Calendula

Calendula is one of my favourite flowers......you ask why??? Because its so beautiful to look at at it hardly needs any looking after at all. Its a rather robust plant (as far as annuals are concerned) and the mix of foliage and blooms is just so pleasing to the eyes!!!

The one thing that this plant does require is regular dead-heading. Because as the flowers are quite sturdy after they've bloomed they don't fall off or dry up as easily as other annuals. So to keep your plants producing more and more flowers you should dead-head regularly and simply enjoy the resulting blooms!!!

Freesia Surprise!!!!

Don't you just love surprises??? I know I do!!! What better surprise than to find a beautiful plant you never knew you even had!!! Doesn't it just warm your hearts!!!! :)

You see in a pot of Vinca that I had from last year, some sword like leaves started appearing and I just presumed they must be some kind of weed. But as luck would have it the past month of February we had extremely cold weather and lots and lots of rain plus I had a bout of flu. So combine all these factors and the result was that I wasn't able to 'survey' my plants as thoroughly as I usually do and that's how the sword-like leaves escaped my attention. Come better weather and lo and behold a single flower appeared and after searching on the internet I discovered it was a Freesia plant that I had and that too in such a wonderful colour. Now that's the kind of surprise I'm talking about!!!

As freesias have bulbous roots the mystery still remains as to how did it end up there in the first place but hey I'll take it either way!!!

What do you think of my surprise???

Hardiness Zones and Islamabad

Now now, this could be a whole can of worms. Whenever I go to find any information about any plant there's always the Hardiness Zone described next to it. My location Islamabad falls somewhere around 9a and/or 9b. That is all well and good because it tells you how much cold the plant will tolerate.

Now where it gets muddy is how much HEAT the plant will tolerate. Because you know it so often happens that you buy a plant in spring, it does look beautiful and seems to be thriving but come summer and you have to do a thousand things just to keep it barely alive (forget about blooms and stuff). 

Petunia

My love for petunias is rather recent (I know I can imagine your faces in utter disbelief)..... but they thats the way it was until I planted a few plants about 4 years ago and my oh my......what was I missing!!!! They have now become my favourite seasonal plants and every winter I look forward to the blooms eagerly.

Oxalis 'Purple Shamrock' ---- 'Love Plant'

Oxalis Triangularis commonly known as False Shamrock, Purple Shamrock or Love Plant is typically grown as a houseplant but can also be grown outside in USDA hardiness zones 8a-11 but preferably in light shade.