earthnow-aliya

A Garden on Raj Bhavan Road,Hyderabad,January,2012

2012-01-12T08:52:00.001-08:00

Today : 11th January 2012

2012-01-11T03:38:00.000-08:00

North India its bitterly cold

and snowing...

In Hyderabad its almost summer

with the winter being is short spring..

Flowers are in bloom and the green is fresh and flourishing. Bees are buzzing...

Parrots are back eating fruits of the petticoat palm.. .. beauty is bursting ..a silent riot of colours...

Visually enchanting :the steadily growing flaming trumpet vine or the golden shower trumpet.

Kalanchoe or flaming katy with flat glossy green succulent leaves..... It blooms with small pretty red flowers .

The flowers are grouped and tightly paced flower heads on long stems.

Come April,the sun supreme with its fierce rays makes the earth dry-parched.. the temperatures rise – getting unbearable.

Subsequently a high pressure area develops over the Indian Ocean while the intense heat over the Earth (the Asian continent) creates rising air and surface low pressure.

It gets insufferably hot and inevitably everyone is looking up towards the sky..waiting for the clouds to build or thicken and the first drop of rain…The air masses move from the high pressure over the ocean to the low over the continent, bringing moisture-laden air to south Asia.... thus the magical monsoon...

Monsoon Memories

2012-01-10T23:47:00.001-08:00

Flowers of Monsoon in the garden:

water lilies

Anthurium

Bird of paradise

Monsoons Memories:

2012-01-10T23:14:00.000-08:00

The term Monsoon is from Arabic MAWSIN : where in south Asia it rains... ……Its something magical about the rain drenched season of Monsoon that makes people go barmy.

The first drop of water on the raw parched earth, the irresistible fragrance afterwards.. every sub continental Indian ( from the stock exchange office in Mumbai to the urban to the rural farmer every patient with his bull and the plough) looks towards the sky.

Monsoon the romantic season of love.

To procreate..

To go green..

Its mystical its joyful

Its merriment around.

& its most welcome.

The Indian Economy thrives on monsoon..

Finance minister , Pranab Mukerjee, once said that :

‘ monsoon is the real finance minister of India '.

A good monsoon results in improved agricultural-growth,bringing down prices,reducing imports – thus food inflation under control.

Essentially a good monsoon results in increased hydroelectric production.

The industry wheels move and a positive ripple is felt through out the country.

There can be a good rain season only when there is enough precipitation..

Fellow Indian wake up .Save the trees save the forest.

The internet or the web is the great revealer : showed a ppt of Murree

(a town in Northern Pakistan & a hilly extension of the great Himalayas).

When observed: the mountains- slopes are without tress..

The streets the mountains are covered with snow.. beautiful..

Wake up Humans plant a tree..

Our problems can disappear if we make an conscious effort towards forest preservation.. & the green cover..

The monsoon is dependent on forest cover and we Indians are dependent on the monsoon.. lets begin...

the Rain Lily

& above

the Orchid Cactus or

the Night Blooming Cereus

A Greener Karachi.....

2010-10-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Was visiting Karachi after 7 years & I saw these Morning Glories

(they are weeds in South India) growing wildly around the Sea View Apartments.

Stubbornly growing on the road sides (as Aman Khalique put it)

It was a moment of joy: "hey that’s pretty".

It was a pleasant surprise:

Defense.. Clifton areas looked prettier than before..the walls were higher.. nevertheless there was greenery..

When there is green there is hope.

Why don’t the Karachites start sowing seeds /saplings -nuture them and wait for them to grow—..

& make Karachi a more pleasing place.

A restaurant called Saffron has a very character full tree growing out side its Moorish gate.

I saw plenty of Bottle Brushes and Gull Mohars..

Well done.

I saw the Neem tree grow taller (sown by my brother)

& the hedges around the homes in the Sea View neighbourhood were neatly pruned.

Well done Karachites.. keep your green hopes up.. strive for a greener Karachi..

A better environment.

Queensland Umbrella Tree

2009-07-15T03:18:00.000-07:00

Scheffler Actinophylia ,is a popular domestic-hedge plant.

Native to Australia is also called Queensland Umbrella Tree.
It has decorated – small palm like arranged leaves.
In some places in India, it grows u to 3 to 10 meters in height to become a large tree.
I have observed it as a slow growing shrub in my garden.
It has a variegated variety with leaves having ivory or yellow blotches/splashes.
It can be propagated through stem cutting.
It needs moderately fertile & well drained soil .

Recently I noticed a nicely pruned hedge of Scheffler Actinophylia or the Quennsland Umbrella - at the Bangalore Club.

However in my garden as a small landscape shrub & a filler plant with excellent foliage needing little water, all year round.

The plant nurseries in Andhra Pradesh call it The SCHEFFLERA HICOLAR.

Flowers Of Munnar ( Western Ghats)

2009-07-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

Pansy:
Common name: Pansy, Pansy Violet

Botanical name: Viola x wittrockiana
The name pansy is from the French word pensée, meaning thought or remembrance.

The name "pansy" also appears as part of the common name for other Viola species that are wildflowers in Europe.

The Pansy is a hybrid plant cultivated as garden flowers .
Pretty to grow in pots, troughs, or as mass plantings,
These lightly fragrant flowers are available in a vast range of colors.

The pansy flower has two top petals overlapping slightly, two side petals, beards
where the three lower petals join the center of the flower, and a single bottom petal with a small groove.

The dark centers in some flowers are thought to resemble little faces.
(Flowers have big blotches that make them strongly resemble faces)
They grow only six to ten inches high and can spread up to ten to twelve inches across.

Since Elizabethan times, the word "pansy" suggests an effeminate male and
still is used, as a disapproving term for a man or boy who is effeminate.

Heliconia

2009-02-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

Heliconia Golden Torch

Botanical name: Heliconia psittacorum x spathocircinata
Family: Heliconiaceae (heliconia family)

Heliconias are indigenous to tropical America, and are distinct individual flowers …

Heliconia can grow in seasonally dry locations -- however most grow in moist and wet regions.
Growing from rhizomes, they have erect shoots, with a stem and huge leaves and it ends by a manner in which flowers develop on the stalk : brilliant orange - with a shade of red...

The inflorescence comes from bracts rather than the actual flower.

It can be grown anywhere.
They also make great container plants.
Heliconias are heavy feeders, and need rich humic soil***.

The Heliconia blooms all the through the summer and they make great cut flowers: lasting 2 to 3 weeks.

Heliconia is gaining popularity in world as well as Indian market due to its cut flower-value.

It also have long vase life.

Please note that there is a lot of difference between the Heliconia & The Bird of Paradise…

*** Humus Soil:

Humus soil nurtures plants two ways.
Humus creates a loose structure & at the same time holds moisture and drains well.
Humus layer creates an environment that supports living organisms that convert soil nutrients into a form that plant roots can use thus increasing soil fertility.
In a natural environment humus is continuously introduced into soil as plant debris, dead animals, and other organic matter that decomposes on the ground.
Through the action of bacteria, fungi, and other occupants of the soil like insects –worms :
these dead animals, dry leaves (organic matter) are continuously broken … into a soft, spongy layer- called the humus.
In short, Humus Layer brings the soil to life.

