The Sneak Peak of Nature

Top 10 Most Beautiful Flowers In The World

2019-02-18T21:29:00.000+05:30

Flowers are part of the most important occasions of life and have a language of their own. There are also flowers befitting specific occasions like birthdays, funerals, wedding, graduation ceremonies and so on. Some flowers have religious significance too.

Its symbols smile upon the land,

Wrought by nature’s wondrous hand;

And in their silent beauty speak,

10 Cherry Blossom

You don’t actually need an explanation about this beautiful flower if you already an attendee of D.C’s National Cherry Blossom Festival. It is one of the most spectacular spring festivals in the country. The festival showcases more than 3000 cherry trees in full bloom.

This festival also commemorates a special day, March 27, 1912 – when Tokyo Mayor, Yukio Ozaki gave Japanese cherry trees to the U.S to strengthen the friendship between the countries.

Facts:

In Japan, this is the most iconic view of cherry blossoms.

Cherry blossoms are Japan's national flower.
Picnicking beneath cherry blossom trees is a Japanese tradition.
"Hanami" picnics are arguably more spectacular at night.
Cherry blossom festivals celebrate more than just spring.
U.S. cherry blossom trees date back to 1912.
Japan had tried to send over cherry blossoms once before.
Peak bloom is usually around April 4.
Bloom predictions can't be made too far in advance.
They make up the best-selling fragrance in the U.S.
Neither D.C. nor Japan hold the title of "Cherry Blossom Capital of the World.

9 Bird of Paradise

The birds-of-paradise are members of the family Paradisaeidae of the order Passeriformes. The majority of species are found in eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and eastern Australia. The family has 42 species in 15 genera.The members of this family are perhaps best known for the plumage of the males of the sexually dimorphic species (the majority), in particular the highly elongated and elaborate feathers extending from the beak, wings, tail or head. For the most part they are confined to dense rainforest habitat. The diet of all species is dominated by fruit and to a lesser extent arthropods. The birds-of-paradise have a variety of breeding systems, ranging from monogamy to lek-type polygamy.

Facts:

Bird of Paradise plants usually bloom between September and May. During spring and summer months, the soil of the Bird of Paradise plant needs to be kept moist, while in the winter and fall, the soil should be kept dry. Fertilize Bird of Paradise plants before new growth which occurs in the spring. Use a peat-based potting soil when planting Bird of Paradise plants.
Bird of Paradise plants can grow as tall as 5 feet or taller and their leaf blades measure 6 by 18 inches. Bird of Paradise plants can be found in white, orange, red pink and yellow. Be sure to allow sufficient space for them to grow.
The Bird of Paradise plant needs full sunlight and should not be planted in a climates that falls below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. During the cooler months, the plants should be cut back. Bird of Paradise plants can be grown indoors, but do better outdoors.
Once the blooms on the plant have faded, cut the stems as far back as possible. If taken care of correctly, the Bird of Paradise plant should bloom on a yearly basis. All old, dead laves should be removed to make way for newer leaves.
Bird of Paradise plants are often used as the anchor in tropical floral settings. When cut and put into a vase, the stems need to be bound together so they do not fall over. The plant tends to be heavy and over sized so it is typically placed in the center of any arrangement.

8 Bleeding Heart

Lamprocapnos spectabilis (bleeding heart or Asian bleeding-heart) is a species of flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae, native to Siberia, northern China, Korea and Japan. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus Lamprocapnos, but is still widely referenced under its old name Dicentra spectabilis (now listed as a synonym). It is valued in gardens and in floristry for its heart-shaped pink and white flowers, borne in spring.

