All India Winter Rose show ends in Gurgaon

GURUGRAM: Millennium city residents got flowery treat at All India Winter Rose Show at Leisure Valley Park. Two-day Rose show, organised by Rose Society of India in association of Huda, was inaugurated on Saturday. The Rose show, one of the most prestigious in the country, was organised in Gurgaon for the first time wherein variety of roses were put on display under 23 classes and 174 sections at the park.

"It is exciting to see so many beautiful flowers at one place. I feel refreshed after coming here," said Ananya Mukherjee adding that such shows should be organised on regular basis in Gurugram.

A lot of people with their friends and families flocked to the park to have a glimpse of the beautiful flowers in all their blooming glory. The exhibition displayed the choicest of flowers from numerous participants from different parts of the country. Besides many prominent organisations including CPWD, Airport Authority of India, Tata Energy Research Institute, Huda, Northern Railway, NDMC and DDA had also displayed their flowers.

"The show is visual treat for the flower lovers as it provides a chance to see large variety of rose -cut blooms of HT, Floribunde, miniature, climber rose and many more at one place," said secretary of Rose Society of India, Shiv Kumar Sharma adding that entry is free for all. On Sunday people can visit from 10 PM to 4.30 PM and enjoy the beauty of colourful roses.

After inaugurating the show, Huda administrator Yashpal Yadav said many more such shows need to be organised in Gurugram. "Spending time with these beautiful flowers is wonderful way to rejuvenate after hectic day," said Yadav adding that colourful flowers also help in reducing stress.

He said urban authority will support such activities in future also. "The idea was to let people unwind and also adopt such hobbies like growing roses and flowers, which support nature," said Yadav.

The show was organised every year in a bid to create platform for people to understand about different varieties of roses and their uses and advantages. Sharma said beautiful flowers soothes the eyesight and calms the mind with their aesthetic colours.

People were happy that show was hosted in Gurugram, but there were few who wanted extended of the duration of show. "Two-day is not enough, duration of the show should have been hold for longer duration so many more people, school children and college students could also come and see such beautiful flowers," said Aman Khanna, an IT professional.

Here are 4 ideas on how to add some fresh flowers to your Christmas table

Your flat is probably already decked out in all its festive glory, but how about the table?

If you’ve got all the family, or all your friends, assembling around your table, you’ll want to get that into tip-top shape; not just to impress them, but also to bring it all in line.

Fresh flowers are always the way to go, but we appreciate it might be hard to pick something festive, not to mention time is of the essence once December kicks off, and florists are always busy.

So we’ve teamed up with Bloom & Wild, the flower delivery company, to present four ideas on how to make your table stand out this Christmas.

And the best thing? Carefully wrapped so nothing gets squished, their flowers fit through the letterbox, leaving you with extra time to get all set up for Christmas.

1 Wreath’s the word

Probably one of the most popular Christmas accessories, wreaths are everywhere during the festive season.

As proven so often in Mainland Europe, where the tradition of advent wreaths is well and truly alive, taking them from the door to the table can easily spread some extra cheer.

Whether you go down the simple route and leave Bloom & Wild’s Fin as-is, or add some candles and turn it into a classic advent wreath, it’s a simple but elegant way to set your table.

As a bonus, you won’t need to

2 Keep it simple, but elegant

Let’s be honest, you can’t go wrong with sticking to your color scheme, and everyone loves a good bouquet.

Bloom & Wild’s the Madison comes in a simple cream and red color scheme, and the Gemma is a glorious, all-red combination of roses and rhodos roses, with hypericum berries, herbaceous rosemary and evergreen leucadendron for a contemporary twist.

For an even bolder choice, the Neve brings blood and dark red together, as the stand-out piece of the party.

And for a big table, or if you’re seriously pressed for space, the Posy Party is just the right size: five small bouquets, in festive colors, to scatter around.

3 Get a tiny tree

The only thing better than a Christmas tree, in our opinion, is to have two Christmas trees.

If, like us, you’re a Londoner or just reside in a small flat, Bloom & Wild’s tiny trees are the perfect size to fit in any room.

But you know what that also means?

They’re perfect for the table, especially if you don’t need to pass things across all too often.

Not to mention there’s nothing quite as eponymous with Christmas cheer as a small tree.

Whether you choose the George, the Drew or the Jack, they all come with a collapsible pot, so no fiddling around trying to find a stand, and a set of decorations, from fairy lights to jingle bells.

Which means, if you’re so inclined, you and your guests can decorate the tiny table tree together, for some festive, pre-dinner entertainment.

And for the beauty-crazy people in your family (or yourself – it’s the time of treats after all) the Birchtree comes with five luxury beauty treats, to take home afterwards.

4 Think outside the box

Even if your flat is decked in holly, candy canes and co, this doesn’t mean you can’t go wild on your table.