Bird of Paradise

2009-02-09T03:13:00.000-08:00

Bird Of Paradise:

Genus Strelitzia
Common : Strelitzia, Crane Flower or Bird of Paradise.....

Strelitzia reginae is a monocotyledonous Flowering Plant ….

(Monocotyledonous: Flowering plant that has a single leaf in the seed and floral parts in multiples of three).

Bird of Paradise is indigenous to South Africa.

lt is grown in India in regions such as the Western Ghats, Kerala, Karnataka ..
The Bird of Paradise is grown Bangalore as a familiar ornamental plant.

Bird of Paradise prefers moderate humidity,

The plant grows to 2 m (6½ ft) tall, with large- strong leaves .
The leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown.

Long stemmed flowers emerge from green boat-shaped bracts .. which are bordered in red or purple.

(Bracts a modified leaf that arises from the stem at the point where the flower or flower cluster develops).

Many pointed petals of brilliant orange are contrasted with an arrow-shaped tongue of vibrant -inkish blue.

The flowers stand above the foliage at the tips of long stalks.
The hard, beak-like sheath from which the flower emerges is termed the spathe.

This is placed upright on the stem, which gives it the look of a bird's head and beak…
thus making a resilient rest for the birds which help pollinate the flowers.

The flowers, which emerge one at a time from the spathe, have three brilliant orange sepals and three purplish-blue petals.
Two of the blue petals are connected - to form an arrow-like nectary.

When the birds sit to drink the nectar, the petals open to coat their feet in pollen.

Bird of Paradise when blooms, is a spectacular sight but with all its glorious exotic beauty…
The Bird of Paradise- flower has no scent. …

The Strelitzia reginae (Bird of Paradise) prefers full sun.

This may require some daily misting during the dry summer months Of Andhra-Pradesh.

Over watering in Monsoon can lead to root rot.

Strelitzia reginae are relatively pest free.

I know I need a lot of patience while growing this plant as it is slow-growing and may take a while to bloom.

To get a mature plant from seed takes three to five years.

It flowers only when properly established and division of the plant may affect flowering patterns.

The flowers are, however, quite long-lasting once they appear.

Propagation
The Bird of Paradise can be propagated by either seeds or division of the crowns.
Seeds take considerably longer than division to grow into a blooming plant.

9th January 2011:

As mentioned above:

Originally the Bird of Paradises grow wild on the banks of South Africa -- it’s indigenous to scrublands of Africa and Brazil.
Right now a bud has appeared after 5 years of planting ..and is creating quite a buzz in my garden.. .. where my husband, servants and myself are looking at it in wonder - - for its expected_majestic opening. Every second day the bud is – eagerly photographed …..to see how much it has transformed.

Photographs taken from 1st Jan to..9th Jan'till 13th January 2011 (bud stage)

Petticoat Palm

2009-01-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

16th January 2009
The Petticoat Palm

My husbands grand father built this house with love and such detail planning ....
He planted Petticoat palms as avenue trees around the house.
This Petticoat Palm is native to California & Mexico region, again grown as avenue tree.
It has dense fan like leaves.
It is solid tall tree: with a skirt of dead dropping leaves supporting the above crown of large green fan shaped leaves.
The dead dropping leaves -- are unsightly & quite a nuisance to clear and tidy up.

Parrots and birds love its fruits and a large number gather early morning to chirp, eat, meet and enjoy its fruit.
Propagation of Petticoat palm is done by seeds which germinate slowly.
It grows easily in mild climates sometimes tolerating sub freezing temperatures.

The Bamboo

2009-01-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Jan 16th 2009

You think Red I think Green:

2009-01-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

The green cell is microscopic, but great.
Great, from within.
We all know that CHLOROPHYLL is the green colouring matter found in plants.
It is enclosed in microscopic cell organelles called CHLOROPLASTS.
CHLOROPLASTS are minute oval bodies surrounded by a double membrane &
the interior contains densely crammed flattened thylakoids.
And then…

Photosynthesis is a process by which living plant cell containing CHLOROPHYLL ,
produce food substances: glucose and starch from carbon dioxide

& water by using light energy sunlight.
Oxygen is released as waste product in this process.

Quran talks about the VERDENT GREEN in Sure’ Rehmaan.
Green that is the basic Chloroplast.
Source of energy and sustenance..
Then…how can Islam think Red..?
No, It does not promote terrorism.
It teaches us to appreciate nature, to respect it.
Natural entities water, air that we breathe, the trees, the heat of the sun -
the light from the sun: are signs of Allah ..
Again & again Allah reminds us of these ….

Islam teaches us to value Green ..
&
If we thank Allah adequately …. then where is the time to think Red ?

2009

2009-01-01T08:50:00.001-08:00

Hoping for more green this 2009...

My Robust Buddha’s Belly

2008-11-24T03:25:00.000-08:00

Buddha’s Belly:

Common Name: Bamboo

Botanical name: Bambusa vulgaris

Originally from South China… the bamboo has 1200 different varieties.. ..
Growing in very cold temperate climates to the hot tropics…. from jungles to elevated mountain areas.
Bamboo is a grass… with different heights from a foot -- - to oversized timber bamboo that can grow to over 100 feet.
Bamboo very rarely produces seed, so most propagations are by division or clump cuttings.

In Mizoram, (small hill state in north-east India) they say when the bamboo flowers : famine and destruction follows .

How the Buddha’s Belly Grows:
The Buddha’s belly can be an ideal bamboo, by a pond in a beautiful landscape…. ..!
It has Swollen internodes which are quite fascinating & draw attention….

This species of bamboo is reliable and consistent in producing new shoots after every few months or after a heavy spell of rain.
The new shoots are protected by a sheath, which are commonly rounded and smooth.
This bamboo spreads by underground stem to form clumps. .. by their underground rhizomes

For the first few months all it needs is sufficient water and nutrition & the Buddha’s Belly develops like any other garden plant.
The soil should be well-drained, with regular application of water and plenty of sunlight.

No pruning is generally required , however tidying up now & then is necessary for a good looking Buddha’s Belly.

Mother Earth Welcomes the Change II

2008-11-09T21:49:00.000-08:00

In Feb 2008: Barack Obama said that as president he would spend $210 billion to create jobs in construction and environmental industries:
Amount to be used as investment in 2 programs which would last for over 10 years.

The $150 billion to create 5 million on "green collar" jobs to remodel environment friendly energy sources.
Sixty billion would go to a National Infrastructure Reinvestment Bank to rebuild highways, bridges, airports and other public projects.
Obama explained that the money for his spending proposals would come from ending the Iraq war, cutting tax breaks for corporations, taxing carbon pollution and raising taxes on high income earners.

Obama has also proposed a mandatory reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
{Which the Nobel Prize winning panel of scientists at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate --have said must be done to avoid catastrophic climate impacts}.

Propositions quite unique however application needs courage to resolve…

Only time will tell if he created these GREEN collar jobs for a greener tomorrow & will he make climate high priority in 2009.

