Kachnar,Candytuft,gladiolus flowers

Here are some of the flowers blooming in my garden and some of the shots are taken from lawrence gardens lahore.
This one is a small tree, having white flowers in the spring. Not sure about the ID yet. Photo taken in lawrence gardens lahore.




Candytuft with botanic name Iberis blooming in lawrence garden. Planted in masses, stunning flowers.


Bauhinia purpurea with local name kachnar. A street tree in lahore, pakistan. Blooms not only in spring but also in fall sometimes. There are many other bauhinia species growing in lahore including some vines. Perhaps a post specific to Bauhinia is due on me.


The enchanting fragrance and exquisite blooms of freesia. Although these are modern freesia hybird, fragrance is still intense. Watch for my next post of growing freesia in hot climates. Blooming. happily on my terrace in clay pots. They naturalize here in lahore


Chrysanthemum tricolor with synonym Ismelia carinata and common name painted daisy. Local name desi gendi. Comes in many shades of tricolor.


Another beautiful tree from lawrence garden. Will update the ID soon.


This is some variant of jasmine. Not fragrant though. The masses of flowers put a brilliant show in many months of the year.


Gladiolus, grown from bulbs in fall. It has potential to be a perennial in warm climate as ours. Comes in many shades. Top bouquet flower.


This is some jasmine shrub blooming happily in model town park lahore. Not fragrant though.


For other GBBD posts, visit May dream gardens by Carol

Hummingbird moth, stock and california poppy

This one was shot at lawrence garden lahore. I am not sure what it is but it seems to be a hummingbird moth. Though we do not have hummingbirds here but sunbirds. Lovely sight though.
update: This is some species of clearwing hummingbird moth.

 Stock is the most fragrant annual of spring. And bees love them too. This one shot at my terrace.

This bee seems to be too involved in california poppy. Again captured on my terrace.

For other flowers posts, visit Today's Flowers
For Macro monday by Lisa, visit Lisa's Chaos
For mosaic monday, visit Mosaic monday

Dahlia illumination with sun on back

For other Wordless Wednesday posts, Visit Wordless Wednesday

Seeds Shops & Plant nurseries of Karachi

Many thanks to Sara Anis and Izhar ul haq, two keen gardeners from karachi, for helping me out in the compilation of this list. Any corrections or additions will be highly appreciated.

Seeds Shops

Abdul seeds store  : Selling flower , vegetables and grass seeds (its the only store that sells grass seeds here) and gardening supplies they have 2 shops :

Shop # 11, inside empress market , sadar, karachi
Phone: +92 21 32250852
khuda bux : +92 300 2385499
abdul karim : +92 300 2542796

shop # 5 , plot # 84 , 10th commercial stree, near al falah bank, phase 4 , DHA , karachi
Phone: +92 21 35312995
saleh mohammad : +92 307 2162568

Lotia sons : They have flower and vegetable seeds and lots of gardening supplies.
Shop# 2/A , hilltop arcade , gizri boulevard , phase 4 DHA ( near sunset boulevard signal )
Phone : +92 21 35836023
Shabbir lotia : +92 300 9202988

Micro Drip: Drip irrigation. F-178/3, Block-5, Kehkashan, Clifton.
Contact: Mr. Khadim Hussain. +92 300 3789432

Homes & Gardens: Seeds, Chemical Ferlizers, Tools, Compost, Pet food
3, 4 Amna Arcade, 11C, Shahbaz Commercial-II, Phase VI, Main Khayaban-e-Sehar, DHA
Contact Mr. Shamsi +92 300 8211214. Email: info@homesngardens.pk


Kaizen Enterprises: Compost.
plot No.294, Asu Goth, Malir, Karachi. Contact +92 303 2327649
info@gardenhelper.pk

Shareef seeds store: Deal in seeds, chemicals, fertilizers.
Shop No.18 & 12, Empress Market, Saddar.

