Floriculture is developing as an area of high technology- based frontier interdisciplinary subject on scientific excellence and is recognized as most remunerative profession with a much higher potential for returns per unit area than most fields and even some other horticultural crops. It has progressed both scientifically and commercially due to concentrated efforts made by floriculture scientists.

Floriculture is the aesthetic branch of horticulture that deals with the cultivation of ornamentals, annuals, biennials and perennial plants as well as with their marketing. Flowers symbolize beauty, purity, peace and love. In India, it is a dynamic and expanding industry showing an impressive annual growth rate.

Scooping: It involves `Removing’ of basal plate and destroying the `Central Shoot’ of the bulb, thus encouraging the formation of bulblets round the cut edges of the scale leaves. Scooping is achieved by using a special knife or a spoon with a `Sharpened edge’ to leave a `Concave depression’ at the base of bulb. The depth of the cut is important, because the bulblets are formed on `cell tissues’ at the lowest point of the `scale leaves’.

Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) Family: Nymphaeaceae/Nelumbonaceae Origin: Southern Asia Flower colour: White to deep pink Plant part used: Flower (almost all parts) Basic chromosome number: X=8 Somatic chromosome number: 2n =16

1. Carnation is a  a) Short day plant           b) Day neutral plant  c) Long day plant            d) None of these 2. Lotus in Sanskrit is known as  a) Water lily       b) Padma  c) Kamala           d) Pankaja

Plant name         Cultivars Amaranthus        NBRI, Lucknow: Amar Kiran, Amar Mosaic, Amar Parvarti, Amar Tricolor                Prithu, Amar Raktabhy, Amar Suikiran, Amar Summer King, Amar                             Summer Queen, Amar Tarang

• Harmony is the principle of landscaping. • Texture is an important element of landscaping. • Blue is a primary colour. • Green in a secondary colour. • Garden furniture is a tangible item.

Annuals are the group of plants that complete their life cycle in one season or in one year during which they grow, flower and produce seed; and after this they wither out. A true annual (like zinnia) is a plant that will grow from seeds, flower, produce seeds and die in one season. Zinnias provide a succession of flowers for summer colour in any sunny location with good soil drainage.