Sakshi R Ghodake

“When we reconnect with nature, we will be able to restore ourselves.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita

Kishan Bagh, Jaipur

Jaipur has been touched upon by Architect Pradip Kishan and his team to ornament the existing gift of nature which Kishan Bagh holds. He had a great vision of how the park should be designed well enough to convey the importance of restoring and conserving our ecosystem. Having worked on Rao Jodha Rock Park in Jodhpur, Pradip Kishan took on the mammoth task of restoring Kishan Bagh dunes into a natural desert landscape.

Kishan Bagh

Scenic view from the park.

The design proposes restoring the vegetation of sand dunes, designing a place for people to understand the ecology and bringing the endangered plant community of the Thar to be conserved.

Heteropogon Spa (grass)

Rohida

Saccharum

Akara

Kumatha acacia sengal

Phragmites Australis

The design is influenced by the explorations of the desert landscape of western Rajasthan, called Roee by the locals, also seen in the jungles of Thar with different plant communities which have evolved in that particular changing climatic condition. Hence, native flora like Saccharum, Rohida, Kumatha acacia sengal, Akada, Dhatura, and Phragmites Australis have been planted according to the different soil textures where each contributes to the ecosystem in the desert.

Distinct color layers of sandstone due to the presence of different minerals.

Migmatites – double-cooked stones, consisting of two or more constituents often layered repetitively

According to Pradip Kishan parks have always been remembered in colonial style, while they should ideally be reminisced based on the native nature of the plants and surrounding. Parks have now become sanitized spaces and the trees which are featured are grown for their colourful blossoms which will eventually last for a certain period that add an aesthetic charm in landscape and does not talk about the habitat. This clearly says that the idea of beauty should change.

Sand dune desert park

The Grounded team had visited Rao Jodha Park in Jodhpur which is also an ecology restoration project led by Pradip Krishan. Read about it here. From this we have understood that experience stands out based on the interpretation which is based on telling the story of a landscape and the wildlife that it supports. Here at Grounded, we are making an effort to sensitize the urban and rural populations to the wild through our designs.

Watch more about Kishan Bagh, here.

Sakshi R Ghodake

Our love for flowers continues and Goa is vested with a bounty of gorgeous bright flowers that bloom profusely throughout the year. Following is a list of a some locally found species that are grow well in Goa.

Cordia Sebestena L. Tree

Cordia Sebestena L.

Common Name: Aloe Wood, Orange Geiger Tree.
Color: Orange.
Fruiting: Blooms throughout the year, particularly in the spring and summer.
Occasionally seen in gardens, can be seen in Kala academy and Garcia da Orta academy.

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Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold

Common Name: Oleander.
Color: Yellow, pink & white.
Fruiting: Blooms from summer to fall.
Is usually planted as a hedge plant and maintained as a shrub.

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Allamanda Cathartica

Allamanda Cathartica

Common Name: Allamanda Golden-Trumpet Golden, Trumpet Vine, Yellow Allamanda.
Color:Yellow, pink & white color.
Fruiting: It blooms from spring to summer.

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Plumeria Rubra L. Tree

Plumeria Rubra L.

Common Name: Champa
Color: Yellow, pink & white
Fruiting: Blooms from early summer to fall.

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Albizia Julibrissin Rosea

Common Name: Silktree
Color: Pink
Fruiting: Blooms from early summer.

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Caesalpinia Pulcherrima

Common Name: Peacock flower
Color: Yellow, orange, red
Fruiting: Blooms from late summer to fall.

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Brugmansia plant

Brugmansia

Common Name: Angel’s Trumpet
Color: Yellow, white
Fruiting: Flowers in mid to late spring in warm climates and continue into the fall (autumn), often continuing as late as early winter in warm conditions.

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Mussaenda erythrophylla

Common Name: Ashanti blood, red flag bush and tropical dogwood
Color: Pink, white, red
Fruiting: Blooms from March to June.

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Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Common Name: Hibiscus
Color: Pink, white, red, yellow
Fruiting: Blooms throughout the year.

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Nyctaginaceae.

Common Name: Bougainvillea
Color: Pink, white, yellow
Fruiting: Blooms from May to December.

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Ixora coccinea

Common Name: Scarlet Jungle Flame, Flame of the Woods
Color: Pink, white, yellow, orange, red
Fruiting: Blooms from spring to fall.

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FLOWERING CREEPERS

Campsis Radicans

Common Name: trumpet creeper
Color: Yellow, orange, red
Fruiting: Blooms during summer months.

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Clerodendrum thomsoniae

Common Name: Bleeding-heart, Bleeding Heart Vine
Color: White, red
Fruiting: Blooms during summer season.

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Thunbergia laurifolia

Common Name: Blue Trumpet Vine, Laurel-Leared Thunbergia, Laurel Clock Vine
Color: Pale blue, purple
Fruiting: Blooms from August to September.

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All Photographs are from the internet.

Sakshi Ghodake

Goa provides a trail of colorful wild flowers to be explored, specially during and post-monsoon. These flowers are not just creating beautiful travel spots in Goa but are also a part of the Goan lifestyle and culture. The wildflowers are used as medicinal herbs and help to improve the soil health, prevent erosion, improve the water quality.

Utricularia Malabarica are not so commonly seen, but are found on some plateaus in Goa. They are endemic to the laterite plateaus of the Western Ghats.