Vitax garden shop : They have gardening supplies , flower and vegetable seeds and thier own products
Shop # 24-C, sunset boulevard near H.S.P. DHA garden center ,phase 2 , karachi
vitax_pak@hotmail.com
vitak_pak@yahoo.com
Phone: +92 21 6041800
Cell: +92 321 8281924

Another lady who is great is from Mom's Garden she sells seedlings , seeds and plants of vegetables and herbs and some fruits as well.
she is available to call on the 1st and 15th of the month and is always great with advice.
Cell: +92 301 2611687

Plant Nurseries

Dayem Nursery: plants, Orchids, Imported plants, seedlings
Main Khayaban-e-Qasim, Phase VIII, DHA. Contact: +92 300 2355864

Diamond nursery. Imported and local plants, Orchids, Imported plants, seedlings.
email: dnursery@super.net.pk
main branch :Plot No. ST 3/A, Block No. 13, Federal B Area. Karachi
Phone: +92 21 6800208, +92 21 6342883 Cell : +92 300 8237083

Other branch: Habib ibrahim rehmat ullah road , pns karsaz , karachi
Cell :+92 300 8281112

Gulshan Waqas Nursery: Plants, Orchids, Imported plants, seedlings

Main Karsaz Road, Karachi. Contact Mr. Ashraf +92 333 2545640    Email: g-w-nursary@yahoo.com        
International Nursery: Plants, seedlings, manure. Hamdard University Road, Hub pumping station.
Contact: Mr. Rana Abdul waheed +92 333 3274016

Makkah Nursery:  Branch 1: Plants, Orchids, Imported plants, seedlings. Main Karsaz Road, Karachi.
Contact: Mr Fareed +92 322 2495550
Branch 2: Landscaping, Rooftop gardens, pond. Main Khayaban-e-ittehad, Phase II, DHA
Contact: Mr Naveed Fareed +92 321 8296662
Manzoor Nursery: Main Karsaz Road. Contact: +92 300 8284442

Plants n Plants: Branch 1: Plants, Orchids, Imported plants, seedlings. Main Shaheed-e-Millat Road.
Branch 2: Landscaping, Rooftop gardens, ponds. 62 Khayaban-e-Janbaz, Phase V, DHA
Contact: Mr. Usman Haq +92 333 2128515

Rose Nursery: Plants, seedlings, Manure. Hyderi Market, Block D.
Contact: MR Abdul raqeeb +92 300 2337174

Sailors Nursery: Plants, Orchids, Imported plants, seedlings, ponds, bonsai.
habib ibrahim rehmat ullah road , pns karsaz , karachi
Phone : . +92 21 6040090
Cell : Mr Yameen Ahmed +92 300 8256492, +92 314 2282704
Email: sailorsnursery@yahoo.com

Shadab Nursery: Plants, seedlings, manure. Main Korangi Road, Phase II, DHA
Contact: Mr Mumtaz hussain +92 300 2286119


Mr. Green nursery : Plants, Orchids, Imported plants, seedlings, ponds
near pns raza , national stadium road, Dalmia, Karachi
Cell: Mr. Zar wali +92 300 2007757 , +92 333 2007757

Cactus and succulents : S M jamshed asmi
Cell: +92 300 9252594 , +92 313 9252594
Email : jamshedasmi2000@yahoo.com

Tanzeela planters : landscaping, maintenance and good advice about plants -mr. khawaja rizwan jameel
suite # 304, HMH square sir shah sulman road , gulshan e iqbal, Karachi
Cell: +92 345 2251062

Baahir :  stuff like  furniture , fountains ,planters, trellises, bbq grills ( they have offices all across Pakistan )
+92 111-222-447 , +92 800 22447
Cell: +92 336 5502021
Email : info@baahir.com

Flowers of Sweet pea, linum, anemone and gaillardia

Spring has just started and flowers have started to bloom all around. Weather is still not warm enough to sow morning glory seeds though. Here are some of flowers blooming in my small garden.

This is some hummingbird moth i captured in lawrence garden bagh-e-jinnah lahore. Any identification would be highly appreciated.

Anemone has started blooming in pots as well. The ones in ground are yet to bloom.

Sweet pea also blooming right now. It is called phool matar locally.And what a magnificent fragrance it is. I sowed two types this year. Heirloom miss willmott and second one the fragrant spencer types. Will show you more blooms next week.

Then comes linum grandiflorum. There is another variety of linum with culinary use but with smaller flowers. This one is grandiflora with large flowers. Seeds were gifted to me. Will save seeds for sure.


If there is any plant in lahore which can bloom year round all 12 months, it is none other than gaillardia. Sadly it does not attract much butterflies here.

