VEGETATION IS OUR LIFE BLOOD

ABC Wednesday               Outdoor clicks of the afternoon

V is for Verdure /Vegetation

In my state, Punjab, though autumn and winter are overlapping, yet environment is buzzing with the green spread of the flora of a different kind. if you happen to drive on the highway, it is a treat to watch, mustard fields spread over large areas, with the golden yellow flowers beckoning you. Believe me; they look like bright and shining trinkets swinging in the breezily warm sunlight.

 Flowering Mustard fields courtesy Google

carrots growing in the field courtesy Google

‘Sag’ prepared from Mustard greens is a favorite vegetable of Punjabis, in winters. We cook the greens along with spinach in a pressure cooker. After it is cooked, we season it with ‘Tadka’ of chopped onions, finely chopped garlic cloves and ginger juliennes.   It is the ultimate in gastronomic pleasure, if you eat it hot with freshly baked makki- di( maize) roti  with a dollop of butter.

Dark green leaves of fleshy radishes, light green of the carrots, cauliflower and green peas' fields dot the highway on both sides. These handpicked vegetables peek in availability, in winters.

Among the flowers, chrysanthemums and marigolds adorn the open spaces, around lawns in residences and commercial establishments. Every year, chrysanthemums shows are held very successfully in Chandigarh.

Ashoka trees in our neighborhood,  the sun behind the trees in the afternoon.

On a philosophical level, nature resonates with human destiny. The cyclic calendar of nature corresponds to the upheavals and  joyful moments, which alternate often in human lives. Nature is a metaphor for hope, beauty, tranquility and purity.

Cauliflower plantation,courtesy Google

My afternoon click

The presence of vegetation around us is our lifeblood. One shudders to imagine the barrenness of life minus lush greens. Without the all-embracing flora, our recurring mental trials and tribulations would have no outlet for rejuvenation and restoration of our spirit.

How lucky, to be endowed with the blissful entities of all kinds of trees, bushes, plants, flowers and grassy meadows!

Friends, welcome here as always!

                                                            Moving outdoor