Tag: Nature’s delights

Posted on

Brush (ThursdayTreeLove)

A visit to the Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Botanical Garden in Kolkata was at the end of our trip to the Sunderbans. It was a botanically wondrous trip to say the least! The Garden itself is huge and home to unique trees like the famous Banyan. 


Here is another tree that I met for the first and only time! A beautiful red brush like structure beckoned me from a distance and located as it was amid leaves had me immediately thinking of the Shaving Brush tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum) which does grow in Pune. However when I went closer, the tree looked different especially its leaves. It was end of January and the digitate glossy green leaves suggested a different ID. 

Seen from afar

Luckily for me, the placard saved me the trouble and I could freely admire the Pachira aquatica without any stress of identification. It belongs to the Bombacaceae family just like the Shaving Brush Tree which explained the similarity in the flowers. Also known as Malabar Chestnut tree it is an introduced species in India. I loved its flowers which are nothing like those used for table decorations or bouquets. 

Flower and Fruit
Leaves


Have you seen this wonderful tree? When in Kolkata please do make time for the botanical garden! 
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove Blog hop. Do head over to see some wonderful trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

Tree Trunk
0
Posted on

Glorious Gulmohor (ThursdayTreeLove)

May is peak summer in Pune. 
Its also the time for the May Flower! 
Its blossoms have a soothing effect despite the brilliant red… a colour that is usually associated with heat.


This is a beautiful Gulmohor tree growing on my regular walk route. Here it is..


From a distance.. looks like the rising Sun on the horizon!



Walking closer to the tree

Overlooking its huge canopy

Brilliant 

Another view

Beautiful Flowers

Gulmohor belongs to the Caesalpiniaceae family and is known all over the world by its botanical name of Delonix regia. The tree is an exotic species in India but is very common in all over the country especially as an avenue tree. It has a shallow root system which means trees tend to fall after a spell of heavy rains.


Some objections to this species (as its not indigenous) is that our birds do not nest on it; birds, insects and animals do not eat its fruit or nectar as food. 
However I feel that its foliage gives us much needed oxygen and cooling shade. 


What do you think? 


Either way, May is the most glorious month for the Gulmohor! 

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in! 

0

Posted on

Thank You Trees (ThursdayTreeLove)



Thank You! 


Due to the Covid19 lockdown, stores were open only for a couple of hours in Pune. 10am to Noon. People had to stand in a queue in designated spots to buy their needs. 

Every shop had such circles marked out where customers had to queue up.. 


April is a pretty hot time of the year for us. Which means, this wait would have been really hot and trying if it were not for these wonderful trees by the roadside.


It did not matter if the trees were exotic, indigenous, flowering, fruiting, … they gave a welcome cooling shade for the folks below waiting patiently for their turn. 


Thanks to the folks who planted these trees maybe two or three decades ago and we can now reap the benefits! 

“One generation plants the trees, another gets the shade”- Chinese Proverb

I am sure all of you must have noticed and enjoyed the trees in your lane or your society in the lockdown period! 


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

Stay home folks and stay safe! 

0

Posted on

Wispy (ThursdayTreeLove)

Indigenous, Tekdi, Lannea
We pass by this tree almost daily and February is the month when its most eye catching due to the wispy branch ends. It has shed its leaves sometime in November and bursts into these delicate inflorescence in February (usually). 
Here is a cropped image..

It is locally called as Moi or Lannea coromandelica

Here is closer look at the flowers.. 

Dont they remind you of the Mango blossoms? That’s because both belong to the same family Anacardiaceae. 
Soon these flowers develop into fruit.

Moi is an indigenous species and common in hills of Pune and there are a specimens that grow in the city as well. I have seen it in Pondicherry and even in Tadoba. It can be easily identified by its ashy mottled trunk and lovely leaves. Today, I dont have a leaf photo for you. May be a couple of months later when the tree bursts into foliage.