To see other wonderful flowers from all around the world, visit Today's Flowers.

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Summer flowering annual plants for lahore, karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad

Seeds for summer flowering plants are sown in spring and plants bloom in summer. This time is specific for subtropical climates as that of lahore, karachi, peshawar, Rawalpindi and to an extent Islamabad as well. Morning glory vines is probably the one plant sown frequently for its colorful blooms in the summer. Zinnia is another one. so here goes the list.

• Amaranthus. Local name laal saag

• Balsam. Local name Gul-e-mehndi. Cultivars include Tom thumb with many colors

• Capsicum, Ornamental pepper. Local name Araishi Mirch. Cultivars include Solanum Joker round, Dwarf early pylon red, Fips, Gion and hot mix. Then there is F1- Hybird with cultivar Treasure red F1
• Catananche. Called cupid's dart. Most common species is catananche caerulea. Native to south africa a very beautiful flower. There is a white color variety called catananche caerulea alba. Seeds are not available here. The ones i grew from seeds will flower in summer of 2011. Will post pictures soon.
•  Cosmos Sulphureus, sulfur cosmos. Comes in color ranges of orange, yellow and red. No white and no blue. The other variety of cosmos is cosmos bipinnatus which is tall cosmos sown in fall for spring flowering. Cultivars of sulfur cosmos include dwarf ladybird ans sunset orange. It blooms from May to october.
• Coleus. Mostly grown for its foliage. Cultivars  include Rainbow mixture, superfine rainbow mixture and extra dwarf fairway mixture
• Celosia. One variety is known as Cockscomb. Local name kalgha. Cultivars include Amigo, prestige, celosia plumosa century, dwarf kewpie, dwarf kimono, gloria mix and dwarf coral garden mixed. 
• Coreopsis. Also called tickseed. Many cultivars but none of them is available here. It has long blooming season. Mostly in shades of yellow. There is a rare pink color variety named coreopsis rosea. Another cultivar having pinkish color is Sweet dreams and there is another one called american dreams having pinkish color. Coreopsis bicolor is also called calliopsis with flowers in two tone.
•  Dahlia. Although it is included in winter plants but its seeds is sown in August and September for flowering in December till May. The ones grown from seeds are mostly Pakistani dahlia. While the ones grown from tubers are fully double flowers are called indian dahlia. Seeds cultivars include Garden pride mixed and figoro mixed
• Datura. It is also called devil's trumpet. A toxic plant not suitable for growing in homes. Very fragrant flowers. Seeds easy to germinate. Some varieties are gone wild. Mostly in doubles and some triples. Blue and purple colors are most common. It is relative of Brugmansia which also has fragrant flowers and is also grown in lahore for evening fragrance. Both these plants might need protection in winters.
• Echinacea. Another plant worth of being a perennial. Most popular species is Echinacea purpurea. It is also called purple cone flower which has purple cone shape flowers. There is another variety with white flowers and fragrant ones called echinacea purpurea white swan. One cultivar with very large flowers is called echinacea magus. There is also a double flowering variety in which another flower formed on the top of first flower. This is called echinacea double decker. No seeds of any variety are available here. My plants are due to bloom in summer of 2011 and will post pictures soon.
• Egg Plant.Solanum melongena. Local name numaishi bengan. Ornamental squash. Cultivars include golden eggs.
• Gaillardia. If there is one plant in lahore which can bloom whole year that is gaillardia. Blooming year round in lahore it is naturalized as perennial and not annual. Consider it as a permanent plant. It self sows easily and it is very easy to collect its seeds to grow more plants.Cultivars include double gaillardia, bicolor and lorenziana
• Gerbera. Also called African Daisy. Grows in partial shade in lahore. Direct sun is not good for this plant. Many beautiful color combination exists with single and semi double and double flowers. Florist gerbera is the most beautiful of all and ideal as house plants. They grow well in pots. The plant does not like over watering and crown of the plant should be a little above soil so that water does not stay for long time.    
• Gomphrena. Local name gul-e-makhmal or gul-e-tukhma. Colors include white red and purple. Cultivars include extra dwarf gnome
• Ipomoea. Very fast growing vines. All are grown from seeds very easily. The variety most common is Ipomoea purpurea called morning glory. It is mostly in the shades of blue. If there is any climber which has so many color combination of flower then it is morning glory.It does not care about soil requirements, all it wants is full sun and water in hot summers, that's all. Another cultivar not common is milky way. Another variety is Ipomoea lobata also known as mina lobata.
• Another variety which is very common is Ipomoea cairica called mile a minute. Another name is railway creeper. Its Local name is Ishq Pechan.
• Only some of the varieties of ipomoea are fragrant. One of them is ipomoea alba called moon flower. It has fragrant white flowers very large which open in evening and close by dusk.      