Why not go for a cheerful pink, like with the Alexa?

Or, if you’re more for the muted tones, a pastel pink-and-white number always looks classy and elegant.

Like the Harper, which is sure to level up your festive and leave friends and family a little green with envy.

For a more wintery atmosphere, the Scandi-inspired the Sadie – in soft pinks, creams and whites – or the colorful blush-tones of the Leila bring some Nordic charm to the table.

Seeing as it’s Christmas, we’re also giving one lucky reader the chance to win a full year’s worth of flowers.

The competition runs until 6 January and, sadly, is only open to UK residents, who must be aged 18 or over to take part.

All you need to do is pop your details into the form below, cross your fingers (or wish on Santa’s elves) – and if you’re lucky, you’ll receive a bouquet a month, through your letterbox.

Garden company launches glow-in-the-dark flowers for Halloween

Horticulture magazine Amateur Gardening pranked their readers in 2000 by running a story on luminous flowers, but the joke has now become a reality thanks to experts at a seed company.

The product has been created thanks to research done by horticulturists at Unwins, who created a special spray that would achieve the desired affect without damaging the plants.

The colourful bouquet includes five unusually coloured flowers as well as three creepy Chrysanthemums that glow in the dark when the lights go off.

Unwins added a touch of darkness with birch and oak leaves painted black to complete their unique Halloween product.

They carried out a trial that found the luminous spray, which is usually used for fabrics, does not affect the quality, or shelf life, of the leaves or petals.

James Oakey, the head of horticulture at Unwins, said: "We created this spooky bouquet of flowers especially for Halloween.

"They are perfect for the upcoming celebrations, particularly because the Chrysanthemums light up in a spooky green colour in the dark.

"Their shape makes them look like spiders, they've gone down really well with children.

"Their glow also illuminates the unusual shapes of the flowers around them."

He added: "We made sure that the spray did absolutely no damage to the plants before bringing them to the market.

"I have had a glow-in-the-dark bouquet at my house for two weeks and it's still looking fresh."

The plant does not need any special treatment after purchase and can be maintained in the same way as any other bouquet of flowers.

Unwins are offering the product as a Halloween special and will only be sending out one shipment, just before October 31.

The bouquet is currently being sold through the company's website for £25.

5 Flowers You Can Grow In Spring To Get Your Garden Blooming

Just about every plant flowers in spring, which is why there’s no better time to get out and plant some flowers in your garden.

There are so many different flowers you can grow, but these five can be grown just about anywhere and with ease.

They’re sure to brighten up your garden in next to no time!

1. Sunflowers

You can’t help but love sunflowers. Whether you want to grow tall sunflowers with massive flowering heads or a small variety for your garden, they’ll thrive and colour up your garden throughout spring. They’re easy for you to grow from seeds, and if you want to keep them growing and flowering, trying planting them every two to four weeks between August and January. Try to plant them around 25cam apart in well drained soil with full sun. They’ll attract insects and native birds to your gardens, and you can watch them move their flowering heads to follow the sun throughout the day.

2. Hydrangea

Whether you want to grow them in large pots, tubs or your garden beds, hydrangeas will flower in a range of colours for you. The flowers of hydrangeas reflect the pH level of your soil so depending on your pH level you could end up with purple, blue or pink flowers. Your hydrangeas will flower from later in spring through until autumn, but that depends on the climate you’re in. They will grow from cuttings if you know someone who has them already, and they’re frost hardy. Just make sure you grow them with some protection from the sun and wind, and water them well in dry and hot weather.

3.Hibiscus

These flamboyant flowers can be grown in many ways in your garden. Whether it’s in a pot in your courtyard, around your pool or as part of a hedge in your garden, all hibiscus needs is full sun and well-drained soil to thrive. They’ll flower in a range of colours from winter to summer, and grow in just about every part of Australia. If you live in a colder area, try growing a frost resistant variety in case you have a burst of unseasonal cold weather. As the weather gets warmer, make sure you add some mulch to the hibiscus to stop the soil around the plant from drying out.

4. Daylily

With their colourful flowers, daylilies are a popular addition to any garden at this time of year. Daylily flowers will keep your garden blooming from spring through to autumn, although each flower only usually lasts a day. Daylilies are hardy, drought, frost and wind tolerant and will thrive in most gardens if they’re well fed, mulched and planted in full sun.

5. Vireya

These shrub-like flowers grow year around, although they flower less in summer months. You can grow them in a range of shades from pinks and reds to white, yellow and orange. While the vireya flowers can be grown across the country, they are susceptible to frost – so you should try to keep them protected from any unexpected bursts of cold weather. When planting your vireyas, make sure they have some shade and a free-draining soil with some compost. They will grow happily in pots if you only have a courtyard or small area.