I was
more than surprised, today.
They
say prayers are very well heard but never acted upon by the deities.
The
simple fact is, those deities are impotent never omnipotent as it is
believed.
Come
to plant life, they are multi-potent, only if you care them with
respect and living space.
Long
before (I must say I did not have the premonition or the prediction
power) the inclement weather, I looked at the sky (cloud watching was
a pastime of mine) and saw the clouds turning in opposite direction
(this is what our yesteryear farmers did) and did a quick overall of
my rooftop garden expecting a rainy spell.
Five
plants (mostly not local) succumbed during the dry spell.
One
coffee plant, one cocoa plant (again foreign species thanks to
British), two Karapincha (Thailand) with full of aroma and one white
sandalwood plant perished.
I
always buy two specimens expecting this scenario.
If
both specimens die, I won't buy them again.
One
other reason is that the plant vendors in Ceylon in public auction only
sell the dormant or diseased plants (heavily spayed with chemicals,
to last the sale period).
Beware.
These
plants are for the shade of my water plants.
Even
finch would build nests, if I do not (masterly inactivity on my part,
let the weather takes it toll) visit them and let them go to
wilderness.
My
bio-indicator of the dry spell is the pipal or the Bo trees picked up
from crow droppings.
They start drooping their leaves, and the roots go in search for scarce water.
Apart
from my cascading arrangement of water plants other arrangement of
the small piloted plot is, on one end there is simulated wet zone and on the
other end there is dry zone.
The
pipal plants occupy the dry zone.
In
the beginning without any agricultural or academic training (I am a
simple biologist) I started it as a simple roof top laboratory.
I
drop a stem of pineapple or a pipal tree growing in any gutter in the
Kandy city in between pots of water plants.
To
see how they stand the awful weather without watering but sparingly
water them if I feel they are in their "end of the tether".
From
plant experimenter to a plant lover I have graduated in 15 years.
I
must say, I have no financial interests and abhor selling plants.
The
simple love for caring for them.
Now
the caring for them comes not from me.
The
tiny honey wild bee is the number one.
The
dragon flies invest their genetic pool amongst the water plants.
The
butterflies are plenty.
Except
for ladybirds (haven't seen them for four decades).
I
have a water plant which very rarely display (may be three years ago)
its beautiful flower.
I
found it a rightful place and today it had a single flower.
That
excitement was pitched up by a single red dragon fly on the dried up
sandalwood tree (which was transferred to the wet zone recently and is
beginning to sprout young shoots).
I
decided to take some pictures.
There
were three water lilies with flowers.
Mind
you, I never wished for any of these to happen.
The
plants sensed and coordinated their activities to interact with
simple wild beings which we call insects and spray Baygon on them.
Who
needs gods or deities to entertain?
Mind
you I hate people who pluck flowers and lay on altars (for not seen
or NOT to be seen gods) as offers for gods.
The
gods have contributed nothing to their well being!
Interestingly there is a cake shop called "Divine" in the Kandy City.
I have decided never to go there!
