Fence and Flowers – Pinto Premium White to Rose

During my visit to Kodaikanal, staying from uncle’s woodhouse in Thandikudi, in July, I come across some fence and pretty flowers around the star shaped Kodaikanal Lake. Spending time on the Kodai lake/road in evenings have been my favourite pastime whenever I was in Kodai, and sipping hot tea/coffee from the roadside shop while embracing the cold mountain weather produce a soothe feeling. There’s something always to watch out being around the lake, either people pedalling boats or riding horses or cycling around the lake and reflection of trees, colourful shops and fences and gates of houses around the lake road. And here’s a fence around a corner of the lake road, with pretty flowers bloomed from inside. My Google search revealed the bunch of pink flowers bloomed inside the fence was Pinto Premium White to Rose Geranium.

Pinto Premium White to Rose offers a unique coloration of giant 5-inch flower heads, with petals start out white turn deepen to rose-pink as flowers mature gives an pretty bicolour effect. The plants sport deep green leaves with darker zones that contrast beautifully with the light colored flowers.

Pinto Premium is a great choice for carefree, colourful summer garden beds or patio containers, bloom from the end of April until October. It prefers full to partial sun and regular deadheading for best appearance and flower production. 

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia and Floral  Friday Foto 

Knocked down Butterflies

While riding on the national highways in July, on way to Thandikudi (Kodai) for vacation, we sadly hit number of butterflies which came knocking on the windshield and side windows around the belt of Tindivanam and Villupuram. It wasn’t an unusual thing while riding but this time we hit butterflies in plenty and the butterflies were emerging in and out of the median where flowering plants were at bloom. At many places across the highways flowering plants and shrubs are grown on the median to prevent flashing light from the passing vehicles in opposite at night and also to enhance the appearance of road.

I have taken the NH 45 many times and ever hit the number of butterflies alike and we felt pity for these tiny lives. The butterflies that mostly knocked down were yellow and light green ones apart some red brown and orange butterflies. My cousin was driving the car and the knocked down butterflies leave back their trace on the windshield, turning it colourful and we counted about 5 different colours. The plants that adore the medians were mostly oleander and some kind of yellow flowers that produce nectar. So the butterflies were busy feeding on the sweet essence and being a highway it’s not possible to drive slowly, so could only feel sorry for these beauty species.

Footnote:

The rock painting of butterflies (pic above) was captured while waiting at the ECR toll gate to collect tickets. ECR toll gate is beautiful as same and I always try to capture some thing and the rock paintings are one. 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Floral Friday: White Oleander

Nerium oleander is a shrub or small tree grows from a neighbour’s house and the flowers were shot through the backdoor, across the open parking of the house next door. The evergreen shrub is a fast-growing with an upright growth-habit to 10-15 feet tall and wide. This sun loving and long-blooming variety features narrow glossy dark-green foliage with flowers grow in clusters at the end of each branch in pretty white, pink to red.

Oleander flowers are showy, profuse, and often fragrant, which makes them very attractive in many contexts and they bloom from mid-spring through summer attract bees.

All parts of this shrub contain a milky sap that is poisonous if ingested and one should be caution when pruning or working with this species. The shrub thrives in exposure of full sun and tolerates heat reflected coastal conditions, where it is extensively used as an ornamental plant in parks, roadsides and house gardens.

Linking this post for Floral  Friday Foto 

Yellow Mike

A yellow Dahlia bloomed near my uncle’s woodhouse in Thandkudi and the way it rose up from a long stem reminds me the standing mike in stage play.

Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and it is related to species includes the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. The flower forms are variable, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 5 cm diameter or up to 30 cm. The dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963.

Linking this post for Floral  Friday Foto 

Jacaranda at full bloom in Nilgiris

During my travel to Nilgiris, popularly known as Ooty, in April we were treated by the blue flowing trees at many places which was like giving an addition coat of blue to the Blue Mountains. The tree is widespread across the mountains, but we saw them in large numbers around the Coonoor and Wellington Cantonment.

Jacaranda tree bloomed at Wellington Cantonment

Jacaranda tree or Blue Jacaranda is an ornamental tree grows up to 18 meters and is popular for its clusters of fragrant purple trumpet shaped blossom that blooms from March to May. The blue jacaranda has been planted in almost every part of the world where there is no risk of frost; its bark is thin and grey-brown in color, twigs are slender and slightly zigzag in light reddish brown color.

This one was shot at Kundha on way to Manjoor town

The flowers are up to 5 cm long and are grouped in 30 cm panicles, appear in spring and early summer and last for up to two months. Each flower blooms with a five-lobed blue to purple-blue corolla and few species have white flowers. The fruit is an oblong to oval flattened capsule containing numerous slender seeds.

