Blue jacamandu

Singer Taradevi's melodious voice has come down from the sky and started shaking the earth again. The folk tunes of "Chait Jando, Baisakh-like sun sir salko paat palayo" have started echoing in the ears. The movement of young people has started to increase by mentioning the Haribhakta Katwal saying, "Chait is blooming everywhere in the forest, without knowing it, bamboo is blooming in the heart". "The forest will blossom, the heart will bloom" and red roses have started to cover the mountains.

Fire has started to bloom in the forests of Terai-Madhes. To welcome the new year, a typical sunakhari (Dendrovium ephyllum) has started to bloom in full bloom on the shoulder of the haram tree in Lahan's Sahlesh flower garden. Sahlesh flower garden has welcomed the throngs of thousands of visitors who came to see the sunakhari, which blooms every year on Baisakh 1, carrying the story of a lover waiting for King Sahlesh. At this time, I would like to remember the great poet Lakshmi Prasad Devkota, who explained the importance of flowers and life to children - don't press

, look at the bud It would be a sin not to choose

.

is not to tear flower naani

Mercy and religion run away.

Another group of people go to Flower Choki Mai in Kathmandu Valley to mark the New Year in flowers and there the hills of Kathmandu Valley start to be colored in red. Also, this Chait-Vaisakh is the time when Mechi-Mahakali is colored in red. The best shade of Laliguras can be seen in Tinjure-Milke-Jaljale forest. That area is considered to be the capital of Laliguras. Such a forest is not found elsewhere.

Another supernatural vision of Laliguras is realized during the journey of Ghodepani-Punhil on the Pokhara-Jomsom road. Describing the sight of red flowers blooming on Dhavalagiri across the horizon is not enough. Considering the popularity of Laliguras, this flower has been considered as the 'National Flower' since 2019. The scientific name of this plant is 'Rhododendron arboreum'. There are more than 700 species in the genus Rhododendron in the world. The tallest tree among them is Laliguras. It grows up to 8 or 10 meters tall. However, not all trees bloom with red flowers. The beauty of nature is amazing. Its color starts to fade as it ascends towards the higher elevations of the hills and even blossoms into a completely white color at higher elevations. Whether it is the Shivpuri-Wagdwar area of ​​Kathmandu or the north and west, the trees with red flowers are also light pink. And, in the higher areas, the white flowering gourd is found.

In the eyes of science, they all belong to the same species. There are 32 different types of gourd species in the hilly and mountainous regions of Nepal - some are only one nest high, some grow in small bushes, some plants grow up on the shoulders of other trees and some spread throughout the forest as a tree! The presence of Gurans species is limited to 28 species in Koshi region, 10 species in Gandaki region and only five species in Karnali and Mahakali region. Among our 32 species of gurans, 23 species of gurans bloom around this Chait-Vaisakh. Nepali gorans bloom in white, yellow orange, red and purple colors. Most of these species have succeeded in flourishing in European botanical gardens. Their presence in Nepalese gardens and gardens is mostly nil. It should be accepted as a sign that the nation's investment and diligence towards science and technology related to plant development is not enough.

In the gardens and parks of Kathmandu, instead of red roses, 'Azelima' blooms. Although this member of the Gurans family is native to the central region of China and Yunnan, it is popular throughout Europe, America, and Asia. Even though it is a small plant, during the dry season of Chait-Vaisakh, the whole plant is covered with red pink or white flowers. Their beauty is short-lived. As a long-lived flower, Raithane Bogen Milia from Brazil has become very popular today.

photo: Rasas

is especially decorated in red and purple or violet colors, but this plant is also available in white or yellow colors. Three petals are arranged colorfully to protect three small flowers. They do not dry, they do not fade. Those colorful letters are like paper flowers. The Newari gardener called the flower 'Bhonswaan' i.e. paper flower and the Nepalese gardeners called it 'Wagon Belly'. Because this plant grows in waves like a belly.

In palaces, hotels, resorts, restaurants and various institutions in Kathmandu Valley, the practice of planting flowers and decorating gardens has started to increase. The practice of planting saplings has also increased on roads and paths. If we look at the genealogy of those flowers, those plants and those trees, 98 percent of them are foreign visitors. Pools bloom in spring in Kathmandu, Mexico and Brazil. On our path now the Australian tree Silver Oak is blooming with golden yellow kangio flowers. Its sister, the Jacaranda of Brazil, has begun to bloom in blue. In a few days 'Kathmandu' will take the blue form of 'Jakamandu'. The gardeners of the palace gave the name 'Chakhuncha Swaan' which means 'Bhangeri flower' to this plant Jacaranda, the writer Parijat has changed its name to 'Shirishko Phool'.

