The journey over the winding roads on mountain sides

Flowers have been part of humankind’s existence; I am sure, since time immemorial. In fact the myriad colors lift ones mood from morose to joyous in a moment. So much so that now-a-days there is a new branch of alternate medicine based just on that, called Flower Therapy.

A few months back after starting out for the famous Valley of flowers, I was destined to quit the trip midway and come back empty handed. I really needed a balm to calm my hurt soul.

If by any chance this happens with you as well, then here is a remedy. My type of flower therapy.
Take a tour of Kaas, plateau of flowers in Satara district of Maharashtra, instead! The distant cousin of valley of flowers.

Of course, you need to be a little fortunate here too, for, the flowers are as fickle minded as a toddler that they will show their bright smiling faces only for a very short period and at times that suit them.

These wild flowers are clever too. To stop us fighting over whose photographs are better or more colorful, every week they take turns to bloom and display different colors.

Kaas is home to several species of flowers that are found only here and some of them are in the endangered list, I am told.

On the downside, the natural splendor is encouraging uncontrolled tourism. In stark contrast to Valley of flowers, which is a protected region with no vehicular pollution to spoil the pristine beauty of the place, there is no such control and we could see hundreds of vehicles making a bee line to the local tourist attraction. I heard that there is a proposal to develop this region as a hill station with an airport and broad roads. Wind mills have already encroached on this plateau.
I guess the authorities must take cognizance of this fact and make an effort protect it from pollution, like they have done for Matheran.

The journey over the winding roads on mountain sides, offering a view of huge blue lakes or mist covered hill tops and later roads on the ridge which eventually opens out to a plateau, takes ones breath away. One can easily say the journey is itself the destination!

To visit - Compared to valley of flowers which requires us to be physically fit enough to do at least a full day’s trekking after some journey on mountainous roads to reach the place; this place is totally reachable by road.
Schedule your trip to catch the wildflowers in this area which bloom only for a short period of 2-3 weeks every year just after the monsoon.

If you don’t already have one of these winter-bloomers

The increasingly shorter days and longer, cooler nights of autumn trigger the flowering process of an amazing variety of plants that bloom in the winter garden. The color palette of these winter bloomers is in many ways as brilliant as that of the more familiar plants of spring and summer.

While the ground is still warm and afternoon temperatures remain pleasant, this is the perfect time in most parts of the country to plant winter-flowering trees and shrubs. But, because temperatures vary from one part of the country to another and can affect what plants are suitable for each area and when they should be planted, it may be helpful to use a plant hardiness zone map as a fall planting guide for winter bloomers, some of which are included in the list below.

Trees and shrubs
Camellia japonica 'October Affair'Camellia  japonica and sasanqua — Choose japonicas (at right) for shady spots. Sasanquas (below) can grow in sun or shade.  Float the blooms in bowls of water. Camellia Yuletide is appropriately named for its tendency to bloom in December.

Daphne odora — Daphnes are most effective when planted in high traffic areas where their sweet fragrance can be enjoyed when you enter or leave the house. They are available with solid green or variegated leaves and bloom in late winter.

Edgeworthia chrysantha — The tropical-looking foliage gives way in late fall to reveal upside down buds that open in January or February. The yellow-flower clusters resemble wasp nests, and their fragrance will fill a portion of the garden.

Flowering Quince Chaenomeles — This may be the plant poster child for not judging a book by its cover. This thorny shrub makes a wonderful barrier in a sunny location because of its unruly branches. In late winter, though, it comes alive when it is covered with pink or orange-red, sometimes white flowers.

Deciduous hollies Ilex verticillata (winterberry) and Ilex Sparkleberry — Winterberry is a native American plant. Sparkleberry is a hybrid. Both are upright bushes 8-10 feet tall that drop their leaves in the fall and then produce masses of berries. The berries attract birds and make beautiful holiday displays. Male and female plants are required to produce berries.

Japanese Apricot Prunus mume — This deciduous tree blooms in January or February with flowers in varying shades of white, pink, and red. Stems of these brightly colored flowers on bare branches make a romantic centerpiece for a Valentine’s dinner with someone special.

Mahonia bealei or x media Winter Sun — Watching a male cardinal feed on the bright yellow flower plumes that top stems of holly-like leaves from the comfort of your den and a warm fire is a true delight.

Camellia sasanqua ‘Chansonette’ Winter Jasmine Jasminium nudiflora — This Forsythia look-alike blooms from November to spring with bright yellow flowers. It can be trained to climb like a vine but looks better arching over a wall or down a bank. It will bloom in light shade but is much more prolific in full sun.

