage and avoid excessive watering where possible. In case of late September planting, it is always better to use nursery raised flowers instead of planting from seeds.
