Lush is the monsoon foliage
It’s raining here off and on. Although the south-western monsoon has been receding, it is still upon us. Well that’s the nature of monsoon rains; unpredictable and scattered. It’s often like “Are monsoons here yet?”, “Oh so that was a monsoon break ?” , “Are they gone already?” 
While rains evoke different moods for different people, it’s ideal time for inducing growth in plants as the low temperatures and humidity help the roots swing into action. I love this time of the year because it is very lush and alive. So, his weekend when the rain stopped, I took a little walk to click the vibrant monsoon flora that’s flourishing around here.
These are mostly hardy perennials that retain their evergreen foliage through winter with frequent pop of color from flowering shrubs and bushes that can brighten any wet day.
The word “monsoon” comes from the Arabic “mausim” which means “a season.” It is a change in the direction of wind based on seasons: high-sun and low-sun. During high-sun season, air moves from the ocean towards land. During low-sun season, the wind moves in the opposite direction, with air moving from land out to sea.
This creates high rain during the high-sun season and conditions during low-sun seasons. Rather than continuous rains, tropical monsoons experience seasons of excessive rain with periods of dry conditions.
If you enjoy gardening, this is a good time for growing different plants. Planting trees around the rainy season reduces the pressure of establishment and maintenance. My favorite activity this monsoon has been to plant new trees and prepare the existing plants to soak all the nourishment they need.
“Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.” -Henry David Thoreau
See more seasonal foliage in Ailsa‘s Travel-Themed Photo Challenge here.
It does look lovely and lush after the rains, Deepali. The flowers in that last pic, are so pretty.
Thanks a lot! Those purple flowers were the ones I’d planted myself. So glad to see them bloom now