Miniature iris — do not transplant bulbs when in bloom
Q. Which flowers, shrubs and other plants can I add to my garden to attract birds?
A. Birds, along with butterflies, bees and many other beneficial insects, love to feast on nectar-rich flowers of shrubs such as Hibiscus, Buddleia, Pentas, Mandevilla and roses in general. Roses also produce rosehips which birds adore. They also enjoy flowers like sunflowers, Portulaca, Verbena, Aster, Gazania and Inula helenium in their growing seasons.
Herbs for birds include: Sage, oregano, dill, aniseed, rosemary, lavender, coriander and basil. Climbing plants for birds are Clitoria ternatea, passion flower, Tecoma grandiflora and many others. Our feathered friends adore all manner of fruit, nut and berry shrubs / trees as well with figs and other ‘soft’ fruits being an all time favourite. The birds — and other wildlife — in your area are going to thank you for thinking of them many times over and are sure to reward you in their own way, especially if you also keep water available for them as well. Keep up the wonderful work!
Suggestions and solutions for attracting birds in the garden to altering the acidity / alkalinity of soil
Q. How can I remove fungus from the leaves of a curry plant?
A. In the absence of full detail about the exact type of fungus, its colour and overall appearance, the best I can do is to suggest that you mix up warm water and soap (the soap should be as pure / unperfumed / chemical free as possible). As a first step, dip a soft sponge in this solution and, very gently, sponge off as much of the fungal growth as possible, paying attention to the undersides as well as the upper part of the leaves. Next, spray the entire plant, again remembering to spray underneath the leaves too, with this same warm water / soapy solution. Also, regularly clean up any fallen leaves / debris around the plant as this may contain fungal spores (or insect pests / eggs) which could harm the plant in future. Wash / spray the plant either in early morning or late afternoon — not in full sunshine as sun on wet leaves can result in damage — every third or fourth day for a couple of weeks or until the problem is dealt with.
Q. What fertilisers should we treat as slow release ones? Kindly provide a list.
A. As you are probably aware, I do not advocate the use of any chemical interventions in the garden. The following are — or should be — (please check the label for full details of ingredients when purchasing) purely organic, slow release, fertiliser options: bone / bone meal, hoof and horn, fish meal, seaweed / kelp meal, iron filings / nails and guano (bat droppings).
Q. Please mention Urdu names for all the plants you write about as well as their botanical or English ones. This would be helpful when we go to seed stores / nurseries to buy them.
A. Many of the plants mentioned in this column are, botanically speaking, not indigenous and do not have consistent Urdu names: they may be called, in Urdu, by one name in Karachi and by another name in a different part of the country. This is a problem which can only be circumnavigated by using their botanical names.
Q. What are comfrey, marjoram and Clary sage called in Urdu?
A. There are no Urdu names, that I am aware of, for these herbs.