Day 4, Somreeta

The Sadapushpi, aka Sadaphuli aka Sadabahar aka Baaraamaasi aka The Periwinkle.

Again, this has a childhood association..was found in abundance in gardens.. planted along the periphery.. close to the compound walls... the white and the pink periwinkle.

I lived in a predominantly Maharastrian neighbourhood till I was in class 7. Sadaphuli was the name I was familiar with. The husband's side of the family call it the Sadapushpi. The plant nursery owner referred to it as the Sadaabahaar , the Gujarati side of the family, for them it is the Baaraamaasi, and in school, I had learnt that it was also called the Periwinkle. How melodious a name, I had thought,

For me, like the raat rani, the bougenvilla and the parijaat, the periwinkle was also a lock down phase purchase.

After losing 2 flowering lavender plants (called so because it sprouted tiny lavender coloured flowers), and my raat raani which did not sprout any flowers, I chanced upon the periwinkle.

The lock down months, no house help.... and as I did the dishes, I was used to looking out of the window.

Our housing society when we moved in , had a lot of plants but very few flowering plants. I had heard a friend mention - accha hai na... varna sab tod tod ke le jaayengien

Yeah... makes sense, I had thought then.

Then there came a phase when one of the members, planted a lot of flowering plants.. varieties of roses , lilies , other flowering plants like the hibiscus, ixora and also a periwinkle. Luckily for me, the periwinkle was planted in my line of vision and I could see them while I tackled the dishes at the kitchen sink. And it was there, that I had my Eureka moment.

The sadaphuli it had to be. I do not remember ever seeing a Periwinkle plant without a flower. This one wouldn't fail me, I had reasoned. Well, Well !!

'Haan, Sadaabahaar hai na bhabhi mere paas. Haan pot mein lagaa ke deta hoon. Haan Haan..hamesha phool rahega iss par. abhi nahi hai uspe phool.. par aayega.' This was the plant nursery owner.

While talking to him, it was the '4 Haan(s);' that registered in the mind. The fine print " abhi nahi hai uspe phool, par aayega' bit, didn't . I asked him to plant 2 plants in one pot. I had become smarter after the bougainvillea puchase , where a little twig like plant had been delivered. I wanted the pot to appear lush.

In the night when the plant was delivered, I remembered the 'fine print'. The sadaphuli and another plant which I had ordered , were a healthy green. No flowers though. But then the parijaat compensated for it. The three were duly accorded their places of honour in the balcony and in the 'flower bed' area of the bedroom.

And then I did what I could only do ! Wait,, and Wait... Patiently wait!

The sadaphuli had come home on the 20th of September 2020 and not one flower for a long time..Now this sentence has become repetitive since the last 3 days,.. but kya karein.,, sacch hai toh sacch hai!

In the meanwhile, one of the 2 plants in the pot, dried out. I have no clue , why!

In the last week of March, I saw 2 buds, and when the flowers finally appeared on the plant, they were rather dainty and their colour a paler pink, to be the periwinkle I knew.

But yes, I was happy. Pictures and videos were clicked, shared, posted on Insta...and then.. I sang the same refrain .. Phool Kahaan hain?

The periwinkle,... the very trusted sadaabahaar, sadaapushpi.. the sadaaphuli had betrayed me. The sadaaa in their name... it didn't live up to their claim, I thought.

I watered them daily, added fresh soil, a bit of fertilizer at intervals... but to no avail. And one day while watering them I whispered in desperation and a bit of anger.. anger directed for a major part towards myself (for not realizing this before) and a little at the plant (just like that).... You need food.. you shall get your food ! Just wait !

Even to my ears that sounded like a threat!

And , though it might sound absolutely unbelievable, this is true... the next evening the plant had buds. and 2 days later they bloomed into the biggest and brightest pink periwinkles I had ever seen.

Yes , Yes.. the routine was followed... whooping in happiness, pictures, videos. The daughter commented on seeing the photographs, "Very pretty , after all that terrorizing!"

That day I ordered some plant requirements... a fertilizer stick which had pre measured quantities of nutrients to keep the plants healthy and green and another which had stuff to keep the plants healthy and help them flower.

Happy to say that since that day, the plant is delivering on its promise, staying true to its name - Sadaaphuli, Sadaapushpi, Sadaabahaar.

And I hope it succeeds in being the Baaraamaasi! ...my Periwinkle!

Bolo, Tathastu!