Mother Earth Welcomes the Change

2008-11-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

Friday,November 6th.

& I quote :

David Hales (director of the Global Environment Center of the United States Agency for International Development.)

“Transition to societies that are sustainable and just will require rare courage and wisdom".

Courage and determination is just what Obama requires, to make a change and do some thing for : as Obama himself mentioned “the planet in peril”.

& Climate Change should take center stage, in his agenda.

& yes some amount of aggressiveness..to reduce the consumerism.

David Hales also adds that he was hopeful & there would be a significant change in U.S. position, very soon.

Obama has to make sure to get the unemployed jobs but to begin with:

A drastic Change in the mechanics of the automobile industry, has to be brought about: typically through green initiatives .. alternative energy sources...solar energy and recycling.

Let us hope that CONSUMERISM gradually dwindles ....

Sense and Sustainability II

2008-11-02T03:45:00.000-08:00

Sustainable use of Resources:

Its easy to talk... but let us all make it practical.

Sustainability can be exemplified by:

a. Substitution of non renewable natural resources by renewable natural resources.
Eg substitute the use of coal by using solar energy.
Substitute the use hydro electricity by wind energy.

b. Renewability  using recourses in a way that the rate of utilization should be lower than or equal to the rate of regeneration or restoration or renewal of resources.

c. Institutional change
All levels of society should be educated on sustainable development as an individual cannot do it unaided.

d. Adaptability Stop using Plastic.

e. Interdependence

The environment does not have any boundaries.

Eg the air pollution in Pakistan or created in Pakistan will spread into India...

Ie from one country to another

Environment has no boundaries

Let us all think globally.

Sense and Sustainability I

2008-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

Wednesday , October 15th 2008:

Sustainable use of resources:

--> by conserving energy
--> by conserving water
--> by conserving biological resources
(ie protecting forests, natural vegetation ,ecological riches)

--> Reflect on what is happening around the globe:
Lack of vegetative cover is changing the global climate..
Lack of vegetative cover is helping soil erosion.
Lack of vegetative cover is reducing the fertility of soil.
Lack of vegetative cover is uncompromisingly reducing rainfall.

Consequently..a global institutional commitment is required.
Accordingly let us begin with reducing pollution.

-->Let us begin with

REDUCE
REUSE
RECYCLE

*Reduce the energy being used.
*Reduce population…...population control.
*Reduce using plastic ..synthetic rubber…motor fuel.

--> Let CONSUMERISM gradually dwindle …
Let NOT CONSUME more than the production.
At the moment,50 times more steel is being used.
At the moment,50 times more energy is being used.
At the moment,150 times more synthetic rubber is being used.

Let CONSUMERISM gradually dwindle…

--> Let us all make a conscious effort…
Industries in India ..should commit that they benefit the
society... ...the environment.

*Ensure any adverse effect on the environment is reduced to the practical minimum.

Let CONSUMERISM gradually dwindle

* The conscious environmentalist thus understands.....
“limits of growth"

Let CONSUMERISM gradually dwindle

*The conscious environmentalist thus raises his voice to stop over exploitation..of non renewable resources.

*The conscious environmentalist thus tries to lend his/her hand to make the society understand...Recycle as many resources as one can.

Fall

2008-10-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

This is the way that autumn came to the trees:
It stripped them down to the skin,
left their ebony bodies naked.
It shook out their hearts, the yellow leaves,
scattered them over the ground.
Anyone could trample them out of shape
undisturbed by a single moan of protest.

The birds that herald dreams
were exiled from their song,
each voice torn out of its throat.
They dropped into the dust
even before the hunter strung his bow.

Oh, God of May have mercy.
Bless these withered bodies
with the passion of your resurrection;
make their dead veins flow with blood again.

Give some tree the gift of green again.
Let one bird sing.

Faiz Ahmed Faiz (1911-1984) - translated by Naomi

RAIN WATER HARVESTING : Rajasthan:

2008-10-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Thursday,9th October 2008

Earlier the Rulers of Rajasthan were committed in conservation of natural resources through indigenous traditions and practices.
JOHADS were built across a slope to catch rainwater .
JOHADS were earthen check dams -- built to conserve water ,which led to increase in the groundwater level.
JOHADS had high banks on three sides & the fourth side was left open for the rainwater to come into.
& The KUND.
A KUND’s shape is like an overturned cup positioned on a saucer..
A KUND was designed for the sandy Thar desert of western Rajasthan to harvest and gather ....rain water for drinking purposes..
In actuality KUND is an underground well... fashioned like a saucer , sort of catchment area which slopes down in the direction of the centre where the well is situated.
Sides of the well are covered with lime & ash.
More over, homes and hawelis in Western Rajasthan were constructed with rooftop water harvesting system.
Rainwater from these rooftops was directed into underground tanks.
Even today this formation can be seen in the forts, palaces and houses of Rajasthan.

Trees Of Jaipur III

2008-10-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Wednesday October 8th 2008.
1.KHEJARI : Local Name.
Botanical name: Prosopis Cineraria Druce.
The Khejri tree is the State Tree of Rajasthan, India.
It’s a thorny small tree…. deep-rooted making it thus drought resistant.
Khejri tree is sacred & is considered lucky to grow at home.
It has many uses . .. Its thorny branches are cut and used as a fence to keep animals away from crops,
The leaves are dried and used for feed and its bean-like fruit can be eaten ripe or unripe.
The wood is used as fuel.

2. Castor Tree: Castor bean, Castor oil plant, Wonder tree • Hindi : Arandi
Botanical name: Ricinus communis

The castor tree, is an upright, tropical is a small tree, grows up to 30 feet tall.
The Green leaves have uneven edge.
The flat seeds are in a seedpod that burst when ripen.
When mature the oblong fruit turns brown.
The seeds of castor oil plant, are very poisonous…,however, once prepared commercially castor oil contains no toxic characteristics..
The oil extracted from the beans, is used for medicinal purposes.
Castor seed oil is used to cleanse bowels..(laxative )
Leaf-paste is used as poultice (a warm moist preparation placed on an aching or inflamed part of the body to ease pain)
on sores, gout or rheumatic swellings.
Extraction of an active ingredient from the root by boiling can be applied under medical supervision for backache.
Castor Oil is used in soap-manufacture.

3. Roida LOCAL NAME: -- Sheesham (Weaker variety of teak).
Botanical name : TECOMELLA UNDULATA

It is a medium sized tree & is the main source of timber amongst the indigenous tree species of Rajasthan Desert.
It is nearly evergreen tree of arid and semi arid regions.
Adapts well to drained loamy to sandy loam soil , growing in areas of scanty rainfall and high temperature .
It can withstand extreme low temperature - during winter and high temperature in summers.
Roida is resilient. :is drought, frost, fire and wind hardy.
It produces showy flowers in yellow, orange and red colour.
Roida is used extensively as timber. Its wood is strong, tough,durable and hard-wearing. & can be well finished.
Wood at the center of tree trunk: contains a substance resembling quinine in chemical-structure.
Roida plays an significant role in ecological balance.
As a soil-binder with lateral roots spreading on the top surface of the soil. (prevents soil erosion)
As a windbreak and helps in calming down shifting sand dunes.
As the habitat of birds and provides refuge for other desert wildlife.
As shade during the hot summer months : haven for the cattle, goats and sheep.
Tecomella Undulata has many medicinal attributes.
The bark is used in preparing medicine to fight syphilis infection. ….
urinary ailment, enlargement of spleen, gonorrhoea, leucoderma & liver diseases.
Seeds are used as medicine to be applied on boils & sores. .
5.Khair Tree: Acacia Catechu
Indigenous to Western India.