A   collage on Jacaranda around Coonoor and Wellington

There’s a city in South Africa called Pretoria and is popularly known as The Jacaranda City due to the enormous number of jacaranda trees planted as street trees and in flowering time the city appears blue/purple in color when seen from the nearby hills because of all the Jacaranda trees. 

Ps. Off  to mountains for a week... will post and check blogs once back from vacation.

Linking this post for Floral  Friday Foto 

Staying at Sathyamangalam Guesthouse

Following Kodiveri Dam, we halt at Sathyamangal for the night stay. My cousin had booked at the Sathyamangalam guest house for us and it lies on the bank of Bhavani River. It was over 6 pm when we reached the guesthouse and the staffs were awaiting for us, and they took care of our need well. Actually there isn’t a need for them, because things were fine on their own and the couple of rooms were spacious with one air conditioned. I was surprised to see a ramp facility at the entrance of the house, which claims 5 steps.

I really enjoyed staying at this guesthouse, though it is a very old house and tiled roof, the interiors are renovated for moderate suite and its natural environment of river and trees around turned to be my favourite. When we arrived, found number of birds (mostly herons) perching on and off the branches of the trees while making the river its hunting pool, there was noise of birds amid the silence. At morning I got to listening different sound of birds and clear picture of things around.

Orange lily, showing stamens with pollen-covered anthers shot at the courtyard of the guesthouse.

The night spent comfort and cool under the AC and the weather wasn’t bad like the day time and it’s less hot because of the wind. But we experienced abundance mosquitoes outside the room and though they come and sit large on our skin doesn’t bite surprisingly! But one or two does. The dinner and breakfast was bought from the restaurant nearby and I really liked the ven pongal and idly as morning tiffin.  Once finished the morning activities I was out with my camera to take photos around.

The guesthouse is built facing the river and there’s a separate stair (but locked by gate) to get down to the river and I really liked the architecture of this house with wide portico and corridors on both sides. The courtyard is simply beautiful with flower pots, plants and trees giving a nice green environment to the house. The guesthouse belong to the highways was maintained well and their provision of ramp proves their concern for unable people and the couple of staffs were friendly and shareable.

From the guesthouse we could see the activities on the bridge across the river that connects Mysore road. And beyond that a steeple rose between the trees. The water flow in the Bhavani River is very less and this’s the water that overflows as waterfalls in Kodiveri dam. We moved out of the guesthouse after the breakfast and drove towards Athikadavu on the foothills of Nilgiris. 

Fence and flowers

Here’s another beautiful fence and flowers shot from the same evening walk (in wheelchair) at the neighbourhood and this was taken at Besant 4^th avenue road unlike its sibling Blue Cross road (both are popular for local photo-shoot) here. After my Nilgiris trip last month, I haven’t stretched my walking beyond our streets but I’m thinking of catch up this weekend… let see what I get to shoot.

In the above picture, you could see the yellow bell flowers bloomed inside the fence that protects the roadside garden along the 4^th avenue and the pink flowers above the compound are bougainvillea. The following one has red-orange flowers, which I have no idea was shot few meter away along the fence. 

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia and Floral Friday Foto 

Yellow Daisy-like Flowers

The Euryops daisy is a large perennial bush that bloom all season long or until cold temperatures appear with yellow daisy-like flowers. Euryops is a member of sunflower family, native mostly to rocky sites in southern African, but the photos were captured at Coonoor while detour around the hill station in the Nilgiri.

Euryops pectinatus is a vigorous evergreen shrub that grows up to 5 feet tall and wide, with silvery green, hairy leaves and yellow, daisy-like composite flowers; they bloom from early summer to autumn. The bush grows best in full sun and well drained deep soils, but need moist. The images were shot during evening sunlight. 

Linking this post for Floral Friday Foto 

Fence across Golf Course

The photos were actually focused on the scene behind the fence, the Ooty golf course and fog making way through mountains and trees, but the fence was taller than our car to prevent interruption. The images were captured on the Old Pykara Rd that lead one side of the golf course and I have been on this road earlier and I like the serenity and with tall trees of eucalyptus and pine it always remains cool.

The road is entirely scenic and I find many yellow flowers in this area which has some education institutions and the popular Ooty Gymkhana Golf Club also reside on this road. I heard bison’s (Indian guar) are often spotted here, though I find some people taking walk on the road without any fear as it was evening by then. At the end of the road we explored a beautiful temple little further from the main road, which I will post on later. 

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia 

Wild Fence and Flowers

A post shared by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Mar 19, 2017 at 8:41am PDT

During an evening walk in my wheelchair at the neighbourhood and across the Blue Cross road in Adyar (adjoining Besant nagar) I capture this piece of fence that I find it to be wild. The entire road has been fenced one side that belongs to former Besant school (now The school KFI) and was covered by canopy of trees. Sadly many trees fallen on this road in recent cyclone Vardha, but still the road continues to hold charm by greenery and shadows. I also found some little flowers bloomed pretty in pink covers some area of the fences… and I do think this is some kind of wild flowers thrive on its own. 

