Weekend Reflections

Water bottles.
To view more Weekend reflections, go to http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com

Skywatch Friday- End of July

Mid-monsoon skies from the suburb.....

and from the city.

Who knows how soon the face of the suburb will change? And who knows how soon the Monsoon pattern will change.....

Thanks to the team of Skywatch for hosting the meme.

Vanishing Wild Flowers

According to a report , flowering plants are fast vanishing from the earth. Some of the wild flowers which were very common a few years ago, are no longer seen in their habitats. These are two of the wild flowers which have disappeared from my neighbourhood.

The pink flowers of the Barleria mysorensis were a common sight in meadows around here ten years ago, but the thorny little bush is nowhere to be seen now. I found this lone representative struggling for survival on the hill at the edge of my suburb.

With so many flowering plants vanishing, I wonder how long these butterflies will be there.

The Blue Tiger is clever, because it migrates every year to the forests. But the forests are diminishing at an alarming rate.....

What will happen to this Eggfly, which has markings like eyes to confuse the predators?

I read Juliet Jowitt's article about the vanishing flowering plants in the Guardian of July 7, 2010 with growing consternation.

My World

The city where I live has some beautiful old red buildings. This building is an art gallery.

My city is known as the 'Garden City' , as it has many gardens and nurseries. This is a nursery adjoining a public garden.

Thanks to the team of My World for hosting the meme.

Today's Flowers

All nurseries in the city are gearing up for the annual Indepenence Day flower show during the second week of August. These flowers are from a government nursry which was open today, although it was a Sunday. The Celosias are huge and bright.

Another bright Celosia.

The Blue Tiger butterflies liked the scent of the Heliotrope.

The delicate flowers of Achimenes come in different shades o purple and mauve.

I could not find the name of this bush which was filled with the pink flowers. It is not a Vinca, although the flowers resemble the Vinca flowers.

My thanks to the team of Santilli, Denise, Pupo and Sandy Carlson for hosting Today's Flowers where you can see flowers from all over the world.

http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com

Weekend Reflections

The common man's transport in India is the autorickshaw. The three wheeled vehicle weaves through heavy traffic at rush hour and takes you to your destination.
Thanks to James at http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com where you can see more reflections from all over the world.

Skywatch Friday

There is a hill to the east of my suburb. Sometimes I go there in search of wild flowers. On top of the hill is a meadow and a small limestone outcrop which is seen in this picture. Very soon all this area will be built up. Before I am surrounded by a concrete jungle, I enjoy the sylvan surroundings.

Thanks to the team of Skywatch for hosting the meme.

Local Fruit

Now that the local mangoes are over, and apples are yet to come from the Himalayan states, we have to fall back on our local fruit. The guava shown above is an all time favourite with children.

The Custard apple is another fruit which is available in the garden now. Although it is full of seeds, its flavour makes it a popular fruit.

The Jackfruit does not have any flowers. The fruit is huge, some times weighing 5kg apiece. It has a sticky gum which sticks to your hand when cut. I oil my hands and the knife before I cut it.

Two medium sized jackfruit from my neighbour's garden. The fruit inside is golden yellow and very sweet. For those who like the strong smell of Jackfruit, it is a heavenly fruit. It is one of my favourites too.The unripe fruit is also cooked and eaten.

To see more pictures of local food from all over the world, please go to http://www.everydaylifeatw.com

Wildlife Wednesday

With the onset of the monsoons, insects as well as birds and squirrels are hoarding food. These brown butterflies were busy loading themselves wit sugar from this over- ripe mango fallen under the tree. You can see the ants' nest besides the mango.

There were six of them at one time, but my stealthy arrival warned them and some flew away.

The resident male Eggfly butterfly did not bother about these brown ones. He was busy taking a nap in the watery sunlight.

Today's Flowers #102

The lavender coloured hibiscus has started blooming again, after giving me a scare by dropping all its leaves last month. I love this flower although it is no longer fashionable in these parts.

Monsoon season will make the self-seeded Indian Balsams put forth their flowers in all sorts of unexpected places.

The Milk-and-Honey lily, another native, perfumes the garden with its mild scent.

A pink Ixora.

The tiny blue flowers of the Jacquemontia never fail to gladden my heart!

These are some of the flowers blooming in my garden now. Which flowers are blooming in yours?

Thanks to the team of Today's Flowers which opens every Sunday at 2 p.m.GMT. to view what is blooming today all over the world, please go to http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Weekend Reflections

This is a small lake which belongs to the village neighbouring my suburb. The level of water shows how little rain we have had this season. Many water birds come to this place in season.

To see more Weekend Reflections, pleas go to http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com

Skywatch Friday

There is an old English saying, "Red sky in the morning is the shepherd's warning, red sky at night is the shepherd's delight". When I saw the red sky last Wednesday evening, I assumed that it was going to be a fine night. But the weather gods thought otherwise. It rained throughout the night! It seems that even the tried and tested proverbs no longer hold good. Or, perhaps the shepherd needed the rain.

Congratulations to the Skywatch team on their third anniversary. Thank you team for hosting the meme so successfully!

Bloom Day July 2010

THe Blue Tiger butterflies are invading my garden now. They are on their yearly migration path to the rain forests of the Western Ghats. The yellow Asclepias is one of their favourites.

The pinl rose matches the pink markings on the Nailpolish Bromeliad Neoregalia Spectabilis.

Justicia Carnea is another pink flower blooming profusely now. It does not mind its semi shaded location.

The pale mauve flowers of the Pentas are another butterfly favourite.

The Pyramid Billbergia Billbergia pyramidalis is also flowering in nooks and crannies in my garden. I saw from other blogs that this Bill is flowering in Malaysia too.

To see more blooms blooming all over the world, please visit Carol at May Dreams Garden.

Wildlife Wednesday

Vegetables seem to attract more wildlife than flowers. This catterpillar is making its way to the radish leaves in my vegetable patch.

This perfectly camouflaged hopping creature finds my chillies interesting.

The red ants love the mango tree, and the leaves of the Chalice vine . They use their saliva to stick the leaves together and build their homes. The clothes line goes from the mango tree to the Chalice vine. I see the busy red ants marching on the line at all times of the day, carrying things from one nest to the other. The presence of the ants in the mango tree is beneficial to me too, because the monkeys hate to be bitten by the ants. The squirrels seem impervious to ant bite.

I like the colour of this insect which often visits my mint patch.

The grasshopper loves to bask in the sun.

Since I don't use pesticides, these creatures seem to like my garden.

Marigold, the Versatile Flower

I have planted marigolds at the edge of my vegetable patch. Many of the destructive insects are attracted by the bright flowers and leave my vegetables alone. Marigold is used for making beauty preparations too.

The French Marigolds are great favourites of butterflies. This Common Jay which usually flies high among the trees, was very hungry after the night- long rain.

Marigold blossoms are woven into garlands, which are used to decorate the doorway of a bride's home on the eve of her wedding.

This decorated entrance has used coconut leaves, banana plants and marigold flowers . It signifies happiness and welcome.

Today's Flowers - Hibiscus

The Hibiscus is a beautiful tropical flower. It is the national flower of Malaysia. It has special significance for Indians as it is mentioned in ancient books .

This pale pink hibiscus looks delicious.

The sunny yellow hibiscus cheers one up on gloomy days.

The Japanese Lantern, Hibiscus schizopetalus always looks towards the ground.

This hibiscus flower lasts for two days!

This is my entry for Flowers for Today, thank you team!