Witchhazel Hamamelis — Witchhazels produce clusters of short, twisted flowers in colors ranging from yellow to orange-red. Yellows stand out the best because orange and red tones blend in with the barren winter landscape

Perennials
Hardy cyclamens — These dainty flowers shoot up on short stems from August-October and signal the coming of winter. Glossy, sometimes marbled leaves appear with or shortly after the leaves and last all winter, going dormant with the arrival of warm weather.

Hellebores Helleborus niger — Known as the Christmas rose, this variety of Hellebore bears its white flowers (there are also pink-flowered cultivars) in the depths of winter. The better-known Hellbore, H. orientalis and its hybrids, flower around Lent and are known as the Lenten Rose.

If you don’t already have one of these winter-bloomers, considering adding some this fall. The lure of their flowers even on the coldest days of the year connects gardeners and gardens in a way that summer flowers just can’t match.

Moderating temperatures have also assisted Taraxacum officinale in becoming an all-year flower

Another factor that enables Taraxacum officinale to thrive in winter months when the number of pollinating insects (notably bees, butterflies, and hoverflies) is negligible is their ability to reproduce with or without pollination. Taraxacum officinale, which utilizes pollination during spring, summer, and autumn months when insects are in abundance, has the ability to reproduce apomictically or asexually, made possible by its morphology. Instead of being a single flower, Taraxacum officinale is actually a compilation of between 150-200 florets (each consisting of male and female organs) that rub up against each other (accomplishing the same task as insect pollination) during photo- (respond to change in lighting conditions) and thermonastic (respond to temperature change) movement in which the florets uncurl and open during the day and curl and close during the night. Such nastic movement is especially useful in protecting individual florets from degradation when cold temperatures are generally harshest since the closed blossom head provides a protective shield that shelters them from exposure. It also does not hurt that Taraxacum officinale has the ability to regenerate from both its root and stem, should it suffer damage.

Furthermore, because of their apomictic ability and the fact that plants are proactive as well as reactive organisms to their environment, it is likely that Taraxacum officinale reduces nectar (to reward warm weather insect pollinators which are negligible during winter months) production (a task that can expend up to 37% of energy attained from photosynthesis) to compensate for slowed photosynthetic activity and thus lower energy production because of less than optimal temperatures and reduced hours of sunshine during winter months. It is also likely that Taraxacum officinale reduces nectar production during winter months when it is not necessary since in the words of Peter V. Minorsky, Ph.D., Professor of Natural Sciences, Mercy College, Dobbs Ferry, NY “plants don’t waste nectar… [they] generally produce different amounts of nectar during the course of [a] day to correspond with the greatest activity of the pollinator. Night blooming plants, for example, only produce nectar during the night.” However, experiments are needed to confirm this.

At the same time, despite its apomictic ability, Taraxacum officinale uses nastic movement and nectar as weapons against neighboring plants to hinder their reproductive ability (which at times has resulted in a negative impact on crop yields while conversely benefiting insect pollinators, especially bees when nectar is scarce during early spring and late autumn). Based on a study documented by Ikuo Kandori, Toshihiro Hirao, Satoshi Matsunaga, and Tsutomu Kurosaki, An invasive dandelion unilaterally reduces the reproduction of a native congener through competition for pollination (Oecologia, 20 January 2009), Taraxacum officinale, with it production of an overabundance of nectar during warm weather months, “attracted more pollinator visits [than Taraxacum japonicum (a native Japanese dandelion), resulting in] negative effects” for Taraxacum japonicum, their congener (a plant that belongs to the same species class), which is not apomictic and thus relies solely upon insect pollination for propagation. Furthermore, based on a study by Osamu Tanaka, Yuuji Tanaka, and Hiromitsu Wada, Photonastic and thermonastic opening of capitulum in dandelion, Taraxacum officinale and Taraxacum japonicum (Journal of Plant Research, 21 September 2006), Taraxacum officinale engage in photonastic opening at lower temperatures (ranging by as much as 10? F) and for longer periods (ranging from 3-5 hours) than Taraxacum japonicum and another close relative, Taraxacum albidum further exploiting its pollination advantage.

Taraxacum officinale also thrive in all months because of its efficient means of seed dispersal (made possible by its parachute morphology which enhances transport and opportunities for survival especially since a breeze of only 1.44 miles per hour is sufficient to keep their achenes (seeds) aloft) regardless of environmental conditions and the ability of its achenes to enter a state of dormancy during periods of unfavorable environmental conditions. In fact, Taraxacum officinale seeds can wait up to 9 years to germinate if conditions are not conducive for its survival regardless if they lay on dry land or are submerged underwater.[2] Consequently, in addition to flowering, Taraxacum officinale generate achenes every month of the year.


