In search

In my seven years of gardening experience, I always thought that Tulips were difficult flowers to grow especially in the cold and high altitude of the Darjeeling hills.  This year because of my poor health condition I was unable to take good care of my flowers during the winters. However, to my surprise my tulips bloomed in spite of proper care that is needed for these flowers. The #covid19 lockdown has really shown us the importance of having hobbies like gardening, cooking etc. Plus, gardening is really good for your mental and physical health and the natural environment. It also adds beauty to your home and enlivens your spirit when you watch your flower bloom.  How to grow Tulips in pots? Tulips are winter bulbs that are sown in the months of December till late January. I sowed mine in late January.  You can buy tulip bulbs in the local nurseries or online stores. The same goes for compost if you are starting your hand at gardening for the first time. If you have a milkman ' do

Times have been crazy-2020 and then 2021 of course! The weather in the Darjeeling hills too has been very crazy. It's still cold and windy while spring is almost gone.  It took a lot of time for my Azaleas to bloom. This is the first bloom of 2021and it feels like a warm sunshine on a cold foggy day. Some bloom early, some bloom late but when they do they bring happiness and lighten the heart. I find gardening a really spiritual experience while I keep drawing analogies in the cycles of the plants and flowers. People too are like flowers. Some bloom early and some bloom late. Some achieve early and young and some quite late in life. The circumstances of our lives are quite like the weather. For some its the favorable warm and sunny weather and for some its the cold, harsh and windy weather.  But the blooms will come in their own time, sometimes defying the laws of nature. I remember a line from a song by Tupac “Did u hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?”  Gar

International Mountain Day is being celebrated the world over today especially by the Darjeeling Himalayan Initiative (DHI) and The Integrated Mountain Initiative (IMI). This year's theme is 'Biodiversity of Sikkim Himalaya' and a broad range of issues was discussed by the expert panelists.  The major question or questions were "How do we mainstream/ bring discussion on Biodiversity in our day to day lives? Where and when did our disconnect with nature happen?" The panelists provided really great insights on the role of education, media, and social media in bringing back this connection. I think there is no easy and quick answers to these really difficult questions. Maybe there is a greater need for reflection and analysis. That wedge of disconnect with nature is growing into a gorge. Who is to be blamed? What is to be blamed? Or is blaming enough? Are there any solutions and would they work? The disconnect is there in how we live, what we eat and what we grow...

2020 has been a harsh year even for my flowers. It rained so much this year. It's not just me, everybody feels that it rained more than any other year.  The blooms of my Lilliums and Begonias did not last because of the continuous rain. The dianthus died of a fungus attach and even my jade plants have fungus all over them.  I don't use any chemical sprays and only use my home made vermi compost. My marigolds also did not survive the rain and we had to buy Marigolds this year for Dusshera or Dasai as we call it. But, I have saved the seeds from those flowers so I am expecting a great bloom next year.  The chrysanthemums also bloomed late but they have lasted throughout November. They did bloom in their full glory and brought cheer in my heart. My wife is not very fond of Chrysanthemums though.    Geraniums are perennial hardy plants and can survive humid or dry conditions which makes them easy to grow. The geraniums are good flower for beginners-their success rate is high which

Google+ Reflecting the first rays of the sun-Morning Click on image to enlarge view Enveloped in Fog - Daytime Click on image to enlarge view The lights are on- Dusk Click on image to enlarge view Darjeeling is this beautiful land that lies on lap of Mount Kanchenjunga. It's the land of the two river goddesses the Teesta and the Rungeet. It's the land of the clouds, mountains, ravines and forests. This is the view from my home, where one can get a partial view of the Kanchenjunga. The land plays hide and seek behind the clouds and seems to change in the blink of an eye. A bright sunny day gets enveloped in fog by noon and ends in rain. People mostly grumble on the finicky nature, but in reality it's the most beautiful and amazing natural phenomenon-the water cycle!  Yesterday I was chatting with my Dad enjoying this view from my verandah. He recalled how the landscape was covered with forests with only a few houses dotting the hills. Even I remem

Flying away into the sunset. .. This is evidence of how each year trees are being cut to make space for human settlements. The last of the birds leave their habitat to search for better homes. I remember how we used to play in the jungles. Today very small patches are left of our playground and the homes of the birds and the squirrels. The face of the hill has now been plastered with concrete buildings. There's a small patch of jungle in front of my house that is thriving with birds, squirrels and insects. We throw leftover rice and roti into the jungle which creates a lot of activity within the bushes. It's a magnificent ecosystem! One that lends freshness and beauty to our home, one that doesn't need or depends on us. My wife and I contemplate if this jungle will remain till the next ten years. We have less hope of this jungle surviving. Deep inside my heart I wish to buy this patch of land, so that I can preserve it for my son and for our retirement days! I gue