It is truly the Aster Family that brings us the tropical winter colours

We do know but yet it surprises us many a times when we read that it is actually the huge Family Astereceae and Orchidiceae in the plant kingdom competing for the most species of flowers that we see, both more than 20,000 species as I go back to search my plant knowledge, as a background biologist. Both of them, being large flowering plant families. The Asters have spread from the northern latitudes and southern parts of Europe where they are grown in the Fall to our tropical side where they are grown in the short winter season as seasonla flowers. The Orchids on the other hand are concentrated to the tropics. The Aster family consists of all the composite flowers, meaning a whole lot of flowers, 'all in one', all held together as 'one'. They begin with the simple looking Daisies and Cosmoses to the tightly held together ones such as the Marigolds, Chrysanthemums and not forgeting the brilliant hue of the giant Dahlias in the tropical winter and even include the summer flowers such as the radiant Sunflowers, they all belong to the same family. They call these flowers most 'modern' and have attained success in spreading their variety on this earth along with have the Orchid Family. The tiny asters or the tiny button Chrysanthemums even though small, they are always vibrant in their colours spirits and they withstand the sun and fog, so do the Chrysanthemums. Each year the seasonal weather presents with a new cloak and the flowers and plants respond accordingly. Sometimes there colour burst comes all at once if a steady temperature is sustained, but other times like this year, when the fog and frost is too harsh and the spread their colour palette in short patches. It must have been the harsh cold spell we had in between in December, although no snow but  too cold for our regular tropical winters and they came out in batches. Even then, their colours and textures are a simple sight of amazing beauty, full of vibrance and inspiration!! Watch them as they come.....

As the fog lifts and unfolds the colours of the New Year 2013

As the dense December fog lifts and unfolds the colours, we enter into the new year of 2013.  I wish all my readers a very Happy New Year!! Each year the new year comes in a different form of spirit, matuarity and an array of brilliant hue. The different flowers too at the same time spray their differing shades each year. Last year we didn't get such power in the 'mums' as we got this year. They didn't seem to wither at all, throughout  the fog, simply stayed on from beginning to the end. The marigolds have just come out, fresh in their bright yellows and yellow-oranges. The white mums are changing colours to pink and the bushes are heavy with paper like crispy ones.  They seem to tell us their regular tales, yet we seem to learn them as new, each time. Making friends and losing them is often our case, as we move place to place with time and space, yet we keep making new ones for love, sharing and caring, like we reach out to the flower colours each year, meeting them as if they never came before and brightening our days as never before with love, happiness and joy. Thus life goes on and we move on in time and space or is it time that is moving, we do have a big question to pause and re-think in our minds...... 

Preparing for the tropical winter blooms

As time flies we try to prepare the small roof top pots with soil, manure and seedlings. The race with time is same as with everything else. You always feel, wish we had started earlier. Anyway, luckily some of our permanent trees have come up with their colours and the last white, non-scented jasmines also fill their shrub tree. Some of the decade old bougainvillea bushes bearing all your happiness and sorrows also start to bloom at this time while the new ones just start anew, including the yellow allamanda seedling, in the freshly prepared soil. So this is a season for both young and old and ofcourse the seasonal collection!!! Of the seasonal plants the budding 'mums' are the first to open up too, the whites and off-whites paving the way. It's lovely to watch how the 'mum' varieties bud and burst into their colours in an enthusiastic, ecstatic and overwhelming manner hiding their tiny plants. Just look at the burst of yellow as it brings its glow!! And slowly how they end up in glass vases in your home bringing with them their simple warmth and brightness to your homes!.

Tropical Balcony "Greens"

Now, that the monsoons have cleared off, the tropical autumn clouds are piling up since August. I must also mention, that's when we had a chance to visualize the true "once in a blue moon" moon, appearing twice this August. Suddenly, I felt how was it that the moon keeps appearing big, until I saw the reports of the true blue moon appearing this August. Well, as we wait for the winter blooms to fill with their colours, have a peep at the balcony greens in charisma, displaying their various structures and forms. The earlier once had flowers during the monsoons, the later ones stayed just green and kept creeping, long after the rains disappeared. They are just a pleasure now since we are passing through some warmest times of the year yet they fill the balconies with soothing green creeping all over, while my roof top garden waits to be pruned, manicured, manured and made ready for the winter seedlings. So right now, we have all our efforts set for lining up the majestic Marigolds, Dahlias and not to forget the crispy 'mums' in all their robust colors. As we wait, have a look at the balcony greens........

Delicate monsoon blossoms appear fresh and white...

As monsoon rains take the summer heat away, not only do they bring down rain, but cleanse and wash away the summer fatigue and heat. As we watch nature, it is fresh and more so depicted by the fresh white delicate blossoms. Leading among them, hanging like dainty ear hangings, are clusters of delicate, "Rangoon Creepers" along with all kinds fresh 'monsoon whites'. The green in nature is special too, all sorts of clean green are seen, as all kinds of  'rain creepers' along with shrubs and bushes grow fast, they give nature its ornamental touch. I couldn't at the moment display the 'night jasmines' or the sweet scented orange jasmines as they too bloom heavily during this season with bursts of evening fragrances in between the downpours. An evening or a fresh early morning walk is so special at this time of the year, that one shouldn't miss it. Not only to watch the 'mystical monsoon sky' but also to watch the night sky with it's fascinating clouds, collecting and floating past.  In the evenings, as the moisture laden breeze brushes by you, followed by the light touch of a fragrance, filled with sweet scents from the night monsoon blooms that enchant you, as if bringing secret messages from far and near.

Washed by the "Monsoon Rains"......

Yes, this is the season when the entire nature and man-made cities are first bathed and washed, then inundated fearlessly. So, I shall only display the beauty of the monsoons and spare the disasters to be reported on the news for the readers. To begin with, is the enchanting monsoon sky by the night. Then, as the clouds gather, and build up slowly, they cover the entire sky, moving and collecting moisture, by the day, they travel further on.  Moving on then, the clouds turn gray and dark to darker, then ofcourse slowly the entire sky is a wet canvas, and then comes the downpour..... then later on more rain and rain, then the deluge comes when the rains are fierce and incessant. I keep to the spirit of the monsoons as they began a month and a half ago and as romantic as many a writers' have written about and leading amongst them is Tagore, whose longing for nature takes us through the rural riverine Bengal and the seasons and most of all the monsoons, through its melodies, the sound of rains, the longings of the floating clouds, their travels to a timeless zone, or the dance of the winds and clouds, beauty depicted through the rythm of dancers, in so many ways that one can sit in awe travelling through memory lanes and watching the rains.....