Wordless Wednesday : Nature's Marvel

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun

And find your shoulder to light on,

To bring you luck, happiness and riches

Today, tomorrow and beyond.

~Irish Blessing

Wordless Wednesday:Camouflage

OMG!

I have already lost one of my cherished plant

@ a three Yr old Brazilian Rain Tree last month....

Rain Tree - Aug 2k9

.....AND

the disheartening part is that I am about to loose another one......

Ficus - Grp Planting, Oct 2k10

Boo Woo..........

Gosh! I feel so helpless... right  at this moment, 

and just don't know what else to do; 

Except,....Maybe,

Hope n Pray...THE  PLANT  (left, above) recovers soon.

Ficus with Rock ...Grp Planting, Aug2k9

Will it? Won't it? 

Will it!

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!

Now That Spring is in the Air....

.... With the Flowers everywhere....
When all the Birds are singing in the sky... 
We had Joy we had Fun... 
We had Seasons in the Sun.....

Hmmm...
Now that Spring is in the Air...

I have been listening to this yesteryears... beautiful song…. ‘Seasons in the Sun’ by Westlife, these last few days and still can’t get over the lines, the lyrics which read…. 'Now that spring is in the Air'…also the title of this post.

Whoa! The Mango Trees resplendent with blossom appear promising, as they gear up to bear loads of  Juicy Mango fruits, in the coming summers months following spring.

The new set of shiny, glossy leaves on the Lipstick Ficus, appear so delicate n fresh with their rose tinted tips.

 The semi-cascading Tamarind Tree too is in the process of growing back its flourishing green foliage...

I love the way, the century old, white marble Fountain, the heart of the garden, stands blissfully tall, amidst a carpet of snowy white flowers.

You can also catch a glimpse of the Araucaria tree, the fountain Palm & Ixora's at a distance, the yet- to- bloom patch of Lily’s in the right corner, a row of Petunia’s and dog flowers towards the right again.

A row of Calendula’s n Marigold Yellows flush with bloom just behind me…..

Tons of Scarlet… Reds n yeh…. fiery Orange hues…. here, there, everywhere, adding loads of dazzling n blazing, vibrancy to our Spring Garden, this season.

Alas! Just a speck of beaming Aster Blues ….infront of me… the view of the Aster flower bed, obscured by the Flora Fountain.

However, loads of  Lovely Pinks....thriving all over &....all around again.

It’s a beautiful time of the year here…. 

....With the garden abuzz with spring colours and life...... the fluttering Butterflies, Birds n Bees, skirting Squirrels, hopping Frogs and off course lots n lots of Blooming Flowers n more….

Here's Wishing all a Glorious Spring... with the song 'Seasons In the Sun' .

Omnipresent Figs

From EverGreen Tree

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Survival is the Quality of the Fig Tree

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From EverGreen Tree

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Theme: Omnipresent Figs

These Omnipresent Figs/ Ficus Plants...

can germinate n grow from just about anywhere n everywhere......

....Be it from a crevice in a marble fountain, from under a tree & under water tanks,

from door hinges, nooks n corners, from within the walls,

n endless other avenues.....

Right Watering of Plants

Plants are calm and quiet living beings, responsive to love, care, watering n nurturing. However, when neglected, they are susceptible to fleeting infections; viral n bacterial diseases; stress due to climatic variations & changes in the seasons, watering et al. Being reticent, they merely exhibit their discomfiture by sudden shedding of their leaves or drooping leaves or even yellowing of leaves etc.

To elucidate the same with the help of an example:

Let’s take a look at this Bougainvillea, which is exhibiting its stressful state with its yellowing leaves, caused due to excessive wet soil conditions. Now these Bougain’s like sunny days and prefer dry soil conditions with only moderate watering. To say the least, this plant should be left sans watering, for its soil to dry out completely or else the roots are likely to decay n rot.

Watering - It is an essential prerequisite to regulate watering of plants keeping in mind a plant’s individual water needs, the soil’s moisture retention properties; the seasonal variations; whether it’s an indoor plant or outdoor plant, potted plant or is growing in garden beds et al

When to water @ Time of the Day:
Plants can be watered both in the Morning and / or Evening. During peak summer months, it might be necessary to water the outdoor plants twice during the day, while during winters, they might need watering only once every two or three days and infrequent watering during the intermittent monsoonal rainy season.

When watering the plant in the morning, the water gets evaporated almost instantaneously as the day progresses and such plants might require some additional watering all over again by the evening.

One should avoid watering them in the afternoon, when the sun is directly overhead as the water is likely to be warm to hot…and so might damage the roots. The water being used should ideally be at room temperature.

