Wordless Wednesday

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An April Challenge @ A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii :

 Please do visit the link above and find out more about 'WORDS THAT INSPIRE'  April Challenge.

Have a great Wednesday ahead....

Vishwa Vriksha

What is the first thought that comes to your mind, when it comes to TREES?

Do you feel motivated when you see its webbed roots firmly entrenched deep into the soil, keeping the tree grounded, while the trunk never ever ceases to reach out for the sky high above?

Do you find them visually appealing n beautiful, or do you appreciate them for the fruits that they bear for us – The Mangoes, Pears, Guava’s, Peach, and the Figs n more?

Is it the whiff of fragrance from the flowers which delights your senses… or the rustle of the leaves… with the gentle breeze or roaring winds?

Or is it the fact that they provide us with WOOD for our furniture & log for the fire? How about the Green Foliar Canopy providing us with Shade, as we relax on a bench underneath it on a balmy evening admiring the sunset?

Or, Is it all these things clubbed into one…… defining Vishwa Vriksha - A World (Vishwa) Tree (Vriksha), that provides shade and shelter for all humanity, a life line for the earth and its environment, protecting n balancing the ecosystems.

What is it that you might find inspiring about the VISHWA VRIKSHA i.e. THE WORLD TREES????

Well….In lieu of the WORLD EARTH DAY today, I thought I would 'GO GREEN' and share some pictures of beautiful TREES, which caught my attention, during my trip to the country down under. So...

Lets GO GREEN...

....with Trees from OZ

Sitting under the shade of  this tree's majestic umbrella Canopy  (above)  our family of twelve enjoyed a pleasant evening, sipping coffee n chit-chatting, overlooking the Cooling Blue waters of Balmoral Beach

This grassy patch lined with Tall Fountain Palms and Eucalyptus trees led to the golden, sandy beach just ahead....Balmoral Beach, Sydney

Fascinated by the florescent foliage of these Twin Tree's

Twin Jacaranda’s  - Circular Quay, Nr Opera House

called for a picturesque snap shot from a distance

My cousin’s en- route to the NSW Art Gallery, from Woolloomooloo, where we had parked the car. All four of us instantly liked the Location name..... WOOLLOOMOOLOO .....and kept trying to pronounce It over n over again ... ...Woooo Lloooo Moooo Looooooo .....

A Magnificent MORTEIN BAY FIG Tree (Ficus macrophylla)

 showing off its buttress roots

Now, that’s the NSW Gallery at a distance....across the Domain, adjoining the Royal Botanic Garden @ Sydney. The Domain : Its a 34 hectares Open area located on the eastern edge of the Sydney central business district, near Woolloomooloo, lined with hundreds of these remarkable Mortein Bay Fig Trees, also referred to as the FIG AVENUE, by the locals.

What’s that stone doing up there???????

 Btw, this interesting piece d'art above stands tall right opposite the entrance to New South Wales Art Gallery, Sydney.

Clicked this cute little slanting tree when out on a Morning walk

 @ The Esplanade, Cairns

Further down the Esplanade …

I caught this cyclist enjoying a GROOVY bicycle ride, early in the morning.

Couldn’t resist taking a pot shot of a Mango Tree, loaded with Mangoes....
Notice the epiphytes growing on the tree trunk – a common feature on most of the trees growing in the vicinity.

Later, it had started to drizzle slightly, while I continued walking further down this beautiful stretch (lined with rows of trees n more trees on one side and the sea on the other) towards the Pier n the Lagoon. Somehow, these trees definitely looked a lot greener after a shower that morning.

Finally, though I like all the above shots I am sharing here today, this one is my Personal Fav from the lot ~  a Picture Perfect setting of a bench under the shade of this Majestic TREE…..  An Ideal location for relaxation n some blissful reverie! @ Warook County Farm, Melbourne

So, here’s wishing all a GREENER EARTH on World EARTH DAY today!

Saying it with Plants

Special Occasions call for a special Gift…. 

... Gift of a Plant

One could always SAY IT WITH FLOWERS only, but for a change I thought I would say it with FLOWERS and make it extra special by saying it with a PLANT as well.

So, last weekend, I indulged myself a wee bit and got creative to ‘Gift a Plant’.

Here’s the material that I used:-

• A teeny-tiny Juniper, that I had picked up while on a Nursery visit recently;
• A shallow tray used for Miniature Landscaping, which I had picked up from my Bonsai Guru Mrs Santosh Arora, also President Avadh Bonsai Association, Lko;
• A piece of driftwood, lying unused in the store room, since the last few years;
• Wire mesh, n thin Aluminum wires to tie the driftwood and the plant together.
• Bonsai Medium Soil, Peat Moss n Sphagnum Moss
• Pot-pourri of  “GIFT A PLANT’ thoughts, idea’s, creative endeavor n effort et al

 ……and finally putting them all together to create ....‘NATURE IN MINIATURE’

This virtual ‘GIFT of a PLANT’ is for each and every blogger visiting EVERGREEN TREE.

Personally, I love Flowers and all kinds of Flowers from the Daffodils to the Daisy’s, Carnations, Gerbera, Roses, Birds of Paradise, Lilies, Anthuriums, Jasmines, Marigolds, Dahlia’s, Bottlebrush, Pansies, Portulaca, Chrysanthemums, Ixora’s,  Crype Myrtel, Amalthas, Gulmohar, Bougainvillea, Poppies, Adenium, Salvia’s, Ageratum’s, Heliconia, Bilbergia’s, Frangipani, Peony, Hibiscus…..

I have been saying it…. ever too often, with ONLY FLOWERS, so just this once, I thought, I would  do something DIFFERENT and convey my fondest n heartfelt wishes with a Plant!
Hope each one of you here like your e-Gift of a Plant.

Nature in Miniature - Juniper

PS: To add a special GREEN Zing to one corner of the verandah, I have placed this NATURE IN MINIATURE on an earthen stool, right at the entrance of the house.

The real ‘Gift of a Plant’ is for my Mother, on her Birthday today. 

Happy Birthday!

Hope she likes the flowers, the plant and yes, these two Utterly Butterly delicious cakes as well.

Blooming Now - Lily

Spring time : EASTER LILY