Roses, Roses and many many more Roses on the way..

Spring time, bloom time, flowers everywhere..multi-colored, with all different variety of birds visiting, along with butterflies...No, not like that..Let me be more vivid in my description, small bunches of perennials in purples, yellows, oranges one after the other in neatly designed queues, some even in hanging baskets edged by whites create a pleasant ambiance to sit and admire for hours. Roses, especially the Indian ones, with their unique fragrance add interesting beauty to my garden..an inexplicable pleasure which can only be felt..

This is present, when I've to find time from my routine to visit my own garden, and on holidays most of my time is spent outdoors especially during winters. Not many years from now, when my family shifted here, these were newly built blocks with barren land all around covered by boundary. I still remember how we planned everything, ordered plantation of grass and searched for the best gardener in the area. After many hits and trials, finally we succeeded in getting things done, and results are better with each successive year (touch wood!).

Now, this piece of land provided to us was quite big for me to be dealt on my own, so required help..but there was a time (a decade back) when we were allotted a small flat on ground floor with small space at the back..it was barren too, with many bumps..and my most of the time was spent ploughing that small piece of land..a bit at a time, and within a week or two, it was plane, devoid of stones, cleaned..I bought Australian grass from the nursery and planted it at one feet distances after leaving one and a half feet space all around for plantation. The main plants on my list were 'tulsi', 'neembu' (lemon), 'kari patta'(basil)..and when my neighbors saw my keen interest also contributed few more..To begin with, I spread 'genda' (marigold) inflorescence in the rows (around July), which in a month or so gave rise to plants and later were laden with full blown flowers (October-November). I got rose cuttings from one of my neighbors when plants were being pruned in October, which gave flowers in the next season, no doubt cow manure played an important role in bringing healthy flowers.

The joy of working in the soil from scratch till getting results in form of flowers, and no doubt time to time maintenance like de-weeding, cutting, pruning, moughing only a person who has done all by himself knows..its  nearer to a divine experience. 

And who praises it? The birds, the butterflies, the squirrels, and the bent boughs of big mango trees in others' garden, all seem like saying you a big 'thank you'..and even your whole being thanks you for what you've created with your own labor. Beware of monkeys, they'll once in a while spoil your garden, only to make you work harder and apply newer strategies from saving your plants from unexpected guests..Before leaving, did I mention something about my kitchen-garden? May be, some other time...

Enjoy your gardens and gardening!

Bye for now.