On the other hand, when watering the outdoor plants in the evenings, the soil remains wet, retaining its moisture for a considerably longer duration of time, through the night and then through the following day, thereby benefiting n nurturing the plant much more.

It usually depends on a caretaker’s personal preference and habitual itinerary. It is advisable to stick to the same routine and not alter the watering pattern abruptly.

Water logging:

It’s a commonly observed problem in potted plants, usually caused due to a blockage in the drainage hole, thereby leading to water logging especially during the rainy season.
Adequate care should be taken that the soil used is a good mix of manure plus loose mud, granular with some breathing room for the roots and free passage of water. It should not be too sticky, tight and compact thereby disrupting the flow of water through the hole. Prolonged damp and water logged conditions would eventually lead to rotting of the roots and the plant might eventually droop and wilt away.

Succulents, which retain n store water in their roots / leaves / stems, require well regulated watering from time to time. Excessive water (like during the rainy season) can lead to decaying n rotting of the roots.

The picture above shows a decomposing Adenium plant, which if healthy and alive would have borne some of the most beautiful n brightly coloured Flowers... as seen below.


Having lost this Adenium (one of my Fav flowering plants) very recently, I thought I will forewarn friends and fellow bloggers about the ill feted consequences of neglecting one's plant and sometimes even over watering them (more so during the Rainy Season).

A friend from our Bonsai Group, lost a beautifully styled plant @ A Jade recently ..again due to overwatering as she shared a similar tale of losing her plant.

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However, on a Cheer-y note....our Mentor and Grp President, Mrs Arora always has some comforting and encouraging words to share, advising us to exercise caution n check the plants from time to time before its too late to save and recover a stressed out plant.

Wordless Wednesday

Living House

This living FICUS tree house

demonstrates the potential of training tree trunks

into fun & functional garden elements.

~

You can learn more about the art of Arborsculpture

by clicking here .

~

This structure is located in Bio Park on Okinawa island.

Reference: Internet Sources

Ficus On the Wall

SURVIVAL IS THE QUALITY OF THE FIG TREE

Photograph: Jamunaha, Jan, 2009

FIGS

In keeping with the Majestic Figs a.k.a, Ficus Tree’s burgeoning prevalence as a prized Bonsai, Avadh Bonsai Association’s, President, Mrs. Santosh Arora, & Chief Advisor, Mr. K.K. Arora, prepared and presented, a well-documented Slide Show pertaining to Ficus. It was based on Mr and Mrs Arora’s, three decades of ‘hands-on’ personal working experience in the field of Bonsai, coupled with extensive reference from eminent Bonsai Artist Jerry Meislik’s Book, ‘Ficus – The Exotic Bonsai’.

This interactive meeting / presentation exclusively for ABA members only; was held on Saturday, 16th May, 2009 at a Senior Member Dr. Saroj Malhotra’s spacious and plush Office Premises, where she had beautifully showcased some of her Bonsai plants complimenting the décor appreciatively.

The occasion also saw polite and soft spoken Mr. K.K. Arora, effortlessly step into AUNTY, Mrs. Arora’s ‘mighty-high’ shoes as he shared valuable insights, referrals, information and points to consider whilst training-maintaining, growing-nurturing and working with Ficus Trees.

He stated that no other plant genus offers such diversity in terms of variety as a Ficus does. This group has about 800 different species commonly found in nature, of which some 20 – 25 varieties were extremely popular amongst the Bonsai Fraternity in India. To name a few….…Ficus benjamina, F. salisifolia, F. retusa, F. nuda, F. macrophylla, F. nerifolia, F. panda, F. macrocarpa, F glomerata, Ficus natalensis, F. rubiginosa, F. virens, F. compacta, F.capensis, F.hispida, F.long island, et al

Additionally, FIG Trees gaining popularity as a Bonsai was also attributed to its ready availability & easy maintenance; its dense twigging pattern and vigorous growth; its inherent tolerance to great variation in climatic changes, hot / dry air conditions and also atmospheric humidity.

Ficus as group can readily be identified based on a sticky substance called the SAP or the LATEX which oozes out from the bark of the plant. These plants also have remarkably distinct AERIAL ROOTS which instantaneously differentiate them from other plants. They bear small to large berry like fruits in varying colors like green, yellow or even red, popularly referred to as FIGS, hence the name…. FIG TREES.

The V. President, Mrs Benu Kalsi, further elaborated and enlightened all in the audience, that this so-called ‘Fruit’ or FIG is basically the Flower of the Ficus Tree i.e. it’s an INFLORESCENCE formed by joining together multiple teeny-tiny flowers.

Placement of Ficus Bonsai:
Mr. Arora stated that Ficus trees were quite adaptive and so could be kept both outdoors and indoors, with little care.

