A Pot of Petunias

This is a guest post by Abhay Kanwar.

My grandfather has always a great enthusiast for gardening (growing flowers). Ever since I was a little child, I remember him dressed up in his gardening attire (including a cap) accompanied by his gardening tools, make his way to the little garden he had made in front of our house.

Years went by and like each of my siblings; I went onto do my own thing, having hardly any time for anything else. It had been a long time since I had seen my grandfather and I felt guilty about not visiting him more often. So I decided it was time to pay a visit to the old man who had taught me a lot of things about survival in the real world. I wanted to do something special for him so as to reflect my love and gratitude for the all the things he had ever done for me, knowing his passion for gardening, I decided to surprise him with a pot of home grown petunias.

The very next day I went and bought some petunias seeds from a local shop. Over the years I had gathered some knowledge from my grandfather about growing flowers and I intended to put it all to use. Here are some tips which helped me grow this annual flower in the convenience of my apartment.

• Initially keep the plant inside for 10-12 weeks before setting them outside.
• Petunia seeds are very small and need a lot of light to grow.
• The soil should be well drained and the plant should be sheltered against wind as it is very delicate. Petunias are heat tolerant and hence don’t need much water. A thorough watering once a week is enough. (Depending upon the area where you live in)
• Fertilize the plant monthly to ensure good growth.

Petunias are popular and reliable flowering ornamental plants and continue to rank among the most popular flowering annuals year after year. They originally are of South American origin, blooming in vibrant colors (pink, ruby, white, purple, yellow etc.) and are full of life. Petunias suggest a charming presence, as if quietly whispering in the ear of your loved ones that, “Your presence is highly appreciated!!!” What a unique way to praise your loved ones for their undying support throughout one’s life.

My gift for my grandfather is growing at a steady pace and looks stunning. It’ll be a while till the plant will be in its full bloom and when it is, I’ll take it to my grandfather and I hope he likes them. Fingers crossed.

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More about the author - Abhay Kanwar

Rakshabandhan - The Thread Of Love

This is a guest post by Abhay Kanwar.

“A sister is a friend and a defender, a listener, conspirator, a counselor and a sharer of delights as well as sorrows.”
I received a phone call from my mother, reminding me that Rakhi was just around the corner and I better buy my elder sister a gift in advance as she wasn’t going to help me buy one this year. Ever since I was a little kid, I remember the festival of Rakhi as being one of the many festivals our family celebrated every year. This year this festival falls on 21st August.

I have always been very close to my sister. There was a time when we couldn’t stand next to each other without pulling the other persons hair out. I pulled her pigtails and she complained to our parents that I was not studying before my exams. Yes, like all siblings we used to fight a lot. Maybe it was a phase, but the truth is that I loved fighting with her. I have a lot of memories with my sister and all of them holding a very special place in my life. One time, on a fine Sunday afternoon; we took sleeping bags and pillows, putting them on top of the steps and "bobsled" down the stairs along with my sister. Thank god nobody was hurt. Then I remember the time our parents weren't home. My sister and I got pizza and we were eating it at the kitchen table. We started a pizza fight and it got ALL over! Boy did we clean that up fast! And most of the times, when our parents caught us, my sis had to face the brunt of it all, being the elder one. There are just way too many other things I remember, but it wouldn’t be possible to list them all.

But all of it changed when she went off for college to an entirely different city. I missed her like hell and used to look forward to the summer months, when she would come back home. Over the years my sister has been my advisor, my friend and even a parent (when the situation called for). I know I can always count on her to point me in the right direction and even to give me a piece of her mind when I screw up. The bond between a brother and a sister is a special one. In spite of the childhood fights and arguments or the many trials of adulthood, the love and loyalty that we as siblings share survives.

The popular practice of Raksha Bandhan has its historical associations also. The Rajput queens practiced the custom of sending Rakhi threads to neighbouring rulers as token of brotherhood. The most important part of the ceremony involves the tying of a Rakhi (sacred thread) by a sister on her brother's wrist. This thread symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's vow to protect his sister. The festival grew in popularity in the 15th Century, when When Rani Karnavati, the widowed queen of the king of Chittor, realised that she could not defend her kingdom against the invasion by the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a Rakhi to Emperor Humayun. Touched by this gesture, the Emperor immediately set off with his troops to defend Chittor.

Sometimes one might feel that you and you sibling are two side of the same coin, but the bond between a brother and a sister doesn’t wane but only gets stronger with time. Our siblings share with us a lifetime worth of memories and stories, which certainly are priceless and become more valuable as time moves on.