Pune hills have seen umpteen tree plantation drives.. and I have noticed that Moi is among the few that does well. 


Have you noticed this tree in your city? Or its wispy flowers?


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Head over to see some wonderful trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

0

Posted on

E is for Environment

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet some not so sweet moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

I  am sure my thoughts may cause a deja vu to some of you especially someone who has hosted a newborn! I would love to hear from you!

Environment.
That’s the buzz word these days. 
Conserve. Protect. Recycle. Upcycle. Reuse. 


Diapers seem to be one of the baby products that are most environment unfriendly. Practically, its not possible to use cloth nappies all the time and readymade diapers are a must for some occasions. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find that there now exists companies that make ecofriendly diapers for babies. They are chemical free as well!! 


Indeed awesome!!They are made from Bamboo or similar natural materials. I was also impressed by 98% Water based Wet Wipes. As with other ‘eco friendly’ products, these too, are priced more that the regular ones. 

Diaper inserts made from natural fibre


Continuing on the theme of Reuse and Recycle.. I overcame my aversion to the needle and thread and took to stitching. I even purchased a Mini Sewing Machine for this purpose! 

This was my very first attempt and I created two lovely ‘दुप्टी’ even if I say so myself.. But you have to wait for my M post to see them!! I only mention them here as I could successfully recycle old fabric to make them. 


I even stitched a baby cap ‘टोपडं ‘ from an unused blouse piece!


Surprisingly, I really enjoyed making them. It was my two-bit effort towards the environment.

I made the dark blue cap using the light blue one as a guide!

What are your thoughts on reducing the environmental impact of diapers? Have you reused any old fabrics to make things that babies need?


Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts. 
2013 Mixed Bag
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver


See you tomorrow folks!


Disclaimer: My posts do mention some products or service providers but these are not sponsored and not meant to be an advertisement. All posts from a maternal grandma’s point of view!  
0

Posted on

Holy Tree (ThursdayTreeLove)


What do you first see in this image? 
This photo has been taken by my husband to catch the first golden rays of the Sun reaching this small Maruti temple on our walk route. What struck me was the perfect V shape flare of the Peepal tree that grows right behind it. 


The Peepal is yet another Ficus variety common in my city and goes by the botanical name Ficus religiosa. It belongs to the Moraceae family and exudes milky sap when a branch is broken. This tree has typically heart shaped leaves with a long tail.. some of us have preserved these in books whereby they dry up and only the intricate venation is visible. It loses all its leaves in spring and is covered with lovely new red leaves. 

Leaf



I wonder if this lovely leaf could have been the inspiration for the famous Paisley design??!!


Unlike other Ficus varieties, I have not seen aerial roots on the Peepal. It is usually seen in temples and as a roadside tree often growing to a mammoth size and provides welcome shade for any and everyone! 

I am sure all of you must be familiar with the Peepal. And its a popular tree on the fantastic ThursdayTreeLove blog hop hosted by Parul. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. If you have an image of a tree you like, then do join! 

0

Posted on

Coffee Tales (ThursdayTreeLove)

 
This gnarled looking trunk is that of a Coffee tree! I am sure all those who have travelled to Coorg would have seen these.. It was wonderful to see the origin of something that was my saviour from drinking plain milk in childhood! 

Hence for a long time, Coffee, to me, meant the instant variety  in powder form that came out of a bottle. 

Later, I was intrigued by the strong aroma outside a coffee bean shop and as the years passed, I made lifelong friends with the ‘filter kapi’! The logical next step was to see a coffee plantation but it was only recently that this materialised.

And the wait was worth it.

The brown seeds we use are from the fruit of the plant Coffea canephora or Coffea arabica (Robusta or Arabica varieties) which belong to the Rubiaceae family. It is shrub like or a small tree and blooms profusely in February and I was told they set off a heady fragrance in the entire neighbourhood. Soon green fruit called a Berry develop which turn to red and then black when dry. It has two seeds. The fruit has to be processed to get the seeds which can then be roasted and powdered to give us that out-of-this world, mood elevator, ice breaker, life saver beverage we call coffee! 

