Praise, Pampering and some work

Last weekend (27th and 28th) was quite exciting at the garden. On Saturday I watered all the plants till Amruta came. Then we both were taking a round, planning what to do when Smita came and Ashish too. We were disappointed to see that half of the banana flower had been chopped off !

Then we cleaned up half of the pomegranate patch. While cleaning this patch, we removed all dried twigs and leaves and discovered lovely Aloe Vera plants. Some were still rooted but some others were just lying on the ground. God knows how they survived. So we took the Aloe Vera plants lying on the ground to our homes to replant them and cleared up the area around the rooted plants and watered them.

We also trimmed two branches of the putranjay tree that were blocking the pomegranate tree. That was quite an activity ! Smita and I were scared to climb up the ladder since it was shaking a bit. Ashish seemed quite OK with it though. So naturally the task fell upon him. Ashish had a sore right arm once he was done. We also removed a dead branch of the pomegranate tree…it was completely hollow inside…totally damaged by the ants :(

But, the good part is that we saw 5 baby pomegranates and 5 flowers too. The next Saturday we will tie cloths around the fruits so that birds don’t peck at them and spoil them.

There’s something about the machete ! The day we bought it, Ashish went crazy with it. The next day Saurabh had a great time trimming the Ashok trees. Whosoever lays hands on it refuses to part with it on that day ! You hold it in your hands and you get a strong urge to chop something ! Quite dangerous, I say !

Sunday was spent being pampered a lot and doing a little work :) Mama, Mami and Manavendra had come to Aanandi the previous evening to take a look at Aanandi and arrange for some things that we needed. So as I started work on Sunday morning, Mami called out to me saying, tea could soon be ready ! I watered the plants for a while when Smita came and almost immediately Mami called out that tea was ready. So off we went upstairs for tea and some fresh khari and loads for chit-chat. Soon Vikrant came and joined us.

A little while later we descended with Mama to show him all that we had done so far and what was required to be done yet for which we needed his intervention. Manu joined us too. While we were surveying the garden, Arunkaka (a relative who is into the construction business) joined us. An important decision was taken to build a wire mesh compound along the road-side wall and also the canal-side wall of the bungalow. This will prevent people from throwing waste into our premises. Presently passers-by use our garden as their personal dumping ground !

We discussed plans for the coming weeks and general long term ideas too. This Sunday we call the truck to take away the rubble. Then the next week we apply for permission to the PMC for trimming the Ashok trees. Simultaneously we keep watering the plants and making the ground soft so that we can gently remove the Indian Cork tree and Ashok saplings to give them away to the Garden department of the PMC.

Then as Mama and Arunkaka went upstairs for some other discussions, Manu, Ashish (who had come by then), Vikrant, Smita and I started work. Manu took up the responsibility of watering all the plants and trees. The rest of us got to work cleaning up the remainder of the pomegranate patch. Vikrant, Ashish and Manu removed the dead guava tree (again with the machete!)

We took the help of two labourers (Arunkaka’s assistants who had come along) to remove old and heavy rusty wire-mesh. They also cleaned up the Ashok passage and made a pile of the dried yellow leaves (a futile exercise, in my opinion, since the very next moment new leaves fell in that passage !). They promptly started to fly off with the wind. So, just as promptly, I made a bonfire and burnt them down. Funny thing is, I didn’t realise that it was Holi on that day ! :)

A little while later we decided to call it a day. We went upstairs to wash up and found out that the key to the terrace was found with one of the labourers ! And Ashish, Smita, Amruta and I had struggled for about three quarters of an hour on one day to open that door ! Naturally we all felt we had to go to the terrace and see it…and was I glad we did ! The view of the garden from the terrace is beautiful. We saw the dark pink seeds of the kadipatta tree, a lot of ramphals and chikoos on the tree waiting to be plucked and the extent to which the Ashok trees needed to be trimmed.

As we descended, Mami again called us for some chow time…it was hot patties and tea this time :) Thus after much praise and pampering and some work (just enough to prevent guilt), we left for the day feeling very pleased !