Red Amaryllis Lilies

It was three years ago on this day that my father passed away. Was it coincidence that the red amaryllis lilies that are usually in full bloom by the fag end of March chose to open up today? On the 12th of April? Every year I have the red ones blooming side by side with the white ones. The white amaryllis have done blooming. I had written about this on one of my posts, That there were no flowers blooming in my parents’ garden when he passed away except for those red vibrant ones. Ironic that in death we said goodbye with blooms that were so alive. These lilies will always remind me of those days when my father was fighting cancer, first on the lung, and then the throat…I’m touched and feel blessed that Mother Nature has chosen to commemorate this day, in my garden.

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I have not been blogging here because I started a new food blog. It’called Blending Flavours and here’s the link http://blendingflavours.blogspot.in

I hope you stop by my food blog. Thank you all so much for stopping by and leaving your comments at Terra Farmer.

Today’s Flowers/Orchids

Recently we stopped at a wayside eatery where there were several plants for sale. Although there were several pansies, azaleas, petunias, asters, and marigolds in bloom, it was this orchid that caught my eye.

To see the most beautiful blooms from across the planet, head over to Today’s Flowers.

Today’s Flowers/Kalanchoe

It’s the time of the year when, along with the rest of the winter bloomers, kalanchoes brighten up our front-yards. The red ones are widely grown. I got these double blooming ones from a horticultural show two years ago. The first blooms of 2013 are opening up. They look like miniature roses and the combination of colours are a delight.

To see more blooms from across the planet head over to  Today’s Flowers. My thanks to the TF team. Happy Sunday!

Flowers From a Cemetery

Miniature roses bloom at a war cemetery in our city. This cemetery was established during World War II and is maintained  by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is beautifully kept and despite being in the heart of the city, it’s serene and peaceful.

Several ground orchids were in bloom when I visited the place a few days ago.

My thanks to the hosts of Today’s Flowers…to see more floral images, please head over to http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.in

Happy Sunday!!

After A Long While….

It’s been a while that I’ve posted on my blog. Sometimes the real world demands more attention…In between my blogging and being away from blogging, I’ve thought and fallen in love with the concept of edible gardening. I’ve spent time, money, and of course, a great deal of effort in growing  all the various species that are only pretty to look at. If only they would also yield something edible….! So this year instead of sowing the seeds of seasonal flowers, a ritual that I go through every winter, I’ve used my pots for potatoes, spinach, and another variety of leafy greens known as lai in our region. I’ve been most inspired by bloggers who make use of every possible space to plant their greens.

The start of the new year and my hyacinth beans do me proud! Winter wouldn’t be the same without these beans. They come in various sizes, some are longer and some are broader. And talking about winter, this year it’s the coldest (for our region) that we’ve experienced. The other day day our minimum temperature dropped to 5.7° Celsius. Looks like our mild winters will no longer remain so.

A very Happy New Year to all visitors to this blog. And thank you for stopping by today.

 

 

Star fruit blooms for Today’s Flowers

These flowers are from a small potted star fruit plant that I have. For lack of space, I’m using a container but it seems pretty happy and has borne a handful of the sweetest fruit I have tasted. There are a lot more coming as the clusters of lavender blooms indicate.

To see the most beautiful blooms from across the planet, head over to Today’s Flowers. My thanks to the hosts of this beautiful meme.

Today’s Flowers/Jasmine

Last month I got a small plant from a nursery. I was told that it was a variety of jasmine from Thailand and that the mildly fragrant flower turns yellow. The above picture was taken two days ago. This morning this was the colour. Aging gracefully, don’t you think?

Visit the home of Today’s Flowers to see the most beautiful blooms on our planet.

Edited to add-—- the flower on this post is the Thai Gardenia/ Gardenia gjellerupii. Thanks to Luna Miranda and Autumn Belle for mentioning this in their comments.

Our World/Rainy Days Are Here Again

Just before the rains came, a lot of drama unfolded in our western sky. It made me stop as I watered my plants or brought in the washing or just looked around my plants for those winged jewels that I love to photograph. Through the wires and the pylons, incomplete structures that dot our landscape and the overhead water tanks on rooftops, or the hills laid bare by all that earth cutting all in the name of development…that canvas of orange and indigo blue made my heart sing.

It’s time for these orange ditch lilies to bloom. I post the pictures each year but this time it’s a petal or two…and a droplet of rain.

Another faithful is putting up a show. These orchids/Aerides odorata tied on the Areca nut tree has a spicy, refreshing smell.

Click on the badge below and check out other participants’ posts to see what’s happening in other parts of the globe.

Today’s Flowers/Balsam

Two kinds of balsam are blooming in my garden now. The red ones were bought from a nursery whereas the purple ones are the wild variety that spring up during this season.

To see more visit the home of Today’s Flowers.

Today’s Flowers/Magnolia

On our holiday last month, we visited the Rose Garden in Chandigarh. Although there were hundreds of roses in bloom, the heat was too much for us! We plonked ourselves in the shade near where the sprinklers were active at noon. What caught my eye as were returning to our hotel was this magnolia as big as a dinner plate. There were many magnolia trees and perhaps this was one of the last blooms. Or one of the first of the season!

The Rose Garden, Chandigarh

To see more, visit the home of Today’s Flowers.