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More about the author - Abhay Kanwar

Parents - Our Real-Life Superheroes

This is a guest post by Abhay Kanwar.

You have seen me laugh
You have seen me cry
You were there when others made me shy
From my first walk to my decent talk
One thing that never changed
Was your endless love and support

"As time goes on, I realize, how much they mean to me," is how some old song goes. It is certainly true of the way I view my parents.

In the past few years, I have struggled to express my love and thanks to them. But today I want them to know what it means for me to be their son.

Throughout my life, I have never doubted your love. I have never doubted your support. And perhaps most importantly, I have never once doubted as if both my sister and me are the luckiest children in the world for having parents like you. I am so grateful to my parents because they were the kinds that never really let me do whatever I wanted, at the time I thought it was because they didn't want me to have a life. But my parents sacrificed so much to make sure I had everything I needed, and sometimes even what I wanted.

As I grew up and learnt about the ways of the world, I saw many of my friend’s experience their parents getting separated. I saw the strength of your love for each other. A love that could never be questioned. It is as evident and constant as the sun rising from the East every morning and setting into the West. Ever since I gained consciousness, I remember my Mom sitting on the sofa reading, and my Dad watching T.V. after a tiring day at office with his eyes closed. That stability never fails to make me smile and I remember the amazing times that I have spent with my parents.

I know my teenage years were incredibly difficult for you. But I always knew that you were there for me. I knew that no matter how bad it got, I could count on you for being there. Like all children, especially teenagers, I pushed you away at times. But what I knew then as much as I know now is that you would still be there for me, whenever I need you.

My parents were not perfect, as no human is, and they never professed to hold the title of perfection even once in their lives. They have flaws, as do I, but they taught me many things that helped me grow, and develop into the person I am today. I have much more to learn, as life always teaches, but the foundation of my true self was nurtured, and brought to life by my parents' love, patience, lessons, and sacrifices that were very much part of my upbringing.

They did not sugar coat life for me. They told me things won't always be easy, and fair, but, that comes with the whole package that life offers. I am tremendously grateful to my parents for teaching me that I have a voice, and not just a bunch of words. And with time I have certainly realized that Parents, are our real Superheroes.

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More about the author - Abhay Kanwar

Friendship Day Special

This is a guest post by Abhay Kanwar.

“A best friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked.”

And the day arrives again! Friendship Day, celebrated every year on the first Sunday of August. As this day approaches, I take time off for a moment and think if i have been taking my best friends for granted. Well sure I moved away to a different city and I am trying to build up a life for myself but I think it’s time to rethink and realign my priorities.

How many close friends do you have? If you have even one you should consider yourself blessed. I happen to have 3 best friends, now am I lucky or what? I’d like to believe, I am. Blue-Exile as we named ourselves on the last day of high school. I still remember that day, where some of us shed a tear or two, the others made lifelong promises to be best friends forever.

I still remember the time, when my teacher made me sit next to the “noodle haired” guy in my class, I was so infuriated that I passed a sly comment, which was loud enough for him to hear, “Damn! I have to sit next to him for the rest of the year”. But little did I know that 7 years down the line, that very guy would be like family to me. You never know who you might find your best friend in.

Nostalgia takes over, when I take a walk down the memory lane. The stupid little crushes, first sip of alcohol, arm wrestling contests, witty yet stupid nicknames for each other, night outs, reckless humor, the never ending phone conversations after spending the entire day at school with my brothers from another mother… The list is endless but each of it has a very special memory attached to it. One of the most special memories that I have of my friends is when we had our first night out.

Becoming gate-crashers at a private party, we took a walk on the wild side that night. This included running for our lives from a watchman carrying a long stick, a semi-naked photo session in the middle of the road at 4 am in the morning, being chased by a vicious canine after we rang someone’s house bell and made a run for it, shouting, “Every man for himself!”. It was an epic night. I would give anything to relive all of it again.

Having friends is one of the things that we love about life. They are the extended members of our family. Although sometimes it looks weird and awkward friends make us laugh even on awful things. That’s the beauty of friendship. They do stupid things, make silly faces and say stupid things which brings smile on our faces. And I am proud to have friends like mine. Never once did they turn their backs on me when I needed them. We helped each other figure out the mysteries of life, being a pillar of support through our tough times, lying to get each other out of trouble, helping to woe the girl we “loved” and last but not the least, clean up after a messy break up. Not so long ago my friends came to drop me at the railway station as I was leaving town, all of us desperately wished that the train got delayed for at least a year, but that wasn’t the case. We said our goodbye’s and as the train was about to leave the station, I shed a tear, knowing that I was leaving behind a bucket full of memories and the people I loved the most in this world.