Facts:

Bleeding heart has pinkish green, erect stem that can reach 47 inches in height and 18 inches in width.
Bleeding heart develops from the underground rhizome where it stores nutrients and energy required for development of leaves and flowers at the beginning of the spring.
Bleeding heart has bluish green compound leaves that consist of three leaflets. Bleeding heart is deciduous plant. It discards leaves at the end of the summer.
Bleeding heart develops pink, heart-shaped flowers (petals are white from the inside) with small, white, drop-like hanging part on the bottom side (hence the name "bleeding heart"). Flowers are arranged in horizontal clusters (raceme). Each cluster consists of around 20 flowers. Flowers contain both types of reproductive organs (perfect flowers).
Bleeding heart blooms during the spring and summer. Flowers are rich source of nectar which attracts hummingbirds, main pollinators of this plant.
Fruit of bleeding heart is green seed pod filled with black seed.
Bleeding heart is perennial plant, which means that it can survive more than 2 years in the wild.
Native Americans used bleeding hearts in treatment of cough, stomach pain, dizziness and insect bites.
Certain varieties of bleeding heart produce golden yellow or fern-like leaves. There are also cultivars of bleeding heart that produce white flowers.
Bleeding heart tolerates drought and it is fire resistant.

7 Dahlia

Dahlias are annual blooming plants, with mostly tuberous roots. While some have herbaceous stems, others have stems which lignify in the absence of secondary tissue and resprout following winter dormancy, allowing further seasons of growth.The dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963. The tubers were grown as a food crop by the Aztecs, but this use largely died out after the Spanish Conquest. Attempts to introduce the tubers as a food crop in Europe were unsuccessful.

Facts:

The dahlia is named after Swedish 18th-century botanist Anders Dahl.
The dahlia is the official flower of the city of Seattle.
The dahlia originated in Central American in the 16th century.
Spanish Botanists discovered it growing wild on the sandy hillsides ofMexico.
The first tubers arrived in Europe at the end of the 18th century, sent over to Madrid by the Spanish settlers in Mexico.
Andreas Dahl (after whom the plant is named) regarded it as a vegetable rather than a garden flower, but interest switched from the edible tubers to the blooms when the first varieties with large, double flowers were bred in Belgium in 1815.
The favourites in those days were the Ball and Small Decorative Dahlias. Now it is the Large Decorative and Cactus varieties which capture the public fancy.
Dahlia Plants ranging from dwarf bedders (twelve inches high) to giants taller than a man. Flowers range in size from an inch to the largest dinner plate.
The first dahlias were brought to Europe by the early explorers and over the centuries, through hybridization, developed the modern dahlia.
The Dahlia seeds will germinate a little faster when we use a heating mat, or place them on top of a refrigerator for heat.
Dahlia bulbs are a subterranean root system, comprising many distinct tubers, each a separate lump. These allow the dahlia plant to mature year after year without benefit of seed or spores. To sprout the next season, each tuber must have one eye.
Dahlia pinnata, is referred to garden dahlias, but this really is not accurate since all modern dahlias are hybrids between species. The most common hybrids are the products of crossing Dahlia coccinea with Dahlia pinnata.

6 Water Lilies

Probably the queen of all aquatic flowers in the world. To your surprise, there are 70 different types of water lilies in the world. They grow only in still, shallow freshwater ecosystems like ponds. Besides the attention grabbing beauty, water lilies also aid in protecting the ecosystem they inhabit by balancing the water temperature and providing excellent habitat for fishes.

Apart from the eye-pleasing flowers, large leaves which float above the water surface are another noticeable thing about water lilies. They also have a long stem that attached to the bottom of the pond or lake in which the plant inhabit.

Facts:

This beautiful flower is native to tropical South America and Brazil.
It was first discovered in Bolivia in 1801. At that time, it was named as Eurgale Amazonica.
This flower has got its present name in 1837 when it was renamed as Victoria Amazonica by English botanist John Lindley as a tribute to Queen Victoria.
The Giant Water Lily is the largest water lily. It can grow to have a diameter of around 3-6 feet.
The leaf of the Giant water lily can support a weight up to 30 kilograms.
The flower is white in color and it blooms only at night. These flowers emerge at dusk and close by noon.
It is also known as Amazon water lily, Amazon water platter, Royal Water Lily.
The flower has sharp spines that are used to protect it from fish and other animals but its surface is soft.

5 Gazania

Gazania is a beautiful daisy look like flower native to South Africa. It is also known as treasure flower. Convincingly, gazania has pretty, brightly colored flowers and very attractive long, silver-green leaves. Gazania species are grown for the brilliant colour of their flowerheads which appear in the late spring and are often in bloom throughout the summer into autumn. They prefer a sunny position and are tolerant of dryness and poor soils.