 

 

Day 4, Somreeta

The Sadapushpi, aka Sadaphuli aka Sadabahar aka Baaraamaasi aka The Periwinkle.

Again, this has a childhood association..was found in abundance in gardens.. planted along the periphery.. close to the compound walls... the white and the pink periwinkle.

I lived in a predominantly Maharastrian neighbourhood till I was in class 7. Sadaphuli was the name I was familiar with. The husband's side of the family call it the Sadapushpi. The plant nursery owner referred to it as the Sadaabahaar , the Gujarati side of the family, for them it is the Baaraamaasi, and in school, I had learnt that it was also called the Periwinkle. How melodious a name, I had thought,

For me, like the raat rani, the bougenvilla and the parijaat, the periwinkle was also a lock down phase purchase.

After losing 2 flowering lavender plants (called so because it sprouted tiny lavender coloured flowers), and my raat raani which did not sprout any flowers, I chanced upon the periwinkle.

The lock down months, no house help.... and as I did the dishes, I was used to looking out of the window.

Our housing society when we moved in , had a lot of plants but very few flowering plants. I had heard a friend mention - accha hai na... varna sab tod tod ke le jaayengien

Yeah... makes sense, I had thought then.

Then there came a phase when one of the members, planted a lot of flowering plants.. varieties of roses , lilies , other flowering plants like the hibiscus, ixora and also a periwinkle. Luckily for me, the periwinkle was planted in my line of vision and I could see them while I tackled the dishes at the kitchen sink. And it was there, that I had my Eureka moment.

The sadaphuli it had to be. I do not remember ever seeing a Periwinkle plant without a flower. This one wouldn't fail me, I had reasoned. Well, Well !!

'Haan, Sadaabahaar hai na bhabhi mere paas. Haan pot mein lagaa ke deta hoon. Haan Haan..hamesha phool rahega iss par. abhi nahi hai uspe phool.. par aayega.' This was the plant nursery owner.

While talking to him, it was the '4 Haan(s);' that registered in the mind. The fine print " abhi nahi hai uspe phool, par aayega' bit, didn't . I asked him to plant 2 plants in one pot. I had become smarter after the bougainvillea puchase , where a little twig like plant had been delivered. I wanted the pot to appear lush.

In the night when the plant was delivered, I remembered the 'fine print'. The sadaphuli and another plant which I had ordered , were a healthy green. No flowers though. But then the parijaat compensated for it. The three were duly accorded their places of honour in the balcony and in the 'flower bed' area of the bedroom.

And then I did what I could only do ! Wait,, and Wait... Patiently wait!

The sadaphuli had come home on the 20th of September 2020 and not one flower for a long time..Now this sentence has become repetitive since the last 3 days,.. but kya karein.,, sacch hai toh sacch hai!

In the meanwhile, one of the 2 plants in the pot, dried out. I have no clue , why!

In the last week of March, I saw 2 buds, and when the flowers finally appeared on the plant, they were rather dainty and their colour a paler pink, to be the periwinkle I knew.

But yes, I was happy. Pictures and videos were clicked, shared, posted on Insta...and then.. I sang the same refrain .. Phool Kahaan hain?

The periwinkle,... the very trusted sadaabahaar, sadaapushpi.. the sadaaphuli had betrayed me. The sadaaa in their name... it didn't live up to their claim, I thought.

I watered them daily, added fresh soil, a bit of fertilizer at intervals... but to no avail. And one day while watering them I whispered in desperation and a bit of anger.. anger directed for a major part towards myself (for not realizing this before) and a little at the plant (just like that).... You need food.. you shall get your food ! Just wait !

Even to my ears that sounded like a threat!

And , though it might sound absolutely unbelievable, this is true... the next evening the plant had buds. and 2 days later they bloomed into the biggest and brightest pink periwinkles I had ever seen.

Yes , Yes.. the routine was followed... whooping in happiness, pictures, videos. The daughter commented on seeing the photographs, "Very pretty , after all that terrorizing!"

That day I ordered some plant requirements... a fertilizer stick which had pre measured quantities of nutrients to keep the plants healthy and green and another which had stuff to keep the plants healthy and help them flower.

Happy to say that since that day, the plant is delivering on its promise, staying true to its name - Sadaaphuli, Sadaapushpi, Sadaabahaar.

And I hope it succeeds in being the Baaraamaasi! ...my Periwinkle!

Bolo, Tathastu!