• Kochia. Local name Jawari. Grown for foliage which turns red in winter. Cultivars include summer cypress.
• Marigold. Local name genda. It is sown first from February to July then again July to November. Flowers are mostly in shades of yellow with mostly double flowers. Two kinds are very famous. First is african marigold and second is french marigold. Bonanza series is most common of all. There is also an off white color variety but it flowers late and flower size is not very large as well.
• Mimosa. Local name choi moi. Another local name is Lajwanti. Flowers are mostly pink or purple color. Cultivars include pudica.
• Mirabilis.Most common is mirabilis jalapa. Called marvel of peru. Local name is Gul-e-abbasi. Flowers are fragrant in evening. It is a medicinal plant. It does not like water retention so it is grown in soil just above soil surface.
• Portulaca. Portulaca grandiflora also known as moss rose has largest flowers in the genus. Local name is Gul-e-dupeher. Its flowers open only in sunlight and close in shade. There are two types, the native portulaca also known as dupeher boti which is actually a perennial and is not removed easily, you can think of it as a weed. Flowers of this one are opened in afternoon and close by evening. Color is mostly pink in this kind. The second one are the modern hybirds which are annual. Most common is F1 sundial mixed. Colors are in all shades. They are single, semi double or full double. Flowers remain open for most of the day hence called full day portulaca. It is very heat tolerant plant and can be grown with little or no water.
• Passiflora. These are vines from warm climates. The most common is passiflora caerulea. It is also called passion flower. Flowers are very beautiful. Other varities grown include passiflora edulis, passiflora foetida and passiflora incarnata which is also called Maypop. These vines do not like fertilizer else they will promote leaf growth but no flowers. They love full sun. Young plants need protection in winter. Another cultivar of passion flower is called 'Incense' which has very fragrant flowers. They are famous for late flowering hence potassium should be given to the plants. One method of doing it is to bury banana peel under the soil.
• Rudbeckia. Also called black eyed susan. Although there are many varieties of this plant including the one with red colors, it is only available here in the common yellow color. Recently there has been some seeds of bicolor as well but not common. There is a magnus type with extra large flowers of rudbeckia.
• Salvia. It is also included in spring and winter flowers. The most common color is red which is most heat tolerant. Red color is more suitable to southern plains. Seed is sown from july to november.
• Sun flower. Local name Suraj mukhi. Although a wild plant here but some cultivars are worth growing. specially the dwarf teddy bear and the one with chocolate color. There is a red color variety as well and then there is a white color variety called moonwalker. The bicolor variety is called florenza red. Seeds are large and easy to germinate.
• Sterilitzia. Bird of paradise. Its plants are widely grown in lawrence gardens lahore. Very large flowers not suitable for growing in pots.
• Vinca. Also called periwinkle. Another plant gone wild. Local name sada bahar. It is also called ratan jot here. It is a medicinal plant as well. It flowers almost year round and one of the toughest plants i have come across. It is difficult to remove this plant. Newly introduced cultivars include vinca victory and then there is a hanging mix suitable for growing in hanging baskets. There is vine from this family Vinca major not common here.
• Venidium. It is relative of arctotis. South african native plant so very heat tolerant. Flowers are daisy type and very pretty. It is a low growing plant. Seeds are easy to germinate.It does not grow well if sown in spring. Its best time is sown in fall but it flowers into the summer as well.
• Zinnia. Most popular summer flowering plant. Famous cultivars include super yoga, elegans, F dreamland, F1 profusion, Magellan F1, swizzle bicolors, lilliput and persian carpet. My personal favorite is the one i am unable to get seeds of. It is called zahara starlight rose.Zinnia cactus are also very beautiful having cactus type flowers.

