Remember flowers from the backyard?
by iniyaal
Hybrid Roses, Hydrangeas, Plumeria, etc are the must haves for any flower lover’s garden today.
About 15 years back, not many of us knew the names of these exotic variety of flowers. There were another host of flowers then, which were synonymous with daily life.
Come, let us take a walk together looking out for the much loved flowers that have been growing in our gardens…, from as long as we can remember 
“Kanakambaram” flowers..Commonly known as Priyadarsha in hindi. These flowers do not have a fragrance, but their bright colours made them the top contender for decorating long slender hairstyles.
In terms of frgarance, nothing can beat the “malli” or Jasmine flower pandals… Many houses have jasmine flower shrubs next to the fence or the boundary wall… the long slender stems crawl up a supporting pandal or wall, and are soon covered with dew drop like flowers. Their fragrance during the night is heavenly
“Arali” or Nerium flowers are the next… they come in pale pink or pure white colors. Long leaves and tall shrubs are characteristic of these flowers. They are widely used for pooja and temple worships.
“Shenbagam” or Golden Champa (Michelia Champaca) flowers… Their fragrance is striking and is even known to attract snakes (though not sure if snakes have noses or can smell.. I guess it is another old grandmothers tale). Yellow champa trees are more common than the rarely found white champa.
There are many more to this list. Evenings were spent in hand picking these flowers, stringing them together, and then storing them away wrapped in a damp cloth. As kids we used to look forward to decorating long plated hair styles with these stringed flower garlands
Lets hope these flowers continue to be grown in our backyards, to bring joy and dreams.
oh..i so remember them..we used to make mullappu mala every morning and proudly wear them to schools
out of fashion now
i miss the jasmine stringing sessions and the lovely fragrances associated with my evenings at home
..lovely post S
very beautiful indeed!
Lovely flowers and lovely post. Yes, these flowers are an integral part of many Indian households and they continue to be. The best part is the renowned interest the new generation is showing in the finer arts of gardening, farming, landscaping and more.
These beauties are here to stay. Lets not make them hybrid varieties and kill the original delicate and fragrant species.
Beautiful post i love it
I adore the fragrance of the night blooming jasmine.
Your flowers are so exotic to me ! We do have jasmin flowers, yellow ones and they bloom in February/March already if Winter is not too cold.
Love your backyard and pictures.
I have been a lurker (recongized you when you visited A fleeting glimpse
.) Thanks for visiting!
I remember slow evenings filled with the scent of jasmine and time set aside for the women and girls to just chat and smile. Quiet times, but so poignant now, looking back.
Malli is my favvv recollecting my childhood days