A Wild Experience and Bloom

 

Captured this cute little blossom from the wilderness mixed with fear and excitement! It seems like a kind of wild daisy flower was bloomed a lot alongside the headwaters of the Bhavani River in Nilgiris, and these flowers were tiny and less than an inch in size bloomed in white as well.

The headwater of the Bhavani River is one of the wildest places I have visited (in 2011) and, it still excites me to think back. There was no one at the place when we visited as 7, not because it was a weekday or off-seasoned, but it's a restricted place and needs permission from the forest department. It's not an easy task unless a few years ago, before the forest department make revenue by turning it into an ecotourism spot.

Once entered, we are cut off from the outside world, though it was 10 years before - even now too; if trapped, we would be left to a standstill until the forest officers come to rescue. Photography was prohibited inside the forest, but we had no option, and it's impossible to resist taking photos as what we see was pristine in its beauty to the senses. Despite the warning, the officer in charge tested our truthfulness by enquiring we have a camera; later encouraged us that going inside the forest without a camera is worthless and said it's ok to carry a camera and make sure to keep it out of their officials' sight.

I never shared any photos shot from my visit to this place, not that it was prohibited but to protect nature in my personal interest. Today many photos are upload from this place, and perhaps to say after it was open to the tourist in the name of ecotourism.  This part of the western catchment area contributes a tremendous amount of water - for hydroelectric, irrigation, and drinking, which needs to be preserved from any action against its ecosystem.

There are a few more lists of places I visited that I have no idea of sharing in the future too. But I wish I could write my experience here and there.

Hibiscus from Neighbor’s Garden

Life is so exhausted and disastrous what perhaps everyone knows what it was. I have been writing a lot these days related to covid and decided to change topics to what l like most. Nature is the best medicine for all, and let us take the nectar out of flowers to add some sweetness to the heart that filled the sour of tears. So was the post today.

The neighbor's garden opposite to us is not flourishing as before, and the neighbor hasn't spent much time gardening, but how can we anticipate a son, who lost his father less than 2 months ago, to do active gardening? But the weather wasn't that kind enough for plants to flourish or flowers to bloom.

The flowering pot plants have changed positions where I couldn't take photos of the few bloomed hibiscus despite the interrupt in wires and grown branches of trees. I see the red and yellow hibiscus bloomed more among the fewer blossoms of hibiscus, and all are replaced as facing the neighbor's house, perhaps because watching flowers can give some solace to the hearts and forget someone who lived for 94 years is not easy.

I didn't take any photos of the neighbor's garden in the last two months, or I need to check the camera to see if I have missed downloading any photos into the laptop; anyhow, I like to share some photos of the hibiscus I shot in March. So here it goes…

Btw. The lockdown and the situation with covid keep promising as cases of covid continue to reduce across the country, as well as in our state; the lockdown may last few more weeks with slight relaxation, but perhaps a week later. 

Fields of Marigold, off Veedur

During my Veedur Dam visit in February, we come across a surprising sight of the marigold fields on the dam road, after the Veedur village; and it was a kind of loop road that goes around the backwaters of the dam and links back to the national highway.

It was a refreshing sight of yellow; though it wasn't a large landscape of yellow, I never got to see a marigold field of this much. And it was a great divertissement from the regular and boring sights of the highways and there's also a patch of mixed colors of an orange and yellow and yet un-bloomed bed of dark orange or red marigold. 

It seems it was the dam water that made flourish the marigold. Though the marigold bloomed on both sides of the road, the view towards the backwater (2nd pic above) is scenic, and the blue sky and the sunny day made it glowing. Aside from that, a kind of white wildflowers bloomed in the barren lands, but still, I doubt whether they are wildflowers or a kind of cultivated flowers.

Field of white wildflower

The field of flowers stretched only for a few km on the east bank of the reservoir, and it seems only the land around the dam is fertile, unlike its dry northern part where we drove along before drawing away to Puducherry. This reminds me of the rose fields I saw around Nagalapuram, at the border of Andhra and Tamil Nadu, had Pichatur Dam as its source.

The bed of red marigold ready to bloom

Linking this post for Floral  Friday Foto  

Neighbor’s Rebuilt Garden and Flowers

The neighbor, from the opposite side, has rebuilt his garden damaged in the cyclone and monsoon. I count this house and garden as one of the unchanging faces of our neighborhood. The home dwellers are always the ones who prioritize their privacy and never socialize with others easily.  As neighbors, for about 40 years, we aren't well aware of either world. Perhaps, because we aren't in touch with them for 12 years, as we relocated from 2005 - 2018, but I don't think they would be socialized even if we continued face to face. 

