Gorgeous fuchsia reigns supreme and here comes the Spring....

The bold, beautiful and vibrant colours of Bougainvilleas usher the spring as we officially welcome the Spring 2013 today, with its full thrust of colour-burst. I wish all my readers a fresh surge of youthful energy and the spirit of spring that can only be depicted in the freshness of this season. Known as the king of seasons in Bangla (Bengali), its called the 'Rituraj Bashanta' and is represented by the youthful charm and freshness, the special spirit that floats in the spring air can only be compared to the musical notes played in the violin, piano or flute. The way nature and its surroundings is set, draped in all its colours, which appear to have been brushed and spread around, so neatly just overnight, in the very short pre-springtime, it is simply amazing and just magical. If anything its honesty, fresh smiles, its power can only be compared to the force of the young generation, their honesty and their simplistic, clean and fresh approaches in solving problems and unabated determination and unmatched creativity that makes the youthful strength, the most efficient and resounding force and power. Thus, this is the season which in power and freshness goes unchallenged to become the "King of all Seasons', the most young, the most fresh yet the most powerful and reigns supreme! The deep hue and colour surge in the pictures relate to you and speak out the same, have a look.....

Fluttering cosmoses and mango blossoms in the pre-spring air

The approach of the dainty cosmoses wakes us all up to feel the fresh spring air. With the winter being chilly, dark and foggy, we tend to get to be wrapped around in its winter cloak. The other day, with the gentle, soft breeze blowing, the sound of the birds and the fluttering dainty, mild coloured cosmoses, I felt an open air of freshness and suddenly looked around as if nature was getting ready for the springtime ahead and lifting its spirits high for an upcoming event. This was truly spring knocking at our doors, I realized. This time of the year, the change  really goes so fast that one can truly miss it, if he or she hasn't spent some time outdoors. As I checked the garden and looked further around, I was shocked to see that even the mango blossoms were all out. It seemed to appear that this one tree was in full bloom overnight.  Suddenly it felt, was winter ever around or is it already summer. No, this is the power of spring, a complete awakening of the surrounding. Amazing are the wonders of nature!!

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!.