As the city sleeps under dense fog, we may only "Dream" for a brighter day

The dense fog covers the city as it sleeps through the winter chill. 

As the fog lifts, the phlox and sturdy asters put up a smart  spectacular show, as if like a simple dream come true.  

 Many great men have written how important it is to have big dreams. Dream, we must, if we dream big we may acheive some of it and if we do not dream, we may not have anything to acheive. In this cold and foggy morning, wrapped in under our blankets did we  even dream of  the color palette that was awaiting as the fog lifted after days of cold spell and the frost evaporated as the sun came up . How tough and strong these tiny delicate flowers could be, I wondered! After several day of thick fog and chilly wind, I expected all the colours in our tiny garden to wither and disappear, yet secretly dreamt of a brighter tomorrow. As the thick fog lifted, the cold spell was overcome by the peeping sun climbing higher and higher. We were all shocked to see a spray of spectacular colours from the tiny flowers showing off and smiling under the sun, withstanding the cold and overcoming the harsh ordeal. So, we must learn to overcome, our difficult times and hold on to our dreams and follow them. If we learn to dream,  hold on to them then some, if not all will come true, be it to a limited extent or much beyond. 




Watch the after fog array of colours, so bold and beautiful and may the colours brighten our dreams for a better tomorrow as the year 2012 approaches!  

Let's explore the range of winter white to yellow

It is the season of the "mums" and the "marigolds" and  " it is the season to be jolly.....". We don't have the snow white from the winter snow but we have the chrysanthemum blossoms,  the large white ones, so very special at this time of the year bringing peace and serenity and the winter beauty that lies in the vast expanses of snow. The mums come in a variety of forms, button to daisy and decor types and in different colours too.  The garden types are hardy, withstanding the chill and fog of our tropical winter.
Before you see the spectacular mums, I must share the lovely sweet-scented, orange jasmine blossoms that head the line of snapshots presented here. They must have just come up as their last bloom before the cold spell and will be back again during the spring and summer-monsoon seasons, as they bloom all round the year. The shrub is a dark green bush which forms a solid colour background for the white bunches of fragrant, orange jasmines, greatly admired in small home gardens in this part of the world. Even the small bunches spread a sweet scent that can simply be felt from a distance and fills the whole garden air. Again, the chapter cannot be sealed lest I mention the marigolds' gold or mustard yellow. They come as solid balls of golden yellow tight-lipped, tiny petals holding strong and others are tiny, so tiny yet they fill the garden as tiny wild bushes. We do miss the bright summer sun at this time of the year, but the marigolds  remind each of us of the sun-yellow brightness and are used as flowers for all festive moods of this season, from weddings to temples, decorations to garlands, they cover it all in their gold yellow.

Why red is so special in a cold winter morning

I remember as a child during winter mornings, waking up and rushing for school was made easier by grabbing my red sweater, which made the cold mornings warmer and brighter. Later, when I lived in the cold north, during the long dark winters, the cold month of December was brightened by the warmth of Christmas and the spirit of the Holiday Season wishing everyone a joyful time. The colour red brightening up each and every corner, from shops to homes in Christmas decors as in curtains, table lay-outs, warm, red candles to ribbons, not forgetting  the "Christmas flower, grown as pot plants, the Poinsettia's, yet another beautiful Christmas red spreading it's warmth all around. Amazing but true, this grows as a tall shrub here in the tropics in the summer and blossoms as a  bright red summer flower!!!  The precious stone ruby's red is meant to be warm too for the winter and it's thought to improve the body circulation and that is the true mystery of  the colour red in winter, gearing up your body and mind and providing all the warmth you need. 

The winter colours as they come

Its always the preparation that takes time and suddenly you see them all come together after the long waiting period as a seasonal burst of the tropical winter colour palette. This is the time for the tiny flower colours, the phlox, dianthus, and the tiny "mums", yes, all varieties of chrysanthemums, and not forgetting the burst of marigold yellow and the multi-coloured peacock flowers as you see in the snap shots. They all start to appear one by one, then all together, peeping through the mild sun and the mist. The winter chill seems to help them give their solid colours a sheer shine and freshness. The other day the fog became kind of heavy after a sudden cold spell. I thought that may be they wouldn't survive the bitter chill nor the dense, wet cloak of fog, but they were all there when late in the day the sun slowly came up and I went up visiting them, they were all smiling, a sight to watch and treasure.