The view of the house shot from the 3rd floor of our house (by my mom) and the garden view was blocked by the Indian tulip tree before the flood and rain.

Due to the rise of the road, the house and the garden went down, though they raised the driveway, long back, the garden remained to the low level.

The house belongs to a 94-year-old retired wing commander, and he maintained the garden until he was active, and later his son took over the onus. I see he inherited the interest in gardening from his father, and he even overtakes his father in bringing a lot of flowering plants to the garden. The Nivar cyclone that hit us on Nov 26th (the same day of my brother’s wedding) had flooded their house and garden, and the extended rain had further worsened the situation.

I think it's the passion that kept him in the recovery mode of the garden, and man, no one would have spent like him in bringing back the garden when the situation for priorities are different. He had dumped many truckloads of rubble and fertile soil to uplift the garden and the works were going on for weeks before he got back his beautiful garden.

I watched the entire progress of the work from the balcony and also the hall, as our door and the window opens up overlooking the garden; I entertained by the elegant work of the gardeners from the nursery in the next compound. I saw the fall and rise of the garden, and I'm glad he decided to give life to the garden instead of giving up.

After leveling the ground, the instant turf laid at the center of the garden, and many tiny plants were laid around and across the lawn beautifully.  In between this, he bought many plants, as he used to, and continue to do; he replanted them in the new and old pots and neatly arranged them in the front of the garden and close to the gate and along the driveway. I see people stop by the gate and fence to look at the plants, thinking he has kept the nursery.

He has planted different kinds of hibiscus in the pots he had kept close to the fence, and it allows me to look at the flowers and take photos in the camera. As I have only a point-and-shoot camera, I have limited zoom length to capture the flowers at a distance of 20-30 feet doesn't get me fair pictures of the flowers, but still, I feel content with the result of details.

I see different colors of flowers every day, but they last only up to a day, and the next day there's another. I don't know how long they continue to bloom, but I keep an eye on them and take photos whenever I see them bloom. And these are some of the photos I shot on different days after rebuilt of the garden. I wish I could continue to take more photos of the plants and flowers to share here as long it blooms or exists. 

Indoor plants, a new hobby

As an initial step to bring nature into home, I purchased couple of air purifying plants (Spider and Golden Pothos) in black ceramic pots from the Amazon. The plants come well packed and undamaged with boxes having holes for the plants to breath. In our previous house in backstreet, we had enough space around the house and mom had dozen of pot plants lined the alley and the courtyard had a neem, tree jasmine (Indian cork tree) and custard apple trees outgrowing from the neighbour’s compound turned our stay cool and close to nature with birds like the babblers, koels, parakeets… made pleasant the evening as they pass by these trees. Our current house too faces trees lining the opposite side of the road, as well as the trees and plants from the neighbours (who have enough garden spaces) produces a green scenario that I love facing daily.

I like having flower pots at home and once had roses, hibiscus, marigolds and some jasmines but the plants haven’t stayed long or continue to bloom as we couldn’t maintain properly. Our house in first floor, now, doesn’t have spaces to keep plant pots and it was the reason we left some pots at the previous house and some gave away to grandma but now I like to have some plants that grow inside the home that could be placed on corners and at available spaces. I was also concern about the air quality inside the home, as we living on the main street, lot of dust enter the home during the day time and we also have a dog so I was specific about the indoor plants that act as natural air purifier. We already have electric air purifier that we use only at night but I like to have these plants that clear the air and keep interior green. I decided to buy couple of plants monthly to place it wherever there’s space and also looking for flowering and bonsai plants.

Floral Garlands

During my travel to Munnar (in Nov 2017), we stayed at Udumalpet for a night before proceed toward the same, we waited around a junction in the morning, while my dad went to buy breakfast the flower shops around there caught my attention but it was the fragrance of  flowers dragged me toward its helm. The weather was drizzling then, and the morning wake up from fresh showering turned things refreshing around us and the sprinkled flowers and garlands reproduces an essence and sense that could still recollect. It was around 8 am and due to morning rain, not many shops were opened except the few flower shops hanged out with freshly tied garlands looking out for customers and the waiting time got me the chance of shooting these.  

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Bougainvillea bloomed in neighborhood

During an evening walk other day I capture these pretty Bougainvillea glabra turning the quiet road of this into very pleasant in the presence of these blooms, making way outside the compound of a school campus in neighborhood.  Sometime I used to take my iPhone when going for walk in evening to capture anything interesting I come across and if it is within our area or streets I just keep away this little weight from the pocket. The pictures were bit edited with Photoshop to bring out some rich colors and neat look.