They were especially suitable as indoors plants as they helped enhance the ambiance of both Residential & Official Premises, because of their evergreen striking visual appeal. However, these plants needed considerable aeration and so when kept indoors; they should ideally be placed in well-ventilated rooms only.

He explained that more fruiting was directly proportional to more lighting, so the plants should also be intermittently exposed to the fresh air and natural sunlight outdoors.

Drainage and Potting
Ficus trees usually posses well disposed spread of surface roots, aerial roots which add considerably to the aesthetic beauty of these plants, and most importantly nourish the plant, making them flourishing and sturdy growers throughout the year.

By way of observation, he specified that these plants did not like saline and hard water and so require a soil mixture which has good porosity vis-à-vis good drainage. They seem to like humid atmosphere and moderate winter conditions didn’t pose much problems for them in general.

Repotting
The best time to pot / repot was during the spring (February-March) and during monsoons (July-August).

Younger trees need regular and frequent….yearly repotting, while, mature and older trees, could be repotted every once in a while, as and when needed… i.e. when the soil mixture became too fine and hindered in good drainage or with accumulation of toxins in the soil over a prolonged period of time etc.

After repotting, the plants should always be kept indoors / under the shade, away from direct sunlight for a while. Care should be taken so as not to fertilize the plants, immediately after repotting them.

Trimming and Complete De-foliation
Trimming, pruning the Ficus can be carried out through out the year, more specifically at the onset of the dormant or slow growing season i.e. Winters or specially before showcasing the Bonsai for an important Exhibition. At other times the plants can be allowed to grow vigorously so that they derive maximum benefits from photosynthesis.

Most importantly, these plants can withstand complete defoliation, wherein all the leaves are cut leaving behind only the leaf stubble i.e. the PETIOLE. As an added advantage, the new leaves which are formed, subsequent to defoliation are considerably smaller in size.

Problems Encountered
Though easy to maintain, Ficus does have its own share of problems like curling of the leaves or their turning black, brown edging, or even yellowing of leaves and later falling off on their own accord.

Yellowing of leaves is often caused due to low Nitrogen contents and adding Urea or NPK with higher concentration of Nitrogen proved beneficial.

Senior Member, Mrs. Padma Singh suggested and shared her ‘tried and tested’ remedy exclusively to counter sudden yellowing of leaves, which regained its colour and vitality, when ½ tbs of Zinc Powder dissolved in about 1 L of water, was used on such plants.

Fusion Technique
Mr Arora also added that the uniqueness of Ficus was ascribed to its inherent Fusing Nature, wherein multiple individual trunks could readily be joined i.e. FUSED together, over a period of time, to give the appearance of one single trunk.

Moreover, individual young and tender Ficus plants having remarkably flexible trunks could gently be braided together, also giving an appearance of a conjoint yet braided trunk with a single Canopy at the top.

Conclusion
Having imparted, exchanged, discussed, beneficial information and personal experience on a concluding note Mr. and Mrs. Arora said that Ficus Trees were incidentally, also one of their personal favorites. These plants were indeed a pleasure to work with, as they readily and positively responded to trimming & shaping, effectively molding & adapting themselves as per the Artist vivid design imagination, befitting of a Bonsai.

PS: As Presented by Santosh Arora and K.K. Arora, ABA, Lko

Wall Planter

Designing a plant Planter/Mural on the wall is very similar to designing a concrete structure using brick, cement, steel and the likes and balancing all of these rugged, rough edges with a dash of natural landscaping, using greenery in the form of plants, thereby giving it natural & soft contours to an otherwise artificially erected hard feature of brick & mortar.

Bonsai, essentially are plants which are “trained” to grow in shallow pots, over a prolonged period of time, using clip and grow pruning techniques and intricate wiring techniques, to give a desired shape & personality to the plant, based on a Bonsai artist’s unique perception of the design and display for the plant.

Blending this concept, with that of a Wall Mural/Planter, this too captures the heart and soul of Bonsai Designing in its entiriety. Instead of growing the plant in shallow pots or on marble trays, a trained plant is made to grow on a wall planter, with a self patterned wall as a backdrop for the plant with emphasis & greater detailing, on its exposed root system.

A sturdy, hardy plant, preferably the ever-green and easily adopting, ficus variants or fig trees are most suited for an arrangement like this. In Nature, the Banyan Fig, can be seen growing readily in every nook and corner, be it in-between the minutest fissure in the walls of the house, or on the roofs, these plants have a tendency to appear just about anywhere and everywhere. A well developed & aged exposed root system of these plants can exhibit complex ramification as well as intensely proliferated, designer branching patterns, which showcase the aesthetic beauty of the plant, with a nude brick-patterned wall as a backdrop to add finishing touches to the overall look of such a planter.