Annual Spring flower show 2011 Karachi

60th Annual flower show 2011 is held in Karachi at sea view. Here are the details.
Dates:
24th February 2011 6pm - 11pm
25-27 February 2011 8am - 11pm

Location: DHA Sea view Park (near McDonalds) Karachi.

For details, contact +92 51 35881158 and +92 51 35373738

Spring blooms of dahlia, yellow jasmine and clerodendrum

To view flowers blooming from all around the world, visit Today's Flowers

For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
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Larkspur, petunia and calendula flowers

It is Spring knocking at our doors here in zone 10. Here is what is blooming right now.

Larkspur botanic name delphinium consolida. Easy to grow from seed. The one i got required staking. I am also growing perennial variety of delphinium (perennial in hilly areas only and not in plains) delphinium elatum and grandiflora but not in bloom yet. Growing them in 10 inches clay pots.

Then comes calendula officinalis locally called Gul-e-Ashrafi one of the earliest spring bloomers along with dahlia.

And last but not least, the lime petunia.

To see other flowers from around the world, visit Today's flowers
For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
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Blooms from Tulip flower show lahore

Tulip flower show was dull although flowers were so pretty i almost got lost. The beauty of blooms was just exceptional. I think the bulbs were pre-chilled. Most of them were darwin hybird tulips.
After seeing the beautiful flowers there, i changed my mind that they can not be grown in lahore. Now i will give tulips bulbs a try this fall. Although i prefer growing ornithogalum, oxalis, freesia and paperwhites but tulips has its own place in flowering bulbs. No wonder my next post will be about growing tulips in very mild winters like ours. Here are the tulips displayed at the flower show.

City of vacouver

Red Parade

Golden Parade

Purple Prince

Leen van der mark Tulip - similar to banja luka

This post is part of Garden Bloggers bloom day, a monthly event hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.

Don't forget to visit http://www.tootsietime.com/ for this week's fertilizer friday.

This post is also part of Blooming Friday hosted by Katarina. So do visit her website http://rosorochris.blogspot.com/ for other blooming friday posts.

Tulip Flower show Lahore

First Tulip flower show is held in lahore at Royal Palm Golf and country club, Lahore on 9, 10, 11 February 2011. They are claiming to display 14,000 tulips there.

Greenworks is providing them the bulbs. Will share the pics with you although i do not like the idea of tulip flower show as tulips are not ideally suited to lahore climate. Probably species tulips have better chances of growing in lahore as compared to the modern hybrid tulips.

Tulips displayed in the flower show will include Parade tulips, Purple Prince, Banja Luka, Golden Parade, City of Vancouver and Lee Van Der Mark. More information can be acquired from these phone numbers. +92-300-8503884, +92-321-577535 for registration. tulipshow@greenworks.com.pk

LahoreGardening.com has always been advocating to grow and display native plants and those plants which are suited to climate of lahore. For more information on growing those flowering bulbs which are suited to hot climate like lahore, see the flowering bulbs section.

Dahlia Bloom

For more Wordless Wednesday posts, visit Wordless Wednesday

Aloe Vera blooms

Flowers of Aloe vera. It's local name is Kawar Gandal. Shot in Model Town Park, Lahore. Famous for its medicinal properties, it also has culinary uses. There are many plants growing wild in lahore. Some of them are outside the barni garden in lahore near Governor house.

There are many other flowers blooming all around the world. To see them visit Today's flowers.

For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
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Blooms of hibiscus and Cherry tomato

Hibiscus


Flower of Cherry tomato


Visit Flowers from today for other flowers around the world

Dombeya Magic

Dombeya closeup






Visit Flowers from today for other flowers around the world
For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
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Butterflies of Islamabad - Blue Pansy

My first series of butterflies and that is of those butterflies i captured in Islamabad, Pakistan. Other series will be butterflies of lahore, pakistan in which i will show you at least 10 butterflies which i captured in lahore.

The first one is blue pansy with scientific name Junonia orithya. It is native to Africa and south east Asia.

I captured it in Rose and Jasmine garden Islamabad. I did not find it in lahore. It was captured in early winter so chances are there it migrated from the upper hills areas. It is sun loving species and found mostly on dirt, grass and other open areas.


In Australia this butterfly is known as the Blue Argus. Although it is a common butterfly of Pakistan, i am yet to find it in lahore.
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