Coolest Summer Ever

 

This year we are having the coolest summer in some seven decades! Logistics apart, there have been just a few hot days yet, and the frequent showers are mostly welcome (be it for cyclones Tauktae and Yaas, or the western disturbances). So here's capturing this cool summer in pictures for posterity.

Rainy skies brought gorgeous sunsets...

And a profusion of flowers and mangoes!

Our annual kitten litter also arrived.... all brownies this time.

The backyard turned visibly greener...

And the pumpkin flowers stole the show...

But nothing could beat the bumper mango crop after a two year wait - 4 baskets full and more! Must easily be a 5kg harvest. 

As each of us took turns to pluck some, I am hoping these memories and pictures will stay timeless.

Going Organic - Part 6

Since last year we have tried focussing on growing the basics - potatoes, onions and tomatoes. This post recounts our experiences with each of these.

Potatoes

The first time we tried growing these in a large, deep pot. The plants were healthy and there were flowers too. But the plants started withering right after. So we were hopeful that the crop may be developing. But when we dug in, there was nothing.

This year we decided to plant directly in soil in our kitchen garden patch. And after a point, we kind of forgot about the plants. In fact, we didn't even see any flowers this time. Till they all dried up and the husband went to uproot them and clear out the patch. And wonder of wonders, a lovely crop of baby potatoes was harvested!

Surely the best Mother's Day gift came from the father. 

Onions

Planted an onion directly in soil in early winter, and throughout the season it gave healthy greens. I used the greens to make parathas and vegetables. Towards the end of the season, a couple of florets were formed and again, once they started withering I dug up the soil but no onions there. 

Probably we made the same mistake with both potatoes and onions - losing patience and digging up too soon.

Tomatoes

Last winter the husband ordered and planted a whole packet of tomato seeds. Lots of plants showed up, but it was difficult to maintain their scraggly growth. Tomatoes need to be tied firmly or else placed within a support structure. Mealy bugs were the other problem area, and required careful monitoring and frequent spraying with a mixture of neem oil, detergent and water.

Our efforts finally paid off and we did get to harvest some tomatoes. Though the regular-sized ones threw more tantrums and gave lesser output, while the cherry tomatoes came in bunches and were delicious. So a rewarding experience on the whole!

Lily Season

 

April onwards is Lily season and this year, after a long gap, we had quite a bounty. The lilies usually follow a pattern, starting with the red amaryllis around the Easter weekend. But this year the pretty peach lilies daintily outdid the sturdy bright amaryllis.

Starting out first, they blossomed right through April and well on to May. The red amaryllis showed up a couple of days after Easter, and I sorely missed the white ones.

And that brings me to the yellow May lilies that also arrived early and gave a bumper crop, making up for all the missed years in between. Pity they only bloom one at a time.

Hope this lily bounty repeats itself every year. In the meanwhile, I'll have to search for the missing white amaryllis.

Front Garden - Progress In Pictures

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words. Here's a glimpse of how the front garden has changed and shaped up over the past 3 years.

2019

2020

2021

I'm not complaining; the bushes and leafy greens have moved to the edge of the fence, leaving the front clear for shorter shrubs and flowers. Just the way we wanted!

Revisiting Najafgarh Lake

 

This year January saw exceptional rainfall in North India. As a result, most water bodies were full or overflowing. The newspapers claimed that the excess water and longer winter season had attracted thrice the number of migratory birds. So we decided to visit our secret birdwatching destination again. 

Only this year we went in January instead of the February visit we had made last year. What a sea-change we saw! The marshes we had traipsed through last year to reach the Najafgarh lake were all submerged. 

There was flowing water everywhere.... so much that reversing the car out from the narrow road between the fields was no less than an adventure.

An aggrieved farmer whose fields had gone under water shared his story with us. About how the lake overflows its banks every year, damaging crops and destroying agricultural livelihoods. Whatever he said was right before our eyes to see. 

January 2021

Last year we had walked right past, and way beyond, that little outhouse you see in the picture above. To compare better, I have included a shot from our last year's trip below. In last year's picture, see how far in we had parked the car, and then walked all the way to the other side of the outhouse before reaching the lake shore.

February 2020

Coming back home and reading up more on the Sahibi river, and how it affects the Najafgarh lake, one learnt more about interesting aspects related to the history of the region. 

And yes, the migratory birds were not as visible this year because they were far out, and so were difficult to capture on camera. 

More Spring Hues

 

Even though day temperatures are touching beyond 30 degrees (centigrade), areas of our garden are still lighting up with fresh bursts of colour. 

Poppies on the wall

Phloxes are butterfly magnets - a lime swallowtail here

This blue pimpernel showed up by itself

Deep yellow Chinese marigolds

We even got a rare hybrid poppy with multiple petals (instead of the usual five petal variety).

Meanwhile, the mango tree has surprised us with its burst of flowers. Hope that leads to a bumper crop in the summer.

A flowering semul (silk cotton) tree in the neighborhood....

It is a delight to revel in these last few days of blossoming spring before the oppressive heat takes over and renders everything dry.

Snapshots Of Spring 2021

 

Though each new year starts with some dull grey winter days, 2021 was especially dreary because it rained for an entire week. 

We chose to deal with that by cozying up in our woollies and catching up on some long-pending movies. Come February, it felt a bit like spring so here are some snapshots from the garden.

Larkspurs

Marigolds

Ice plants

Kalanchoes

Spring barely lasted this year; the days got warm too soon while the mornings and nights remained chilly. Not the best conditions for good flowering but we still managed to have a good combination of colours and varieties.

Phlox

Poppies, African Daisies and Roses

Petunia and Bougainvillea

The white rose bush that frames the corner of the garden is full of blooms again, and has a new neighbour in the finally flowering creeper rose. 

Yes, it is that time of the year again when I want to be in the garden all day. But alas, it lasts for too short a while before the summer heat picks up.