In the past few years, the yellow trumpet flower, which flourishes in the islands around the Caribbean Sea, has been growing in the streets of Kathmandu. After starting to bloom from Dasain-Tihar, this tree does not get tired even till Chait-Vaisakh. In this competition, we have started to call another Brazilian plant that blooms for several months as a native flower. Because other flowers are rare during the Swasthani fast of the month of Magha, but its abundance is sporadic. The flowers are clustered in clusters of yellow or red in the shape of small baskets. Walls, gardens and gardens are decorated not only in Pus-Magh, but also in Fagun-Chait. Today, the traditional Sayapatri that makes our festival colorful is available in the markets and also in the garden for twelve months. Native to Mexico, this flower has become universal. Sayapatri is not only used in worship, respect, festivals and receptions, but also in the final farewell. Happy centenarian!

Among the most common flowers found in our homes, yards and gardens are petunias that bloom in the shape of a small bugle, 'Snap Dragon', the frog-shaped frog 'Snap Dragon', 'Antirrhinum' and 'Lark Spur' in the shape of a sparrow's tail, 'Bhai Varnum', a carpet flower that clings to the ground, and The elaborate colors and forms of flowers such as 'carnation' adorning the curly petals cannot be described in words. Nepali florists have to make special efforts to increase the technical capacity of producing such advanced forms and colors of flowers, otherwise our money will not be reduced every year on foreign seeds and berries.

Two types of 'Mesembryamthemum', which rise with the sun and set with the sun, are becoming popular in the current climate. The 'liming stone daisy', which covers the ground as if clinging to the ground, and the 'trailing in ice', which blooms quickly on a small stem, are very attractive. The red, yellow, orange, pink, and purple flowered plants that grow into small, sunflower-shaped spikes come from South Africa. Nepal also welcomes him. Among our old guest flowers from European countries, 'Pansy' is very attractive. The petals look like butterfly wings and their beauty can only be rivaled by butterflies. Earlier gardeners called this flower 'Bhaucha Swaan' meaning cat flower. Panji is amazing, reminding the face of a cat with eyes wide open. Today, many people's gardens are full of marigolds. Four or five flowers are decorated on the stem that rises from the stalk like a big onion. When Tundikhel listens to the speech on the open platform, this flower blooms in the shape of a tree attached to a pole. The maximum flower blooms in dark red color. It is not that there is no white color, but the desire for red is naturally more. This flower is the Raithane of the South American state of Peru, from where the world was blessed with the potato crop.

We cannot imagine a garden without roses. There are thousands of varieties of roses available in the world market. In Arabic, "Gul" means flower and "Aaw" means water. We also use rose water, for fragrance. Not only fragrant, roses in various attractive forms and colors adorn our gardens. Our Raithane rose blooms only in the forest. Fragrant white flowers bloom on the thorny thorn known as buffalo thorn in the village. Its musk lust is very mellow. In English she is called 'Musk Rose'. In scientific terminology it is 'Rosa Musketa'. I am waiting to see if someone will find this musk in various forest areas of the valley including Shivpuri and grow it in the garden. Lilies from all over Europe and America can be seen when visiting the many lily gardens. Our Nepalese lily, which scientists call 'Lilium nepalense', is nowhere to be seen. The 6 leaves of this flower, which turn to the ground, are light yellow and the chocolate color of this flower is very attractive.

Lotus trees are found in various palaces of the Rana period, including the Singha Durbar in Kathmandu. A large, white lotus can be seen perched on a branch covered with smooth and thick broad leaves. This 'Magnolia', brought into Nepal from the south-eastern region of America, is very beautiful in our gardens. Our Raithane Nepali Magnolia is found in the forests of Koshi region under the name of Ghoge Champ. When the leaves of the tree have all fallen, the white flowers in a conch shape bloom all over the branches. 8 types of magnolias bloom in our forests. It is known by various local names such as Champ, Sunchamp, Van Kamal, Bhalukath etc., but there is no attempt to introduce it into our gardens.

Photo: Rasas

The botanical splendor of Nepal has more than 6,500 flowering plants recorded. Among them, the description of 65 beautiful Nepalese plants has been published by the Floriculture Association of Nepal in collaboration with the Department of Botany in 2074. Botanical experts Kuwerjung Mall, Deepak Lamichhane, Dronraj Kafle, Dr. This effort of Umed Pun and Dilip Wade should be able to bloom in gardens and parks, otherwise it will only bloom in the forests of Nepal.

The colorful spring has started to spread. The flowers blooming in the gardens, gardens, parks, gardens, big buildings and palace areas of our urban areas are visible to the world, but Nepal does not appear. Nepalis should not hesitate to take interest and worry about the floral poverty of this nation, which is endowed with 2.2 percent of the world's flowering plants.

The establishment history of the National Botanical Garden is more than 60 years old. Is the investment and diligence consistent with the establishment or not? It's time to dance. There is a rush of flowers and nurseries. Thousands of flowers bloom there, but do not bloom in the forest. It seems that it blooms every year in Nepal in spring, but only in the forest. In the market and in the garden, it blooms in Brazil, it blooms in Mexico. They bloom in America, Europe, Australia and China and Japan too, but they do not bloom in Nepal, the Himalayas do not bloom. Now we wish to make Nepal bloom in the garden as well - for the decade of 2081-090.

(the author is a botanist)