Mud-licious and puddle-wonderful

All the mystery and magic of a garden comes alive in the rains.

Rain brings a lot of happiness to the world and my garden is no exception. With its first touch, dormant seeds wake up and flowers appear at unexpected places. The landscape becomes greener and colourful. The sound of birds turns cheerful. The bees have done their duty, and as a result, fruits start to appear. Insects build new homes, and ants rebuild to secure theirs.

Let me share with you some stories from my garden.

Birds are regular visitors to the garden. The red-whiskered bulbuls, purple-rumped sunbird, and common tailorbird flock together many times during the day. Occasionally, cinereous tits and oriental white-eyes join the group. They like the hanging birdbath and take turns to drink water and bathe in it. Sunbirds dash between the nectar-bearing flowers, while the other birds forage for insects and worms. The koels and barbets feast on the berries of the hamelia patens, palm, and the magnolia.

Last month, the red-whiskered bulbuls began building a nest on the allamanda vine. They planned it in the middle of the thick foliage, away from human view. The birds raced across the garden, collecting tender twigs, leaf strands, and feathers. Their voice was shrill, loaded with excitement. The nest was ready in two or three days. A female koel, which must have been watching the birds, decided to check it out. The bulbuls, which were away for a while, flew in to find the koel near the nest, and a duel ensued. The bulbuls drove the koel away and decided to abandon the nest. It was heart-wrenching to see them go. A few days later, on a windy day, the nest fell. I collected it and kept it in a box to remind me about the frailty of life.

You must have heard that bees do not sting unless they feel threatened. My experience says so too. There has always been a beehive in some corner of the garden, and we have never been threatened by it or they, by us. The Bougainvillea shrub housed a hive until last winter. One fine day, the bees decided to leave the nest. For the next few months, no hive was visible until I found their new home hidden in the mango tree.

Elephants in the garden

We grow elephants in the garden! I love the Frangipani aka plumeria for its mildly scented flowers. To me, the dry leaves of the plant appear like an elephant. I’ve used it liberally in my art and call it the elephant leaf. The other two elephants in the garden are the elephant foot (Amorphophallus Paeoniifolius) and the elephant ear (Colocasia).

Colocasia is called the elephant ear because of the way it dances in the wind. It is similar to that of an elephant flapping its ear and hence the name. Each tuber has a petiole, which in turn has a single sagittate shaped leaf. All parts of the plant are edible. The leaves are acrid, irritating the lips, tongue, and throat. It is therefore cooked in an acidic medium like lime or tamarind to make it palatable. Three to four months after sowing, Colocasia tubers can be harvested.

The Amorphophallus Paeoniifolius reminds you of the foot of an elephant and hence the name. It is a delight to watch it during its vegetative phase. The tuber gives out a petiole bud, which contains a lump of leaves that become distinct as the petiole grows. When it reaches its maximum height, which is nearly a metre and a half, it parts into exactly three secondary branches, which hold the leaves. The petiole is soft to touch and is light green with white patches. Eight to nine months after sowing, the leaves turn yellow, and the petiole starts to wither, signalling the time for harvest.

Both tubers are disease-free and can be grown all round the year in partial shade. If you plan to grow it in a container, you require a large one to accommodate its spreading roots. A compost-rich soil gives a good yield. They tend to do well in any soil that retains moisture, but remember that overwatering will kill the tubers.

A garden is a place that holds mysteries and magic. It is a fertile ground for stories and the primary reason why gnomes, goblins, and fairies are found here. I shared with you some of mine today: what are yours? Do feel free to write to my social media handle.

Happy gardening and cheers from Ixora flowers.

Motley Garden is your monthly pot-pourri of observations and lessons from gardening and nature.

The author is a botanical artist from Bengaluru. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram as @neelavanam