 

 

 

Day 4, Somreeta

The Sadapushpi, aka Sadaphuli aka Sadabahar aka Baaraamaasi aka The Periwinkle.

Again, this has a childhood association..was found in abundance in gardens.. planted along the periphery.. close to the compound walls... the white and the pink periwinkle.

I lived in a predominantly Maharastrian neighbourhood till I was in class 7. Sadaphuli was the name I was familiar with. The husband's side of the family call it the Sadapushpi. The plant nursery owner referred to it as the Sadaabahaar , the Gujarati side of the family, for them it is the Baaraamaasi, and in school, I had learnt that it was also called the Periwinkle. How melodious a name, I had thought,

For me, like the raat rani, the bougenvilla and the parijaat, the periwinkle was also a lock down phase purchase.

After losing 2 flowering lavender plants (called so because it sprouted tiny lavender coloured flowers), and my raat raani which did not sprout any flowers, I chanced upon the periwinkle.

The lock down months, no house help.... and as I did the dishes, I was used to looking out of the window.

Our housing society when we moved in , had a lot of plants but very few flowering plants. I had heard a friend mention - accha hai na... varna sab tod tod ke le jaayengien

Yeah... makes sense, I had thought then.

Then there came a phase when one of the members, planted a lot of flowering plants.. varieties of roses , lilies , other flowering plants like the hibiscus, ixora and also a periwinkle. Luckily for me, the periwinkle was planted in my line of vision and I could see them while I tackled the dishes at the kitchen sink. And it was there, that I had my Eureka moment.

The sadaphuli it had to be. I do not remember ever seeing a Periwinkle plant without a flower. This one wouldn't fail me, I had reasoned. Well, Well !!

'Haan, Sadaabahaar hai na bhabhi mere paas. Haan pot mein lagaa ke deta hoon. Haan Haan..hamesha phool rahega iss par. abhi nahi hai uspe phool.. par aayega.' This was the plant nursery owner.

While talking to him, it was the '4 Haan(s);' that registered in the mind. The fine print " abhi nahi hai uspe phool, par aayega' bit, didn't . I asked him to plant 2 plants in one pot. I had become smarter after the bougainvillea puchase , where a little twig like plant had been delivered. I wanted the pot to appear lush.

In the night when the plant was delivered, I remembered the 'fine print'. The sadaphuli and another plant which I had ordered , were a healthy green. No flowers though. But then the parijaat compensated for it. The three were duly accorded their places of honour in the balcony and in the 'flower bed' area of the bedroom.

And then I did what I could only do ! Wait,, and Wait... Patiently wait!

The sadaphuli had come home on the 20th of September 2020 and not one flower for a long time..Now this sentence has become repetitive since the last 3 days,.. but kya karein.,, sacch hai toh sacch hai!

In the meanwhile, one of the 2 plants in the pot, dried out. I have no clue , why!

In the last week of March, I saw 2 buds, and when the flowers finally appeared on the plant, they were rather dainty and their colour a paler pink, to be the periwinkle I knew.

But yes, I was happy. Pictures and videos were clicked, shared, posted on Insta...and then.. I sang the same refrain .. Phool Kahaan hain?

The periwinkle,... the very trusted sadaabahaar, sadaapushpi.. the sadaaphuli had betrayed me. The sadaaa in their name... it didn't live up to their claim, I thought.

I watered them daily, added fresh soil, a bit of fertilizer at intervals... but to no avail. And one day while watering them I whispered in desperation and a bit of anger.. anger directed for a major part towards myself (for not realizing this before) and a little at the plant (just like that).... You need food.. you shall get your food ! Just wait !

Even to my ears that sounded like a threat!

And , though it might sound absolutely unbelievable, this is true... the next evening the plant had buds. and 2 days later they bloomed into the biggest and brightest pink periwinkles I had ever seen.

Yes , Yes.. the routine was followed... whooping in happiness, pictures, videos. The daughter commented on seeing the photographs, "Very pretty , after all that terrorizing!"

That day I ordered some plant requirements... a fertilizer stick which had pre measured quantities of nutrients to keep the plants healthy and green and another which had stuff to keep the plants healthy and help them flower.

Happy to say that since that day, the plant is delivering on its promise, staying true to its name - Sadaaphuli, Sadaapushpi, Sadaabahaar.

And I hope it succeeds in being the Baaraamaasi! ...my Periwinkle!

Bolo, Tathastu!