The Royal Poinciana (Delonix regia) is an ornamental tree which grows up to 30 to 40ft in height. In India, it is widely known as the Gulmohar tree which means “peacock flower” due to its abundant color. Continue reading
Kerala
Pomegranate (Punica granatum)
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a deciduous shrub which is a fruit bearing plant. The flowers may be solitary or grouped in twos and threes at the ends of the branches. The pomegranate juice can range from very sweet and sour, but most fruits are moderate in taste.
Periyar Experiences: February 27, 2012
We met Mr.Steve from England who stayed at Cardamom County from 26th Feb to 28th Feb. He kindly shared his experiences with us. He sighted herds of elephants, a niligiri langur, and also went to see the Kathakali program.
A Dry Periyar
Kerala is dry. The places I’m used to seeing so green and vibrant that they practically drip are now dry, brown and crackly. What are normally torrential waterfalls are reduced to sunbaked rock faces. Clouds occasionally float through the sky, mostly in early morning, but they haven’t shed tears throughout the season. The native plants are geared to survive this climate, as the year seesaws between dryness and enormous moisture. In the forest, untold thousands of dead leaves cover the ground, crackling with glee as trekkers pass under the trees. Continue reading
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima)
Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) is an ornamental shrub which grows up to heights of 10 to 16 ft. The plant’s attractive red colouring is actually the leaf shaped bracts. The flowers themselves are the tiny yellow bunches at the base of leaf structures. Continue reading
Gavi Sightings: February 25, 2012
I happened to meet Mr.Madhu Menon who is a Director of ANALA (Ahmedabad Nature Lover’s Association) when he came to Cardamom County for a property visit on the 25th of Feb. He happily shared his nature loving photos with us.
Gavi Sightings: February 23, 2012
Here we are sharing the photos of Mr. Jonathan, who recently stayed at Cardamom County. He visited the Gavi Ecotourism destination and experienced the wilderness through trekking, bamboo rafting, and a nature walk.
Blood Flower (Asclepias curassavica)
The Blood Flower (Asclepias curassavica) is one of the food plants for the many butterflies which can be seen in and around the Western Ghats. In our butterfly garden it attracts the Plain Tiger butterfly and bees, among other nectar feeding insects. Continue reading
Periyar Sightings: February 21, 2012
This afternoon I went to the main entrance of the Periyar Tiger Reserve to assist one of our groups staying at Cardamom County. We had the good fortune to see a herd of elephants along with baby at a very close distance to the main entrance. Our group members got very excited and took many photographs. Continue reading
Swimming Elephants
We happened to meet Mr. Senthil – a planter who regularly assists the Forestry Department, who is also a frequent customer at Cardamom County. He shared one of his rare videos taken near the southern region of the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Indian Coral Tree ( Erythrina Indica)
Two days ago, when I went for a morning walk in the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the spectacular show of bright crimson flowers attracted my eyes and forced me to stop and take photos. Due to the change of seasons, the trees are shedding their leaves and putting their energy into blooming flowers–and the results are fabulously picturesque.
Motherly Love
The dangers of coming between a mother and her child are well known. Bears are infamous for their maternal aggression. Lionesses delegate to other lionesses their maternal duties in order to hunt, but if anything gets too close, it’s “out with their bowels”! What about herbivores? Continue reading
Gavi Sightings
Bison – The Indian Gaur grazing in the forest
Here we share some of the snapshots by Ms. Prianna, who took a trip to GAVI- a wildlife sanctuary, while staying with Cardamom County.
Tigerkill
People come to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in hopes of seeing tigers. Few do, but with a dwindling population and excursions limited to the fringes of the reserve, it’s no surprise. However, the tigers that do venture on the edges of the forest, mere kilometers away from Thekkady, leave ample evidence of their lifestyle. Paw prints are a common sight, and less frequently, carcasses of their prey. Simply being in their habitat is an experience worth having. (Warning: slightly graphic images below) Continue reading
Forest Adventures
Here we are sharing the rare collections of Mr.Kannan (a senior forest watcher), a person who is particularly adventurous and due to his fortunate job is able to stay deep inside the forests to study and share the habits of wild animals. Continue reading
Cardamom Plantations
Kerala’s hill districts are a historical hub of trade and culture – George discussed a bit of that history in his previous post. But spice plantations, which are one of the region’s main economic assets, are not very similar to most people’s view of agriculture. Enormous flat fields of rigidly regimented plants are not a common sight here (except for rice paddies), and spice plantations are quite different from this doctrine. Continue reading
Flowers in Kerala
I’ve posted about flowers in Kerala before, with no knowledge of their names or properties. Salim has covered many flowering plant species in his posts, providing scientific, cultural, and historical insights for each species. My aim is not to educate, but to encourage further interest via art. Continue reading
Periyar Sightings: February 12, 2012
These are some of the pictures taken by Ms. Laila, who stayed with us at Cardamom County, from her excursion at Periyar Lake Tiger Reserve. Continue reading
Monitor Lizard
Photos By Kannan
The Monitor Lizard is a carnivorous reptile with a diet of eggs, smaller reptiles, nestling birds, grasshopper and the like. Some species of monitor lizard also eat fruit and vegetation depending on where they live. Continue reading
Periyar Sightings: February 2, 2012
We are sharing some of the snapshots taken by Mr.Whiteley, who is staying at Cardamom County from 2nd of Feb-2012 onwards, from Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Organikos 
