Flowers
Generally, Flowers are the most beautiful part of a plant. Flowers are of different shapes, sizes, fragrances and colours. Flowers may grow single or in bunches.
People are attracted towards plants often because of the beauty of their flowers. Flowers are very important in our life. They bring beauty around us and joy in our hearts. Above all, without them, there would not be fruits, seeds, grains or nuts. We need these things for our survival.
Propagation through Flowers
The bud is the first form of a flower. The flowers bloom out of buds. The petals are covered in a bud. The bud takes time to grow and gradually it blooms as a flower.
If you observe a flower, you would find pollen grains in the middle of it. The pollen grains are a powdery substance. The flower also contains eggs. These pollen grains meet with the eggs to produce fruit. Birds, butterflies, bees and wind help the pollen grains to reach the eggs. The fruits carry the seeds of the plant.
When do the Flowers Grow?
Most of the plants flower only in a particular season. Some flowers like palaash bloom in spring, some like rose and gladioli bloom in winter, some in rainy season and some like gulmohar bloom in summer.
There are some plants such as marigold that flower throughout the year. Some trees flower only once a year; they are mango, lychee, orange, etc.
Some plants flower once in many years. The kurinji flowers bloom once in twelve years. They are bright purple-blue in colour. The kurinji flower is bell-shaped. They are mostly seen in Nilgiri and Kodaikanal hills.
There are some plants like banana that flower only once in their lifetime. They die once the fruits are harvested.
The flowering season varies according to the geographical location and climate of the place.
Collecting Honey from Beehives
Bee keeping is a hobby and now-a-days a profitable business of many people. People make boxes to keep bees. They handle the bees gently without hurting them. Occasionally, gloves and masks are used for extra protection.
To collect honey from the forests, people smoke the area and chase away bees from their hives. Thus, honey is collected from honeycombs. The place where bees are reared is called an apiary and the people who look after them are called apiarists.
Uses of Flowers
• We use flowers in day to day life.
• We greet people on special occasions like birthdays with flower bouquets.
• We use them in the temples for worship. On festivals, they are used for decoration.
• We use them during marriages.
• Women wear them on their hair.
• Rosewater is prepared from rose flower. Many aromas are extracted from different flowers to make perfumes, lotions and incense sticks.
• Some flowers are edible too. We eat a variety of flowers like banana flower as vegetable. The flower of pumpkin is also a vegetable along with its stem. Besides these, we eat cauliflower and broccoli.
• Flowers are so beautiful that many of the clothes we wear have flower (floral) print. We also draw flowers for decoration. Some pots used for marriages and cultural activities are also decorated with flower motifs.
• People also extensively cultivate flowers like marigold and sunflower as cash crop.
There are people who are professionals in drawing flower motifs. Many people earn their living by selling flowers. You would have noticed flower sellers in markets and near temples. Those who sell flowers on commercial basis are called florists.