6.KAIR
Indigenous to Western India ..
Kair fruit is hand picked by the village women and is one of the important ingredients of * punch kutta.
As picked by hand KAIR is expensive.
The fruit has a bitter taste.
To decrease the bitter taste it is soaked in butter milk for 3 days before making the pickle.

7. Haar Singaar: Coral Jasmine
Botanical name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
Flower : white petals with orange stem, fragrant,sweet-smelling , flowering from October to April/May .

Nyc tan thes arbor-tris tis accurately stands for: “ night-blooming sad tree”.

It can be trained while it grows. The large leaves are rough and hairy.
The sweet fragrant flowers are very small and pretty with white corolla and an orange-red tube in center and bloom a plenty at night and drop off in the morning: thus result flower carpet in the morning.
Hindus use this fragrant flower during worship.

8.Common Name: Chikoo, Sapodilla plum
Botanical name: Manilkara zapota
A fairly slow-growing, upright and elegant & is strong and wind-resistant.
It can grow up to 18 m high in the open. Leaves are highly attractive, evergreen, glossy, alternate, spirally bunched at the tips of the forked twigs; elliptic (shape or pattern of a geometric ellipse), pointed at both ends & firm. Flowers are small are borne on slender stems at the leaf bases.
The fruit may be nearly round, oblate, oval or conical; varies from 2 to 4 in 5-10 cm in width.
When immature it is hard, gummy and very astringent. Though smooth-skinned it is coated with a sandy brown scurf until fully ripe.
The flesh ranges in color from yellowish to light- or dark-brown or sometimes reddish-brown; may be coarse and somewhat grainy or smooth; becomes soft and very juicy, with a sweet flavor. Some fruits are seedless, but normally there may be from 3 to 12 seeds which are easily removed. They are brown or black, with one white margin; hard, glossy; long-oval, flat, with usually a distinct curved hook on one margin; and about 2 cm long.

9. Common name: Lemon, Nimbu Tree
Botanical name: Citrus limon
A common fruit in India. The lemon has a white, fragrant flower with five petals.
The true lemon tree reaches 10 to 20 ft (3-6 m) in height and usually has sharp thorns on the twigs.
The alternate leaves, reddish when young, become dark-green above, light-green below; are oblong, elliptic or long-ovate,
The fruit is oval with a nipple-like knob at the apex.

10.Common Name: Peepal Tree:
Botanical name: Ficus religiosa
Native to India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Nepal, South West China
It is a large dry season-deciduous or semi-evergreen tree up to 30 m tall and with a trunk diameter of up to 3 m.
The Buddhist, Jain & Hindus consider Peepal as sacred and therefore the name scared fig.
Gautama Siddhartha obtained his enlightened (Bodhi), or "awakening" (Buddha)….sitting beneath a Peepal tree.
The leaves have characteristic extended tip; they are 10-17cm long and 8-12cm broad, with a
6-10cm petiole.
The fruit is a small fig 1-1.5cm diameter, green on ripening purple.

11.Good OLD BANYAN Tree ,Bengal fig, Indian Banyan or simply Banyan, bargad.
The Tree of Immortality.
Botanical name :Ficus benghalensis.

Ficus in latin means fig.
It can mature into a giant tree covering several hectares.
The Great Banyan in the Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah, is believed to be one of the largest tree in the world, in terms of area covered:(Over an acre).
From far it looks like a forest. Its about 200 years old.

BANYAN Tree fabricates prop roots which grow vertically towards the ground and eventually anchor. .....taking root and grow into woody trunks & its impossible to differentiate from the main trunk.
The figs are eaten by birds and mammals. The seeds are dispersed by birds..

12. Common Name: BER tree: Indian Jujube
Botanical name Ziziphus zizyphus
Is indigenous to India. Growing naturally in hot dry areas.
It is cultivated mainly for the fruit. It’s a small ever green deciduous tree with thorny branches, attaining height of 5-10 m.
Leaves are shiny-green, with three noticeable veins at the base, and a finely toothed margin.
The flowers are small, 5 mm diameter, with five not easily seen yellowish-green petals.
The Ber fruit is drupes eg: Cherries, peaches, apricots, and plums are examples of drupes.
The edible fruit is green when immature & oblong in shape or OVOID (any curve resembling an egg )..
The fleshy fruit has a single hard stone alike an olive stone.
Grows dark red to purplish-black and in time wrinkled.

13. Common Name:Babool
Botanical name: Acacia Arabica.
Is indigenous to hot dry areas in India.
Acacia Arabica, Akis meaning a thorn and Arabica signifying Arabia.
One of the most common trees in the dry arid zones.
It is small medium sized evergreen tree ,with a small trunk & a spreading crown....with feathery foliage.
It is drought resistent....the wood is hardy and resistant to termites.
Used in railways for sleepers ,ploughs, cart-wheels, tent pegs, oil presses etc.
The thorny branches are used for fencing fields.
The tree can be planted as a avenue tree and as wind breaker.

The Reason to convey a comprehensive account on Rajasthan’s trees is that readers should become aware that Rajasthan’s desertification is spreading eastward and the sands are
encroaching more & more on the fertile land.
A continuous process by the conscious individuals who care: to plant indigenous plants in the desert areas of Rajasthan is crucial as .......
Rajasthan comes on top of the list,under “soil eroded areas”.

Soil Erosion is mainly due to the INDISCRIMINATE cutting/felling of the native trees .
There should be a continuous process by the society - not only to plant but also dutifully nurture and protect.
Need of the moment......to plant as many indigenous species in Rajasthan to prevent the massive desertification.

Trees Of Jaipur II

2008-10-05T03:42:00.000-07:00

Jatropha : Imminent Bio Diesel

Jatropha is native to Central America and now grows naturally in many tropical and subtropical areas, including India.. .. The mature small trees do not grow very tall.
Jatropha was introduced by the Portuguese as a valuable hedge plant in Asia.

In India it can grow as a sturdy bush , in scanty rain -areas, and providing rich dividends as raw material for Bio Fuel

* The planting of Jatropha as a hedge -- protects the soil from wind erosion. The wind carries the soil & accumulates at the base of the plants, forming boundaries along the ground. This holds in water, more water absorption & less soil erosion.
Planted in desert areas decreases the loss of land ,through deforestation or desertification.
* The hardy Jatropha is resistant to drought and pests.
* It produces seeds containing up to 40% oil.
When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil can be used in a standard diesel engine. The residue can also be processed into biomass to power electricity plants.
The production of good quality fertilizer as a by-product can improve soil.

Goldman Sachs (a global bank holding company that engages in investment banking, securities and investment etc) recently refered to Jatropha as a FUTURE Biodiesel.

As India depends on monsoons for the irrigation it is hard to say that Jatropha can be cultivated on a large scale.. and will it be feasible.?
What about the yield per hector ?

For sustainable agriculture :
Castor is planted in alternate rows of Jatropah; in uncultivated land, to get income and oil for the first two or three years.
In adddition , Soy can be planted if land is of good quality:

Soy is a source of edible oil and soy meal is cattle feed.
For supplementary income it is worth to plant Soy than castor.

As the Jatropha tree takes 4 to 5 years to mature.

* At this stage,it is all theoretical ; it will take many field testings before this BIOFUEL knowledge can be possibly applied or put into practice.
One cannot however, ignore the fact that Jatropha has many advantages over diesel : this bio fuel would generate a closed CO2 cycle.

Trees Of Jaipur I: Indian Gooseberry

2008-10-05T01:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday 4th October 2008

Common name: Amla, Indian Gooseberry.

Botanical name: Phyllanthus emblica.

1.Amla (pronounced Awanlah) {N is silent}
Is an indigenous tree to the Indian subcontinent,
Amla is a small to medium sized deciduous tree (plants that shed their leaves annually at the approach of a season of cold or drought), reaching 8 to 18 m in height, the fruit is edible of the same name.
The Tree is pleasing to look at….with crooked trunk and spreading branches drooping down.
The leaves are simple, nearly stalk less and closely set along slender branchlets.
The leaves are often mistaken for leaflets of pinnate leaves (describes a leaf that has a central axis or stem with parts branching off it).
The flowers are small, greenish-yellow or pinkish.
The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite shiny and hard looking, with 6 vertical stripes or furrows.
Ripening in autumn, the berries are harvested by hand after climbing to upper branches bearing the fruits.
Sour & in taste, Amla is, eaten with salt and water to make the fruit palatable.
Amla fruit is quite fibrous.
It is the richest source of vitamin C, 445 mg/100g and has antiviral and antimicrobial properties.
Bark or fruit have shown possible effectiveness against diseases, such as for inflammation, cancer, age-related renal disease, and diabetes.

Can help in reduction of cholesterol-level in blood.
Used extensively in India to make Chavan Parash.
The Best Amla is grown in Banaras , however Amla can be grown in light as well as heavy soils excluding pure sandy soil.
Calcareous soil (earth containing limestone) with rocky substratum can also be good.
Nevertheless, well drained fertile loamy soil is the best for higher yield.
The plant has great capacity for adaptation to dry regions and can also grow in moderately alkaline soils.
It is grown extensively under tropical condition.
Amla is considered a sacred tree & is worshipped as Mother Earth …in North India.

Old Amla Tree

The Curry Patta Tree

Damyanti's house

2. The Curry Tree or

Kadipatta or Sweet Neem leaf is a tropical to sub-tropical tree - native to India.
It is a small tree, growing 4-6 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter.
However ,in Jaipur there is a tree that is more than 8 feet tall and is quite old (20 years ) with a thick trunk.
The leaves are pinnate, with 11-21 leaflets, each leaflet 2-4 cm long and 1-2 cm broad.
The flowers are small white, and fragrant.
The small black, shiny berries are edible, but their seeds are poisonous.
Leaves are highly aromatic and are used as a herb much like bay leaves.
Possible effectiveness as antidiabetic , antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypercholesterolemic (an unusually high level of cholesterol in the blood )…

"Queen of the Night" Orchid cactus

2008-10-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Friday, The 3rd of October 2008

Please click on the pictures to enlarge

Orchid Cactus

The Orchid Cactus, has bloomed tonight!

ummm .. & it stirs up a lot of emotions within….
Its heartening ..
Like my niece just commented on the images..
‘ A thing of beauty is joy for ever….’

& Tomorrow it will no more….

Orchid Cactus, Jungle Cactus, Night Blooming Cereus,
Botanical name:
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
Family: Cactaceae (cactus family)

Epiphyllum Oxypetalum is by far the most extensively cultivated species from this genus of cacti.
Cactus grows as an epiphyte

(a plant that grows on top of or is supported by another plant but does not depend on it for nutrition) in the tropical rainforests of Guatemala and Honduras.
These rainforests have high humidity, and temperatures that are constant throughout the year.

Orchid cactus blooms at night, since the flowers are mostly pollinated by bats and large moths.
They have large white star-like flowers to help their pollinators locate the blossoms by moon or star light, and many have very lovely fragrances.
Pure white flowers, the size of a dinner plate, open as soon as the sun goes down and stay open all night, closing in the morning.
Stems are erect, climbing or sprawling, profusely branched, primary stems cylindrical, to 2-6 m long, flattened laterally. Also note the thick bluish-green branches that are stiff, strong, and upright growing. & have deep notches at the areoles, and crenate margins.

Secondary Stems (which look like leaves) are flat, elliptic-acuminate, to 30 cm x 10-12 cm, thin; margins shallowly crenate
{ having a scalloped edge or a surface with rounded projections} and wavy.
Flowers are produced from flattened portions, to 30 cm long, 12-17 cm wide, nocturnal, very fragrant.

Epiphyllums are without a doubt genuine cacti, but are more often labeled as "Epicacti" or "jungle cacti" to differentiate them from related desert flora.
The great size and shape of the flowers, as well as their often intoxicating sweet heady scent, comes from the wild Epiphyllum genes .

Highway to Ajmer

2008-09-30T03:13:00.000-07:00

Tuesday September 30th 2008

Here goes September.. in the midst of Ramadan I did not realize its onset..

Let us first understand why I talked about the trees of Rajasthan..& why the Rajas or the rulers planted trees..
Rajasthan and its plains is a sandy desert with River SUTLEJ in the North West and the Aravalli Range in the East; The Indus Valley in the West & The Rann of Kutch in the South.
All of this by and large is a semi arid area.
Cultivation is done in small patches and irrigations provided by small streams…which originate from Aravalli during the monsoons.
There are many salt water lakes in the Eastern side eg the Sambhar Lake on the border of Jaipur.

The Aravallis, are one of the oldest FOLD mountain ranges in the world.
This range lies parallel to the direction of the south west monsoon winds.
The Aravalli Hills are low in height so they are unable to stop the moisture laden winds.
This makes Rajasthan a dry area.

The perceptive & visionary rulers of Rajasthan were aware of the scanty rainfall conditions – and over the years these rulers, tried to plant shady trees on highway and roads …

To connect Jaipur to Ajmer** distance of 127 kilometers to be exact ....the highway had shady lush trees ..
14,000 : Fourteen Thousand- NEEM-trees were chopped down indiscriminately, to make a six lane highway .
Over hundreds of years these NEEM trees had grown to stately heights… with thick abundant leaves.. .. & witnessed the pilgrims progresses and advancement to Ajmer , a million times over hundreds of years…
Trees that sheltered birds –Trees that gave shade and protected the traveler from the blazing Rajasthani sun.
According to Hindu mythological scriptures,.. NEEM is a sacred tree ,….
It is revered & respected, as Gods reside in these trees and NEEM cleanses the air ..
Thus cutting of a NEEM Tree or a Banyan Tree is a sin.
Moreover NEEM is a medicinal plant. .. protected and patented now in the USA.
A vision has been smashed in the name of progress ...
The youth of today who lives for today will feel it is advancement.. “wow six lane highway!”
"Why think of tomorrow attitude" : cannot help Rajasthan to breathe in the future…
This erratic cut and build, concrete structures or heavy roads is not progress..
Again mankind has NO right to destroy or take away habitat & the shelter of birds.

In present day India, the only institution that regards conservation by protecting and planting trees : The Armed Forces.
It’s the only institution or a body as a whole which not only protects India’s borders & also the environment.
The Armed Force's cantonment areas are the greenest all over India.
These cantonment areas are lush and green with indigenous , native plants and thick trunked trees.
As a result, these cantonment areas are the lungs of each city in India.

**Ajmer is a small Pilgrimage city famous for the tomb of Hazrat Mu'inuddin Chishti.
It is 132 kms. south-west of Jaipur and 198 kms. east of Jodhpur.
It is connected by road to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur and Kota.
Sufi saint Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishti has a prominent place among the spiritual healers of the world. Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin -was born in 1142 A.D. in Sanjar (Iran).
He is a SYMBOL OF LOVE, HARMONY AND PEACE.
Muinuddin lived in Ajmer from 1190 till death in 1232

Conscious Society Of Jaipur:Rajasthan

2008-09-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Conscious vis a vis Conservation :
Damyanti Singh my charming hostess talked fervently, about the trees that she and her family tried to save and conserve some years back:

There is this road in Jaipur,called Queen’s Road:

It was a beautiful wide avenue with 300 year old huge banyan trees, on either side. {BADU-Pear} called locally.
These were planted by the foresighted ancestors ...and were the legacy left for the Jaipurians.
These 300 years old Banyan trees provided shade to the traveler and thus formed a divine canopy .
They were the home for a millions and a variety of birds: parrot, bulbul,..and even the peacock used to nest here.
It was so lovely a road, that it prompted the rulers of Jaipur to take Queen Elizabeth for a delightful buggy ride...in 1960s…
There were about fourteen solid Banyan tress on a 3 kilometer road..
During early- Vasundra’s reign, for road-expansion & broadening, these banyan legacies were cut down brutally.
The greed for power, popularity, expansion and progress..
all at the cost of cutting these trees…
All cries for conservation ,fell on deaf ears.

The diameter of each tree was so big that it took a whole week to cut one tree.
The roots were so strong and deep that the hole left behind after uprooting, looked like a full-size well.
In the place of these gracious old trees small saplings were planted:
Now they are at a shrubby stage and will remain as shrubs.
One can only wonder if they will ever grow to the majestic heights as their predecessors .
And where are the birds now ?
These regal banyans were the source of their food & shelter.
Have they soared away to a nearby thicket & one never knows the nearby thicket will be diminished…too
All in the name of PROGRESS!

Gratifying Garden

2008-09-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

Please click on the pictures to enlarge

Front

Lawn

Cacti

and

Aloe Plant

Side Veranda

Lawn

To Go Green Is Positive
The saplings planted today will grow tomorrow.
As a consequence it is:
Rewarding
Satisfying
Heartwarming
Pleasing
Munificent
Bountiful..and then wait ..

Serenity will be bestowed with patience and persistence.

Mother Earth is Screaming ..

2008-09-22T21:02:00.000-07:00

Look what we have done to our earth... for momentary pleasures and short lived gains....
cutting trees and blasting rocks..
Don't go far -- start with Somaiiguda, Raj Bhavan Road..
25 years ago just a quiet road with one or two cars mostly Renaults and Fiats, an odd or two ambassadors , men quietly pulling toiling their rickshaws..
Now a double road..
Drastically - widened may be four times.. in the last 25 years.
Tress cut brutally cut --
Properties sold to buy diamonds.. or money transferred to USA by affluent NRIs ..
Then they come back and live in their flats that they had bought.

& What is this flat culture.. ?
Again borrowed from the West..
These cars.. and heavy lorries.. the mad rush and honking..
Mother Earth is screaming ..
Is any body listening… ?

There was this beautiful champa tree (common Farangi Pani) in the vast Back Yard of the
old-bungalow I was married into..

When the construction people took it over that is, when my Oh So Good and Saintly Sis in Laws sold their land to their construction associates,
they cut the beautiful Champa tree,& I cried that whole night..

It had character. … the curves.. similar to a Japanese…tree..
There were other trees too : The stately Neem tree..
2 to 3 graceful mangoes.. Drumstick tree.. a Cherie tree..
Curry patta (Murraya koenigi) tree.. all cut brutally. …up rooted and dumped..
I shed tears for each.
People get attached to pets. I get attached to trees.

What can we bequeath to the future generation. ...Gold -Silver-Diamonds –and yes Land..?
What is the use of the land which does not have much oxygen as a consequence of the lack of trees.

Natural resorces have to be conserved, to be used by the present and future generations.
A continuous protection to non-renewable recourses for their prolonged existence on earth has to be provided.
Need of this very moment is sustainable development ... that is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation -- to meet our own needs.

* Concern for the future generation.
* Environment SHOULD be protected.
* Maintenance
* Careful use of Natural Resources.
* Build a society (step by step) : that progresses by recognizing the needs of all inhabitants of this planet…. Our Earth.

Composting the Compost

2008-08-02T00:57:00.000-07:00

Composting of waste is an aerobic method of decomposing solid-waste.
Moisture content should be around 55% which is essential for the biological breakdown of the waste.
Microorganisms help in stabilizing organic matter.
Eg:
Fungi could start working in the 1st week .
Actinomycetes help in the last stages of the breakdown while bacteria is present through out the process.
The process involves decomposition of organic waste into HUMUS known as COMPOST.
Composting process produces carbon dioxide and heat (which can be used for different purposes).

The urbanite can make its own compost:
Instead of filling bag after bag filled with the swept leaves, twigs ,yard waste or kitchen scraps and flowers and dumping them in the dump.
The urbanite can start composting: with any organic waste –
from leaves and grass clippings to horse manure to kitchen scraps –
This turns into compost: the dark, crumbly humus that is excellent for the garden, trees, vegetable beds.
Composting is the natural process of decaying organic matter and using the changed material for fertilizing.
It was just part of the natural process to allow the leaves and yard waste to go back into the earth.
Composting is giving back to Mother Earth. ..it is Natural.
It Enriches the soil
Mother Nature has her own system of composting to learn from.
Composting keeps nature in balance. .. & keeps the soil healthy.
It is an organic fertilizer for gardens, flower beds, trees and lawns.
Keeps pests away from the plants and & in return plants get healthy.
One can do away with chemical fertilizers & growth enhancers and other chemical treatments.
Composting is transforming the organic waste into something so useful.
Urbanites living in apartments can initiate a compost bin by putting together kitchen scraps,
raw fruit-peel and veggies, egg shells, coffee grinds , tea leaves,
outdoor leaves, lawn clippings and plant cuttings.
However cooked food and pasta ,meats & oils should NOT be put into the compost pit or tumbler or compost buckets.
Begin composting right away.....

Mulching…the Mulch

2008-08-01T00:42:00.000-07:00

Good Mulch:

ORGANIC MULCH can be made with wood shavings, shredded leaves and horse manure.

Ideally, it should be made by hand.
Although, not every one will like to do that.
Best is to chop leaves with a with a big scissor.. .

Let it cure together for 15 to 20 days in water before using.

Cover it while it cures. ..(To avoid mosquito breeding etc)
Use this as a top layer , adding nutrients to a flower bed or vegetable garden.
However, mulching should be done with care.
Do NOT use ply wood or painted wood shavings as this could be toxic to your plants.
Be cautious:
Mulched layers that are more than 2 to 3 inches deep, can turn sour, thus
creating a toxic anaerobic condition that could kill plants.
Thick mulch also draws pests like slugs, fungi and slimy molds and.
A Good Mulch should do everything a decomposing layer of leaves does.
It should suppress weeds, conserve moisture and protect plants from temperature extremes
& simultaneously breaking down to improve the structure of the soil.
A thin layer of mulch on the soil surface prevents soil erosion (in sloping gardens)
thus reducing the washing away of soil particles by the force of water.
Mulch prevents raindrops from splashing on the soil surface.
A mulch layer on the soil surface allows the soil to soak up more water.

Mulch reduces the rate of water loss from the soil.
A three inch layer of mulch on the soil surface dries much faster than the soil below it.
Thus it prevents water from evaporating .

Pure Water : Amniotic fluid

2008-07-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Its easy for me to type a few words…. expressing concern if my precious garden does not get water on any particular day.
Just half a kilometer away is a slum where in majority Muslims reside.

Over population….. children scampering barefoot on narrow slushy lanes with open drains containing raw sewage running parallel.
Not enough drinking water….& what ever is released on alternate days kills some of these children as they drink it un boiled.
To boil water their poor mother would need kerosene or some other fuel…every thing costs money.
The cost to boil water consistently would cost about a third of the earnings.
Then what about the cost of food?
Everyone in the slum drinks the water, usually without boiling, and water seems so natural that most mothers do not understand the threat it holds.
The water comes from cracked pipes that runs into the slum.
Some pipes run into a ditch filled with sewage.
Even though, the water is treated at its origin, sewage seeps into the water to generate one of the most deadly ailments in the world today: diarrhea.

For most families living in this slum--perhaps nothing would make more difference than clean drinking water and a toilet.
Naturally, most families has no concept of hygiene..With no running water. .

My maid ,who happens to live in the same slum...has been absent since 3 days ; quite an irritant factor..

As a result, I rang her brother who informed me that her pregnant daughter has lost the amniotic fluid. ...on Friday.
Its been 3 days.. will the baby be alive in the womb ??!
The thought, that I have been so indifferent to the maid’s problem is killing me .........
I tried to reach out and called the brother again with the thought of offering monetary help..

The ignorant man had switched his mobile off.

Perhaps tomorrow dawn will break with the cries of a baby.. conceivably not.

Scorching Summers

2008-07-29T04:43:00.000-07:00

29h July:
Water is one of the most precious and valuable resources.
We easily forget how the sun blazed just recently over head.
The rainy weather and the rim jhim mausum….makes us forget.
When every drop mattered.
When the water supply shortens..
The taps go drip drip from the previous gushing flow..
When quite a few worry how to water their garden.. !

Now in July,when its raining out side......it is difficult to describe the impact of the blazing sun on our plants and earth.

Yes I am talking of April, May and beginning of June.
It is a challenge to maintain the green patch green… to feed it nurture it
Then..
Sustainability
To use recycled water.
Supervising that the last rinse of the clothes that were washed -to be poured into the precious heliconia bed....
The non oily - dish water for the Buddha’s belly ...
The tea leaves into the Bird of Paradise as mulch.. thus preserving the moisture...
Yes summer heat withers the plants…
But with a little organized help &
concern from our within we can make our gardens persevere the uneasy summer months quite gracefully.

Failure to recycle water make things worse.

Sustainability is a feature of a process or state that can be maintained at a certain level indefinitely.
The water tables of China, India, Pakistan, are alarmingly falling.
Recycling urban wastewater is being practiced with some success in some countries.
In India Rain Water Harvesting should be taken seriously.
The government should legalize it by making it a mandatory aspect in a house plan or a commercial building plan.
Again a little pro active ness from within should come in..
Priorities:
Do we really need swimming pool in the back .. .?
or do we need to have green belt in the neighborhood with thick trunk tress. .. providing us with oxygen and maintaining the balance.

Thus Think Green
Save water and contemplate on Sustainability...
Maintaining the Balance…In mind and practice.

2 Poems I Read

2008-07-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

Teach your children

what we have taught our children --

That the earth is our mother

Whatever befalls the earth

befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.

If men spit upon the ground,

they spit upon themselves.

This we know

The earth does not belong to us,

we belong to the earth

This we knowAll things are connected

like the blood which unites one family.

All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth

befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.

We do not weave the web of life,

We are merely a strand in it.

Whatever we do to the web,we do to ourselves.

By--Chief Seattle

*****

The beauty of the trees, the softness of the air,

the fragrance of the grass speaks to me.

The summit of the mountain, the thunder of the sky,

The rhythm of the sea, speaks to me.

The faintness of the stars,

the freshness of the morning,

the dewdrop on the flower, speaks to me.

The strength of the fire,

the taste of salmon,

the trail of the sun,

and the life that never goes away,

they speak to me

And my heart soars.

Living in Harmony with Nature

2008-07-28T23:57:00.000-07:00

The image was..
Downloaded from New York Times
I have labeled this picture

“Living in Harmony with Nature”

One can get entranced just looking at this image..
All plants look native.. and the Buddha’s statue ..........
So perfectly positioned.

Giving out a message of Peace and Tranquility.
Why can’t we live in Harmony with nature…?
Why have affected landscaped gardens….?
Just the nature takes it course and we should build around it.
We should raise our voices and take a firm stand :
When the construction companies cut down trees brutally …
When the rocks of Hyderabad are blown up..
Is this development..?
We are destroying the earth.
What will we give to our future generation.....?!
We should be careful about the carbon foot prints we leave behind.

Don Boudreaux in his blog
http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2005/04/living_in_harmo.html
says
& I quote:
“We moderns don’t live in harmony in nature, and one consequence of our inharmonious existence is the manatees’ near-extinction”.
He adds:
“To live harmoniously with nature is to understand and accept natural forces.
The greater this understanding and acceptance, the greater the harmony.
Because we know so much more today than we did before about physics, chemistry, meteorology, biology, physiology,
metallurgy, and on and we live so much more harmoniously with nature.
We should accept nature's logic and work with it”.
As a consequence:
By not living in harmony with nature we upset nature's balance.

some pictures

2008-07-28T23:19:00.000-07:00

The image was..
Downloaded from New York Times
I have labeled this picture
“living in harmony with nature”

One can get entranced just looking at this image..
All plants look native.. and the Buddha’s statue
So perfectly positioned.

Giving out message of Peace and Tranquility.

Why can’t we live in Harmony with nature…?
Why have affected landscaped gardens….?
Just the nature takes it course and we should build around it.
We should raise our voices and take a firm stand
When the construction companies cut down trees brutally …
When the rocks of Hyderabad are blown up..
Is this development..?
We are destroying the earth.
What will we give to our future generation.....?!
We should be careful about the carbon foot prints we leave behind.

Don Boudreaux in his blog
http://cafehayek.typepad.com/hayek/2005/04/living_in_harmo.html
says & I quote:
“We moderns don’t live in harmony in nature, and one consequence of our inharmonious existence is the manatees’ near-extinction”.
He adds:
“To live harmoniously with nature is to understand and accept natural forces.
The greater this understanding and acceptance, the greater the harmony.
Because we know so much more today than we did before about physics, chemistry, meteorology, biology, physiology,
metallurgy, and on and .
We should accept nature's logic and work with it”.
As a consequence; by not living in harmony with nature we upset natures balance.

Stepping out of our Comfort Zones

2008-07-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

Lets join hand & Clean then Green our Earth:

Lets start by becoming guerrilla gardener of sorts..
Years back I took over with a little aggression the front part of the house
and converted an ugly neglected dump yard into a lush green lawn with proper landscaping-- flower beds..and pruned hedges..
Mother in law did not like it....
and she labeled me into an eternal bad daughter in law!!

Defamed me -- blah blah blah..
This went on for years till she accepted the fact that the front landscaped space looked great.
The plants are greener and providing lot of oxygen on Raj Bhavan Road..
Its a good green patch..
Anyway can't we start a guerilla war fare or a movement doing odd jobs on neglected dirty corners and places.... ?
Converting these dump yards into Green lush zones.. ....... ............................ .........
Can’t we...?
For this movement we need funds to hire people who can work under our guidance @ night :

( a little aggression for a good cause)
This group ( like the guerilla gardening.org ) should be enthusiastic enough to contribute and work towards cleaning up and beautify the city with plants and Green zones.
Think ..cant we...?

Counseling a “wanna be” Gardener…

2008-07-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

Writers and gardeners are often solitary souls.
Close friends, are frogs, birds, bees bugs, butterflies & the cats on the walls.. to keep company and keep the eyes occupied from other things but green.
There is the husband of course and the kids who call for the attention.. but the plants ..draw one near oh so near.
Sometimes the tour of the garden can start from ,therefore build a house or modify the house with a good garden view,,,,,, looking out.
One can reflect a lot just by looking at the garden or the green..

The owner of the house should love the garden more than the house….
The house should have almost all glass windows…
French doors.., and even the front door with glass , , offering a generous view of the garden and the lush bloom outside….

Semi arid areas around, Hyderabad, where there is water scarcity’s one need low-maintenance plants which will be a panacea for the region's water supply uncertainties.
Ideally, the garden should need very little pruning and watering - every three weeks in the summer and not at all in the mild winter - and absolutely no fertilizing.

Good landscaping can add 10 percent or more to the value of a home, and for most homebuyers, that includes a traditional lawn.
A lawn is definitely a plus, it makes the house look more expansive.
However a rugged path between the native plant and foliage can also add character to the property.

People in Hyderabad living in residential areas prefer flora and fiona that is green year-round
& leans toward tropical plants. People are spoilt and want a green oasis at home.
People don't like to change.
Now, for some homeowners, water bills and maintenance have been the deciding factors in converting to native planting...
Daily watering and the need to replace faulty sprinklers finally convincing people to rip out their lawn and grow a native garden .
Some plants which are fussy should be avoided. Or which take too much water.

If I suggest a garden to a friend who works, with a busy lifestyle--- but insist on having a green patch.
I stress that they should go for shrubs, perennial, drought-tolerant & low maintenance plants and less challenging flowering plants.

The busy friend/friends need to relax, if they are planning to do weekend gardening...

Nevertheless some gardeners still want the challenge.

How green does my garden grow:

2008-07-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

I need gardening:
Every garden has its peculiarity, and mine is that it is basically a converted green patch formally a dump of garbage and shabby bushes.
I garden on a semi arid area much dependent on municipality water ^ amended by trucked-in manure and red earth topsoil and compost heap that I try to pile up.
The happiest hours that I spend are in the garden feeling the mud -- the earth..
Trying to attend to a plant.. leaf through leaves.. removing the dry ones….to make a pot look neat and attended to.

Making my own bio degradable compost.. (with dry leaves.. and twigs)
Sweeping cleaning.. doing my own small digging.
The garden did not take over night to grow; it took time, immense energy and my love..
It shaped up and formed its own character
With the stately palms on the front step saying welcome..
The platform with the Anthuriums;
The huge Jaqeranda tree…
perfuming the air shedding and showering its purple bell shaped flowers…on the green lawn.. each time the wind blows..
The vines and twines, the bushes, the rose bed bordered by the Bush Sage Salvias , the row of Daisies ,
the Orange-Heliconias flaming their glory......with the Umbrella palm in their back ground.
The Birds of Paradise calling for attention... and tending..
So is The Lobster Claw: as demanding.
The Peace Lily peeping through the ferns the foliage..
The Raath Ki Rani or The Night Jasmine throwing its fragrance each night..
Compelling us to breathe deeply inhale ..the fresh fragrance...
At present, The Tube lily is giving out its fragrance early-evening..
and the after math is glorious.. .!
The Golden Duranta hedge so carefully pruned ,
The Holy Tulsi (Basil) ( Hindus )
A .. Muslim I am ..but I water it religiously..
So do I regularly water and tend to the Orchid Cactus that blooms once in a year.
The Spider Lily has yet to bloom this season…
The wild Orange-Lantanas are blazing after the showers and the rain..
The Lemon grass is ever ready to be cut and spice up my Thai soup..
Even the weeds look good (like the Spanish needle with its tiny yellow flowers)..
The Carpet Grass : Currently after the rains, with little mushrooms sprouting .. utterly adorable ..
Its sign of life -- indication of a continuity.. that if there is enough sunshine -water and air the Earth will survive.

My garden beckons .. for peace and tranquility.
I think I am leaving a good carbon foot print for my kids.
The month of June is waiting for the monsoon showers.. ..order a cart red earth, neem cake,
NPK and look for plant saplings.. order them do a reconnaissance of the good nursery on the out skirts of Hyderabad.
Do not let any gardener tell you he or she loves the monsoon, because for gardeners, monsoon, means anxiety, pressure, backaches, leg cramps..
It means cleaning up the summer wrought ,dry twigs and debris and planning ahead and wondering if it is the right time to plant the rose saplings or the hibiscus bush..
For gardeners, in Hyderabad, monsoon is a race against time.
Those who beat the relentless deadlines stand a chance of having a great garden.
Those who don’t have a long wait until next year

& then July is for planting the seeds or the saplings with a wish.