Garden Stalwarts

 Some plants look good whatever the season. This Echeveria withits blue leaves is one of them.

 Euphorbias have burst into flower now.  They are planted to deter the wandering cows from nibbling through the fence.

 The pale pink flowers of the Dombeya are a delight to the eye.

My thanks to the hosts of Our World Tuesday.
I also thank Mrs. Nesbitt and Roger of ABCWednesday for bringing out the meme every week.

Caves

 Caves have  always fascinated me.  The Caves in Bhimbetka have some of the oldest rock paintings, which tell us about the life in the StoneAge onwards.

 The caves in Apsarakonda have a spectacular view extending to the ocean. Holy men of yore used these caves for meditation.

 The cave near Dandeli in the Western Ghats has these charming wildflowers at its entrance.

 HoyaCarnosa which is blooming in my garden now , perfumes the whole garden in the night.

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday.
Thanks also to Mrs.Nesbitt, Roger and others on the ABCWednesday team

Z for Zantedeschia

 The Calla lily, also known as Zantedeschia comes in many different colours now. I like the classic white variety the best.

Many thanks to Mrs.Nesbitt who started ABCWednesday, and also to Roger and his team who zealously bring it out every Wednsday.

Rajasthan- the Desert State

All good wishes for a happy and peaceful New Year to you!
I spent my Christmas holidays in the desert- in Rajasthan. The state of Rajasthan in India has so many beautiful and romantic places to visit that it is the most favourite place of tourists from all over the world during winter.

 The Jal Mahal in Jaipur is a palace built in the middle of a lake.

 A Haveli in Jaisalmer.

 The entance to Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park is ancient, but the beautiful park inside is quite new. The park has many native plants of the Thar desert, with their amazing techniques of adaptation to their arid environment.

 We loved walking on this trail. In the background is the Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur.

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday where you get to see a lot about different parts of our world.
The sand dunes at Sam .

W for WORK

 Water Hyacinth which clogs our waterways takes a lot of work to be  eradicated

 The cowherd works hard to keep his cows fed well.

 A marble worker  making a sculpture.

 This goatherd seemed happy when he was talking to the woman of his heart.

 Workers excavating in Mandu were noot surprised to find a barrack opening

December Flowers

 Dombeya, belonging to the Streculiaceae family is flowering for the first time in my garden. The bunches of pale pink flowers attract hundreds of bees and bumblebees.

 Now is also the season for some of the succulents to flower.

 December seems to be the month for white flowers. The tiny Snake Jasmine bush is bursting with blooms.

 I feel so happy when I see the waterlilies blooming in my frog pond.

To see more interesting things that are happening in our world , please click here.

Uttara Kannada wildflowers

 Uttara Kannada is a district in Karnataka state, endowed with dense forests and pristine beaches. Just after the rains, the forests are utterly beautiful with different kinds of wild orchids. The Seethe Dande, or Foxtail orchid is one of them.

The Draupadi Dande, Aerides orchid has sparser blooms, but is no less enchanting.
My thanks to Mrs.Nesbitt for starting the ultra-interesting ABCWednesday. Unbelievably, I have lost the other photos and have to ask for forgiveness from the understanding Roger.I hope I can unearth some for the next post.