This handsome hibiscus is both beautiful and useful.  Derived from the Greek work ebiskos or ibiskos,  it is native to most warm temperate, tropical and subtropical regions, and  exists in hundreds of varieties – some annual, others perennial, and in a tremendous number of colors, and is used for anything from hair dye to tea.

Here at Savista, hibiscus is used for landscaping and can be found lining our paths as well as the alfresco dining area. And to keep it continually pleasing to the eye,  this sun-loving plant needs to be pruned and  thus well taken care of, performing best in the hot months. In our garden you will find white, red and pink flowers,  which is really only a short list of the colors existing in nature; it is a most fascinating species, which has the ability to change color from white to red in the course of a single day.

One can find white, red, yellow, orange, purple and even pink hibiscus flowers with trumpet shaped flowers, single flowers or double flowers, all with at least 5 petals and maybe even heart shaped leaves. Of the hundreds of species of hibiscus, many will not take to Indian soil which is interesting because they are found throughout the country and are used for all types of beauty treatments, drinks and even ayurvedic medicine. Hibiscus is believed to cure coughs, stop hair from graying, and even stop hair from falling.  And despite this flowers inability to grow naturally, propagation is sustained primarily by cuttings.

In terms of usefulness,  the most obvious is landscaping for its aesthetic quality as well as its attractiveness to birds, bees and hummingbirds, making any garden instantly more beautiful. A second contribution of hibiscus is a unique flavor to tea, served either hot or cold depending on where you are in the world. In Jamaica, hibiscus tea is served with rum and with lime in Cambodia, turning it deep red.  As for edibility, dried hibiscus is considered to be a delicacy in Mexico; is made into jellies or preserves and another variety produces young fruit eaten as a vegetable, known as bhindi (Hindi), ladies fingers or okra. Many varieties of hibiscus are used as a natural diuretic, to treat venereal diseases, as a laxative, or as a source of Vitamin C. Studies have even shown that hibiscus can lower blood pressure.

The hibiscus also holds great cultural significance worldwide, particularly the red flower.  It is the national flower of South Korea and Malaysia.  Here in India, the red hibiscus is the flower of the mother goddess Kali. Kali is the goddess of change and time and images show the flower and goddess uniting. The same flowers are also used as an offering to Ganesha, remover of obstacles. And In the Philippines children make hibiscus flowers locally known as gumamela into bubbles by crushing the flowers and leaves and using a straw. Tahitian women wear the red hibiscus to show that they are single and looking to marry, fibers are made into grass skirts in Polynesia, and more ordinary uses include linoleum paints, lubricants, shampoo, conditioner and hair oil.

 References:

Bor, N.L. and Raizada, M.B. Some Beautiful Indian Climbers & Shrubs Oxford University Press, Oxford, England. Second reprint 1999 first edition 1994 Bombay Natural History Society 1982

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus

The neem tree is widespread across the plains of India.  It is particularly prolific in semi-desert regions such as Rajasthan, since it requires very little water and grows easily in dry, stony, sunny climates.  Its sturdy fruit is mainly propagated by birds who carry it around; when the birds drop the fruit, these effortlessly take root.  This is another reason why new neem trees can be seen sprouting right next to existing grown trees of various varieties.

The neem is particularly valued across India as a medicinal tree, and has an over 4000 year old presence in Ayurvedic medicine (one of the India’s indigenous systems of medicine).  In fact, one of the Sanskrit names for the neem tree is arishtha which means reliever of sickness.  It is even referred to as the “Gateway to Heaven”,  and planting a neem tree is seen as a sacred act.  Every part of the neem is used for its medicinal properties.  The bark acts as an analgesic, and when ingested in the form of a tea is known to bring down high fever in case of malaria and severe headaches caused by  fevers.  The pale cream-coloured flowers which bloom in the spring are dried in the shade and stored in airtight containers for long-term use.  When mixed with honey, yoghurt or butter, they are believed to cure intestinal worms.  The leaves have anti-bacterial and antiseptic properties.  They  keep away insects and mosquitoes, and purify and cool the breezes blowing through them, so  the tree is generally planted close to habitations.  A wet paste made by grinding the leaves is used by village folk as a poultice in case of major and minor cuts or  wounds.  In the case of skin infections, allergies or rashes, neem leaves are steeped in boiling water which is then added to the bath water.  Newborn babies are protected by laying them in a bed of tender neem leaves.  Neem sticks are used even today in villages as a combined toothbrush-toothpaste;  before the advent of factory manufactured oral hygiene products, neem sticks were universally used for brushing the teeth.