A post shared by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Mar 8, 2017 at 11:28pm PST

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia and Floral Friday Foto 

Gate and Yellow Bells

Last year during the visit to Kumbakonam and while coming from Ariyalur we stopped at a village and I just came close to this yellow flowering shrub grew in front of a house. And the gate came into the image without an intention of shooting it and it gives a neat look to the house and I also liked the design.

The yellow flowers, named as yellow bells aka yellow trumpet bush has become a trend in Tamil Nadu and many people has been planting this shrub esp. in front of the houses. Apart for the ornamental use, people started to grow these mainly for the purpose of Vastu (a traditional belief of bringing harmony into the home and Vastu means dwelling) but I like this plant for its charming and bright yellow blossoms. I really want to have this plant for me and will try to get one soon.

Yellow Bells are a perennial shrub in the trumpet vine family that is native to the Americas and it is heat and drought tolerance, vigor and pest resistance. The yellow flowers are 2” long with trumpet shape and hangs in showy clusters at the branch tips and forks, bending the wigs into arches give the name Yellow Bells. It has a very long flowering season, from early summer to late fall; the shrub reaches 15-20 feet height and attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds for its flowers. 

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia and Floral Friday Foto 

Gloriosa Lily – The state flower of Tamil Nadu

During my Sunday outing last weekend, I was surprised to see the state flower of Tamil Nadu – Gloriosa Lily – which I was looking for some time. Alike it’s other common names including flame lily and fire lily; the flowers bloomed like fire flames on the fence of a farm house near Kovalam.

Kaanthal, the flower called in Tamil, has six tepals each extends up to 5 to 7.6 cm long and generally looks bright red to orange and sometimes with yellowish bases. I found two flowers; one with yellow base and the other quite bright red makes nice difference between the young and old that exhibits wavy margins.

Gloriosa is a perennial herb, native to much of Africa and Asia, climb or scramble over other plants with the aid of tendrils at the ends of their leaves and can reach 3 meters in height. Despite its showy and ornamental flowers as it was cultivated worldwide and also as a medicine, the plant is poisonous and toxic enough to cause human and animal fatalities if ingested. 

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto  and contribute to Good Fences conduct by  new hostess Gosia at looking for identity blog

Roadside garden Chain-link fence, dedicated to Tex Girl on bid adieu

Last week I was close to Elliots Beach in my powered wheelchair, testing the battery stability, as I have a doubt about its duration, come across a stretch of chain-link fence, protecting a roadside garden along the 4^th Avenue of Besant Nagar, Chennai.

A photo posted by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Nov 12, 2016 at 8:34am PST

This stretch of road is popular among the local photo enthusiasts and film crews to take photo shoots, perhaps, because of less traffic; wider in space and almost quiet among the neighborhoods. The well laid fence on one side of the road, along the high wall of Olcott memorial school or Besant Garden, with nicely maintain garden and different kind of trees stretching out the garden is an additional attraction to this road.

As I carry mobile along with me, I took few photos along the road particularly the chain-link fence attached to green poles along the roadside garden with colourful bougainvillea, lookout of the compound wall take my attention. In evening I see many taking walk on the road (perhaps more in morning), but little cautious is much, as the road is almost empty the vehicles speed at their own.

A photo posted by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Nov 24, 2016 at 1:53am PST

Linking this post for Good Fences by Run a Round Ranch, for last

P.S. This is supposed to be the last Good Fences link-in by Theresa (known by her profile nameTexWisGirl) of Run a round ranch, as she decided to bid farewell to her blog with this link-in for last. She has requested her link-in followers to carry on the meme… I hope someone take in charge of. Either it happens or not, I will continue to post under this meme on my personal interest. Thank you TexWisGirl… you will be remember always thought the good fences meme, and not only that way, but your support and sharing all these years in blogging. Hope you reconsider your decided later and turn back to blogging to share your support and interest. 

My Supermoon and Skywatch

You all aware it was Supermoon yesterday, where moon comes closest to earth in the last 68 years, appearing 14 per cent bigger and up to 30 per cent brighter than usual. Though supermoons are fairly frequent, the November 14 supermoon is a once-in-a-generation sight! There are six supermoons in 2016 and we already had four, and after next week there’s one on December 14. Last time I saw a supermoon was in year 2011.

For some time lately my Instagram witnessed many moon shots and I have been watching the moon, as well as the sky, during evening and night times encouraged me to take live shots and upload the mobile photo-sharing app. A lonesome feeling was taking place in me for some time lately and there was a desire to come out and check things happening around to keep away my lonely feel. Though I was going through the let-down feel, the amusement got via watching the sky, in different light, colors, shades and clouds and the moon, from nothing to whole, inspires me to look forward and implants hope within.