Moderating temperatures have also assisted Taraxacum officinale in becoming an all-year flower. Gradually over time, as global mean temperatures have warmed, the traditional growing season of the common dandelion has been extended deeper into the winter, which at times has meant exposing the plant to harsh cold. Consequently, Taraxacum officinale have likely produced progeny, as mentioned above, to withstand greater winter extremes leading to flowering and seed production throughout the Northeast’s winter months as well as expansion to new areas such as the arctic regions of Alaska and Siberia. Continued global (prior to the onset of a what is believed to be a temporary period of cooling), is likely to promote the spread of Taraxacum officinale deeper into tundra-like regions and ensure that its all-year flowering nature becomes the norm instead of an anomaly isolated to a few years.

The rising concentration of CO2 levels in the atmosphere also promotes Taraxacum officinale growth. Based on an experiment that exposed Taraxacum officinale to elevated levels of CO2 documented by Tamara M. McPeek and Xianzhong Wang, Reproduction of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) in a higher CO2 environment (Weed Science, 2007), the plant when exposed to double the normal amount of CO2 (730 μmol (micromoles with a mole being the amount of pure substance containing the same number of chemical units as there are atoms in exactly 12 grams of carbon-12) mol-1 versus 370 μmol mol-1 from their nascent state until their reproductive maturity) produced 83% more inflorescences and 32% more achenes.

When you are growing flowers in packing containers

Possessing a flower garden at property undoubtedly gives color for your property especially in the event the flowers bloom when they’re already in season. Including colors to a garden goes past growing flowers for flowers Vancouver delivery. To achieve this goal, just a little creativity is all you need. If you would like to incorporate color for your property, growing flowers in multi-colored flower packing containers will do an excellent assist. Such might be put into strategic locations at property such as the sides of the hallway or door entrance

To make use of this flower packing containers, you must make some straightforward arrangements. You need to estimate how a lot of flower packing containers you’ll need so you do not need to buy more than what you need. This could allow you to save dollars. When selecting to buy flowers for that flower packing containers, take into account which side you location the packing containers. In the event you strategy to location it in an location where there’s an excessive amount of exposure to the sun, make certain to plant flowers suitable for this condition. Likewise, should you strategy to have it in a shady location, select flowering plants that thrives and greatest suits this heat range. You can also decide to select flowers that hang on the sides of the packing containers or plant tiny grasses alongside the flowers for a more greenish look. Attempt to envision what the box will look like when the flowers are in bloom. Geraniums, impatiens and also scaveola are amongst the flowers which can be commonly planted in flower packing containers.

When you are growing flowers in packing containers, fill them half with soil suited for potted plants. Afterwards, location the new plants just a little below the edge of the box and fill once more with enough soil so the plant would stand in location. Just like any other plants, the freshly planted flowers need water too! Water them lightly so they will not fall due to the fact at this time, the roots are not but firmly holding the soil. Give extra attention to these newly transplants and preserve them regularly so they will grow healthy. In just a little time, you’ll see the fruits of your labor and who knows, you may be able to earn some dollars out of these boxed flowers by having them for Vancouver flowers delivery!

Port-a-Lets are an unfortunate part of the Jazz Fest experience

Port-a-Lets are an unfortunate part of the Jazz Fest experience. Everyone makes the best of it and jokes about it even though it is disgusting. There are usually 10-12 of them lined up next to each other so a large group is usually gathered patiently waiting in the lines.

At the end of one Jazz Fest day, several of us were waiting to use Port-a-Lets before walking back to our car. The folks around us were in good moods chatting with other people in line. Right before the guy in front of me could get into the vacant pee hut, a very drunk couple cut in line and jumped into it together. This caused much consternation among everyone in all the lines. First of all, you just don’t cut in front of someone else in this situation and second of all, you don’t take a guest with you into a Port-a-Let.

Five minutes pass and the couple are still in there. Everyone was yelling at them and laughing. People were hanging around to see how long it would be before they emerged from the poo pod. Ten minutes elapse and people were lingering to see how long this would go on.

Fifteen minutes go by and people are now knocking on the door of the Port-a-Let. Two policemen notice all the excitement and come over to see what’s up. They start yelling and banging on the door threatening them with arrest if they don’t vacate immediately. Another couple of minutes pass and the police start peeking into the vents.

Now we all knew what they were doing in there but it was quite hilarious to see the shocked expressions on the cops’ faces after they took the look. Then they just shook their heads and started laughing. Well, this put everyone into an incredible uproar.