Savista has numerous shady neem trees all around the haveli, and new ones can be seen sprouting everywhere.  Like the villagers around us, we too use the leaves for a variety of purposes.  Neem leaves dried in the shade act as virtually indestructible substitutes for mothballs for the protection of woolens and silks, so we lay bunches of leaves in the cupboards where we store our winter gear.  We also add a few springs of neem leaves when we bag our freshly harvested grains to prevent insect infestation or mould.  We also follow the traditional practice of using the oil extracted from the neem fruit for soil pest control.  When the trees are heavy with fruit, we simply pound the collected fallen fruit (called nimoli locally) and mix it with the soil for use as a crop pesticide.  

Neem oil is also used as an ingredient in the manufacture of medicinal soaps. The bark has additional uses in the tanning and dyeing of leather, and the fibre is used to make ropes. The trunk is termite resistant and lends itself to furniture-making.

 Botanical info:  Class: Magnoliophypsida; Order: Sapendales; Genus: Azaderachta; Species: A. Indica; Names: Margosa, Nimba, Neem, Veppalai.

Marrying hospitality and sustainability is easier some days than others. Sometimes it is a matter of choosing one product over another.  Or reading labels carefully. Or paying a little bit more for organic or local products.  But then at other times, the decision is a bit harder, and opting for the sustainable solution can result in some loss of business.

Rajasthan’s monsoon season this year was longer and more intense than usual.  Although, in normal years, the rainy season is one of the nicest times of year in Rajasthan – occasional cooling showers, cloudy skies, gorgeous weather – the heavier than usual rains and consequent heightened humidity this year made for a more-fecund-than-usual insect population.  And, particular to this post, brown-grasshoppers-with-green-stripes.   During a week and a half over July/August, insects swarmed around, led by these grasshoppers.  And at the end of this period, as suddenly as they arrived, they were gone.

I defer to our readers- past and potential guests alike: should we accept natural fluxes and expect our guests to do so also? Or make an exception and use chemical pest sprays?

Here are links that expose the harms of conventional chemical pest sprays:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002763.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_pesticides

Inform yourselves!  And share a guests perspective with the Team at Savista!

Hurrah! In the wake of the prolonged and heavy rains this year, we have two new bird sightings to report from the Savista garden!

Our most recent residents are the Blue Bearded Bee-Eater and the Black-Crowned Night Heron. It is possible that the Blue Bee-Eater may have got drawn to our luxuriant winged insect life that has undergone an additional growth spurt with the rains. The Black-Crowned Night Heron probably feels attracted to our ponds, which are currently alive with uncle and grandfather frogs and lots of jumpy babies.

The Blue Bearded Bee-Eater (30-34 cm) is much larger than his cousin the Green Bee-Eater (21 cm), who is one of Savista’s more ubiquitous residents. The Blue variety normally lives in the hill forests of the Central and Eastern Himalayas and the Western and Eastern Ghats of peninsular India, and in the forested parts of Madhya Pradesh; it is a rare pleasure to have it choose our lush-with-the-rains-tree-covered-estate, even if it is only for a seasonal visit. Greyish-green above and bluer on the forehead, blue along the centre of throat to breast and along the wings, and with a long tail that lacks long central pins (a characgteristic of the Green bee-Eater), the Blue Bee-Eater looks quite at home at Savista, perched high up in the garden and on the haveli’s terrace, making its harsh korr-korr croaking notes as it keeps a look-out for juicy insects.

We spotted the Black-Crowned Night Heron one late evening quite by chance. He was standing at the edge of what used to be our horses’ drinking water pond (that has now been taken over by water plants and frogs), motionless and totally absorbed by something in the water that he was looking at. It was his apparent unflappability which had us watching him closely until it became too dark for us to see clearly. This heron is small but heavy, its plumage mostly grey, black and white, with a black head, back and crest, a white forehead and very long white feathers. The species is nocturnal, shy and secretive, which is probably why we have never spotted it since. It roosts in trees during the day, and arrives at its feeding grounds by dusk – ponds and marshes containing fish, frogs and aquatic insects – where it continues to feed through the night until early morning. It is resident all over India.

