Our Hibiscus, china rose

 When we entered this house as the sole owners and trying to collect plants for our front and back yard  I was told( by the plant doctor…yes the gardener in our front park of the locality)  that having a red hibiscus plant growing on your property is considered a sign of   luck in parts of North India and in the Bengal region.  So imagine my disappointment when, these days due to extreme cold near about 3 degree here, our very own red hibiscus plant suffered from a severe attack of this cold and produce very small flowers .

I was   on the hunt for a beautiful bowl, and transformed an olden terracotta bowel embellish it with stones an filled it with water to float the single flower on the plant in it.   Wouldn’t this be fabulous in an entry in our front yard?  

 We people even spent an entire Sunday afternoon painstakingly wiping off each leaf with spraying water   to wash the accumulated dust of the road.  After a month of suspense, our china rose  sprouted its first flower last week – Hooray!

Here is our bathed flower, along with my daughter’s and niece’s favourite dresses – also featuring our beloved flower – a keepsake photo for both of them :

This flower is termed as MANDARA , as is the mythic Mountain Mandara-that was used to to churn the ocean of milk in the Puranic account of Lord Vishnu’s Kurma Avatar.  It is unclear if there is any link between these 2 terms. 

 For my earlier posts on my hibiscus click ..here  ,here  , here    here  ,  and  here             

xxx

Its winter here

Its cold, it’s gross out, it’s winter  in Haryana.  Please don’t mistake this as complaining, I am happy about this.  Winter is my favorite time of year (after summer of course).  So there is nothing that I want more on a day like today than to sit in front of computer with a shawl and sip on some hot tea.

Luckily for me my cup is cuter than yours.

This isn’t bragging.  Just stating the facts.

 Then  this week my daughter  asked if I made cup or mug cozies.  I usually fill my coffee or tea cup half full and go back and forth for refills quite often.  I was told that cozies keep your mug warm for twice the time.  My mind immediately went to the tea cozies I make which keep your tea pots warm much longer.  The best insulating fibers for cozies are wool or cotton.  I viewed several cup/mug cozies on the Internet and found many varieties.  Many of the artisans used buttons for closure, some made cozies without any openings and other cozies were only connected at the top and bottom like the one I made.  I used hand-spun wool to make my cozy.   i   crocheted its bottom.   I  intended to use it as decoration and for keeping the sweat off of table tops when drinking iced drinks.  Do you use a cup/mug cozy?  What type of a cozy would you prefer? 

 My Hibiscus, the china rose

Its my Hibiscus ……………….Oh no..it’s not today’s bloom I am just putting the old photos of July the month of my grand daughter’s  Bday. The so called single-petaled Hibiscus has a single tier of five petals. This red  variety is the national flower of Malaysia. It is robust, carries many blooms and rather disease-free so much so that at one time, it was commonly used as living hedges. Recently there seems to be a revival of  this practice

 The hibiscus flower appears to be quite cheeky with its "tongue" sticking out.

The petals are seen peeking out, waiting to burst at the seams of the calyx.

The next day it emerged and protruded forwards.

When the hibiscus is in full bloom, the petals flare out and curve slightly backwards. The edge of the petals are frilly.  The staminal tube comprising anthers and five-branched stigmata hangs freely down and sways with the breeze.With their striking vermilion hue, these Hibiscus flowers overshadow the Jatrop filled with so much blooms which framed them from above and below. 

  

This bush was transported from another clay pot in my backyard, then re-potted here in this recycled clay mosaic pot where it seems to be thriving. In order to transplant this Hibiscus plant,  I had all the flowers and most of the leaves pruned off. 

Baby Rehana is just 15 days old staring the bush

it seems she listens lullaby from the flower 

A simple arrangement where leaves and flower are plonked into a glass globe of water.

xoxoxo

my hibiscus,quote

There are always flowers for those who wants to see them 

--Henry Matisse

Where flower bloom, so does hope.
--Lady bird johnson

jatropa bloom

jatropa bloom 

This is jatropa bloom 

 “Listen with ears of tolerance!

See through the eyes of compassion!

Speak with the language of love”

― Rumi

Flower that smells

The sweetest is shy and lowly.

-William Wordsworth 

todays inspiration 
The Design Enthusiast

xoxo