Gorgeous bouquets in Pink and White adorned the sprawling lawns of the Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur.
It was a romantic setting for a grand and spectacular Indian Wedding ( will post a blog on the same at a later date on http//www.travelwithmukul.wordpress.com). I had a real close look and attempted to unravel the meaning of each flower in the bouquet.
Pink hydrangeas (Scientific name Hydrangea macrophylla) romantically symbolize heart beats.
Native to the Himalayas and China they are consumed as Herbal tea in China, Japan and Korea.
Pink hydrangea or “you are the beat of my heart”
Pink button pom pom Chrysanthemums belong to the Sunflower family Asteraceae. Each flower is actually a collection of flowers in the centre and the pink petals are in fact ray florets.
Native to China they symbolize Happiness and are even today the symbol of The Imperial Family of Japan.
The Festival of Happiness in Japan celebrates Chrysanthemums.
Happy button Chrysanthemum
Roses ( family Rosaceae) have for time immemorial been the symbol of love. Pink roses symbolize happiness and admiration.
These graceful and lovely Pink Rose buds have a solitary golden bud of the Aster flower for company.
Roses are also native to Asia and China in particular.
Pink Roses
Pink Carnations (Scientific name Dianthus caryophyllus) symbolize love and fascination.
As per Christian mythology they sprung up where Mother Marys tears fell on Earth as she saw Jesus on a cross.
Also called Dianthus, the literal translation from Greek means the Flower of the Gods.
Fascinating Love
Love, Fascination, Heart Beats and Admiration all make up the perfect Wedding Bouquet.
All in Pink
I wonder if the florists knew that all the Pink flowers in the gorgeous bouquet are native to Asia.
Known down the centuries by both Indian and Western Herbal Medical practitioners, all parts of the plant are used for curing various ailments.
The Dandelion is particularly useful to cure ailments of the Liver and Kidneys.
The flower and leaves are also used to make wine and salads respectively. The leaves are a rich source for various vitamins and minerals .
Dandelion growing as a weed in the gardens of JW Marriot, Mussoorie
It was by chance that I photographed the Puffball in quite another location in the Himalayas. ( in the garden of the Brentwood sanctuary near Prateeks lovely home)
It was only upon writing this article that I realized the Puffball is none other than the ripe fruit of the gorgeous golden yellow dandelion flower.
The seeds are dispersed by the wind and have inspired famous poets like William Wordsworth.
It is however an invasive weed and infests the crops of farmers around the world.
Puffball
Do keep reading for more interesting anecdotes about Himalayan wildflowers.
I could hardly resist taking pictures of these lovely lavender coloured flowers within the Dhanraj Mansion at Mumbai.
The Dhanraj Mansion is a lovely heritage building located diagonally opposite the historical YACHT CLUB and THE TAJ MAHAL HOTEL ( do check out my blog THE GATEWAY TO INDIA at http://www.travelwithmukul.wordpress.com) .
The Laurel Clock Vine is a vigorous climber and had covered the Gulmohar tree and formed the hedge in the mansion as well.
A Vigorous climber in Dhanraj Mansion
The heart ( or paan ) shaped leaves with their pointed tips adorn this creeper unique to South Asia. Unknown to me these attractive leaves serve as baby cradles as well.
The hedge of the Laurel Clock Vine
As I went closer to photograph the flowers of the Laurel Clock Vine ( Scientific name: Thunbergia laurifolia) I was surprised as two eyes inquisitively looked back at me .
Nature springs a lovely surprise gift.
the flower and baby
A baby chameleon ( I guess a few days old only) was probably on his first day out and had stretched out on a heart-shaped leaf. Have a look at the baby sunbathing on his cradle.
Reminds me of the fairy tale of Thumbelina.
the chameleon baby
How can I not share a close up of the gorgeous flowers which had beckoned me into this lovely mansion. Do observe the vine winds up clockwise giving the creeper its name .
The guard of the mansion was extremely unhappy with my photographic acrobatics.
Beating a hasty retreat I wonder if the inmates of the mansion ever saw the baby ?
The Laurel Clock vine flower
I had been enchanted in an Urban Forest in the midst of bustling Mumbai . Hope you discover the JOY OF NATURE in the cities you dwell in as well.
If you look at the pictures that follow you will wonder if the scientists who named the flower Blue Morning-Glory have mixed up their colours .
They are however the Chameleon flowers of the hills, thus the scientists are not at fault.
The spiral buds are a shade of a baby pink. With the morning sun they transform into a beautiful shade of blue.
Ocean blue morning-glory
The flower has numerous names and each picture has been captioned with one of these several names.
It is indeed a very interesting flower as it changes colour from dawn to dusk.
The picture below of the violet tubular flower , (characteristic of the Ipomoea family ) were taken early in the evening. The petals are curling up and have faded from a blue to a magenta-violet shade.
Blue morning-glory
Ipomoea indica is unique to the foothills of the Himalayas and found near the towns of Mussoorie and Nainital in the hilly state of Uttaranchal.
The seeds contain alkaloids and can give a high similar to drugs like LSD.
Ipomoea indica
Spotted on the hills near Mussoorie, the Blue Morning-Glory is a gorgeous creeper.
The three lobed leaves along with a multitude of flowers covered the entire fence of a lovely cottage located on the edge of a Himalayan hill.
Blue Dawn Flower
The Sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas) or Shakarkandhi in Hindi is a cousin of the blue morning-glory as well.
This Gorgeous Tree Is located on the edge of a Hill in Bhopal, within the sprawling estate of the Noor-us- Sabah Heritage Hotel.
SPATHODEA CAMPANULATA or THE AFRICAN TULIP TREE
The Tree
In full bloom the magnificent tulip shaped flowers of this tall and upright tree set the landscape on fire. A combination of the Origins and the Bright Flame Coloured Flowers have given the tree the alias AFRICAN FLAME OF THE FOREST.
A closer look
The Tulip Tree is a close relative of the Sausage tree. Both are native to the African Continent.
True to its name the blossoms have set the tree on fire.
Splendour under the tree
Do locate such splendid trees in your neighbourhood
Vernacular Languages are so accurately descriptive especially when describing native flora and fauna.
Chandni in Hindi says it all. Somehow when translated into Moon Beam in English , it looses a bit of the moonshine. The magical and enchanting Chandni bush is draped with these gorgeous flowers and is a romantic sight to behold on a moonlit night.
Chandni
I always thought these flowers were called Periwinkle. Don’t they looked like the paper periwinkles ( fans) you get for children all over India. Another thing to look for on your travels within India if you have not seen them thus far.
However I discovered a beautiful name and an eye pack for my sore eyes. while I was hunting for the botanical name of Chandni. Scientific name Tabernaemontana Divaricata.
Simply crush the Chandni flowers in a mortar and put the paste within the folds of a very damp muslin cotton handkerchief. Place it over your eyes and all burning sensations caused by long working hours in front of the computer will be beamed out of the window.
They are also called Carnations of India. An evergreen tree , there is a magnificent specimen outside Hema’s house in GK 1, New Delhi.
The feather and the Carnation of India
Can you guess the name of the bird which left a clue behind?
Enchanted Forests 