Bougainvillea glabra, the lesser bougainvillea or paperflower, is the most common species of bougainvillea used for bonsai. glabra is heat and drought tolerant and frost sensitive bougainvillea and it needs full sunlight, warm weather and well-drained soil to flower well.

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The winner shines alone…

... in the radiant hard work, 

vibrant mindfulness 

and vigilant downfall. 

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Friday Review: Iravukku Aayiram Kangal

After long time went to drive-in theatre to watch Iravukku Aayiram Kangal (the Night has Thousand Eyes) learning that the Tamil action thriller film has come out well. It was last September I went to the theatre and I mainly avoided going to theatre thinking of high ticket price which has gone up from ₹ 120 to ₹ 167 per head apart parking ticket as ₹ 70! There wasn’t a film released for 45 days from March to mid-April protesting against this high rate in theatres but still there isn’t difference and I feel ₹ 120 could be the fair amount.

Arulnithi is one of my favourite actors and I like his choice of subjects and realistic acting which is one important reason for me to watch this movie in theatre and being a night show it well suited the subject and mood. I rarely go to night show when I feel the movie is worth watching in theatre despite any trouble. Iravukku Aayiram Kangal is an excellent thriller surrounds a mysterious murder where the protagonist (Arulnithi) is suspected and he go on his own trial, after escape from the police, to prove his innocent.

The screenplay is so gripping and keeps glue to the seat and most of the scenes surrounds that one night put watchful eyes from others. The movie has lot of plays, gaming within one another to hook with the subject. Arulnithi as a call taxi driver picks up love with Mahima Nambiar, who isn’t cute but also smartly performed. The songs are cut short and adapts to the scenario which is one of the plus to keep it engaged. And all other characters did their job well and Ajmal with chocolate boy look did smart villainy and after Anjathe and KO he got to shine in negative shade once again.

Directorial debut Mu.Maran had created an expectation from him by building a solid screenplay around a simple storyline, and made certain the string doesn’t loose anywhere. The highlight of the movie was the climax even though the movie has twist and turns all over the subject, it gets intensify as we near the end. The cinematography is truly appreciate and it’s the core area where it played well to sustain the mood esp. during the night scenes and Arulnithi balanced the tense and love at the right level.

Iravukku Aayiram Kangal is watchful and worth watching in theatre!

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Following is a shot of Yellow Daylilies bloomed against the wall of Tea Museum in Munnar… to join  Floral  Friday Foto 

An update and Azalea

Mom’s surgery goes off really well and she’s responding as well and shows nice improvement within 24 hours. Talked to her in morning through video calling and she sounds good and confident in vocal as if she is ready to go home. But she’s supposed to stay two more days at hospital in doctors monitor and treatment.  Things weren’t bad as expected and dad taking care of my needs with the help of my two uncles and brother and he was at hospital yesterday from noon to late evening and the operation took 1 ½ hour and she’s sent to room in an hour. Heard that she haven’t slept last night fully because of pain, which has reduced a bit only in morning and she was able to attend the nature's call normally and will be taking food as well.  

I really need to thank you all for including her in your prayers and sending greetings for her good well. I hope she recover sooner than we expect even though she has to take 3 months rest to completely heal to do other things and being an active woman all her life taking rest should be difficult for her and for us to prevent  her from working. Our dear ones (and also close relatives) are helping us in whatever ways they could and it’s their sheer love and care turn things work for us and such occasions are truly blissful to experience relationship and its core meaning of love.  Wish we never forget their aid that comes out expecting none. I leave you some photos on Azalea; I shot during my visit to Bryant Park, Kodaikanal.

 

 

Azalea is a flowering shrub in the genus Rhododendron and bloom in spring, with flowers often lasting several weeks. Azalea is shade tolerant and prefers living near or under trees, and many cities in the United States have festivals in the spring celebrating the blooms of the azalea. I have no idea about this flower until checked Betsy blog on Biltmore Garden. 

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Colour of Summer

Knows as Kalyana Murugai or Mull Murukku (Erythrina Indica) is a thorny tree of rapid growth in warm regions and is planted for hedges. During March/April the tree blooms after shedding all its leaves and the crimson coloured flowers with numerous petals, spread in all directions is a feast to the eyes.

In Sanskrit, the tree is rightly called kinjukam meaning a parrot, as poet kalidasa likens the petal of this flower to the beak of the parrot. Sangam poets compare the colour and form of the petals to a claw of a lobster, blood-stained nails of a tiger, painted nails of a woman and to a cock’a comb. They have also recorded that crows, cuckoos and other birds eat the petals, filaments and pollen of this flower.

Ps. I captured these pictures during a visit to Kodaikanal, last year

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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 

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.

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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.

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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.

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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. 

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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

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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. 

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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. 

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