Showing posts with label marigolds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marigolds. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Bygone Season of Colors

This post was deferred for long - primarily due to my laziness. But now that summer has graced us and tiptoed without a trace, it’s about time I recorded these moments of glory and joy for the sake of posterity, and well, just to vent out my happiness. It might surely seem like I’m tooting my own little horn without any shred of modesty or humility by writing such posts, but how else am I to share my happiness in this little space into which I pour out so many of my deepest thoughts and emotions?

This summer has been one of the most eventful periods of my life - marked especially by the bounty we reaped from our garden. It’s become an obsession of mine to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables. Regardless of whether I am successful or unsuccessful in some of these attempts, the whole process brings me indescribable contentment, and weirdly enough, some meaning to my summers.

Despite my raucous protests to plant more flowers this year, I was shushed and was asked to concentrate on growing some vegetables this year. I mulled this over and reluctantly agreed that it’s better to not bite off more than I could chew. Despite all the sense in that statement,  I couldn’t get by without planting any new flowers! Especially after dreaming of them! 

I literally dreamed of huge, merry sunflowers sprouting jubilantly from the front of the house, creeping and towering their way to the clouds,  and shining down at me so warmly, that I could feel myself melting under their benevolent gaze! I definitely  needed flowers that could cast such warmth and happiness! Although they took their time to open out, and the flowers themselves lasted for just a little more than a week, we immensely enjoyed the two varieties of sunflowers! 
 

To contrast nicely with the bright yellows, I picked out purple morning glories, and baby-blue eyes. And I promptly fell in love with the baby-blue flowers!!
 
It was a little bit of a disappointment to me that  the morning glories quite faithfully bloomed bright  and early in the morning and wilted by noon (point in case - it shows how little attention I paid to the nature of the flowers, and how I was swept away by the beautiful pictures of them!). However, they re-blossomed every morning for about a month, so I shouldn’t be complaining much! I adored their deep rich purples with just the right strokes of yellow in their core! Nature is the best artist ever! While the baby-blues were extremely pleasing with their charming delicate blues, they were a tad too small to contrast the magnificent sun flowers. Still, I loved how they drooped in their delicate bunches, and continue to sustain even in September!


However, I failed at growing poppies and cone-flowers... not sure why, but they are definitely roll-over challenges for next year! Finally, marigolds  will surely be my indispensable flower every year!

Friday, September 04, 2009

The Farewell-Blooms

It's that time of the year again - time to say goodbye to all the colors and cheer as I frown at the greens turning yellow, orange and a dusty brown. The flora having had their party want to retire and I hate the foreboding gloom threatening to set in. Soon I'll wake up to shedding trees and listen to my heart sink. I'll walk on the colored crumple and wish I could stick each one back on the branches and cast a spell to make them turn the merriest of green. But, nature waits for none. She has her cycle and I'm a tiny speck of indignation, to be ignored as a buzzing fly. And so, all I have are the last traces of color and vitality to feast my eyes and spirits on before the morbid Ice Queen shows up. And what better boost can I get than seeing my planted seeds and bulbs spring up to dance their finale and bid goodbye?

Marigolds - the most simplest, and probably most abundantly common flower known to us. Yet the dainty clumps of yellows and oranges are one of the most happiest little flowers. So easy to grow, I have learned my lesson to plant LOTS of them ( a thicket full), earlier in spring to enjoy the blooms for a good 4 months.

And this is the first time I've ever happened to see a green flower... sure I have seen tender jasmines with green streaks on their pristine white, but never have I seen or heard of a flower that is completely green so as to match it's stalk. Well, imagine my surprise and "pride" when a couple of gladioli bulbs that I planted are now churning out green flowers! Despite playing such a minimal role in both the nature and nurture aspect of this creation, I know I'm coming across as - er, a braggart. But oh well. Also, there are plenty of red ones next to them, making quite a contrast. I couldn't be happier!

These are my farewell-blooms, the last of the lot to show up and spread some merry light, before they wilt and hibernate. But with a few successful batches of plants this year,(yielding a total of 42 flowers - meticulously counted by yours truly- the nerdiest of nerds), I have a whole list of projects for next spring and summer and I eagerly wait for the months to speed by. Sure, Fall is beautiful too with pretty leaves, and snow is - well, nice and pretty to look at, snowmen are fun and there will be holidays. So there are things to look forward to...

It's silly how these plants gave a lot of "meaning" to my summer. I always had something to look forward to, and like a doting parent I've been proudly showing them off to anyone who passes by them, and terribly miss them when they have wilted. Hmm... that makes me sound like I was a totally jobless person this summer! Well, enough of rambling... enjoy your farewell-blooms and verdant lawns as much as you can, for Fall is creeping in fast! Happy Fall :)