Harna (Senecio Bombayensis)

Impatiens Balsamina

The Impatiens flowers (above) represents Gauri and are worshipped during Ganesh Chaturthi in some villages of Canacona. The yellow colored flowers which blooms in August-September, known as Harna or Sonki in Konkani.
Impatiens Balsamina are native to Western Ghats and locally known as Chiddo which is usually found along roadsides, open green spaces. They are used in various rituals like Shravan month’s Aayatar Poojan, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc.

Wild Til (Sesame Orientalis)

Dhobi’s Handkerchief (Mussaenda Frondosa)

The Wild Til’s are bell-shaped pink flowers, seen almost everywhere in Goa during monsoons. As the name suggests, these are a wild variety of sesame seeds. The pods contain these tiny seeds.
The shrub of Dhobi’s Handkerchief flower grows like a wild creeper on other trees. The bract beneath the tiny orange flowers is white in color. It is locally known as Patri and is integral part of wild leaves and flowers, offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

Tiger Claws (Gloriosa Superba)

Wild Turmeric (Curcuma Aromatica)

Tiger Claws or Glory Lily is a bright yellow-red colored flower with an unusual shape. It is a vine which is usually found in forested areas. These pretty flowers are poisonous and toxic.
Wild turmeric blooms during monsoon season. It is recognized as a medical herb with strong antibiotic properties.

Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum)

Pagoda flowers as represented (above) are a bunch of bright orange-red colored flowers that blooms during the monsoon period. These are mostly seen in green open spaces and are cultivated in gardens for their impressive flower display.

Celosia argentea

Buttonhead Pipewort

Celosia Argentea commonly known as Silver Cock’s Comb is said to be edible before it flowers. It is good for sight and controlling diabetes. These plants are a part of Goan diet in monsoon season and especially the Hindu month of Shravan and Ganesh Chaturthi as vegetarian cuisines are most preferred. The best species are seen on the plateaus.
The Buttonhead Pipewort are mostly found on plateaus near water bodies.

Little Persian Violet

Look for these gorgeous gifts of nature that flower abundantly in the Goan countryside, on the roadsides and fallow fields. People travel the world in search for wildflowers. Goa is home to many, only if one can slow down to observe and appreciate them. We at Grounded, hope to utilize these in our landscape design as well.

If you live in Goa or are considering a move to Goa, keep your eyes open for these beauties!
Inspired by Arti Das. For more information do visit here.

“Flowers are the music of the ground.
From earth’s lips spoken without sound”.
-Edwin Curran

I grew up in Delhi and I have distinct memories of the trees that I grew up amongst. These trees are sometimes more important in my memories than the people. I guess I lived in a bit of a dream world where these trees played a salient role. Here I have attempted a compilation of my most memorable flowers and flowering trees. 

champaka

Champaka tree

Champaka
Scientific name: Magnolia champaca

Champaka flowers are one of my favorite. They have a magical scent and are available in white and yellow color. They bloom during April to September. These are popular flowering tree varieties of Goa. If you live in Goa, then you can often find women selling bunches of these wonderfully fragrant flowers at the Mandovi bridge in Panjim.

parijat

Parijat
Scientific name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

Another favorite is Parijat, even though the tree is a bit scruffy, the flowers are glorious with a heady scent. These flowers are aesthetically very pleasing with a white head and an orange stem. These flowers always drop at night, so early morning, one is welcomed by a carpet of white & orange blossoms on the ground with a heavenly smell. I have fond childhood memories of making my way to this tree each morning during flowering season and collecting as many as I could and then fixing the flowers into each other to make flower ornaments. I also remember grinding them for their orange color :)

franjipani/ champa

Champa tree

Champa
Scientific name: Plumeria Rubra L.

Champa or Frangipani, comes in various whites and pink color. We had a big Champa tree just outside my family's house in Delhi. The tree flowered throughout the year, had white flowers with a yellow heart and a strong perfume. Ah, my memories of this tree and the flowers... They would play a role in all my pretend-plays, end up dried between books, stuck in collages and made into garlands. Champa is a favorite choice for landscape design, and simply transforms the any area with its beautiful form. It maybe a tad over-used at this point but if used correctly it still retains its magic!

kachnar/ apta

Kachnar/ Apta
Scientific name: Bauhinia purpurea

Bauhinia purpurea are available in white and pink color. These flowers bloom during October to January. We had a large purple-Kachnar tree that grew close to our house. It would flower profusely and was a sight to behold. Sometimes, my dad and I would go to the tree in the early morning to pick flowers that my grandmom would later cook the flower. Unfortunately, I do not remember the taste of the dish.

pongamia

Pongamia tree

Pongamia
Scientific name: Millettia pinnata

Pongamia is available in white color and it usually blooms during May to December. This was a large tree close to our house and I loved its flowers that had a beautiful scent. I found there clusters to be soft and romantic. But I remember that they would wilt really easily so whenever, I tried to bring them home, they would not last a long time.

bottlebrush

Bottle Brush
Scientific name: Melaleuca citrina (Curtis) Dum.Cours.

Bottle brush is red in color and it blooms during Febraury to May. We would find these trees in the district park close to our home in Delhi. I loved this flower as it was so unique, resembled a bottle brush and the possibilities of its use in pretend-play were infinite!

Inspired by the book ‘Tress of Delhi’, by author Pradip Krishen. Read the book here.