6:00 am, there is light outside; a quiet start to a cloudy morning in June, looks like it may rain but it often does not, the clouds disperse after the morning assembly. You can wake up to bird songs in Bangalore, but I never imagined I would see the avian beings responsible for the chripings,…
Tag: Trees
Tree tales: Figs in season πΏπ³ (April series Part π of π )
There is a Muslim cemetery adjacent to the boundary wall of our apartment complex. Burial grounds are considered as sacred spaces, but if they are not situated next to the place of worship it’s upkeep usually gets neglected and as in all unguarded plots, weeds and waste tend to accumulate. People do visit the tombs;…
Tree tales: An April bouquet from Bangaloreππ³(April series Part π of π )
The lovely tabebuia waves that engulfed Bangalore in March, showering the city streets, parks and gardens with pink and yellow trumpet shaped flowers have ebbed; after the summer rains, the bare tabebuia trees are now flush with the tender green leaves. And for April, the city is adorning a new coat of colours weaved from…
Tree tales: Arjun, Ashok & Swieteniaππ³(April series Part π of π )
All three a family !? No chance π. But April is a good time to identify these three trees. Starting with Swietenia macrophylla, which is the scientific name for the large leaved mahogany also called the Honduras mahogany. I have walked past this tree many times not knowing what it was. We have two of…
Tree tales: Drops of Gold ππ³ (April series Part π of π )
The Indian laburnum also called Amaltas (Cassia fistula) is a quintessential symbol of the Indian summer. Known as the Vishu Konna poov in Kerala; beginning from the month of March, when you land at the Kochi airport, you are greeted by hanging clusters these beautiful yellow flowers. And thereafter as you drive along, on the…
Tree tales: The sacred peepal tree (April series Part π of π )
It’s difficult to miss the Peepal tree in the greenscapeπ around the Kasavanahalli lake, Bangalore. Watch out for the solitary red crown in the row of green !! The tender and colourful peepal leaves have profused quickly covering the once bare branches. They are almost on the verge of turning fully green. The full red…
Tree tales: Pretty in pink ππ³ (April series Part π of π )
Strong windπ¨, sheets of lightning and distant rumblings of thunder with sudden downpours of slanting rainsπ§ mark the evenings now in Bangalore city; leaving cool crisp air for the night and waking up to fresh clear mornings. And speaking of mornings, who has the prettiest leaves in the sky ? Well there are many contenders…
Tree tales: Summer blooms βοΈπ³ (April series Part π of π )
We are deep into another sweltering summer in Bangalore; while news from hometown in Kerala has talk of rains, Mango showersπ§, it did rain heavily on one evening in Bangalore, on 1st April, but that was it. My kitchen window faces east; this perfect vastu feature is a big bonus for our rented home. And…
Tree tales: Summer blooms βοΈπ³ (April series Part π of π )
Opening on a Friday, April has been an eventful month from the very first day and the days are just rushing past. To begin with it’s a month of festivals; 2 April was celebrated as Ugadi (new year) in Bangalore and festival celebrations always involve showcasing the very best of nature’s abundance in season. On…
Tree talesπ³along the Kasavanahalli lake trailπΆπ»ββοΈβ°Bangalore π(March series Part π of π)
….πΆπ»ββοΈWe are now walking along the eastern side of the Kasavanahalli lake and after the eucalyptus grove, you come across a fork along walking trail. One road continues as the original trail around the lake’s circumference, it’s a longer stretch back to our point of origination (western entrance) compared to the second road which cuts…
A trail among the trees β°π³πΆπ»ββοΈat the Kasavanahalli lake, Bangalore (March series Part π of π)
Trees are easily identified by their flowers and March is blessed to be a flowering season for many plant species. And now, crossing the culvert and walking across to the opposite bank of the Kasavanahalli lake, you first see the striking Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans), also called the Yellow Elder. They are shrubs planted along…
Morning at the Kasavanahalli Lake, Bangalore π³π€ (March series Part πof π)
Bestowed with a walking trail of 2.2 kms around it, the Kasavanahalli lake periphery is bustling with people in the mornings. The water of the lake however remains oblivious to all the hustle and haste going on around it and so on some mornings the greenish grey water remains still, happy to merely reflect the…
Bangalore’s Jacaranda πͺ
This beautiful flowering tree is quintessential to Bangalore’s nostalgic spring and summer months. The delicate bell shaped flower blooming in clusters and framed against the blue sky is an enchanting sight. Last year π POTD: Jacaranda π Learning a little about it’s history, the tree was introduced in India during the British Raj from Brazil;…
Under the tamarind tree π³
A story in Ruskin Bond’s book the Kashmiri Storyteller goes like this… A man sees a walnut tree and a creeping gourd plant and exclaims π€ “Oh, Allah!” he said. “How strange are Your ways. You have given such small nuts to such a large tree, while the creeping gourd plant bears a fruit out…
Tree-spotting π΄
We were inside the Brookfield Ecoworld complex on the Outer Ring Road in Sarjapur, Bangalore; the palm fringed roads looked spectacular ! The tall stately looking palms were standing in perfect attention, their green canopy swaying in the wind, greeting the commuters. The trunk of this particular palm variety looked perfectly smooth and grey like…
Almond canopyππ
There’s always something that catches the eye and sparks a curiosity; for this tree, it was it’s big broad shapely red leaves. On sunny days, the tree drew attention as it filtered the sunlight through its crimson and green canopy, while on the cold windy days, the burnt orange and brown hues exuded an autumn…
Yellow splendour π³π
No one told this tree that it was winter in Bangalore; it’s yellow flowers are in full bloom and together with the green canopy, it stands dressed in green and gold π³π, ready for the wedding season ! It’s called Gaudichaudi or the Chestnutleaf trumpet bush; the flowers shaped like golden yellow trumpets and clustered…
Potted rubber πͺ΄
It is the the long, slender red buds, standing upright amidst the big dark green leaves that I noticed first. The striking red buds of this small tree seem to be reaching out to the sun but I had no idea what plant it was !? The buds should be blooming into large flowers I…
A walk in the hills @Trivik, Chikmagalur πΆπ»ββοΈπΆπ»ββοΈ
We were a small group, led by Karthik from Trivik. He had one clear instruction, “Keep an eye on your shoes.” he said. Why !? Leeches πͺ± !! We always make it a point to do the Nature Walk offered by most resorts and at Trivik in Chikmagalur too we were happy to join in….
Jasmine tree ββ
Life got busy and days began to run with the same routine. And then after a gap of maybe a week or more, it rained yesterday evening in Bangalore. After the rain, it felt so cool and nice; it was an open invitation to step out of the house. It resulted in an impromptu evening…
Miles and smiles 
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