Red Spider Lilies




Once-a-year bloomers, these. A couple of weeks back the one in my garden suddenly decided to show up. Pity it was in the middle of the monsoons and the sky was overcast for the entire week that it was in bloom.

I spent two years of my life in the north-east corner of the country, back when I was around 10 years old. The north-east was virgin territory then, almost unheard of by tourist-folk, and therefore wild and beautiful. And prime orchid country! My mother took a fascination to cultivating orchids at home and over time I was taken in by the wildly eccentric plants that orchids can be. When my mother shifted back to warmer climes she got along with her a whole truckload of cultivated orchids which she tended with much care. But Ahmedabad's not a very kind place for most people, let alone orchids.

While not an orchid, this spider lily has that 'quality' that I find so endearing. A certain eccentricity, if you will...

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Nikon F75, 70-300mm, 1:2 Macro at 300mm
Fuji 800ISO
2005, In my garden, Ahmedabad, India.

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