Garden Diaries- May (It's May, it's May, the month of great dismay)

Glorious Amaltas- the Golden Shower

              
                “Summer has set in with its usual severity.”

                                                       --Samuel Taylor

The sunshine is bright and blazing almost whole day. Even a sight of shade provides some relief to the eyes. Birds are always looking for the bowls of water to splash in and the plants get dried up however much we water them. Well, it is the desert land and you cannot expect an easy summer. This month and the next is harsh to get by for the birds. Even local newspapers appeal to put water for birds and set up birdhouses on trees. The usual chirping comes down from 9 in the morning till late evening (barring some parrots of course who continue to engage with us in a battle of wits over ownership of raw mangoes – Needless to say they win).
 

Parrots  attacking raw mangoes

Earlier this month, on a Thursday morning – the sky was pale blue with no clouds in sight, weather was getting warmer and as usual, this peacock came to our garden. It happily ate its daily staple diet of the bird feed and insects, took a stroll around flowerbeds and suddenly, it was dancing.  Oh, what a performance it was. No words can suffice to that display of colour and I guess contentment (which no doubt came from a good meal). And this is how, ordinary Thursdays turn magical in the marvelous month of May.

Dance Performance in the Garden

AA Milne wrote somewhere that “I regretted that the loveliness of May was lost for so many in the clamour of elections when the only 'issues' which really mattered were the apple and cherry blossom, the budding flowers, and the fresh pale green of birch and beech.” 

 If I think of the Indian Summer alternative to English apple and cherry blossoms, it would be definitely yellow Amaltas (Golden Shower tree) and red Gulmohar (Delonix regia). Yes, election talk even here overshadowed every other real issue. But for anyone keeping his/ her eyes open, it is difficult to overlook the beauty of trees turning the brightest of yellow and red. In India, it is typical to line up the streets with these trees. They flower simultaneously and make such a delightful sight in summers. For me, these flowering trees of Amaltas and Gulmohar and the cuckoo singing on the mango trees are two most endearing sights of Indian Summers. I feel lucky to have many Amaltas and Gulmohars around my house .

जियें तो अपने बग़ीचे में गुलमोहर के तले,

 मरें तो ग़ैर की गलियों में गुलमोहर के लिये

May is not a very forgiving month for flowers but then you have some brave hearts. I am specifically partial to Zinnia- which bloom from summers to monsoons with great gusto. This time we are particularly lucky with Zinnias. We have all possible colors and shades in them and they provide a delightful respite from the dearth of colour in my flowerbeds otherwise.

Colors of Zinnia

My giant sunflower plants are now much taller than me and are full of promise. Buds are already opening and I do hope to see the most beautiful shade of yellow in the garden. Meanwhile, birds are building nests all over the house – inside the hedge, behind the ACs, over the telephone box and of course, in the shrubs and on the trees. Many nests also have eggs. The family of Grey Francolins (Teetar) gleefully march with their latest generation, reminding me of the old film song (Teetar ke do aage teetar ……). In the wild mulberry tree, I have noticed a small nest built by a robin and you can see blue eggs inside. I have been warned by a birder friend not to go very near the nest, in search of a good photograph, as that might attract predators to the nest.

Two happy updates from last month- my owlet family has a new addition too. The junior is very shy and hardly steps out of the tree hole but like all kids, it is curious enough to peep now and then. The eyes are still white, unlike parents and the little one is exceptionally cute.

Baby owlet i.e. Ullu Ka Pattha

Also in my little waterlily pond, we have finally got another colour. Most adorable shade of peach pink which melts my heart every morning. I wish the pond was bigger to accommodate more of these waterlilies.

By the way, some Mangoes have survived too, despite vicious continued attacks from parrots and pigeons. Now they are big enough to be used for pickles, chutneys,panna and all such delightful recipes which taste of summer and we are taking full advantage of them.

While the city regularly faces evening thunderstorms followed by some raindrops, by the morning it is again hot. Hope June will bring some real rain showers.

New colour of Waterlily( Nilopher)