The Khejri trees on the Savista estate that were pruned (and some pollarded) last winter, have all got back their dense green foliage. The sheep in the area are probably already eyeing their winter feed, and if there is a ‘social network’ that is active among them, the message has probably already gone out that Savista’s trees are looking good enough to eat!

Many guests ask us about this tree, since it looks even more interesting when it has been pruned. And you can see lots and lots of stark-looking trunks in the area during winter, the traditional pruning season! So we thought we’d start our “Treeing Off” section in this blog with a little bit about the Khejri.

The Khejri is an iconic tree of Rajasthan. It is so admirably suited to the ecology of the region that it has acquired a whole body of folklore and cultural significance for the local people.

It is drought and frost resistant and can withstand the most extreme of temperatures. Its deep and extensive root system stabilizes the soil in the face of fierce desert winds. Its tough roots travel long distances below the ground in search of the tiniest drops of water. This water is carefully absorbed by every part of the tree until it reaches the miniscule green-yellow leaves. The leaf-size is clear evidence of evolution at work, because the foliage stays green round the year. Being a legume, the Khejri fixes nitrogen in the soil, and the nutritious fallen leaves further fertilize it. Hence farmers ensure that these trees are spaced out across their fields.

Every part of the Khejri tree is useful to the local animal and the human population. The leaves that serve as both fresh and dry fodder are relished by the local sheep and camels. The generously-tufted branches provide welcome shade. The trunk is virtually termite-proof and is used in house-construction. The bark is used for the preparation of local medicines in the ancient Ayurvedic tradition, for common respiratory and stomach infections. The fragrant resin makes for excellent firewood. The green beans are cooked into a delicious vegetable dish; they are dehydrated by villagers for use through the year, and are also fed to farm animals in drought conditions.

So iconic is the tree that no Rajasthani wedding feast is complete without the vegetarian dish Khair Sangri prepared from the Khejri’s green beans. And it is treated as sacred by the legendary environment-worshipping Rajasthani agricultural community called Bishnois (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishnois). We’ll leave that for another post ☺ .

Savista has over 150 Khejri trees, and many of them are several decades old. New trees can be seen coming up here and there all over the estate, born from fruits dropped by birds who feed on the beans. Every three years, in the winter, Savista’s Khejri trees are pruned by rotation, in keeping with local farming practices. Migrant sheep farmers offer to do the pruning, in return for being able harvest and bag the leaves which serve as a nutritious fodder for the sheep. The small twigs are used by them as firewood. During the pruning period, they live with their flocks on the host farm, and the animals’ droppings act as fertilizer for the soil.

At Savista we use the chopped branches to light our autumn and winter fires – in some of our guest rooms which have fireplaces, in our dining room and bar lounge, and for the evening bonfires around which guests share drinks and swap stories on chilly evenings.
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Botanical info: Prosopsis Cineraria, species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Native to arid zones of West and South Asia, such as the Arabian and Thar deserts. Other common names are Ghaf (Arabic), Sangri (Rajasthani), Kandi (Sindhi). State Tree of Rajasthan and Provincial Tree of the Sindh Province of Pakistan.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosopis_cineraria)

Sunbirds, starlings and drongos are outshining each other (and other birds) in our garden these days. Here’s a little bit about the smallest and most beautiful of these creatures… the purple sunbird!

The  purple sunbird, distinguished by the jewel-like metallic purple-blue on its back,  is one of the most visible birds around the flowering shrubs in our garden.  It is the male of the species, and has a dark purplish-black on the belly and breast with a narrow  chestnut-maroon band between breast and belly, and yellow and scarlet pectoral tufts normally hidden under the wings.   You have to really peer around to spot the female, which is a  dull green (on its mantle) and yellowish (below) with a grey face and throat.

Although like most birds sunbirds, too, work in pairs, they also like to be solitary. Tiny in size – just 10 cm. – they are reputed to be one of the most important pollinating agents in a garden.  The only time when the female becomes really visible is when she stands poised in midair for several seconds, fluttering her wings at top speed (rather like the hummingbird), while looking for the next flower-halt.  Sunbirds are able to balance themselves on stems of the tiniest of flowers, and their down-curved bills and long tubular tongues help them drink in the nectar.  Sunbirds also eat small insects and spiders.

Birdlife at Savista is abundant, stay tuned for many more sightings!