I can truly say that I value my friends because I lost them and then found them again. I was lucky. For most of us, however, there are times when a really great friend only stays in our lives for a short time. Most of the time, friends are not going to stay in your life forever, and even if they do, your relationship will probably change over the years. Having one true-blue best friend is great, and if it happens to you be thankful. Embrace each friendship, because there is no one-size that fits all, when it comes to our pals.

This is a dedication to my best friends and the members of our group “Blue-Exile”, found 7 years ago by a handful of students of the class of 2008 from an all boys school in Chandigarh. No matter where we are or how old we might get, I hope to find you guys standing in my corner, with a silly grin on your faces.

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More about the author - Abhay Kanwar

Epiphany In The Rain

This is a guest post by Abhay Kanwar.

There is nothing quite that can beat the Monsoons. The darkening of the skies, the cool breeze, the smell of earth – and this entire feeling of the city being washed clean of all its sins. I have fallen in love with the monsoons; all of it: the storms, the lightning and thunders, the rains and the cool fresh air that follows the rain. Don’t ask me how, why or when it happened because I don’t know. I just knew that until now I had been pretty sure that I had been an urbanite I believed myself to be a person who hated the monsoons. They say you attract what you fear and as expected I found myself in the midst of this dreaded season.

It was a beautiful Sunday and I had planned a simple movie/lunch date with the girl of my dreams. But god had other plans for us. Within minutes after I picked her up, it started to rain. Never at a loss for ideas, my girl came up with the idea to spend the day at Sukhna Lake. Well, honestly it did seem a pretty weird idea to me at that time, and before I could register my protest at leaving behind the buffet at the amazing little Italian restaurant, I found myself being forcibly driven to the road, that led to the lake.

Upon reaching the lake, we got out of the car and noticed that the hot and humid July air was gone and a delicious, rain-cooled breeze blew, accompanied with gentle life giving rainfall. I glanced at my watch – 2pm; we made our way towards a small open air café on the lake. Coffee and conversation followed and somehow I found myself reluctant to leave. Yes, I was beginning to like the weather. This might sound straight out of a romantic Bollywood movie, but both of us had this sense that the day held the promise of something more that neither of us had imagined.

The day dissolved in frenzy – and all we could do was to capture a few photos to keep the memories of this fine day alive. Dusk had begun to fall and there was still no sign from the heavens that the rain would stop. We decided to go for a long walk alongside the lake in the pouring rain. A pretty filmy idea to say the least, that’s what I thought at that time, but today it seems one of the most romantic dates, I had ever been on.

The serene and re-generative beauty of the lake in the rains, the amazing flora and fauna, along with the endless path that ran alongside the lake, proved to be much better than the movie I had planned. That day, it was as if a cloud lifted from my heart. The words Lake and monsoon now spelt magic and romance to me. Let someone complain about their watery woes, traffic snarls or water logging and I'll remind them how beautifully the rains had lent a hand in turning my wonderful dream into reality. Ironically, it took a heavy downpour on a Sunday for me to see the bright side of the rains, but it was worth it in every sense. We drove back home later in the evening, carrying memories that would last a lifetime.

Celebrate all your special occasions with FlowerAura, as 'When words are not enough..' we are there to help you out. Let your dear ones know how much you love and value them with our amazing gifting options, which we promise to deliver at their doorsteps with utmost love and care.

More about the author - Abhay Kanwar

Flowers and Women

This is a guest post.

My best friend was coming back in town and I had been eagerly waiting for this day due to all the wrong reasons. For those of you who don’t know what I mean, yes I had developed some really strong feelings for her ever since she left town. I wanted to do something special for her, which took me from the friend zone to the place where I could see a future alongside her. Finally after wracking my brains and a few silly suggestions from my best buds, I finally decided to go along with a bunch of flowers, which seemed to be the most appropriate thing for a person in my particular situation.

I was a man on a mission and decided to place an online order for a bouquet delivery to her place. Honestly I was a little worried about the time at which the flowers would get delivered, but to my surprise they were delivered right on time. I got a call from the lady of my dreams, the flowers had been delivered and I knew right away that my mission had been accomplished. She was elated to see them and that was clear to me by the tone of her voice.

Exactly a month later, I found myself at a fancy little restaurant in the company of my lady love, toasting to a wonderful future ahead for us. The flowers had worked. I considered myself a genius. I remember asking her what her reaction was when she received see the flowers and her words would always be etched in my memory.

