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SEASONS COME AND GO

 SEASONS COME AND GO

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

03/XII/2022

 

Seasons do come and go but some things leave memories etched in your mind forever. For us, it is flowers. ‘Hibiscus’ is in season. The wait for them to bloom is over. With winters approaching they shall soon go into dormancy. Till the time they can bear the chill they shall delight us with blooms.

 

It is also the season for seasonal flowers to be ushered in. We had two choices. One, to get seeds and grow them. Two, to pick up seedlings from the nursery. We did both. Seeds are sprouting and the seedlings from the nursery are already blooming.

 

With just about two weeks to Christmas, it is time for Poinsettias and Chrysanthemums too. The theme for the season is red, green and white.

 

Today, I have a date with my Mother-in-law. We shall go hunting for our favourite flower plants. Space in our little open patch is limited but somehow our heart is big that we can accommodate more. Let us see what all we can fit in.

 

It was with a heavy heart that we also had to bid farewell to our ‘Cypress Vine’ this morning. It flowered well. Due to the cold weather, it has started wilting and drying. The idea started in our previous location where we made an arch of home-grown bamboo on which we had trained this vine. Here we did the same on the garage posts. It looked gorgeous.

 

From one side we had the red flowered one and from the other the white one till they kissed each other in the centre. Before we finally bid the two goodbyes, seeds have been collected for the next season. This time we were a little late in planting but next year, come monsoons and seeds will be sown. Thank you, Ms Vine, for decorating our abode. Looking forward to meeting you again next season.

 

It was not surprising to find baby ‘Tik-Tok, (Chameleon) hiding in the thicket of the vine. A little cold and scared, it kept hiding inside the vine as I pulled it down from the roof of the garage. As I stretched my hand it just climbed on it as if he knew that I meant no harm and shall take him to safety.

 

I dare say that he enjoyed the little tickle I gave him on his head. I waited for it to change colours to black, the colour of the jacket I was wearing but I think it was ‘fear’ that made him stay white.

He was taken to the hibiscus plot and dismounted on one of the bushes. With one eye, he kept looking at me as if to thank me for the kind gesture. He waited for an opportune moment and scooted into the bush. Now that you have been touched by a human, I will keep you in the wild but make you my pet. Hope this arrangement is acceptable to Mr Tik-Tok.

 

All said and done, I am looking forward to the ‘date’ with my… She being a gardening enthusiast herself, it would be fun for sure. What plants will we buy today? I wonder!!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

© NOEL ELLIS









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