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Sunday 28 February, 2010

Biding Adieu To February...

From EverGreen Tree
February is a very special month in my personal calendar, because of a series of Flower Shows where the Rose and Gladiolus show at the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) gives way to the Fruits, Vegetables & Flower Show at Raj Bhawan / Governor House Lawns  then a Flower Show @ E- Park, Mahanagar & lastly at the Surya Officers Institute, here in Lucknow.

It is always a feast for the eyes and a solace for the soul as eager Lucknowites throng to the venue for the show in full strength, over the subsequent weekends. A riot of vibrant colours in all possible shades, make you feel complete and one with nature & your surroundings. Be it Cineraria or Calendula, Ester or Carnations, California Poppys, or Daisies, Roses or Dahlias……& not to forget the Prized Trophies the winners at the show get to take back for their commendable effort to fill our lives with Seasonal flowers, bouquets and garlands of love, respect for nature & also lots of admiration for their work.

Now, Gardening can be a very rewarding and satisfying pastime for any nature lover. Some people would like the wilderness of an unkept garden while others would prefer the tamed, prim & proper look of the balcony or terrace garden. The options are many & can vary from one to another.

Even as a kid, I have always been drawn towards NATURE….its like a strong magnetic pull….. I fail to understand… a countryside farm, a ranch, orchards & vineyards, National Sanctuaries, Mountains or let’s just say a Simple patch of green with flower beds and lots of trees around i.e. Our very own GARDEN at home.

I can probably sit in the garden, lazing around doing nothing at all…. gazing at the sky, watching the birds taking a dip in the water bath or merely chirping away like the seven sisters, an occasional squirrel hopping about, the sashaying of the leaves in the breeze, a butterfly on a Nectar flower and amidst it all the sound of your own heart beat. Sounds like I have all the time in the world to day-dream, isn’t it? 


Hmmm…

I remember my brothers, our friends & I, used to perch ourselves high atop a Guava Tree Branch or a Mango tree or an Amaarak (Star Apple) tree, growing in our backyard, all afternoon after school, giggling, laughing, and munching at the guavas we had managed to pluck for ourselves. We were like a bunch of Carefree Monkeys having a time of our lives, back then. We had even managed to convince my MOM to set up a makeshift wooden swing for us…. hanging from one of the sturdy branches of the tree.

Some Memories!! & what a heavenly, luxurious paradise!!


I was probably still in school, when I planted my first tree ~ A Christmas tree  i.e. Araucaria in our garden along with my father. It stands tall and lofty even after so many years right at the entrance of our house.

From EverGreen Tree

I have learnt to appreciate the finer points and the detailing associated with gardening, with the passage of time. I still don’t know the names of most of the house plants or flowers…. or the nitty-gritty of it all, but learning is an ongoing continuous process. I intend to keep learning and keep enjoying the bounty that nature has to offer, to us all.

This blog would be incomplete without two very important things:-

1. Garden Wisdom

“Kind hearts are the Gardens; Kind thoughts are the Roots,
Kind words are the Flowers; Kind deeds are the Fruits,
Take care of your garden, and keep out the weeds,
Fill it with sunshine, Kind words and kind deeds”

From EverGreen Tree
2. Garden Party

So let’s have a Garden Party and a Colourful, Floral Holi Treat for all from our Garden.

Hope you enjoy the Party ie the slide show as much as I do.




Wishing Everyone a Very Happy n Colourful Holi...

From EverGreen Tree

S~P~L~A~S~!

Monday 22 February, 2010

A Visual Treat

Highlights from this weekends, two day long, annual Flower, Fruit n Vegetable Show, which was hosted at the sprawling Raj Bhawan Lawns, here in the City of Nawabs, Lucknow.



The Wedding Mandap - Up close



Flowers in a Riot of Colours n Varieties...



A look inside the Flower Arrangement Stall -
Lord Ganesha, Peacock, Temple, a Zucchini Boat n more...




Visitors enjoying the display of Fruits n Veggies (above).
 and the beautiful display of Roses (below)




Large sized Dahlia's dazzling n enthralling all


A Bed of Pristine White flowers...

From EverGreen Tree
Some feathery delights in Violets n Blues n Reds

From EverGreen Tree

More Violets n Blues @ lovely round arrangements of Ageratum's

From EverGreen Tree
A beautiful bloom in Red n Gold

From EverGreen Tree

Here's hoping you too enjoy this Visual Treat  in a riot of Colours, along with me....

Wednesday 17 February, 2010

Help Me Caption this Wordless Wednesday Picture/Sketch.


With a little help from Picasa.....

Thank You Dear Friends for your Valuable Suggestions and Help. I truly appreciate your taking the time out to be Creative and think of an apt title for this Picture - Scribbled dense greens, boulders n rocks, grassy patch and amidst them all a sacred building.

Shailja suggested the title - "Where the sun shines soft and warm" .

Thank You Shailja.... I liked the caption very much. .

Here's what  GREEN THUMBmy blogger friend from Saharanpur, India had to say..... "My first impulse on looking at this photograph was to think about the feelings the inhabitant of this house might have, that of oneness with nature and a relative aloofness from rest of the humanity. As the house stands amidst the beautiful natural scenery, I am tempted to caption it - Nature lives here."


Thank You dear Green Thumb....  your heartfelt, descriptive words touched me to the core, with ''Nature lives here".


Many Thanx to Edith Hope and Andrea for their honest words and comment.


Dear Friends,
Pls keep the suggestions coming..... 
Will be great to see n hear what you have to say. 
Thank You,
Radhika @ Evergreen Tree

Wednesday 10 February, 2010

My Name is RED!


Poinsettia's: 
They each, more or less, look like an X- Copy of the other .
- Isn't it???


Some in pastel hues..... 



Some more Variegated Varieties.... 
Showing subtle differences and Unique shading patterns...


 I Love the Reds.....
From EverGreen Tree

Though its a Wordless Wednesday post, I would like to supplement it with a befitting quote by E.E. Cummings....
"The hardest thing is to be yourself in a world that is trying its best, day n night, to make you like everyone else."

Friday 5 February, 2010

Tootie-Fruity

Yesterday, the moment I spotted this cute little two-legged carrot, I just couldn’t resist getting creative, so  I assembled this spook-y Scare Crow…Opps…lemon-y Carrot Man, with some more carrot slices, toothpicks, lemon n a dash of cloves and went click-click for my blog.



Well....after being out on a Veggie Trail in my previous blog, I thought, for today, it will be great if this Carrot Man could greet us, while we take a quick Peep-a-Boo at some of the tootie-fruity Trees growing around in our yard, as well.

So here we start.... with Tang-y Lemons!
The Lemon’s on the Lemon Tree....


The Lemon Tree n Guava Tree Jostle for space....


Twin Guava's on the Guava Tree

Which Fruit is this.... Any Guess?

Custard Apple Tree growing amidst the greens....

..Bears some Deliciously Edible Sitaphel / Custard Apples

The Jackfruit trees on the left n right side.....
 ......flank the two Mango trees  in the middle.

The beauty lies in the fact that....
..... all four trees together form a single Umbrella Canopy.

I love the way they thrive in this state of perfect harmony!

These teeny-tiny Jackfruits look quite promising, up close.

 Mango Trees are begining to Flower...

Like they say... Aam ke Baur aa gaye hai!

Last but not the least...
These banana's appear to be developing  well too...
 lookin scrumptious, ready to eat, just the way they are!
:):)