Kathmandu, April 5 -- I can't help myself when I see flowers," saysbotanical artist and illustrator Neera Joshi." I have to paint them."

Outside her studio, the spring garden is blooming with bright pink azaleas, orange daisies, and lush calla lilies. They were splashes of colour against a city shrouded in smoke this week.

Inside, Joshi sits cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by framedbotanical artwork.On Tuesday, 32 of her paintings will be on display at Siddhartha Art Gallery for a three-week-long exhibition.

"Many people do not know what botanical art is because they have never seen it," explains Joshi. "It is a means visual communication that will enable Nepalis to recognise and appreciate our rich and varied biodiversity."

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