Amaryllis Graffiti and Kashmir Dahlia

Kashmir dahlia is also called indian dahlia here but it is not from india. It is from holland. It is propagated from cuttings. These are raised and grown in cool areas like hilly mountains of Murree and then brought to warm areas in winter. It needs protection from fog and sever winter. It likes to be fed well and needs lot of energy to put large flowers. It goes dormant in summer and keeping it in soil bed is best option instead of digging and storing. It will re sprout in late summer. Not every indian dahlia is dinner plate. Full sun is must for good flowers. Remove spent flowers as soon as possible. This one is flowering on my terrace in a clay pot.

Hippeastrum (common amaryllis) is very ideal for growing in hot climates. There are two most common sources. The south african hybird and dutch hybirds. Hadeco are very famous south african company in hybridizing amaryllis. This one is hadeco Graffiti i am growing in a pot. Double amaryllis can also multiply specially in pot. Remember to bury only 1/3rd of the bulb below the soil.
For more macro shots, visit Lisa's Chaos

Dahlia Delight

Dahlias are among the first ones to bloom along with cosmos this spring. There are mainly two types available. The single ones, grown from seed and double ones, grown from tubers. cuttings are also available for double ones at cheap price. Tubers were available at around Rs 100-150 each. Double flower is also called indian dahlia while single ones is locally called Pakistani dahlia.

I always prefer single ones not because they are cheap but because they attract lots of bees and butterflies because of their nectar power. There is also a sense of adventure in single ones as they are hybird with mixed parentage, no one knows which type of flower will be produced. Also, you may find more than one types of flowers on a single plant. They are also more adaptable to our conditions and are more heat tolerant than double ones.
All the below shots were taken from dahlias i grew from seedlings in containers on my terrace.