Flower Gardens of Nainital in July, Kumaon Himalaya Photo Journal

Nainital is a flower lover’s delight in summer.

Nainital is a flower lover’s delight in summer. I saw a Kumaoni woman walk uphill with a green stem held carefully in her hand, despite her heavy shopping bag laden with vegetables. Wondering if it was a special vegetable, I took a break from following the blue magpie that was eyeing my apple and asked the smiling woman about the stem. She wasn’t the least bit tired despite walking uphill with a heavy load. Its a begonia cutting she said, and went on to explain that spring, summer and rains was the time for flowers in Nainital, and most of the flowers like fuschia, hydrangea and begonia do not grow in the plains of India.

The Uttarakhand High Court, Boat Club, Naina Devi temple, parks around Mall Road, Gurney House and The Naini Retreat Hotel were some of the places I found these flowers growing. 

Hydrangea bushes with blue and pink flowers were almost everywhere. The High Court’s sloping garden is where I spotted them first. Hydrangeas, geraniums, dahlias, lilies, roses, margaritas, fuschias, marigold, snapdragons, cosmos, hibiscus and begonias are the ones that I recognized.

Hydrangea

Hydrangea, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat , Kumaon Himalaya

Pink Hydrangea in a pot

Potted Hydrangea, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Glorious Fuschia!

Fuschia, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Potted fuschia, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Fuschia flower, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

This is the first time I have seen fuschias. Remember them from photographs of humming birds sipping nectar from them and a book Chinese painting style. I found three colour combinations of fuschia in Nainital.

Bulbs, corms and tubers

Bulbs and tubers, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Bulbs and tubers, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Blue lilies, Bulbs and tubers, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Himalayan lily, Bulbs and tubers, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Day Lily / Leopard Lily

Day lily or Leopard Lily, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Dahlia

Dahlia, Bulbs and tubers, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Begonia

Begonia, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Begonia is a genus in the flowering plant family Begoniaceae and is a perennial. Begonia is the common name as well as the generic name for all members of the genus. With over 1,500 species, Begonia is one of the ten largest angiosperm genera.

Amazed by the display of Begonias in Rani Pilibhit’s private garden at The Naini Retreat

In Rani pilibhit garden

Begonia, Flora of Nainital, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

Jimmy Joshi: Gardener at The Naini Retreat and The Boat Club in Nainital

Jimmy Joshi gardener, The Naini Retreat, Kumaon Himalaya

The magi maker – Jimmy Joshi, the gardener, inspecting his flowers.

Roses

Flora of Nainital

Margarita

Margarita, flower garden in Nainital, North India

Ivy creeper

Ivy creeper in a garden at Nainital

Aalu bel climber

Aalu bel climber in a garden in Nainital

Jafri Marigold and Snapdragons / Dogflower

marigold and Sanpdragon in a garden in Nainital

And now for those whose names I do not know

Garden Flora in Nainital, Kumaon Himalaya

Garden Flora in Nainital, Kumaon Himalaya

Garden Flora in Nainital, Kumaon Himalaya

Garden Flora in Nainital, Kumaon Himalaya

Garden Flora in Nainital, Kumaon Himalaya

A rooftop garden in a home on Aryapatta slopes, Nainital

A rooftop garden in a home on Aryapatta slopes, Nainital

This humble rooftop garden has pots of chrysanthemums, red geraniums and hydrangea in bloom.

A monsoon kitchen garden on Aryapatta hillside, Nainital

A monsoon kitchen garden on Aryapatta hillside, Nainital

Cabbages are ready to be picked!

A South Indian Uruli style flower arrangement at The Naini Retreat using margaritas, roses and geranium leaves

A South Indian Uruli style flower arrangement at The Naini Retreat using margaritas, roses and geranium leaves

Anisha
Views: 55171



blog comments powered by Disqus



Vrindavan celebrates the season of love