Welcome flowers on my Terrace

My last post about the terrace garden was in early September 2012. Much rain water has drained from the terrace since then. Meanwhile I could only share a post on Rice husks and the wild goose chase we went around. I am looking for excuses and Once again I would like to shift the blame on to Facebook. Today I firmly decided to take a break from Facebook and write the long over due post.

I started skimming though my photograph collected over two months, to share them here and write a quick post.The collection is pretty huge, therefore , I have divide them into categories of flowers , vegetables and the rest. I would not like to tax you readers, with long posts inter-spread with pictures dear to me, but clearly not to everyone .

Flowers were never my strong point, and I brush aside occasional tugs at my heart with, “oh too delicate to grow”. Except marigold which I like very much and also for companion planting, a few roses and two hibiscus was all I had. Chrysanthemums are welcome, but not grown with such devotion that I will measure its size or keep counting the number of buds, or boast about the colors. They were around like all other plants and grow as they like. I am glad flowers appear, and also glad that they are hardy.

Occasionally I also get to see Kanakambaram/aboli,flowering suddenly with such grace and color,pretty pinkish beige or whatever color it is called. ( we term it as Kanakambaram color).This is another no-fuss plant for impatient people like me.

During my visit to DOH,Hulimavu visit, when the lady asked whether I would like some flower seeds, and offered a big handful,costing next to nothing, I readily agreed. I forgot to label the name too, and left in the packet for months. While planting veggies for the season, I scattered some of these seeds too, without any thought. Little did I know I would like those colors very much and photograph them for consecutive days with such admiration.So Cosmos it is, delicately swaying in the breeze.

The early morning light, the only time I visit the terrace, catches them so prettily. I am not the only one, there are such cute visitors to share their offerings and gladden my mornings.

The butterfly was so good at posing , after a few more days I had a chance to click again on another bunch.I keep meeting them everyday.

One day,while I was inspecting the coriander seeds scattered on to a wire basket. I found a big leaf was emerging as an oddity. I was curious and let it grow.Once I almost plucked the plant out, but the shape of the leaves and appearance of buds stopped me. And it was worth the wait , when I saw the flower.

Mexican Torch flower it seems. Many of the gardening friends have asked for the seeds.

Another casual beauty is the ever obliging Balsam seeds my son sent. The colors are cheerful and it is no fuss , sturdy plant.

I am not sure how I these seeds arrived, may be in compost, but they are entwining many plants right now and need to be uprooted soon.

The rains are on the wane now, the ground has hardened, but the flowers are holding on. I know before long the chrysanthemums will open up to cheer me up.More photographs to share..Life is good.