Dreaming, about gardens and gardening is something all plant people indulge in from time to time. Gardens — just like dreams — are perpetually being honed towards a perfection we never actually achieve as seasons, focal points, colours, contrasts and plant growth or failure alter their natural dimensions from day to day: nature dances to its own tune, not to ours.

Our gardening dreams and creations need to be not just realistic but elastic if they are ever going to achieve anything close to fruition: for this to happen it is essential to take ‘her’ by the hand and trust Nature to lead the way.

If there is one thing nature finds repugnant it is mono-culture straight lines: sowing and growing in equidistant straight rows, one plant variety per row or per block. It may make life easier for the gardener but only in the initial stages as, pretty soon, nature rebels at such negative restriction.

Nature dances to its own tune, not ours

The plants themselves, depending on species, may automatically attempt to break out by leaning over this way and that, and a wind or shower of rain may aid them in this. When this happens the well-intentioned gardener rushes out with sticks and string, and ties everything firmly back into its designated straightness completely ignoring the natural sprawl of things. Then, along come the ‘nasty gang’ — pests and avoidable diseases home in on the sight, taste and even sounds that each particular block of plants emits. They feast their fill until nothing is left to dream on unless, that is, the dream is a toxic one based on chemical interventions.

Sowing and planting in bits and bobs, in clumps and dots, in semi-colons, commas and dashes, is to emulate nature. A splash of bright ‘tagetes’ in the cabbage patch masks the distinctive brassica aroma, confusing pests and driving them away; borage amongst the tomatoes, garlic around the roses, onions growing hither and thither with carrots for companions all naturally work the same way.

This mix and match of vegetables, flowers and herbs — with never a straight row in sight — really is a potentially trouble free, naturally healthy, certainly happy garden to dream on: first imagine and then try!

NOVEMBER PLANTING GUIDE

Vegetable garden: Sow more solid cabbages and plenty of open-hearted or pointed, melt-in-the-mouth spring cabbages too. Creamy white and purple-headed cauliflowers are a must, as are both broccoli and its lesser known relative called calabresse. Spinach, Swiss chard/leaf beet, mustard greens, turnip greens, mustard mizuna, giant red mustard, pak choi, cut-and-come-again chopsuey greens, Chinese cabbage, cos lettuce and lettuce of many different kinds can all be sown now. Curl kale, Russian red kale and blue Italian kale, fenugreek are all great ‘greens’ to grow and enjoy as well. Long black or globe shaped black radish are rapid growers with a sharply delectable crunch as are more common French red radishes. Put in row upon row of versatile green onions, plenty of peas, sugar peas, carrots, broad beans, chickpeas — both black and white can produce a large crop from a relatively small area — turnips, beetroot, carrots, potatoes, celery, endive and onions with, in Karachi at least, a nice bed of ginger to tend. Garlic can be planted this month as can the ever popular cumin. Also in Karachi, sow more tomato seeds but do give the plants protection on cold nights and from chilly winds.

Herbs: Borage, flat-leaved, curly and Italian parsley varieties, rocket/arugula, watercress, lovage, lemon balm, aniseed, dill, coriander, chives, garlic chives, tarragon, chamomile, chervil, oregano, marjoram, thyme, sage, calendulas, nasturtiums, apple mint, spearmint, peppermint, green mint and any other kind of mint you can find seeds for. Fast-growing varieties of rosemary and lavender can still be sown but please be quick about it or they won’t have a long enough growing season to produce much. In Karachi, you can — in a protected spot — also sow some basil for winter and spring cheer.

Flowers: Sweet peas and masses of them, Queen Anne’s lace, tagetes, larkspur, ageratum, poppies and more poppies, alyssum, candytuft, sweet sultan, sweet williams, Virginia stocks, stocks, cornflowers, mimulus, statice, clarkia, godetia, flax, wallflowers, antirrhinums, lobelia, violas, bellis, salvias and many more.

Bulbs: Bulbs and corms for the garden and pot cultivation are widely available right now and there is plenty of choice. Narcissus (nargis), daffodils, Dutch hyacinths, grape hyacinths, freesias, anemones, Dutch iris, sparaxis, allium species and glorious tulips too can be sown by the score.

Flower of the month: ‘Muscari’, or Grape hyacinths to give them their common name, are simple to grow bulbous plants which are delightful in plant pots, on rockeries and in woodland style gardens. The small bulbs — these are usually imported from Holland and should be available in gardening stores right now — enjoy humus rich, well-drained soil/compost and their spring flowering time is prolonged if they are located in partial shade. Plant bulbs two to three inches deep and three to four inches apart and water lightly just twice a week and not at all if it rains. Reaching average heights of four to six inches (this varies depending on the exact species), flower spires — comprising lots of tiny, elongated blooms — are generally in some lovely shades of blue or pearly white. For impact plant in clumps.

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. It is important to include your location. The writer does not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened. Commercial enquiries will be ignored.

Published in Dawn, EOS, November 5th, 2017