It was a Port-a-Let jamboree. The crowd just kept on growing because this bunch of evacuation destinations was right by one of the main exits. People would ask about the commotion and decide to hang around. Twenty minutes and it was almost chaos. More policemen were walking up to get the story from their compatriots but none of them seemed inclined to do anything. People in the crowd were still yelling at the couple and beating on the door.

And then finally, the couple of the hour emerged lurching out of their stinky love shack. There was a burst of wild applause and cheering. People were taking pictures as Mr. Wonderful zipped up his pants and Ms. Romance pulled down her skirt. She was too drunk to realize that part of her skirt was stuck in her thong so her ass was hanging out.

When the classy gent realized that hundreds of people were watching and yelling at them, he shot the bird at the crowd. This caused complete pandemonium as people just howled with laughter and then the couple stumbled away into the sunset.

For just a sweetheart who have not long ago mislaid the woman little one

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With their cheerful faces and sweet scent

As soon as the winter snows melt, most homeowners want to plant flowers, and spring flowers create delightful oasis of color in the yard, garden or patio. Here's a list of spring flowers that can withstand the sudden shifts of temperature common in gardening zones 7 through 4 in the United States.
Pansies for Spring Gardens

With their cheerful faces and sweet scent, pansies (Viola) are a great addition to the spring garden and top our list of spring garden flowers. Pansies can be started from seeds, and many heirloom seeds produce colorful pansies reminiscent of Grandma's garden. Pansies are exceptionally cold hardy and can be planted in early spring. They can even withstand brief spring frosts and freezing spells even while blooming, something few other flowers can do.

Pansies come in a wide range of colors from white to deep purple. They are considered annual flowers, meaning that in most gardens they will grow, bloom, and die over the winter. In gardening zones 7 and higher they can sometimes winter over, especially if planted in a warmer spot in the garden such as near the base of a foundation, a garage wall, or in the shelter of a shrub.
Snapdragons Provide Border Color or Garden Focal Points

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum Majus) range from small, six inch tall dwarf varieties to newer varieties that grow upwards of five feet tall and must be staked. They can withstand cool temperatures and light frosts, and can be planted as early as a week or two before the frost-free date. Start seeds indoors about ten weeks prior to planting.

Snapdragons come in a wide range of colors, from solid, bright yellows, orange and reds to striped and swirled bicolors. Snapdragons benefit from pinching the top of the plant off when the plants grow to be about five inches tall. Pinching new growth encourages side shoots and fuller, abundant plants with more flowers. Enjoy snapdragons any place in the flower garden. Like pansies, snapdragons are considered annual flowers. They'll winter over in zones 8 to 10, but most likely a deep freeze, common to zones 7 and below, will kill them.
Perennial Dianthus Return Year After Year

Rounding out this list of spring flowers is dianthus, also called pinks. This perennial flower comes back year after year and prefers cool growing conditions. It thrives in cool temperatures and will begin blooming as soon as daytime temperatures remain in the sixties. Choose from among the white, pink, red and striped varieties. Some have showing green and gray-green foliage. Most are grown as border flowers, but with over 300 varieties of dianthus to choose from, there are so many sizes you are sure to find one that fits your garden style. Among the many spring flowers to choose for the garden, dianthus have the strongest scent. Like stocks (another spring flower), dianthus flowers smell faintly of cloves.

This list of spring flowers only begins to describe the many choices available for gardeners across the country who want to plant spring flowers that resist sudden cold snaps. There are many more beautiful annuals and perennials that can be planted in early spring, or bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and crocus may be planted in the fall for spring flowers. Whether you choose seed starting or plants purchased from a nursery, you can enjoy many flowers like pansies, snapdragons and dianthus in your spring garden.

Sedum 'Autumn Fire'

I'm pretty sure the very first perennial I ever purchased was Sedum 'Autumn Joy'. It was advertised as "fool proof" and the perfect perennial for beginning gardeners in all the books I had read. That's all I had to hear so I went out and bought two of them (planting in odd numbers was still a foreign concept to me).
I loved it at first with it's unique foliage and the fact that it emerged so early in the spring. When the blooms came in late summer, I was pumped up. But then it happened ... it started to sprawl and I was devastated (slight hyperbole). I gave up on them for years but admittedly would look longingly at them in other people's gardens.
Fast forward ten years or so and I've found the perfect solution to my sedum envy, she's called 'Autumn Fire':
I've owned this beauty for three years now and have been thrilled with the results. I could swoon over those sedum blooms:
Without worrying about this happening:

Maxes out at about 2' x 2'
Prefers full sun
Needs good drainage to survive and some how I found a spot where that works
Is not deer resistant and again, I've some how managed to hold them off ... for now
Survives in zones 3-9
Personally, I love watching the blooms slowly change from mid summer all the way into the middle of Fall:

Give it a whirl, won't you?

