Cannon ball

Another exquisite cannon ball tree sighting.

 

Chennai Garden - August 2013

 

 

 

Golconda Fort in Hyderabad

 

Beautiful landscaped gardens

Husain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad

Kaikondrahalli Lake

One sunday morning in August we headed out to the Kaikondrahalli lake in Sarjapur. It turned out to be a really well maintained lake - there was a nice walking path built around it that we walked/jogged along. The views were splendid - of the water, the many birds, the high rises around. It seemed like much of the local community had come out for their morning walk as well.

 

 

I read later about the restoration of Kaikondrahalli and thought it to be a great example of how citizens can make a difference. Apparently the lake was restored a year or two back by the efforts of some local citizens, joining hands with the associations of the nearby high rise apartments and the local village community and the BBMP (city council). The restoration was done in a ecologically and socially sustainable manner, enabling many different bird species to inhabit the area around the lake, planting over 1000 trees, allowing the local villagers to wash their cattle in certain areas and having an area marked out for the children of a local government school to use as a playground.

 

 

 

Lalbagh Independance day flower show

 

It was that time of the year again - Aug and Jan, the Lalbagh Gardens puts up a display of flowers to celebrate independence and republic day.

This year the central decoration was a floral boat.

 

Here are some of the roses that caught my attention.

 

The beautiful coxcomb

 

The living wall

 

Produce from 'Garden City farmers'

Chennai garden - July 2013

Every time I go home, I find something interesting in the garden. This time, aside from the usual lovely butterflies, there was this little mango sapling that had come out of a seed that my mother had sown after eating off the fruit.

Chennai Marathon

some interesting sights while in Chennai for the marathon/10K

Indian Laburnum in full bloom on the way to the Leela to collect the bibs

 

View of the Adyar Poonga from the bridge across to karpagam avenue

 

Neem tree buds on the morning of the run

 

 

The run itself...

 

 

 

This tiny flower, no larger than my thumbnail, had dropped off a tree and almost formed a carpet along the sidewalk. I tried digging through 'flowers of india' to identify the flower/ tree but in vain; if you know what it is , please do leave a comment.

Update - thank you College Gardener! it is most likely the wrightia tinctoria.

 

 

Garlands being sold on adyar bridge