Tag: flowers

Flower power

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Manjula adored her flowers.

She …..

…… would thread the garlands since a child to supplement any income.

…… Loved the jasmine growing on our roof and in the drive.

But she saved a special place in her heart for what’s locally called Brahma Kamla but strictly speaking it’s ‘queen of the night’.

She’d excitedly spot the new buds coming through and accurately predict which night it would blossom.

On that night we’d open the back door and be hit by the overpowering aroma. It would be gone by morning

After she died, four years ago, the flowers didn’t appear until this year. Sowbaghya spotted a bud. It’ll flower as we approach what would have been her 50th birthday.

The flower is now featured on a tattoo on my shoulder and in a portrait of Manjula in our upstairs hall (lounge).

Check this out.

Who’s taken them?

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We have a pomegranate thief.

Just as they ripen on the branch someone comes and steals them.

We don’t believe anyone is taking them from our side of the wall or that it’s anyone that works here or relatives of the owner that live on the roof.

No strangers have entered our property. We do have CCTV.

They are however easily reachable from the neighbours path.

It’s a recurring theme. People help themselves to flowers from the public parks. We’ve challenged people with their discreet plastic bags filling them not least from Manjula’s memorial garden.

This morning, Sowbhaghya came across one of the workers in the park who accosted a little girl who was collecting flowers for Pooja. she shouldn’t.

A lesson for Kaveri to learn.

Independence Weekend

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I’m meandering locally.

A lovely family round the corner kindly donated some plants for Manjula’s garden. Lucie didn’t want to leave.
Sushi surprise from Sahana’s kitchen
Sunday morning puja for a newly opened Ayurvedic Centre with the help of Satish’s kids Sukrutha and Pranav and I’ve forgotten the name of the enchanting two-year old.

These guys will have bought their flowers but you can begin to realise why people scour the area to nick flowers in the morning.

Today is Independence Day, we also have a flag (Indian) outside our house but without the dashing hero.

Shopping with a purpose

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Don’t consider Tanuja and I to be sensible shoppers.

If our trip to the nursery is anything to go by, we’re the sort to go to the supermarket for staples and come back with puddings, the exotic rather than the plain, the icing while neglecting the cake.

We’ve got a great selection of flowers but our eyes were distracted by the shapely coloured and aromatic roses.

The problem is, as we knew, but didn’t care, they’re not a lot of use for the new Manjula’s garden in the park.

Why? you might ask.

Because people pick the flowers in the morning for their puja rituals.

So I thought I’d create a mini rose garden inside our gate.

I wish I’d done it for Manjula a few years ago as she would have loved it.

I started writing this post in a light-hearted jokiness way, only to realise this…..

I placed some of the roses out the front door but inside our gate. Within less than one day someone had stolen the roses.

Clearly these people haven’t any thought that the flowers are there for the enjoyment of all, rather than the selfish ritualistic needs of a few.

We’ve yet to plant out our flowers in Manjula’s garden and I seriously wonder if any of the flowers will survive, if I don’t employ a 24/7 guard.

It’s even worse with the roses in the next park. They are carefully nurtured by the gardeners but people go in and steal the whole plant.

We need some English old fashioned park signs ‘don’t pick the flowers.’

Another case for the missing dharma detective.

Will it, won’t it?

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The bet is on! Each year we have a lovely array of Brahma Kamla flowers.

Here’s the buds.

Manjula reckons they will not flower before I leave on Monday. I believe they will. The wager is 1000rs.

Here’s what it will look like