Facts:

Gazania flowers are light-sensitive.
They close up at night and on particularly cloudy days. It is a behavior called nyctinasty.
Charles Darwin, well known for his theory of evolution, thought that plants close up at night to protect themselves from freezing. Closing at night may also protect the pollen from unwanted pests. These plants aren't sleepy, they are just highly evolved.
The plant was originally brought to Australia as an ornamental plant. Because of its invasive nature, it soon spread across the continent.
Some parts of Gazania plants are poisonous.

4 Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera, also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, Egyptian bean or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is often colloquially called a water lily. Under favorable circumstances the seeds of this aquatic perennial may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China.It has a very wide native distribution, ranging from central and northern India (at altitudes up to 1,400 m or 4,600 ft in the southern Himalayas), through northern Indochina and East Asia (north to the Amur region; the Russian populations have sometimes been referred to as "Nelumbo komarovii"), with isolated locations at the Caspian Sea. Today the species also occurs in southern India, Sri Lanka, virtually all of Southeast Asia, New Guinea and northern and eastern Australia, but this is probably the result of human translocations. It has a very long history (c. 3,000 years) of being cultivated for its edible seeds, and it is commonly cultivated in water gardens. It is the national flower of India and Vietnam.

Facts:

It’s India’s national flower and is symbolic in Buddhism and Hinduism for wealth, prosperity, purity and fertility.
The flower species is native to Asia, and most predominantly in India and China.
The most common color variations of the lotus flower is pink and white. Other popular lotus colors include blue and red.
The lotus has been historically used for medicinal purposes such as a pain reliever and for alleviating muscle spasms.
It’s an aquatic plant species that thrives in ponds and lakes, and most exclusively during warm seasons.
The flower can reach up to twenty inches above water, which helps distinguish it from other botanical varieties like marigolds or arrowheads.

3 Tulips

As a great flower lover, you must have heard about the Keukenhof flower garden. Located in the Netherlands, this large garden spread across a vast land of 32 hectares. On each spring this garden displays millions of tulips in full bloom. Just imagine you stand between that vast fields of tulips. You would definitely feel like heaven. Because tulip is such a beautiful flower that could instantly grab your attention.

Facts:

There are over 150 species of tulips with over 3,000 different varieties.
Their flower buds are known for being almost perfectly symmetrical.
Most tulips sprout a single flower bud, but a few varieties have up to four on a single stem.
Tulips are part of the lily family.
Tulips only bloom for 3-7 days in the spring.
You can find tulips in almost any color.
According to Teleflora, different colored tulips have different meanings. The red flowers symbolize true love while purple represents loyalty.
Make a mistake? White tulips mean "I'm sorry."
Tulips are also said to signal the arrival of spring.
Tulips are native to central Asia but didn't really become popular until reaching the Netherlands.

2 Orchid

The Orchidaceae are a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants, with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family.

Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants. The Orchidaceae have about 28,000 currently accepted species, distributed in about 763 genera. The determination of which family is larger is still under debate, because verified data on the members of such enormous families are continually in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species nearly equals the number of bony fishes and is more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species.

Each orchid flower is bilateral symmetric, which means that it can be divided in two equal parts.

