Gardening 2: Winter Pinks

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I only knew of Water Hyacinths that spread on Kukkarahalli tank in Mysore and the struggle to keep it at bay. But this is the Hyacinth that brought beauty to my kitchen window in winter when the view of the garden was really bleak.


I had chosen my shrubs with care so that atleast some of them kept their leaves in winter. But being a new garden none of them were big enough to cover up the bare skeletons of the others. The vegetable patch was ofcourse a sad sight. So I covered the window sill with a lot of indoor plants. But my special favourite was the Hyacinth.

I followed instructions from the book and filled the container with water and placed the bulb in the bowl at the top and kept it in the dark garage for about a week. As the holy books of gardening promised, there were roots and a small shoot within a week. Once the shoot was about an inch tall I placed the container in the window. Within a couple of weeks, the flowers appeared and the beautiful scent filled the room. The best part was that once the flower dried up I placed another bulb which had been resting in a bag and in a few weeks enjoyed another bloom!

Gardening. Part1: Way back

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How I love my plants and the garden! I owe it entirely to mom.

Picture this. A quiet sleepy afternoon during the school summer vacation. All my friends have gone away to visit their grandparents and I am the only kid in the neighbourhood. I drag myself to my mother, slouch against the kitchen door, put on a long face and complain that I am utterly bored. My mother, busy preparing snacks for afternoon tea, dismisses me straightaway saying that with so many books in the house I should never ever complain of boredom.
Result: I become a book lover and an avid reader.
Thanks mom.

After hours of reading I want some change. I again go to her, put on a longer face and complain again. She has some time for me now and says, "Okay, come sit next to me."
I sit down eagerly. Will she tell me an interesting story? Or play some game perhaps?
"What is 7 times 9?" Oh no.
"12 times 6?"
"Recite the 13 tables" . It goes on.
And then the horror of horrors, "Have you learnt the 17 tables? Let me hear it".
But after a while she has to get back to her work and happens to say, "Why don't you go weed the garden".

I never complain of boredom again. Whenever I want a break from books I quietly pick up the tools and walk to the garden. When there are no more weeds to remove, I think up other projects in the garden. Anything to avoid more mathematical tables. I plant, I water and take pleasure in watching the plants grow.
Result: A gardener is born.
Thanks again mom.

I love maths too, but perhaps not thanks to mom. Reciting tables is not my idea of a fun summer holiday.