No Rain, No Relief

Hi friends, back again to my blog backyard, for some random ramblings.
Well, where to start?

ABCD of Rangoli

Today I officially started learning how to draw Rangoli. I drew a few strands, and a few designs in front of the Tulsi vrindavan, that's there in front of our house. Know what, it looked exactly like what my two-year-old daughter draws! I learnt how to draw 8-petl flower, and Shankha (counch), and couple of other designs.

Don't laugh... I'm still a learner yaaa. We the people in South Canara don't cherish such things much usually, but when in Bangalore, act like a Bangalorean. That too, when married to a Madhwa family to head that family, you have to be well-versed in all these! :-)

Gardening Mania

There are currently around 12 pots in front of my home, four of them just waiting for right plants to be planted. All those pots were kept by our aunty by the side of the house while the construction of new house was going on. It all caught cement, all the plants seemed like they were destroyed. All the pots, covered with cement, were just waiting for me to come :-) And when I saw these pots, for a few days I did not have any idea.
After some days it started drizzling, and some life started coming up on these pots. The Amritha Balli (Tinaspora Cordifolia), 'Brahmakamala' or 'Rathri Rani' (Saussurea obvallata), Aloe Vera and a croton plant had survived all the constuction activity, and with the first rain, they all sprang to life. Plants in the rest of the pots had been spoiled.

Looking at these, it struck me, that I can make use of these pots, regrow those plants, or grow something new. Bingo! For the pilot project, I cleaned up a small pot, containing 'Brahmakamala' or 'Rathri Rani' (Saussurea obvallata) by removing the cemented mud from the upper part, till I got clean soil inside the pot. Then watered it and kept it neatly. Then next day I took Aloe Vera pot and Amritha Balli pot. I kept Amritha Balli by the side of the house, in a harmless corner, so that it can climb upon roof via the grill of the shed.

Then I cleaned up empty pots and filled some clean soil in the place of the cement removed, and kept them ready for planting something. I found some pebbles which our aunt had stored. I arranged them on the pots, surrounding plants, so that when water falls with force, it does not spoil the soil. I sowed a few red chill seeds.

I had brought a pot with Tulsi, and one with 6-7 lemon saplings. I shifted two lemon plants to the new-found pots.

Today all the pots except a pot with big Aloe Vera have been arranged in front of our house. My dear darling daughter waters them all in the morning as soon as she wakes up - that's a ritual for her.

However, rain is something I'm waiting for these days. Rain gives life to all, it can spring more life out of these pots! Bangalore has seen no rain these days. Sometimes it feels like it will rain cats and dogs, clouds galore, and drizzle starts, and some unkind wind takes them away, leaving me hopeless! No rain, no relief. Rain brings relief to my outer world - and the inner world too. 

I'm just waiting for the days when I can just sit cozily by the window and watch the shower outside. Please come, rain, I want to grow more plants! :-)