Brief Of Dwarf Lilac

　　Dwarf Lilac
　　Syringa 'Penda'
　　(si-RING-gah)
　　Synonym: Bloomerang
　　Okay every once in awhile a season bender plant appears and this little lilac is one. A mixture of several species of lilac including patula x macrophylla x meyeri x juliana it blooms heavily around regular lilac time (around here Mid-May). It then takes a rest period and starts blooming again with a smaller crop of flowers. This picture was taken this week and the plants offered for sale each had a couple of flowers on them.
　　When you combine the dwarf habit, fragrant flowers and the reblooming Bloomerang is quite a package. One house we care for has a large collection of what I think are ‘Miss Kim’ dwarf lilacs and they are in constant need of pruning to fit in their dwarf spaces. That doesn’t really fit the definition/use of a dwarf plant for me. The problem is not the plant but the planter in that case (I inherited the care of those plants and did not install them). Bloomerang looks to be a much dwarfer and less course plant than ‘Miss Kim’ but only time will tell (Bloomerang was introduced in 2009).
　　Fall lilac flowers what will we see next?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day January 2011

　　There is a nice blanket of snow on the ground and none on the roads. That’s the way we like it in cold climate country. We know we are not going to see blooms when snow covers the ground so we plan for ways to have blooms in the house. I’ve got some hyacinths forcing and it’s about time for them to come out of the basement. They don’t have blooms now, but maybe in time for February’s Bloom Day.

　　Happy Surprises
Then there are the blooms that you don’t expect, but surprise you. This frequently happens in the garden, so why not in the house, too? So I am pleased to report that my Thanksgiving cactus is reblooming.
How does this happen? This plant hangs in front of my not-very-insulated kitchen window. It set buds on the colder window side. When I see this, I turn the plant around so I will actually get to enjoy the flowers when they open. As it turns out, it bloomed just a bit after Thanksgiving this year.
Then we had a warm spell, when all the snow melted away. And then it got cold again. Apparently the warm spell was long enough that it tricked the Thanksgiving cactus into believing a whole cycle of seasons had passed, and the new cold spell encouraged it to set more buds. And I, the ever hopeful gardener, noticed there were more buds, and turned the pot around again.

Flowers under April Weather

It snowed last night. Tonight, there is still snow on the ground. On 8 April, and winter has lasted long enough, thanks.

There are two ways to view these raids end of the winter season. A person can either despair or hope. When a long winter snow melts, releasing a long-buried land again to feel the life giving rays of the sun, is a time of rest for the weary hearts of months trapped within the four walls of a house. As exhilarating as the taste of spring can be renovated at a funeral in the snow can cause a drop in the same moral.

For some people, later this year, the snow falls more depressing is that. For those of snow at any time, in April is particularly overwhelming, and a week later this month is that much worse.

This is my opinion: Snow in March is very sad indeed. Snow in April is a farce. When the first flakes fall in the sky during the month of April I admit my answer is unhappy. But then I laugh. Snow is not around for long. When the snow falls in March is always the lurking fear of the cold and snowy months. April Spring swell is such that snow days are limited. In April, the winter has had its grip on our lives long enough. It 'time to throw away the fear of winter, and laughs. Snow today? It just makes the lack of snow tomorrow, even more wonderful. Spring is coming, is just the tip of your fingers. And 'here.

I mark these thoughts, but still struggles with frustration. Today I am not desperate, that the winter is not necessarily over, but to wear down the outside of disability. As the seasons change here is the bad habit of passing from winter to summer, and too little time. Four weeks between winter and summer, there is not enough time to get all these things done before summer. Yard is a wreck. Around the wreck. Any additional snow allows for a great day to escape unused.

April is full of ups and downs, but I say that is higher than in March. In April, the sun is about long days hard enough all day. Snowdrops and crocuses to strike across the country. The water flows. Tree buds swell with new life. The world is changing and running.

On a good day in April I get out of a world on edge. The sky is bright blue and white clouds on the floor. The wind has a bite to court, but the sun warms any surface it touches. Although the wreck was lost in the cool winter air and the sky speaks of spring.

March is crazy. April is the hope. In early April the eye sees only the contours of what has vanished in life takes place in May and June April is a time to dream. The world is waiting, spring, summer and fall have been in advance. The ground is frozen and wet here, but I stand, look around and imagine the coming months.