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Parks, gardens and roundabouts in Delhi and Chandigarh are a riot of colour these days but soon the summer heat will scorch them. However, garden lovers need not despair as there are a number of summer annuals that will add colour and beauty to the gardens in the coming season. A few popular flowers that need to be sown in the northern plains of India from March onwards are: Balsam: Attractive annuals coming in forms such as ‘rose flower’ and ‘camellia flowered’ and dwarf varieties in white, pink, purple, coral and crimson are easy to grow in pots and beds. Growing up to a height of two feet, the seeds may be sown ‘in situ’ and thinned out or transplanted. Cacalia or Tassel flower: Growing up to one to two feet, it has clusters of small scarlet flowers thought the variety ‘lutea’ has golden yellow flowers. Cleome: A beautiful flower for the border, it gets its common name ‘spider flower’ from the unusual cluster of pink or white spider like flowers with long stamens. It grows up to three feet tall. The seedlings should be transplanted two feet apart each way. Gaillardia: Also known as ‘blanket flower’, these make fine border flowers and are excellent cut flowers. Available both in single and double forms, these have daisy like flowers in yellow, copper and orange with bands of red or bronze. Gompherina or Globe Amaranth: This is an annual widely grown for its everlasting flowers which can easily be dried when fully opened. Available in rose, pink, purple, orange, yellow and white, gompherina seeds can be sown from March. It likes bright sandy soil and thrives well with a few doses of liquid manure. Nicotiana: The night flowering tobacco offers profuse flowering and is highly fragrant. Available in lime green, white, flesh pink, rose, lilac and deeper reds, the star shaped flowers make good plants for mixed borders growing up to one to two feet. Petunias: The petunias with their broad and open funnel shaped flowers in white, mauve, purple, pink and crimson are among the finest of the half hardy annuals. Long flowering, these are excellent for bedding, pots and hanging baskets. Since the seeds are very fine, they should be mixed with a little sand while sowing to have a uniform placement of seeds. The plants should not be grown in very rich soil. Portulaca: This low growing spreading plant forms a lovely floral carpet in the open garden and looks lovely in shallow pans. Salvia: A good bedding and pot plant, it is grown both as a winter and summer annual. The scarlet flowers of scandens are very popular for their colour and easy cultivation. Sunflower: Tall garden plants (up to 6-7 feet) are useful for screening or planting at the back of mixed borders. The golden flowers love sun and are best sown ‘in situ’ to be thinned to one foot apart distance. The dwarf varieties are used for beddings and come in shades of yellow and copper. If disbudded, the sunflower can produce immense flowers of about eight to 10 inches across. Zinnia: The main types available are ‘giant dahlia flowered’, ‘chyrsanthemum flowered’, ‘cactus flowered’ and ‘gaillardia flowered’ to ‘liliputs’ and ‘thumbelina’ mixed strains. Ranging from six inches to three feet high stems. Zinnias come in mixed colours or single colours in white, pink, yellow, orange, crimson and mauve. Seedlings should be placed according to the height of the variety keeping a distance equal to `BE of the eventual height. Vinca: This is an easy but classy looking brilliant annual which is getting popular for its profuse flowering bushy appearance in lovely hues.
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