Attenborough moments in life

One of the perks of having a garden is the occasional experience of 'David Attenborough moments.' Yesterday, I watched a BBC video about a leaf-rolling caterpillar in the Amazon rainforest. It neatly semi-cuts a leaf and rolls it into a tent using silk hinges. Attenborough describes the marvel that is a caterpillar.

I've seen a caterpillar roll a leaf before. Remember the banana plant leaf roller? When I unrolled the leaf to take a closer look, the caterpillar quickly moved and re-rolled itself. It seemed to dislike being exposed.

This time, there's another leaf roller but on the hibiscus plant. It is called the Haritalodes derogata moth. I had a real 'Attenborough moment' while watching a wasp try to capture the caterpillar. The clever caterpillar dropped to another leaf to hide, while the wasp searched the ground and eventually left. You can spot the caterpillar falling halfway through the video.

It is extremely challenging to eradicate these caterpillars. Even the wasp had difficulty capturing it.

Any insecticide that is sprayed falls on the leaf, not on the caterpillar. Therefore, the best way to eliminate them is to manually remove the leaves. This deprives them of the nutrition the leaves provide. Spraying the leaves with pongam+ neem oil after removing the rolled leaves keeps the larva at bay.

The Petrea Photobomb

Spring has been lazy this year. It is mid-Feb, and the mornings are still cool, and it wants you to stay tucked in bed. The birds are awake, though. The nearby Raintree chirps with parakeets that devour the sweet fruit. A construction site in the back lane starts work at six, disturbing the morning peace. I drag myself out of bed, make some coffee and walk into the garden. The dry leaves from Pongamia and mast trees rustle with the cool breeze. The dust from the construction site has coated the leaves a dull brown. No matter how much water I spray and wipe, the dust comes back with a vengeance. It is one of those days I wish it would rain.

The Petrea Volubilis branch with numerous buds caught my attention. It blooms a couple of times in a year, and it colours the garden with its plush violet blooms for a fortnight. I am thrilled that there is something to look forward to for the next couple of days.

The flowers appear on a racemose spike. They are two-layered. The outer bracts (five of them) are purple coloured soft when they bloom and develop a papery texture as they mature. They change colour from purple to light green, finally to golden, and the seeds are mature by this stage. The bracts dislodge themselves and float in the air to reach the ground. They twirl as they fly and therefore are called the helicopter flowers.

When in full bloom, the 20-30 com long racemose looks like a horse's tail and is consequently called Kudire Bala, Horse Tail in Kannada. The racemose can be bent and shaped into a loop, hence the popular name, Purple Wreath. Inside the bract is the dark purple flower. The bracts protect the flower and also help in attracting pollinators. The leaves are rough to touch, like sandpaper. This and Parijatha( Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Coral jasmine, Night-flowering jasmine) are two plants I have with this type of leaves.

I wanted to photograph as much as pollinators for record-keeping. During one of those moments, I saw a Mormon butterfly flitting above the flowers for a long time. I took my phone out to capture it, and a sunbird from the nearby bird-bath flew in and drove the butterfly away. It felt like a nice photobomb. I stood still, holding the camera carefully and clicking the camera button. The bird and I were surprised to see each other, and the sunbird took off without a pause.

The flower also attracts various bees; the stingless, blue-banded, and carpenter bees are some I noticed. The flowers fall away late in the evening, creating a purple carpet.

The rough and unruly vine climbs up quickly. Though it might look tough it is one of the easiest plants to grow. Planting the bracts in soil and keeping it moist will help the seed to germinate. You will also find saplings in nearby pots and on the ground if the bracts find a fertile place. Below, you can see the sapling growing from the bract!

Here is a Garden art that I created with the flowers.

Hoya Australis

Every spring the Hoya Australis flowers bloom and fill the garden with fragrance. This bunch called umbels has 20-30 pentagonal shaped buds.The bloomed flowers look like stars and have a colourful centre. They attract a variety of butterflies and pollinators. The petals have a waxy texture. When they wilt they close back to the same pentagonal shape and then wither.

Hoya roots

I have two plants in the garden and one of them started wilting last rainy season. I thought the best way to save it was to trim and replant it.But then I thought why not try propagate in water! For three months I kept it in a place with low light to make sure it roots. Once the roots appeared I moved it to a place with indirect sunlight. This month, the leaves appeared. Moving it to soil is now a difficult task for it is a long drawn process. I fear if the roots have a soil shock I will kill the plant. So I plan to see how far I can grow it in indoors in water. Do you think it will flower?

The buds a day before blooming.

Here is an art that I made using the buds after they have withered. The long beans seeds form the necklace chain. You like it?