All the flowers you can grow

This is a three-part series about easy-to-grow flowering plants that can brighten any urban garden

I recently shared a Twitter thread on the fascinating avenue trees of Bengaluru, emphasising the beauty and importance of trees that are always blossoming with flowers. It got me thinking about how trees and gardens, regardless of their size or location, are interconnected and play a crucial role in our urban ecosystems.

Whether we live in a high-rise apartment or have a spacious garden, it's essential to understand the deep connection between trees and gardens. Just like the avenue trees of Bengaluru, personal gardens provide much-needed green spaces in urban areas, contributing to a healthy and diverse ecosystem.

By nurturing plants, we are not only adding beauty to our houses but we are also replenishing nature's greenery. Increasing the plant life on our planet should help reduce the high temperatures and enhance the air quality, which is rapidly dwindling. If every home grows a plant or tree, the earth will become a more welcoming environment to dwell in.

Here is a list of 12 easy-growing plants for a colourful garden, together with descriptions of their requirements. I’ll share this list with you over the next few columns. All these can be grown in apartments and even in small garden patches. You can choose from this list based on the available area, sunlight, soil, and water in your home. A mix of tall and tiny plants creates a lush atmosphere and vines provide a touch of class.

Let's start with hibiscus, Bengaluru's most prevalent and native plant. Hibiscus is like upma; it polarises gardeners. Either you love it or dislike it. If you are somebody who loves it, you know that the majority of hibiscus bloom intermittently throughout the year, which makes the garden colourful. While the native hibiscus comes in red, white, and pink, the hybrid hibiscus comes in a wide range of hues, including yellow, orange, and pink. There's also the Turk's cap hibiscus, which is my favourite because I use it generously in my art. It blooms all year and is distinguished by petals that do not fully open. This comes in two colours: pink and red.

Hibiscus plants grow well in either full sun or partial shade. In regions with heavy afternoon light, providing shade can help protect them and promote maximum growth. Hibiscus prefers healthy, well-draining soil that is high in organic materials. They are susceptible to water logging and may develop root rot if the soil does not drain adequately.

Can anything match the sweet fragrance of jasmine? Bengaluru is home to such a broad range of jasmine species that there is a seasonal variation in bloom. From March to June, Jasminum sambac (Dundu malli) and other layered kinds bloom. My favourite game with children is to show them how to nudge the multilayered jasmines from one another. Jasminum grandiflorum, popularly known as Jathimalli, blooms from June to October. Peak blooms of Jasminum pubescens, often known as Kunda, occur throughout the rainy months of October through the summer. Jasmine plants flourish in well-fertilised soil. It is critical to prune the shrub after the blooming season has ended. Before the next blossoming season begins, water should be supplied sparingly and fertiliser should be applied.

Heliconia is a head-turner and therefore popular among landscape gardeners for its towering and stunning look. They add a hint of the tropics to a garden with their large banana-like leaves. These exotic plants have distinctive, brilliantly coloured bracts in red, yellow, orange, and green, and they frequently display a combination of hues. Heliconias bloom primarily throughout the warm months, from March to June. Heliconias, which are native to tropical climates, require well-draining, nutrient-rich soil and plenty of sunlight to thrive. Regular watering is required to keep the soil moist.

Many years ago, I had a cultivar of Dahlia that had huge blooms like sunflowers. It would shine bright in the mornings with dew on it. They were so stunning to look at that someone stole the plant. Dahlias can be grown both from tubers and seeds, but tubers give the best flowers.

I will share another set of flowers in the next column. Until then, leave a bowl of water outside your home for the birds, bees, and other pollinators to quench their thirst.

Motley Garden is your monthly kaleidoscopic view into a sustainable garden ecosystem.

The author believes that gardening is not just about plants and how to nurture them. It is also about bees, butterflies, insects, flies, and bugs that make it their home. She is on social media as @neelavanam