Pot Pourri

The beauty of even the most alluring plant or flower is accentuated manifolds, if the pot in which it is planted compliments it. Here, in my part of the world some interesting makes of the pot are seen and I thought about sharing them with my blogger friends The imaginative shapes and colors of the baked molded clay, leaves me gaping in wonder at the skills of semi-literate potters. Although there are numerous varieties available, here I could picture only the ones which I have. Maybe sometime later I’ll add more varieties. An earthenware pot is an essential part of any garden, cheap and ideally suited to the needs of a growing plant. Despite the availability of more visually appealing options, a pot of clay or earthenware is as yet unmatched in its suitability for a plant. A flat pot is ideal for displaying Bonsais or certain special characters in the stem of a plant, like in this case the swollen base of Beaucarnea is seen prominently. Then sometimes pure economic sense prevails and in an effort to get some good (if not the best) out of waste, I used these gunny bags to plant shrubs like Plumbago,Hibiscus and Lantana. Besides saving the effort of procuring the pots, they are very convenient in shifting because of the easy grip and light weight. How could I not include this one in my post! It has featured in my previous posts and here it appears again. More colorful than the leaves of croton planted in it, the pot steals the sight away from the plant. Sometimes the potters do their bit to test their artistic skills. This pot was coated with plaster of paris and covered all over in reflecting mirror. It certainly doesn’t look out of the world but I bought it anyway for the effort, the maker must have put in it. If you are not happy with the way the pot looks you can use a cane planter to make it appealing. Thin strips of cane are intertwined to form this beautiful and strong structure. A blue beauty again! I came across it on one of my outdoor trips. If not for the idea of dimension conveyed by the Syngonium plant, the pot appears more like an ice-cream cup! Possibilities are endless. So many things can be used for planting, like an old gum boot! (I think I’ll try the idea for its practicality before mooting it). Out of the box ideas can make gardening such a fun thing. May we have more of such whacky ideas?

Garden Bloggers Blooms Day June 2007

Time seems to be flying. A month has flown past and before I realise, it is time again for Garden blogger bloom's day. I love this post for the sweet effort it requires. A leisurely stroll in the garden, few clicks of the camera, a narcissistic view of your blooms and sharing it with others, Its Fun. Here goes my Bloom list. SUN flowers in my garden! Dianthus- seems like nature’s practicing ‘Tie and dye’!!! Canna Lily, or 'Keli' in local language, is enjoying sun to its fullest. Rangoon creeper once again! Its flowering and its addicting aroma won’t let me miss repeating it in the post. Zany Zinnias with fan like petals. Celosias glowing like velvet in the sun. Lily having a ‘Ball’ Bougainvillea- something I hope will provide company for all the blogger’s bloom days in my life! Buddha belly plant- giving out some lovely flowers, from a belly swollen extra with pride! Sanchezia speciosa juts out its tubular flowers. An amusing entry here- The flower of the corn plant, peeping from behind the veil of green leaves. No green thumb required for growing this one. Although it is a weed, but its beautiful silvery white flowers makes it unfair for it to be dismissed so.

Colours of Summer

Its peak summer time and temperatures hover around 44-46 degree Celsius. Hot winds from the northwest direction (called ‘loo’ in the local parlance) are in full flow. Working outdoors is exhausting, as the heat tends to sap the energy out besides dehydrating the body. Looking at the brighter side- the weather cannot get any worse! Time to sit back and enjoy the colors in my garden and wait patiently for the arrival of ‘monsoon’ (southwest winds laden with moisture which bring heavy rains in late June and July). Sunflowers, so appropriately named! Withstanding the heat and staring the scorching sun in face, can only be named a ‘sunflower’. The background appears blue. I don’t know if it was a quirk of the camera or the light conditions conspired to produce this effect, but as it looked beautiful I decided to persist with. The freshly emerging leaf of ‘Canna-lily’, unfolds gradually to welcome the rays of the sun. Celosia or the Cockscomb plant with its beautiful leaves awaits the first flower, but with leaves so colorful who cares for the flower! The Ball lily, in a riot of red looks so gorgeous and glamorous. The ‘Kochia’ magnificent in green, not really a ball yet possessed with that plump ball like look akin ball lily. A favorite of the butterflies, who brave the heat to enjoy the flower, Zinnia iholds the place of pride in my summer garden. Pilea, or the watermelon plant, providing comfort to thirsty eyes. ‘Amaltas’ ,so aptly named Golden Shower tree is a ubiquitous presence on Indian roads. The tree is not from my garden but several of them are planted nearby adding beauty to the summer landscape with their endearing yellow flowers.