Blossoms galore!!

Petunias and yellow lilies

Nature has different looks for different seasons, but her spring look is by far the most colorful and anticipated of all don't you think? It is that time of the year when most trees come out of their wintry slumber and fresh tender leaves dot the barren barks and twigs. Though there are many flowers that bloom all year round, the blossoms in spring seem to have a special touch. Their fragrance and color palette adds to the joyous start of a new year. Okay not in the sense of the January-to-December calendar that we have adopted now but the traditional one which begins in March/April. The very first season as per that calendar is "Vasanth" or Spring. Isn't that a wonderful way to begin a new year , with fresh hopes and renewed vigor ?

Birds of paradise!!

San-Diego too is in the spring mode now and the trees are sporting their fresh look with different shades of tender green. At this time of the year, back in Bangalore the local markets will be flooded with a wide variety of flowers with the jasmine/mallige dominating the air with its fragrance. Of course there are other scented beauties too like Champaka flower, plethora of roses too that are part of the heady collection. The spring here in US saw colorful petunias and dainty lilies join the party that was until now limited to marigolds and the strange-looking but appropriately named "Bird of paradise" flowers. These flowers look like green cranes sticking out their heads with yellow crowns and a reddish beak. As for the marigolds, they are bigger than the lemon sized ones we see back in India, many of them are as large as a tennis ball. Couple of lanes across the main road from where we stay, there are hedges of hibiscus that bring back memories of how common a garden plant it is back in India.

Twinkle twinkle Blue-stars!!

Mammoth marigolds

Homely Hibiscus

 The one good thing about the housing complexes here is that they all have well maintained greenery in and around them with a variety of floral and decorative plants adding a touch of natural green and brown and rainbow hues amidst rows of concrete blocks. Imagine my surprise when the seemingly leafy patches at many points around our apartment complex broke out into blossoms of  a variety of jasmine. Their fragrance grabs your attention long before the tiny white stars catch your eye. If the warm sun wasn't a reason enough for me to enjoy quiet walks on a summer day, these floral delights ensure that I go out and stretch my legs. The walks are even more refreshing by the light of nature's white bulb up there in the sky long after the sun bids adieu for the day.

The priceless treasures of nature never fail to gladden the heart!!

Jasmine!!

Haiku inspired by the spring :

From bare to blossom,

tender leaves, colorful blooms

usher new season!!