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Garden
Notes
for
Autumn
The previous issue contained information regarding
gardening tips during monsoon as well as few tips on
buying plants, planting plants and general
maintenance. Since monsoon will continue till the
end of September, garden care and maintenance will
more or less be the same until this period. However
once the rainy season eases, you probably will want
to get back to your garden activities, and that is
what we shall focus on in this issue.
General observation
As the rains ease and your visits to your garden
become more frequent, it is important to make a
general observation during initial visits. Try to
observe if there are brown patches on your lawn,
especially in low-lying areas. This could be due to
water logging during the monsoon. This area should
be raised to avoid similar problems in the next
monsoon. Care also should be taken to see that all
the plants are free from diseases and pest attack.
Any problem observed should be consulted with
experts.
Flowerbeds
Fir those who have flowerbeds in their gardens,
regular weeding and irrigating will give them a well
maintained look. For those who are planning to have
one, now is the time to do decide. Your flower bed
could be along the pathway with intermittent breaks
or could be basically anywhere in the garden where
there is plenty of sunlight - the basic rule being
whatever type of plants you plant, they should be
visible. For example, if your flowerbed is located
at the center of the garden then the outer side
flowers should be shorter than the inner ones. This
ensures visibility of all flowers planted within the
flowerbed. Although the bed could be prepared in any
shape depending on the location and your
imagination, the soil should be finely ground and
mixed with manure at the rate of 1 kg per square
meter.
Transplanting
If you are yet to plant in your flowerbed then
preference should be given to flower plants that are
about to bloom. In short, do not plant very young
seedlings that will take months to flower. Instead,
plant those that are about to bloom to get an
immediate visual affect in the garden. While
transplanting, make sure you do it in the evening.
Some common seasonals that can be grown during this
time are Marigold, Calendula, Salvia and Celosia.
Pinching
Pinching is a process by which the main growing
point of a plant is removed to encourage side
growth. If a plant is subjected to this treatment
then the total production of flowers will increase.
It might be more relevant if this technique is
applied to Marigold and Gomphrena. During the month
of October the demand for these two flowers is
immense because of Dasain and Tihar festivals. If
this technique is applied, you may be able to
supplement more flowers needed for making garlands
during these festivals.
Planting bulbs
In October, beds can be prepared for bulb plantation
when the top wet soil has dried after the monsoon.
Bulbs can be either planted in beds similar to that
of flowerbeds or can be planted by digging holes in
the landscape. The sprouting result is good if bulbs
are soaked in fungicides for about an hour before
planting in the holes. During October, common bulbs
that can be transplanted are Ranuncalus, Narcissus
and Tulips.
Garden features
Hedges: Any garden is incomplete without hedges.
Hedges break the monotony in a garden and can be
used effectively to create barriers to prevent
access or hide an ugly part of the garden or house.
Planting hedges in conjunction with shrubs and trees
can also create excellent enclosures for privacy.
This applies both in a home garden or a public park.
Several types of hedges can be used to give
excellent colouring effect. Some common plants used
as hedges in Nepal are Duranta, Ligustrum, Hydrengea,
Brunfelsia, and Pyracantha.
Edges: Edging plants are those that are
planted along the pathway of a garden so as to
demarcate where one should walk. However, in this
case, one can walk over it since the height is
usually not more than 45 cm. Edging plants can be
grown either in mono type (only one colour within
species) or in a multiple type (different colours
and different species) culture. Some common types of
edging plants grown in Nepal are Cuphea, Randia,
Iresine & Alternatheria.
Plant features
Climbers and creepers are an integral part of garden
plants and can be used to cover walls, fences and
overhangs to render a greener landscape effect. Some
of the major climbers and creepers found in Nepal
are:
Climbers
• Begnonia venusta: It is a beautiful climber and
flowers during winter with orange flowers when most
of the other plants re in rest period. During spring
it gives out beautiful olive green colour leaves and
in summer it is fully laden with leaves that gives
excellent shade.
• Wisteria sinensis: This climber, originally from
Japan, is believed to be have been introduced in
Nepal some 100 years back. It flowers in spring in a
leaf-less condition and in Nepal, the Wisteria plant
can be found flowering in two colours - purple and
white. Since it is a deciduous plant, it can be
positioned in such a location where you need
sunlight during winter but need shade in summer.
• Lonicera japonica: This is an evergreen climber
and perhaps also originally from Japan as the name
denotes. When flowering, the plant is laden with
fragrant white/pale yellow flowers. It flowers from
spring until autumn with intermittent breaks.
• Thunbergia mysorensis: This evergreen climber has
coppery red flowers that hang down. It flowers from
spring until autumn. This species is however
susceptible to frost and will perform better if it
can be located where frost attack is minimal.
Creepers
• Campis radicans: It is a vigorous creeper and
flowers from spring until summer. It bears orange
trumpet shaped flowers and is especially good to
plant on the rough surface of brick or stone walls.
• Bergenia spp: This creeper has beautiful shaped
foliage that is greenish coppery in colour. It is
deciduous in nature and therefore in winter only the
frames of the branches can be seen. Since it is
shade loving, it should be planted on the shady side
of walls or on north facing walls.
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