Stars of rainy season

Amarjeet Singh Batth

As rain pours lilies sprout  surprising the gardening enthusiasts with their vibrant spread. Zephyranthes (rain lilies) followed by Crynum (spider lily) and tuberose dot the garden with the onset of monsoons. Some of the main varieties that can brighten up your garden are: 

Tube-rose

Tube-roses start blooming in this month and continue flowering till October. This variety flourishes in a sunny, dry location. For healthy flowers add potassium and phosphorous in farmyard manure. This plant needs good moisture, but water logging and overwatering invites fungal disease. 

Planting advice 

Bulbs, when planted in flower bed for mass effects ,  should be planted  two inches below soil level and should be spaced approximately eight to 10 inches apart. The plant does well in pots also. It is advised to  plant four bulbs in one 12- inch pot. Flowering appears in single or double spikes 90 cms long with 12-24 flowers in pairs within 90 days. Single varieties are preferred to double ones.

Spider lily plants are  sensitive to extreme cold and dry weather and require a sunny location with moist well-drained soil.  Its bulb is large, roundish, 12-16 inches in length with a long tapering neck. A stalk of flowers blooms for weeks, however, individual flowers last only for a few days. They flower in groups of 6-10.

Care and maintenance  

The bulbs of this variety planted in summers are ready for bloom at the moment. This,too, is a low- maintenance plant, which needs good soil and a well- drained sunny spot. Watering has to be done on need basis. Add manure at the time of planting as there is no need to adminiter a periodic dose of fertiliser. This plant does not wither and offers green foliage round the year. When planting new bulbs, do not completely bury these but leave part of the bulb exposed above the soil.

Zephyranthes

Popular varieties of Zephyranthes such as Zephyranthes Grandiflora (pink) Zephyranthes Candida (white) and Zephyranthes Sulphurea (yellow) that start blooming with the  first monsoon showers flower till late September. 

When and where to plant 

Bulbs can be planted at any time provived that these are well looked after.   Clumps of large size can either be purchased or can be prepared by dividing the existing bulbs in the garden. These bulbs multiply quite fast, therefore, every year after the blooming season thinning out will be required. The evergreen foliage of rain lily can be used in perennial beds in rock gardens, as groundcover, along borders, as an edging plants for beds, pathways and sidewalks.

Tending tips 

These bulbs require rich, moist and well-drained soil and a sunny location. These plants have extensive soil and climatic adaptability and need low maintenance. When planted in a pot, maintain adequate moisture level. These do not require regular fertiliser dose or frequent watering.