Size, shape and texture of leaves depend on the habitat. Orchids that live in dry climate have thick leaves covered with wax, while species that live in warm and humid areas have thin, elongated leaves. Certain species of orchids do not have leaves at all.
Orchids do not have usual roots. They have rhizome, tuber or aerial roots.
Orchids can live on the ground (terrestrial forms), attached to woody plants (epiphytic types) or under the ground.
Certain species of orchids are parasitic. They are not able to produce food (sugar) using the sunlight and carbon dioxide (like other plants). Instead, they obtain food from fungi that live inside their roots.
Bond between orchids and certain species of insects is tight and highly specialized. Petals have similar shape and color like female insects to attract males and ensure pollination. Ophrys apifera, better known as the Bee Orchid, lures male bees with its enticing smell and bee like appearance. When a male bee approaches the flower to mate, it becomes covered in pollen and is sent off to pollinate the next orchid it visits.
Due to high specialization of pollination, extinction of insect means extinction of orchid (there is no one else who can pollinate it in the wild).
Flower of orchid can survive from few hours to 6 months, depending on the species.
Orchids produce several millions of miniature seeds. Only few seeds will develop into mature plant.
The genus Orchis comes from an Ancient Greek word meaning “testicle”; because of the shape of the bulbous roots. The term “orchid”, which is just a shortened form of the family Orchidaceae, was not introduced until 1845.
Orchid seeds do not have an endosperm which provides nutrients required for the germination. Due to this fact all orchids (including non-parasitic forms) live in symbiosis with fungi during germination. Germination can last from couple of weeks to 15 years.
People use orchids for numerous purposes. Substances isolated from orchids are used in industry of perfumes, spices and in traditional Asian medicine.

1 Rose

Probably the most beautiful flower in the world. Humans have started to cultivate roses since 500 B.C. This pretty, pleasant-smelling flower has such a long time connection with us. Roses also symbolizes love, honor, faith, beauty, and passion.A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be erect shrubs, climbing, or trailing, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers vary in size and shape and are usually large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwestern Africa. Species, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and often are fragrant.

Facts:

Size of rose depends on the species. Flower can reach from couple to 33 inches in diameter. Certain species can reach 23 feet in length.
Most species of roses are deciduous, with few species that belong to the group of evergreen plants. Majority of roses form bushes or grow by climbing over other vegetation.
Color of the rose depends on the species. Roses can be found in different shades of white, yellow, pink, orange and red colors. Blue and black roses do not exist.
Each color of the rose symbolizes certain value. Red rose is a symbol of love, yellow of friendship, orange of enthusiasm, white of purity and pink of joy.
Wild roses have 5 petals and 5 sepals. Large number of petals is a result of mutation and it can be seen in cultivated roses.
Roses are well known by their prickles. They look like hooks which facilitate bonding to the other plants (in the climber types of roses) and protects stem from herbivores.
Even though prickles are strong and sharp, certain species of deer are able to eat roses.
Besides large herbivores, insects and spiders often attack roses. Fungal diseases can induce significant damage to the cultivated roses.
Wild roses bloom once per year. They are pollinated by insects.
Rose hip is a fruit of rose. It is rich source of vitamin C. Rose is sometimes used in folk medicine to relieve stomach pain and to treat cancer.

Red roses are so special for us because it symbolizes true love.

Night Walks.

2019-02-06T23:36:00.000+05:30

Night walks are a great tonic for urban stress. I can remember some magical late night walks home from parties in the winters- a time of cold winters and low breezes. These were often out of necessity as late night transport was pretty much nonexistent at the time. it's a wonderful sensation, going out in the dark, and having the city gradually reveal itself. I've enjoyed it most in places which are crowded during the day. The best part of exploring a city at night is the slight sense of being in an alternate world. The night smells different. you can sometimes hear underground streams flowing. It's nice to be rewarded with the discovery of new places even if it's only an all-night cafe. Night Walks are an excellent tonic for the stress that we teenagers are going through mainly because of studies. So for me night walks are like a stress reliever that help me to stay confident and stay focused in my life. These walks become more amazing when you have your best friends with you, then it is like to be on a short night trip full of happiness and amazing talks……!!!

Thanks for reading.

And if u like reading this post please comment and tell us about your night walk experience.

Your place!

2019-02-04T07:01:00.001+05:30

Don’t you love it when u just sit alone on a bench, where there are trees waving in air and a big sea ahead in front of you with the most beautiful sunrise or maybe sunset! Isn’t it amazing? You know, whenever I feel lost or whenever I want to get away from this world I go this amazing place, where I can just be myself! I just turn my cellphone off and sit there maybe for hours, not thinking about anything, not worrying about my future but just letting my body soak in the sunshine, the cold-humid breeze and the beautiful view. And a book is just a cherry on top! I am an ambivert, but much on an introvert side so I prefer being there alone with my book and my imagination. Being a foodie, I keep fantasizing about food but also some of stupid scenarios where maybe I am saving the world or maybe fighting goons and suddenly, I am on top of the world. Sitting there quietly, makes me calm enough to make important decisions, look towards life in more positive way. Not that I just go there to find solutions or to run away but to be happy because that is my place!! You know ‘THE PLACE' where everything is sorted and magical, where you feel safe!!

