NOEL ELLIS' GOOGLE BLOG

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   30/X/2025   A new flower has bloomed in the Ellis’ rooftop aquatic garden. We had been waiting for it for quite long. It is called the ‘Water Hyacinth’. It is considered as a wild weed and an invasive species but for us it is a beauty.   I floated back to my childhood when we used to go fishing to a rivulet very close to where we used to stay. It was called “Kanjli River”, a diversion and an overflow “Bein” or small river carved out of Sutlej River to be used for irrigation for Kapurthala district.   However, the Maharaja of Kapurthala had other ideas. He built a dam on the river to hold water for off seasons and converted it into the royal boat club with all sorts of boats including single and double ‘skulls’.   Besides HH also had facilities for angling for which there were RCC platforms extending into the deep side of the river and close to his “Villa Palace” located on the river bank.   My dad and I frequented this river for o...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   28/X/2025   Yesterday, while inspecting our Adenium plants, a caterpillar of an Army green moth was discovered. Had I not touched it, it could not have been detected as it blended with the leaves so well. Its light brown colour and the snakish print on its skin was a give away.   There was a choice to pluck it and evict it. However, we felt privileged that it had found a home in an Adenium seedling. I am not sure if they attack the hybrid and grafted variety. The ‘desi or rather common adeniums are their favourite.   I had to inspect every plant with a fine tooth comb which were in the vicinity of the one these caterpillars had chosen to make home. Thank God, others had been spared. For ease of identification between the hybrid and the desi ones, the desi ones have been grown in used cold drink bottles.   My aim was to have the desi variety on which grafting could be done once they matured. These plants had arrive...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   26/X/2025   Slowly and steadily our rooftop garden is turning into a beautiful space with Adeniums joining the spread there. Besides them, waterlilies have given us extreme happiness. They are ‘slowing down’ as far as flowering is concerned with the onset of winter. Adeniums too are on their last leg of flowering, before they go into dormancy.   My job now is to keep a close watch on them. Ensuring that the adeniums are watered as per requirement. They are very sensitive to ‘over watering’. Adeniums are ‘sun loving’ plants with no demands. A feed of manure in Sept-Oct and thereafter they would get hungry in Feb, just before they come into flowering in spring.   Luckily, we have enough ‘sand’ from the desert available aplenty in the Suncity, which they love to grow in. Water has to drain out as fast as it can, leaving minimum retention in the pot.   Plus, as an experiment, instead of feeding them ‘tap water’, they are being given a heal...

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   25/X/2025   We were expecting our second set of Asiatic lily bulbs through a courier by 18 th Oct. The seller sent the tracking details. Give or take a day, it should have been delivered by 19 th . 20 th was Diwali, so in case there was a delay, it would be delivered on 22 nd .   21 st being “Rama-Shama” which is a day of wishing each other a Happy Diwali by visiting friends and relatives here in the Sun City. The whole town is shut down. Even your milkman tells you to take extra. The newspaper wala disappears. Car cleaners take a long break. One is quite used to it.   The package arrived on 18 th but then it was Diwali break. The issue was the storage of bulbs in the warehouse. Last time, they got wet due to the rain and sprouted. This time, I was expecting them to be fine, if they could tolerate the heat inside the cramped storage facility.   As luck would have it, Diwali holidays extend for a week....

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   20/X/2025   Well-well-well, if you think you can’t be surprised, believe me you can be shocked. That is what happened when I opened the door to the rooftop. There were signs of a duel, a fight, some chase, a winner and a loser. There were no blood stains though.   The first thing you see are two troughs with floating plants. Feathers were strewn all over. I could make out that those belonged to a dove, as they come for a drink daily. Was it Lovey or Dovey? One of them could have been on someone’s plate.   I crossed my heart with a hope that the bird would have flown away with minor injuries. They know there is a cat with her litter on the roof. Cutie and her mom have made our roof their abode. There was no doubt in my mind that Mom was the culprit.   Imagine, you have an exclusive chair to rest. A safe environment, where no one disturbs you. Full safety and security as no one visits the roof from the neighbours ...

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   19/X/2025   Sometimes you do come across a chance encounter with something unusual. Today was one of those days when I was surprised for a moment. What happened after that was a treat and the way to survive for our new guests. Here goes….   As usual, I was on the rooftop to attend to the garden in the evening. At first glance, the waterlily tubs needed some cleaning. Many leaves had yellowed and a lot of algae had formed which had to be skimmed and deposited in the compost bin.   The routine is that the tubs are topped up, the fish are fed, adeniums are watered and thereafter it is time to give the tubs a thorough cleaning. That was what I was on. A pair of doves came for a drink and we exchanged hellos.   It took me a fraction of a second to realise that I had more company. Not one but two more guests were sitting on a “Muddha’ which I use when working on the tubs. ‘A mom’ called “Chitkabri” and her cute little...