Red can be a surprisingly difficult colour to paint a garden with but, if you manage to do so successfully, the statement made is one of powerful splendour.

Not a colour choice for the faint-hearted, a red-themed garden benefits by blending with lots of green and greeny-blue-coloured foliage plants with which to create balance and a softness, that would otherwise be totally absent.

A brilliant spring splash of vivid red poppies shimmering in a zephyr breeze, the redness intensified by strategically placed bright green foliage plants or ferns, is a relaxing sight. Planted alone, the poppies, beautiful as they are, convey heat, harshness or even anger.

Reds brighten up grey days at any time of the year, can warm up winter, and yet compliment the summer sun. It is all a matter of seeing red in the right places.

Here are just some of the reds to harness around the year:

Annuals: Ladybird poppies, antirrhinums, dahlias, petunias, begonias, geraniums, balsam, cockscomb, hollyhock, nasturtium, portulaca, penstemon, phlox, salvia, sweet William, amaranthus, cosmos, nicotiana, sunflower, zinnia, lychnis and verbena.

Red flowers combined with green and green-blue foliage can brighten up grey days, warm up winter, and complement the summer sun

Bi-annuals and perennials: Dahlias, geraniums, hollyhocks, penstemon, salvia species, arcotis, gerbera, day lilies, gompherena, kalanchoes, carnations and wallflowers.

Bulbs and corms: Oriental and Asiatic lilies, sparaxis, tulips, ranunculous, gladioli, amaryllis, gloxinia and cyclamen.

Flowering trees, shrubs and climbers: Bombax malabaricum — silk cotton tree, Indian coral tree, scarlet cordia, pomegranate, bottlebrush, roses, bougainvillea, hibiscus, achania, hamelia patens, jatropha, poinsettias, rondeletia, russelia, clerodendrum, Japanese quince, red passion flower and poivera coccinea.

Some species may be listed under more than one heading. This means that they may be grown in different ways to suit our climatic conditions.

Sowing Suggestions For December

The flower garden: If you haven’t sown your sweet peas yet, you need to do so in the next few days and the same, for Karachiites, applies to the following spring-flowering annuals: Queen Anne’s lace or Ammi, cosmos, cornflowers, larkspur, linaria, ageratum, phacelia and lots of those bright and breezy, spring-flowering poppies which no garden should be without. You can also sow antirrhinums, arcotis, candytuft, petunias, pansies, violas, stocks, alyssum, brachycome, nemophila, bidens, sweet sultan, sweet williams, coreopsis, nigella and corncockle. Elsewhere, in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Quetta or in the chilly mountainous north, unless you have a greenhouse or poly-tunnel, wait until spring to sow the aforementioned seeds, except for sweet peas and annual poppies which, weather permitting, can still be sown if you do it in the next few days.

The vegetable garden: In plains and coastal areas, peas, beans, broad beans, Swiss chard/leaf beet, spring cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard varieties, calabrese and winter radish. Onions, spring onions, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, radicchio, bok choy, spinach, turnips, rutabaga, chopsuey greens, chicory, endive, winter varieties of lettuce and, providing that protection from cold can be given, tomatoes too.

The herb garden: Borage, comfrey, parsley, chervil, nasturtiums, calendulas, watercress, lemon balm, mints, lavender species, chamomile, chives, garlic chives, rosemary, sage, thyme, lovage, dill, aniseed, coriander, marjoram and oregano.

The orchard: After the middle of the month, through until early March, increase your fruit tree range. For best results, stick with species that are known to perform well in your locality. Depending where you live, choose from the following, all of which should be available in your local nurseries from around now until the winter planting season is over: dates, banana, star fruit, chikoo, guava, jamun or Java plum, custard apple, loquat, figs, olives, oranges, kumquat, lemons, grapefruit, mango, peaches, nectarines, cherries, apples, pears, plums, persimmons, quince, pomegranates and, in coastal locations only, coconuts. Olives, walnuts, pecan nuts, almonds and hazelnuts are worth growing in climatically suitable areas.

Fruiting vines and fruiting shrubs: Depending on your location, choose from grape vines, passion fruit vines and Kiwi fruit vines. Fruiting shrubs to consider are falsa, red and black currant, gooseberries, raspberries, logan berries, blueberries, elderberries and barberries. Other perennial fruits: there is just enough time to plant strawberry runners, but the sooner the better and, with protection from cold, pineapples can be started off all year round.

Ornamental and flowering trees, shrubs and climbers: These can also be planted from now until the end of March. Your local nurseries should have a wide selection in stock now and over the next few weeks. Select only visibly healthy, strongly growing plants, which are completely free of any pests and disease, as you do not, under any circumstances, want to import problems along with your newly purchased plants.

Climber of the month: Bignonia venusta or golden shower. This fast-growing, perennial climber, should be bursting into spectacular, blazing orange bloom anytime from late this month through until March. If the plant is exceptionally happy, it may also decide to bloom again later in the year. Propagated by cuttings or layering during the summer monsoon, this climber flourishes in full sun or afternoon sun and a well-draining soil, rich in organic matter. It does not like wind and is unhappy if exposed to a sea breeze. Planted in the shelter of a south to south-west facing wall is its idea of heaven.

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

Published in Dawn, EOS, December 5th, 2021