"Tell us about your me place and how you feel whenever you are there."

The Early Morning Trip

2019-01-30T22:55:00.000+05:30

I remember every bit about that morning. I had been up all night like a small kid, who cannot hide his excitement for school picnic. It was 4 of us, my best-friends!! We all had come up with the stupidest plan to go over to the Tbilisi sea and then watch sunrise at sharp 5 a.m. Even though it was summer, it was like 2-3 degrees. We packed our bags with lots of food and water and some wine which apparently was leftover from the previous night, where were partying like animals!! We booked a cab and got on our way to Tbilisi sea. It was shivering cold but nothing could stop us. It was dark when we left for sea but upon reaching, the sky was baby blue with shining salmon color. We stood on shoreline searching meticulous place to see sunrise . There we were busy in clicking pictures, with all the stupid poses we could give. And soon, one of us realized how great it would be to trek up on the mountain nearby and get a marvelous view!! We had only half hour until sunrise and to be honest it wasn’t much big of a mountain . So we raced to the top but it turned out we weren’t that fast because we kept clicking on our way till top and before we knew it, sun was up in sky shining all bright. AND all of sudden, I found THE perfect picture spot!! Sunshine was clouting the trees to shine radiant and with the greenery dancing along the wind, clouds couldn’t resist to gloom between trees it was like a poem in itself. As far as, I could hear was only the pleasing sound of birds. You know some memories always be in your heart…. this one was one of it!!

Let's get to know each other , do tell about your experience in comment section below!!!!

Summer Blues!

2019-01-28T02:06:00.000+05:30

Summer - the best time of the year for children, definitely because of " THE SUMMER VACATION." Why?? You get a month of endless fun with your friends & family and holidays from homework, what else could a child ask for, right?? We adults are in this relay race for money where we have to work 24/7, where we have no time for ourselves. We miss the summer we had as kids and we miss the time we spent with friends. Recently I visited this lake in Georgia named Lisi. It was a regular summer day, where my friends had insisted me to come along to the lake they were visiting. After a long denial process, I gave up and went along! It was a very beautiful lake surrounded by mountains all around. There were people playing in water with their kids and friends playing splish-splash, that made me totally nostalgic about my childhood…… I still remember how during every summer, I use to run every morning to my friend’s house and then all of us would go to nearby reservoir and just jump into it and swim for hours… it was the best way to beat the summer heat!! Right there standing on the rock of Lisi, I could feel the breeze which was taking me back to the days of fun, back to the days of childhood, back to the days of summer. And for that moment, all I could think was how much I was missing out on life!! How much I was missing my days as small kids!! All I wish is that we could enjoy always same as we did as kids, that all could stay same forever!!

The road to tranquility

2019-01-25T06:58:00.000+05:30

Do you still remember how it use to feel when our parents took us out on vacations? The level of excitement we use to have....the plans we use to make....the fast food we craved for!! That's exactly what I felt on my way to Gudauri!! Where I was about to experience my very first snow!!

Gudauri- A beautiful, magical snow-land. This place felt too good to be true. My first reaction seeing all this was woaaaaaaaaaah....actually I just shouted and was just keen to jump into the snow!

Just then my friends decided to stop onto the side of the road and I got the chance to capture this amazing view! And before I knew it, there I was playing in snow....it felt like cotton and all I could think about was how beautifully white everything was around! We took a halt there for almost an hour and all my feeling of excitement had been taken over by calmness....I wanted to play snow fight with my friends but at same time I wanted to just admire the beauty. And right then, I knew the journey ahead was going to be way more interesting than I thought.......

My Peaceful Evening

2019-01-24T01:01:00.000+05:30