Here are some more images..
Berries PC @puneribaker
Berries ripening to red PC @puneribaker

The trunk is used to make lamp stands which will hold a place of pride in any drawing room. Here it has been used to make a sign post. 
Baba Budan has been credited with bringing coffee to India and the rest is history as they say.

Coffee has the characteristic of creating strong fans who refuse to drink Tea. At least it has done so in my family!! 
Have you noticed this? 
Have you seen the coffee tree? Do you enjoy Coffee or Tea?

I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. It is live on the second and fourth Thursday every month. Do head over to see some fantastic trees from around the world. Better still, join in with your tree!
0

Posted on

Witness (ThursdayTreeLove)

Can anyone guess where this image has been taken?


Ok, let’s not spend time on guessing games.. This gnarled tree is some species of Eucalyptus that I spotted at the Sanchi Stupa complex. It seemed really old and possibly has witnessed some the great events that occurred at this site. Or maybe it was planted later.. 


Heritage sites are usually home to old trees which are just as spectacular as the structures there. I have seen lovely trees at the Qutub Minar and at Hampi as well.

Have you noticed the trees when you visit a heritage or archaeological site? 
If they could only tell us their version of the events they must have witnessed!!


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see some fantastic images from around the world. Better still, join in!

0

Posted on

Hairy (ThursdayTreeLove)

Ficus is a species indigenous to our country and I found 35 different species of ficus on the Flowers of India website.


Amazing indeed! 


Today I have a Ficus microcarpa from the Deccan College in Pune. It is also called ‘Nandruk’ in Marathi. It grows to be a massive shady tree and boasts these delicate hair like aerial roots. These are very unlike thick aerial roots that develop on Ficus benghalensis . Its leaves and these thin aerial roots can easily help shortlist ID of this Ficus. Ficus microcarpa is a good choice to make into a Bonsai as well.
Along with Peepal and Ficus benghalensis, this Ficus species is seen frequently in Pune. Have you noticed it in your city? How many Ficus varieties have you spotted? The different species can be individually identified based on their leaves, inflorescence (Figs), aerial roots etc. All Ficus belong to the Moraceae family. Typically they exude a milky latex from the stem/bark if its cut and this feature is an important clue for family level identification when on the field. (Milky latex also seen in some members of Euphorbiaceae and Anacardiace families.)


I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove bloghop. Do head over  to see some lovely trees from around the world. Better still, join in!

0

Posted on

Fragrant Twenties (ThursdayTreeLove)

The title must have surely intrigued you.. The image above is of a young Chandan .. Yes Sandalwood.. This species grows quite commonly on the hills of Pune and even in the city. Here are its flowers which are little smaller than a grain of Arhar Dal.. 

Flowers 

Chandan belongs to the Santalaceae family. Its botanical name is Santalum album. Another amazing fact about this tree is that it begins its life as a root parasite. The young seedling draws nourishment from specific host plants (for example Lantana, Morinda pubescens, Neem) but the hosts are not damaged. 


Thereafter it grows independently. 

Evergreen tree with opposite leaves

The tree has huge medicinal value. Its wood is yellowish, soft and used to carve decorative items. 

Fruit 

Chandan is famous for its fragrance but surprisingly, these flowers are not fragrant. Nor the leaves or bark at the age these images have been taken. The tree develops its fragrant oils only when it is about 25 years old. 


Aha.. hence the title 🙂 

Have you seen the Chandan tree or its beautiful delicate flowers? 
I am joining Parul in her ThursdayTreeLove blog hop. Do head over to see amazing trees from around the world. Better still, join in! 


Have a wonderful healthy happy and prosperous 2020 everyone!! 
0

Proudly powered by WordPress