When thing being like that how I could miss the magnificent event (Supermoon) taking place at the eventide and night? For last two days I was seeing rainbow colored halo around the moon when mild clouds pass the same. The moon was truly bright last night and taking photos has been very difficult due to overexposure of light and focusing on the moon to get a detail shot, keeping away the bright light. Actually I didn’t get the detail when capturing it from the courtyard and it fall pretty white, but only after transferring into the computer I found the grey shades and thus was the brightness of the moon yesterday. Lately I see the moon pretty early in the sky when I come into the street but it only come across our courtyard by 9 pm and these photos were taken during that time. 

My favorite shot among  the supermoon, with face detail

Immortality Re-blooming

Being a follower of Betsy’s Joyful Reflections, I have admired the beauty of Iris bloomed in various colors and patterns, many a time in her blog. I have been to mountains many a time, and have seen variety of fancy flowers bloomed in the gardens and cottages we have stayed, but I ever seen an Iris until last year when I visited Cloud Mountain.

I was really amused to find a White Iris bloomed in the courtyard of the guest house we stayed in the Cloud Mountain. One side of the huge courtyard has a flower bed lined by some beautiful flowering plants and the White Iris was the only blossom from the few Iris plants grown as cluster of leaves.

Iris is a perennial plant grows from bulb and usually has 3-10 basal sword-shaped leaves growing in dense clumps. The flowers are in the shape of a fan and contain one or more symmetrical six-lobed flowers. The three sepals, which are usually spreading or droop downwards, are referred to as falls.

The Iris I capture seems to be Immortality Re-blooming or Bearded Iris boasts of pure white petals with a lemon beard (a tuft of short upright extensions growing in its mid-line), which are the plants filaments. Iris is a name derived from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris.

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto 

Brazilian Plume @ Thandikudi

During my stay at Serene Woods in Thandikudi, near Kodai, I come across this unique blossom of flowers, a large cluster of vivid pink flowers called Justicia Carnea bloomed at the house next to my uncle’s property. Widely known as Pink Jacobinia, Brazilian Plume and Flamingo Flower is an amazing perennial shrub that grow in sun or shade and blooms in the warmer parts of its range .

A bit taller to three to seven feet wide, many tubular with unusual pods holding flared flowers, curving outward from the center is bloomed throughout the summer in colors ranging from pink to purples and oranges. The leaves about 8” long are prominently veined, rich in green and pointed on the end. The branches of the plants are delicate as the other features of the same and are fragile to traffic or wind.

Native to tropical and subtropics of Brazil and South America, the Brazilian Plume flower is a member of the Acanthus family and prefers to grows well in partial to full shade. Belong to shade plant variety, about half a day of sun will witness the best display of flowers. It is cultivated as a decorative plant and is planted as a feature plant in warm temperate and subtropical climate.

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto 

Floral Bowl

The bowl maybe small – in brass

Filled with red rose petals

And a hub white rose.      
                           

Like chef garnish a dinner

Mom’s simple floral order

Adorn our tea table. 

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto

Orange and Yellow Marigold

Marigold is a common name in English, derived from Mary’s gold, and it was taken from the fact that early Christians placed flowers instead of coins on Mary’s altar as an offering. Marigold is often used in festivities honoring Mary. In Nepalese culture, marigold plays a significant role where marigold garlands are used almost in every household, esp. during the Tihar festival (similar to Diwali) and it is also sold in the markets for daily worships and rituals.

Marigold, rooted to North and South America blooms naturally around the world in colors of golden, orange, yellow and white, often with maroon highlights. The The orange and yellow marigold here was shot at Kodaikanal during one of the visits. 

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto

Carnation of India

In our previous house, we had couple of Crape Jasmines aka Moonlight or Carnation of India along the side walk. Native to India, the evergreen shrubs thrive with beautiful pinwheel shaped flowers has dark green leaves and pointed edge. Also known as Nandiar Vattai in Tamil, the shrub grows up to 4-6 feet in height with spread of 6 feet, blooms throughout the year and has flowers in 5 petals clustered to the stem tips. The roots and stem of the shrub has multiple medical benefits and interestingly the flowers of the single form are unscented rather than the double form with pleasant fragrance!

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto 

Pinkish Orange Flower

Parents brought some flowers for worship at home and with that I find one of the roses prettier and picked it up for shoot. Being Friday (a day considered as auspicious for those believe in religion) and flowers interaction with the day seems to be abundant, so I decided to share many of my flower photos on this day, while linking it with Floral Friday Foto theme. I have many photos on flowers, shot during my various travel to mountains/hill station and from the flowering plants around the home and in neighborhood. I will make a weekly post with one or two flower photos. 

Pics shot with galaxy S4 mini

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto