Saturday, April 21, 2007

Bye Bye Spring

With a heavy heart I bid adieu Spring! Spring is all but gone and the tearful reminders are the withered flowers.The sun is blazing and temperature is touching the 40 Celsius mark. The last six days have seen a phenomenal rise in temperatures and my garden can feel the heat.Only my Petunias are braving the intense heat,but not for long... Roses in their prime. Things as they (barely)stand now. It’s giving me heartbreak to see all those lovely plants I had tended to, now wilting under the cruel summer heat but then that’s the law of nature. These dying plants will dissolve in the soil and provide the necessary replenishment for future flora to grow and thrive. Remarkable, how the dying too serve a purpose in the scheme of things governed by the supreme. Daily happenings of our life contain a deep rooted philosophy and reemphasize the clairvoyance and conservation with which nature operates. On a more positive note, it might be bye bye dear sweet spring but welcome scorching summers for you have a unique charm of your own. Spring might have taken away some of the beauties it bought to my garden but now its time to drape it in summer wear! What with all the caladiums, canna lilies showing promise and Zinias, Sunflowers, celosia…waiting patiently for their chance to bloom their way through my heart into the warm embrace of Indian summer TheBuddha belly plant (Jatropha Podagrica)too has broken its slumber after about four months and is welcoming summers by giving out new tender leaves. Finally, Welcome summers, welcome to my garden! I've so much to look forward to.

11 comments:

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Dear Green Thumb,

It's always lovely to visit your blog as you give me so much insight into how gardens do in your part of India. With you, I say goodbye to your lovely roses and welcome the summer flowers!

BTW How hot is it on an average summers'day in your part of the world?

Tira said...

Your plants actually die? If you redesign your garden like a tropical garden-as in the books I noted- similar to a tropical forest forest-where there are layers -large trees providing shade for smaller plants, thick plantings of various plants which keeps in te moisture, vines being supported in another layer etc. you'll have a better ecosystem suited to our climates. The "borders and beds" concept is more suited to Northern European .

Green thumb said...

Thanks Yolanda,

Your thoughts on my blog are always so important to me.

On an average summer day, like nowdays, tempratures hover around 40-42 degree celsius and by mid-May they go upto 44-46 degree celsius. It is uncomfortably hot till september beginning, althogh the onset of monsoons in late june takes some sting away from the heat but comes with intense humidity so in all its woefully hot till almost September.


Dear Nicole,

Thanks for giving the post a thought. Your idea is excellent but the area I live in isn't exactly tropical, it's somewhat between temperate and tropical climate.
By 'Dying plants' I meant the dying winter annuals.My perennials ,like roses,don't die,they just lose their vitality during summer months.I keep all my potted plants under the trees to protect them from harsh sun.About planting tres for providing shade,too much shade too becomes a problem during winter months b'coz during winters temperatures plummet to as low as 2 to 5 degree celsius.At that time my plants desperately need sunlight.So there has to be a fine balance between shaded and open areas in my garden.

TYRA Hallsénius Lindhe said...

Sad to say goodbye to the spring, how long/short is the spring where you live? We have spring from mars until the end of may. Today we have 10 degrees and the wind is a typical spring wind. Today I`m in my "summerhouse" north of Stockholm. I´m planting some vegetables unions, potatoes etc. Love visiting your garden, trying to get some warmth...

Gotta Garden said...

Hi Green Thumb! It is always interesting over here! What a challenging environment you have! Your attitude is terrific, I like that! We gotta make do with what we have, right! With the seasons come changes...it would be so boring if it were the same all the time, don't you think? (Or at least that's what I tell myself since I don't expect I'll find out! Lol!)

A wildlife gardener said...

It must be difficult gardening in all that heat. But I agree with your sentiments about enjoying each season as it comes. Living in the moment is so important for our well-being.

Colin and Carol said...

Extreme heat is a problem in spain too, though not as bad as you get in India. I understand your lament about the passing of the spring flowers spring here is a colourful but short season.
Other peoples experiences in far away lands are always interesting and elighting.

Anonymous said...

What a relief your beautiful roses don't die! There are books on the subtropical garden-gardens in New Zealand, Florida and Bermuda-that may give you ideas. We are tropical but we don't get the very hot summers that you do.

Unknown said...

Hi Green Thumb: Found your delightful blog via Kate in Saskatchewan. What an education it is! We often have preconceptions about how gardening goes in other parts of the world, don't we? I would MELT in such heat--I get grumpy when the mercury climbs above 25 C.

I'd love to add your blog to the list of links on my blog, if you're agreeable.

jodi in Nova Scotia, Canada

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

What an interesting plant, I have never heard of it before! How wonderful to see the gardens of others so far away. My rose bushes have not fully leafed out yet and yours are past their prime.

Verena said...

Hello Green Thumb,
I´m back again!
It´s really sad, that in the end of April everything is dry and the flowers are gone. I can´t imagine having 40°C in April. We have 20°C at the moment and this is very warm for this time. So what temperatures will you have in July and August?
Nice greetings, Verena

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