The ubiquitous hibiscus
It all started with this unknown flowering plant that I bought at our local nursery. Some three years later, it has begun blooming. To our amazement, the huge, frilly flowers […]
Category Archives: Flowers
A cure for dog dandruff
If your dog badly needs this, run out right now and locate a palash tree! The flowering season is almost over for this year, and the flowers are ready to […]
Two additions to our family and menu
We finally managed to grow some cauliflowers! They are tiny, but good looking. And after many attempts and many doomed seeds and cuttings, we now have four fine agathi trees […]
Some moment when the moon was blood
Red moon rising… And here is the year’s first palash, a splash of orange in the dry February landscape. The leaves of this tree, stitched together, make lovely, biodegradable disposable […]
Weed of the year 2019
Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s wishing you all a healthy, fulfilling and joyous 2020! My new year resolution is to keep a weather diary. And make a rain gauge. I […]
Muggle: Or the struggle to mulch
One of the biggest challenges for our farm is the poor soil. Mulch! mulch! mulch! is our motto. (And munch, munch, munch! is our practice.) We have been trying to […]
A flowery walk
Some time back our friend Gopakumar, who is full of wild lore, told us about the Jalaari tree (shorea roxburghii), which flowers in our local forest around Shiva Ratri. I […]
The poinsettia is blooming
The northeast monsoon is playing truant again and the poor trees think it’s winter already. Two of the mango trees have begun flowering in a feeble, apologetic sort of way. […]
Flora of the Southern Western Ghats and Palnis: Book review
I recently added a book to my library: Flora of the Southern Western Ghats and Palnis: A Field Guide by Pippa Mukherjee, Niyogi Books. The two books on Indian wild […]
Shankh pushpi
This is a beautiful creeper with bright, ink-blue, conch-shaped flowers. It is used in several Ayurvedic medicines, being primarily recommended as a brain tonic. However, there is some controversy about […]
The Long View 