“Although it was a bit weird to be receiving flowers, that too from you. But, I loved them. It was full of gratitude and I felt so loved. They made me feel so elated, cause no matter what; flowers always seem to be smiling. I won’t lie, but I placed them right opposite to my bed, so that their presence could brighten up the room and at the same time, remind me of that schoolboy who had turned into a real gentleman while I had been away.”

This actually came as a shock to me because I never knew that a bunch of flowers could mean so much to a women and I decided to unravel this mystery.

Generation after generation, women have always loved receiving the gift of flowers. Simply put, they are a symbol of life, beauty and thus, when received, women don't just feel vibrant and full of life, they feel beautiful and incredibly special. Showing her your love with a specially-prepared bouquet will only increase her affection for you, and make her feel like she's the most important person in your life. In turn, you will reap the benefits as it will be her pleasure to reciprocate the feelings you garnered her with.

The custom of giving flowers to a women can be traced back as far as the Victorian Era, where a romantic custom developed, behind the exchange of flowers. Everything had a meaning, right from the size and type of the flower to the way in which it was carried, depicted a man’s emotions and his innermost feelings.

Friends of mine who are of the opposite sex, often complain that the men in their lives were not romantic enough. It is a fact that men do have trouble expressing their feelings and often resort to cheesy Hallmark/Archies cards or pricey bejeweled items. But little do they know that there is a better way to a woman’s heart and it does not even involve spending a fortune or even opening your mouth. It worked for me and I can assure you, it’ll work for you too.

Reconstructing this ancient gesture will not only help you infuse your relationship with life and romance but also bring back some of the spontaneity, mystery and fun.

So instead of grabbing a bouquet down at a local flower vendor, try Floweaura, where there are flowers, gifts for every occasion and a wide-variety to choose from. At FlowerAura we don't just deliver mere flowers and gifts rather we the convey your emotions, love and feelings at the doorstep of your dear ones.

The Author is an old and loyal FlowerAura Customer who wishes to remain Anonymous.

Flowers and Indian Mythology

This is a guest post by Abhay Kanwar.

When I was a little kid, I remember every evening accompanying my grandmother for her trip to the temple, carrying a small pooja thali, decorated with a diya, various colored flowers and some sweet to serve as Prasad at the end of her pooja, the Prasad being the only reason that I accompanied her. We had a small mandir in our house, which consisted of various portraits of gods and goddesses, all of which were decorated with garlands, made out of flowers. One particular portrait that always caught my attention was that of a lady, sitting on a lotus flower, which I was able to recognize, was a lotus (as I had learned in kindergarten about India’s national flower).

“Little flower – but if I could understand what you are, root and all, and all in all, I should know what God and man is.”
-Alfred Lord Tennyson

One of the rituals that I recall that my grandmother used to carry out each evening, consisted of gathering flowers from our garden and later offering them to the idols of various gods and goddesses in the temple. As I grew up, I learned more about the ritual and realized its true significance.

Throughout history, flowers have been associated with the creator, religion, worship and with countless myths and legends across various civilizations that existed globally. Flowers have however remained an integral part of Indian culture. Lotus is the national flower of India and hence, there is a lot of mythological significance of flowers with Gods and Goddesses in our culture, than in any other in the world.

The very name of the Indian worship ritual called Pooja can be roughly translated as the Ritual of flowers. In India, flowers are considered to be made up of the 5 different elements of nature, namely, Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. They play a very crucial role in celebrations, festivities and prayers, and as a result of their unique and valuable role, there are certain un-explainable, subtle and cryptic qualities of a flower. It is believed that a flower has Soul like every human being and it is because of this very reason that flowers hold an important position in our culture. Although many kinds of flower names are mentioned in our scriptures but some of the most significant ones are the Lotus flowers, Manjaree or tulsi flowers (associated with Lord Vishnu), Dhatoora flowers (associated with Lord Shiva), Red Hibiscus (associated with Lord Ganesha).

Out of all the traditions followed in India, Indians are famous for welcoming their guests, with flower garlands. This simply signifies the respect for our guests and helps in building the core of the moral value, Atithi Devo Bhava. Apart from flowers being offered to the Gods and Goddesses in our culture, in Indian marriages an exchange of flower garlands takes place between the bride and the groom, which depicts respect and affection towards each other.

Flowers hold a vital place in every culture, the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Buddhists etc, since ancient times have made flowers and integral part of their respective cultures.

Celebrate all your special occasions with FlowerAura, let your dear ones know how much you love and value them with our amazing gifting options. We promise to deliver to their doorsteps with utmost love and care.

Please also checkout our Special Gifting Range which we are sure will interest you.

More about the author - Abhay Kanwar