A cheerful herald of spring

The sister cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have a variety of flowers blooming around the year either on trees or in flower beds and many of them are a bright yellow - the amaltas; the zinnias; sunflowers; marigold; the yellow narcissus; dahlias; buttercups and many others whose names are not familiar, especially those which grow on trees. But there is one tiny yellow flower that is familiar to nearly everyone - the pretty yellow jasmine - considered 'common' but a sight for sore eyes!

The yellow 'chambeli' (jasmine) is one of the first flowers to herald spring and this year particularly, it is a welcome sight after the long and very cold winter we have experienced - the coldest in many years, though the cold spell came later than usual and the yellow jasmine proves it. It usually flowers in the middle or third week of January but this year it has only now bloomed - that too just a few flowers on each bush. Soon they will be in full bloom and make a beautiful, bright display that is sure to cheer you up! If you don't have a bush in the house, driving to your destination and catching a glimpse of these pretty flowers can definitely lift your spirits, especially after the troubling goings on, which are apt to put your mind in a spin. Thank goodness the beauty of nature is there to make us feel better!

Unfortunately, this yellow flower can only be seen in a few places these days, having been sacrificed to 'deve-lopment,' whereas a couple of years ago it made a cheerful sight everywhere, especially along the medians in Islamabad. The sight of profuse yellow flowers growing in abundance is now relegated to the memory of those who have lived here.

While this pretty flower has no scent as such - their cheerful colour makes up for this deficiency - it grows on a hardy plant and blossoms for about a month or six weeks, new flowers replacing the old to keep the shrub looking as beautiful as it appears at it first blooming. Thereafter, the bush remains green and is still good to look at - especially if it is allowed to grow freely - and it makes a nice backdrop to other flowers if you have a big garden and need to cover the space in a pretty and aesthetic manner.

On top of this it has some medicinal value as well according to information about its properties. The flowers are astringent and a tonic for the heart and bowels. A paste made from the flowers is considered effective in the treatment of intestinal problems. The juice of the root is used in the treatment of ringworm. The milky juice of the plant is used for destroying the unhealthy lining walls of chronic sinuses and fistulas.