The Hot, the Loud and the Proud #11

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to go to my favourite place, the forests of the Western Ghats. The Butea trees , which are also called Flame of the Forest, were in full bloom everywhere, their hot orange, pea like flowers making a sharp contrast with the blue sky.

The Bamboo trees were also in flower, which according to the local people, is a sign of impending drought and famine. I hope their forbodings will not come true.

My thanks to Noel for his wonderful meme the Hot, the Loud and the Proud, which celebrates tropical plants and flowers the last day of every month.

Flowers for Friday

My Coffee plant has started putting out its pretty white blooms. The snowy flowers make a nice contrast to the glossy green leaves of the coffee plant. The flowers are mildly fragrant, and will turn into breen berries quite soon.

The red Poinsettia bush in a corner of my garden has at last realized that it has to show its flowers, before the winter passes. This is the first time it has been so late in blooming.

The pale yellow Poinsettia was also late in blooming this year, but there were a few blooms on the bush on Christmas day.

My thanks to Tootsie for hosting this wonderful meme.

You can see blooms from all over the world in Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie Time.

Wild, Watery Wednesday- Palaver

All these water birds seem to be having a conference- a palaver.

I took both these pictures last October at the Karanji Lake in Mysore.

Happy Watery Wednesday! If you have time, please visit 2sweetnsaxy at http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com to see more watery pictures.

My World- Carbon Free Transport

The Cycle -rickshaws are the favoured modes of transport in the smaller towns of north India. They are noiseless, efficient and completely pollution free. They can be parked in a compact way like they are here. Two people can sit in the seat and be ferried by the driver through short distances of up to 10 kilometres. Unfortunately, these no-carbon footstep contraptions have given way to the motorised and noisy Autorickshaws in Bangalore.

To see more pictures from all over the world, please click on http://showyourworld.blogspot.com

Today's Flowers # 128

Gazanias are always a cheery sight, and they don't mind the blazing sun.

Last of the chrysanthemums. These flowers are tiny and daisy shaped, and flower profusely throughout winter here.

My Vanilla vine is putting out its greenish flowers every day since a month, but all my efforts at hand pollinating them have failed :( Our butterflies are not attracted to these flowers.

This plant in a neglected corner in my garden is putting out its white feather- like flowers now. Its terminal leaves are also white. I don't know its name, but it is available in nurseries.

The red blossoms on the Clerodendrum vine have started appearing.Danger! This vine is very invasive!

My thanks to Santilli, Denise, Pupo and Sandy Carlson for hosting Today's Flowers. You can view gorgeous flowers from all over the world at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com

Weekend Reflections #70

Floating flowers are kept at the entrance of a house as a sign of welcome.
My thanks to James at http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com for hosting this wonderful meme.

Blooming Friday- Deserted

This aqueduct in Alwar , in the desert state of Rajasthan, was built about two hundred years ago. It transported water from a lake to the city of Alwar. Now with borewells dug everywhere with moders machines, this aqueduct stands lonely and deserted across the valley.

Skywatch Friday

The blue sky is a striking contrast against the flower of the Brazilian Red cloak Megaskepasma erithrochlamys. Suddenly, summer seems to be upon us, with its blazing afternoon sun.
I thank the team of Skywatch Friday at http://skyley.blogspot.com

Wild and Watery Wednesday

Migratory birdsfrom the far north are to be seen near waterbodies now. This pelican seems to enjoy the lake in Mysore.

The duck is resting in the grass.

The pelicans are many around the lake. I wish I knew the art of photographing birds!

My thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting Watery Wednesday. You can see more pictures at http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com

My World

A bus stop among the deodar trees. As the days become longer and warmer, my thoughts go to the mountains.

To view interesting images from all over the world, click on http://showyourworld.blogspot.com

Today's Flowers -Benefits of Sheep manure

The shepherd from the eighbouring village sold me two bags of sheep manure recently. He said it was better than cow manure for the plants. He seems to be right, because all the flowers in my garden have a brighter and deeper colour now. That yellow rose is twice as bright in real life.

The red Salvias are a bright fire- engine red now.

Even the Euphorbia blooms are brighter.

Brugmansia is showing its first flowers after its slumber.

Heliconia need no brightening agent to make them stand out. In fact, I did not feed sheep manure to the heliconias at all.

I mixed four cupfuls of well rotted sheep manure to one bucket of compost and fed them to the flowering plants, and watered them freely. All the flowers have a richer colour now, and the plants are healthier.

