Brr...it's co--ld...makes me wonder if this is global cooling!! My friend, Guttappajja (Grandpa Guttappa) would have predicted a good monsoon for the coming season. You know, according to local wisdom, if the winter is co---ld, the following monsoon will be heav---y. Mild winter = low rainfall.
The weather used to be Guttappajja's favourite topic. Not surprising, because, he was a farm hand.. and, the weather was THE deciding factor for all his works. When I knew him, Guttappajja had retired from active farm work. He would spend his mornings idling here and there. Some times, around mid-morning, he would drop in and do some gardening works at his discretion - pulling out weeds, loosening the soil around plants, providing supports to weak plants,...
After about half an hour, he would call me and that would be my cue - to provide some breakfast and tea/ buttermilk. The first time, I had offered him money for his work, and, he had refused...he had even snubbed me! Obviously, I had offended him. After that, we never talked about money.
While eating, Guttappajja would talk to me - about the weather, gardening tips, town gossip, his family,... Having spent a life time as a farm hand, he knew everything about growing plants - such a BIG help for a novice like me, especially with the kitchen garden (must share those simple, organic tips some time). After eating, Guttappajja would abruptly leave..to smoke a beedi perhaps, and I wouldn't see him again that day!
Guttappajja had poor vision due to old age and if I realised that he was pulling out weeds, I would rush out and linger around...just to make sure that he wouldn't pull out the ornamental plants- he didn't care about them!
He would always chide me- 'No fruits, no flowers.. why do you want them!'
Well... a few years ago, Guttappajja passed away - peacefully, in his sleep. In fact, just 2 days before his death, he had loosened the soil around some of the plants here :(
Sometimes, just like that, I remember Guttappajja and his mostly one-sided conversations with me.
Last evening, I had noticed that the bamboo plants are in bloom. According to another bit of traditional wisdom, flowering of the bamboo implies drought. Must wait and watch... and form my own theory :)
Every time I see Guttappajja's college-going grand kids, I'm reminded of how he used to criticise his sons (farm hands) for 'wasting' money by sending their children to schools.
But, it is when I see vegetables like this in the garden that I think of him the most.
He wouldn't have allowed this to happen :(
The weather used to be Guttappajja's favourite topic. Not surprising, because, he was a farm hand.. and, the weather was THE deciding factor for all his works. When I knew him, Guttappajja had retired from active farm work. He would spend his mornings idling here and there. Some times, around mid-morning, he would drop in and do some gardening works at his discretion - pulling out weeds, loosening the soil around plants, providing supports to weak plants,...
After about half an hour, he would call me and that would be my cue - to provide some breakfast and tea/ buttermilk. The first time, I had offered him money for his work, and, he had refused...he had even snubbed me! Obviously, I had offended him. After that, we never talked about money.
While eating, Guttappajja would talk to me - about the weather, gardening tips, town gossip, his family,... Having spent a life time as a farm hand, he knew everything about growing plants - such a BIG help for a novice like me, especially with the kitchen garden (must share those simple, organic tips some time). After eating, Guttappajja would abruptly leave..to smoke a beedi perhaps, and I wouldn't see him again that day!
Guttappajja had poor vision due to old age and if I realised that he was pulling out weeds, I would rush out and linger around...just to make sure that he wouldn't pull out the ornamental plants- he didn't care about them!
He would always chide me- 'No fruits, no flowers.. why do you want them!'
Well... a few years ago, Guttappajja passed away - peacefully, in his sleep. In fact, just 2 days before his death, he had loosened the soil around some of the plants here :(
Sometimes, just like that, I remember Guttappajja and his mostly one-sided conversations with me.
Last evening, I had noticed that the bamboo plants are in bloom. According to another bit of traditional wisdom, flowering of the bamboo implies drought. Must wait and watch... and form my own theory :)
Every time I see Guttappajja's college-going grand kids, I'm reminded of how he used to criticise his sons (farm hands) for 'wasting' money by sending their children to schools.
But, it is when I see vegetables like this in the garden that I think of him the most.
He wouldn't have allowed this to happen :(
good one mam:):):)
ReplyDeleteYour homage to Guttappajja is really good.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that the traditional knowledge says when bamboo blooms drought comes. It is because the population of rodents goes up when the bamboo rice falls and spreads on the ground. These rodents eat all the available food material and lead to drought.
We, atleast I, look forward for your tips on organic farming that you have learnt from Guttappajja.
Thanks Madam for a good write-up.
Arun.
Thanks, Nanda Kishor & Arun sir.
ReplyDeleteThat's an interesting theory about rodents. Then, if the rodent population is controlled, we can control the shortage of food during drought?
I think, bamboo rice is 'drought-food' in some parts of the world.
Keen to know more about Guttappajja's gardening tips. I too prefer flowering plants to plants with merely ornamental leaves, though most commercial gardeners these days seem to focus on foliage.
ReplyDeleteFlowering of bamboo leads to dying and drying of bamboo groves, which, then, are easily combustible. Forest fires may occur and cause destruction (and for a forest dweller, shortage of food as well). Not sure if there is a connection between bamboo flowering and quantity of rainfall that season.
I read in the newspapers recently that in anticipation of forest fires after the flowering of bamboo, precautions are being taken at Nagarhole. Do all bamboo groves in a particular region flower simultaneously?
Sandhya, plants with colourful foliage like croton, duranta,.. are easy to maintain, give a shape,... you must agree, they look attractive :)
ReplyDeleteThis belief of drought when the bamboo flowers exists in N E India too..so, there must be something to it. After all, these theories are based on observations made through the ages.
Bamboo flowers once in 50-60 years and then, that clump dies. So, I guess it must be region-specific...not sure, though.
I'm interested in this contrasting combination this year...of chilly winter & bamboo flowers!!
Precautions against forest fire are taken every year, in all forest zones, just after winter. Usually, the dept. guards set fire to the fallen, dry leaves in a controlled manner, monitoring all the while...otherwise, a burning match/ cigarette thrown when the wind is blowing in the suitable direction can cause a forest fire!
Was there a drought that year???
ReplyDelete2011 had a mixed monsoon - neither heavy, nor mild.
Delete