The Gift of the Neem Tree
Several years after we moved into the house we live in we noticed a neem tree sprouting just outside our front boundary wall.
We had tried planting various kinds of trees for years, but they were consumed by the cows and buffaloes while they grazed. We put a guard around the young trees, but they too were devoured as soon as they were tall enough to begin peeping out from the top of the guard.
Soon, we stopped planting trees. All our plants were in pots. I was pleasantly surprised at the arrival of neem tree, a baby, swaying gently in the wind. “It’s a gift from the universe,” I said to my husband.
When we moved into this house in 2004, we carried some plants with us from our previous homes — ficus, bougainvillea, an adenium, and several others in pots. Outside the boundary wall, we planted the bougainvillea and ficus. As time went on, these plants grew well along with the neem and soon, the bougainvillea and ficus began to wrap themselves around the neem.
The birds and squirrels made the tree their home. The birds would flutter between the neem tree and the ficus plants on the terrace. It was fun to watch them.
At the time of this artwork, fuchsia, orange and white flowers of the bougainvillea peep out from the neem branches. Intertwined among these branches are the ficus, with their luscious green shiny leaves.
Yesterday I started this artwork with charcoal and today I completed it with gouache and ink. You can see the fuchsia and white bougainvillea flowers. And the ficus leaves.
The neem tree is now almost 40 feet tall. Every now and then we trim it, so the branches don’t brush against the faces of those who come through the gate. Sometimes, people from the electric company, with their extension ladders, come by and hack away at the branches so they don’t interfere with the electric wires. We try and pre-empt this by doing our own trimming.
Last year a thick-ish vine began to wrap itself around the trunk of the neem tree. Soon there were thin-ish vines reaching to the ground. We were not sure what it was. A friend visiting in February this year suggested we get rid of it as it would affect the tree. However, Ramu our gardener suggested against it. So, we let it be. I like the way it looks.
At this time of the year, the neem tree begins to shed its leaves, going from bright green to yellow, a little brownish and then falling to the ground helped by the winds. Everyday there is a near carpet of yellow leaves on the ground, which we sweep up and add to the compost pile.
The neem tree also creates a screen to our three-storey-ed house, which is on a road now quite busy with traffic. It keeps out the dust and traffic noise as well. The best part: it was completely unintended.
In and around Delhi the noise, heat, dust and pollution for almost nine months of the year doesn’t permit much sitting on the terrace. However, from November- April, it’s the mornings when we enjoy sitting out with tea, newspapers and breakfast. We often sit out at lunchtime and its quite special. On some nights, we sit under the stars and enjoy a drink. It’s a great time to have friends over and enjoy the terrace, full of winter flowers.
Looking out from the first-floor area, the wall to the terrace is almost 90 percent glass and we can see the neem tree all day long. I enjoy looking at it from my desk which is parallel to it. I love to watch the leaves swaying in the wind.
I’m very grateful for the gift of the neem tree.