My thanks to the team of Today's Flowers - Santilli, Denise, Pupo and Sandy Carlson.

You can see flowers from all over the world at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com

Weekend Reflections 69

Everybody knows that the Banyan tree sends down arial roots to the ground, but it seems many other trees send feelers down too.
For more Weekend Reflections, please visit James at http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com

GBBD- January 2011

Welcome to the Garden Blogger's Bloom Day of January 2011. The red hibiscus has beautiful yellow patterns on it, as though someone has painted it.

The purple Angelonia is a new addition to my garden. The flowers have a fruity scent.

There are many shade houses on the road leading out from the city where beautiful , large gerberas are grown for export. My gerbera is not well formed and fat like those flowers, as this grows in the ground exposed to the elements, and is being fed no chemicals!

This delicate flower is pale blue, and it has a globular pink bract. My sister got it for me from Goa. The plant is still young, but is full of pink buds. I would like to know its name and history.

The needle like buds of the Ixora make an unusual pattern.

My thanks to Carol.

This is also my contribution to Katarina's Roses and Stuff. Thanks, Katarina.
I am also participating in Fertilizer Friday hosted by Tootsie at Tootsietime.

Skywatch Friday

The limestone outcrop on the hill at the eastern edge of my suburb is a nice focal point for early morning photos. Unfortunately, the sky was grey as it usually is in this city. Happy Skywatch!
My thanks to the team of Skywatch Friday for hosting this wonderful meme.

Watery Wednesday

Karanji Lake in Mysore.
To see more Watery Wednesday posts, visit http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com

My World-Wayside Garden

If you happen to travel to Mysore from Bangalore by road, you come across a number of restaurants on the wayside. Set in sylvan surroundings, these restaurants offer good food at very reasonable rates. Most of them have their own coconut groves and mango orchards, besides pretty flower gardens in front. This is the garden of the Adiga's which was colourful with blooms last Saturday. After having a sumptous breakfast of paper- thin Masala dosas and so soft idlis, we watched the antics of a pair of Turkeys which are kept as pets by the owner of the restaurant, before resuming our journey.

You can travel virtually all over the world by clicking on http://showyourworld.blogspot.com

Today's Flowers

These are some of the flowers blooming at present in my garden. Now that the days are becoming warmer, the plants like jasmine, are waking up from their slumber.

Thanks to the team of Today's Flowers .

Weekend Reflections

'If you go into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you'll come to understand that you are connected with everything'. - Alan Watts
My thanks to James for Weekend Reflections.

Blooming Friday- Hidden

The heliconia is hidden behind its large leaves, but it is visible due to its bright colour.
Thanks to Katarina at Roses and Stuff.

Skywatch Friday

Warm skies over the Indian Ocean.
To view more images, please click on http://skyley.blogspot.com

Watery Wednesday

The Kukkanahalli Lake in Mysore is fringed by Sylvester Palms. THe fruit of the palms are s aourse of food for the many birds that visit the lake.
To see more watery wednesday photos, visit 2sweernsaxy at http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com

My World Tuesday

The white Amrita Mahal ox is a favourite means of transport for short distances in these parts. Farmers transport goods in these ox carts . It is a familiar sight on the Bangalore- Mysore highway . These pictures were snapped on January 1.

Families travel in these ox carts too, although it can be rather bumpy.

Amrita Mahal cows have been bred by the Maharajahs of Mysore since the 16th century. In 1617, the Maharaja reserved pastures especially for this breed of cattle by an ordinance. The cattle are always white, thin and incredibly strong. Farmers love them and value them - they say that these oxen are more faithful than dogs. In the 17th century, these oxen were used by Tipu Sultan in battles against the British, as they are not scared of gun fire.

Since they have been bred for strength, the cows of Amrita Mahal breed have very little milk, which is used for medicinal purposes.

To see more pictures from all over the world, please click on http://showyourworld.blogspot.com

Today's Flowers- First of 2011

The Orange Trumpet vine Bignonia venusta aka Pyrostegia ignea flowers during January in these parts. It is called the Sankranth Bel as it flowers during the festival of Sankranth which falls on January 14. This vine has been planted by my neighbour, but it covers my bitterlemon tree every January with its dazzling orange blooms.

The tubular flowers contain sweet nectar, which attracts bees and small birds.

The yellow Poinsettia has also started blooming now in my garden. It is a month late!

My thanks to the team of Today's Flowers . I had a lot of fun contributing to the meme, and visiting other blogs.

http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com