The Pink Hibiscus I think the hibiscus bush is probably the prettiest plant of them all. It’s my favorite flower. The red ones are very nice, very deep in their color and texture; and the yellow ones are certainly vibrant and rich, but the pink hibiscus flowers – a pastel pink without too much color - are probably my favorite. You have to like a plant that blooms all the time, and here in Florida a hibiscus will bloom almost year round. I don’t know where they originated, but they look Hawaiian to me, and that’s cool, but that’s not why I like them. It’s hard not to like a plant that is so easy to install and maintain. Low maintenance foliage around the house and property is the key to a happy weekend. And a hibiscus is low maintenance. A big, open flower is a smile, and a hibiscus blooms all the time. So, it’s a happy plant. And even through most of our Florida “winter,” our hibiscuses bloom constantly. (Hibiscus, hibiscuses? What’s the plural? Hibuscae? I hope it’s hibiscuses; anything else will sound silly. I’m not looking it up.) They’re hard to kill, even when our occasional frosts kill everything else. They just have to be cut back, and then they bloom pretty quickly again in spring. When we pulled out the little palm tree from next to the pool – well, it wasn’t so little when we finally took it out – but when we finally pulled it out, we replaced it with a hibiscus. We had two hibiscuses on the sides of the back doors at the time, plus one or two others in the garden, and my wife assured me she could transplant one easily. I liked how they looked on the sides of the doors; like I said, a constant smile, which is pretty nice when you are headed off to work or coming home from a long day. Hibiscuses don’t grow too tall, either, and won’t get any nasty thorns that might bother people sitting around a pool, especially somebody in a bathing suit. That stupid palm tree had millions of thorns. Who knew? That thing had thorns all over it, you just couldn’t tell. And it got pollen all the dang time, too, which I found out I am allergic to, AFTER I planted it. I’ll admit, it was pretty, though; and it gave the right tropical look to the pool. But it was only pretty from a distance; get up close and that thing would let you know who’s boss. In the end, it got too tall; it put holes in the top of the pool screen enclosure, and dropped nuts and palm fronds all over, and was constantly putting out pollen and this burlap-looking husk crap all over the deck. Very messy. HIGH maintenance. Not the hibiscus. Whatever pollen they do, it doesn’t bother me. And added plus. Since they bloom all the time, I am often greeted by a small bouquet of hibiscus flowers, fresh picked by my 3 year old daughter. Every morning, she runs to the back window and looks to see if she has any flowers. “Daddy, there are flowers!” she will say. “There are?” I ask in mock surprise. “Where?” “There!” she replies, pointing to the far side of the pool deck with enthusiasm, and hopping up and down in her pajamas. “There ARE flowers! Should we go get some?” “YES!!!” “What color should we get?” I always ask. “Pink!” is always the reply. Then she runs and picks them, rain or shine, and brings them in. There is a method to the whole process. Mommy taught her how to pick them properly, so they still have a small stem attached. That way, they can drink water and stay fresh looking all day. They are checked for ants – while still outside, usually – and then brought in. There are pink and yellow ones that she can reach on the pool deck, and a few other colors on the hibiscus plants in the garden. But pink is her favorite. We arrange the flowers in a small cup of water, sometimes just one flower, but usually two or three, and we ensure that the stems of each are long enough to get a drink. Then she slowly transfers them from the sink to the kitchen table, taking care to not spill any water by holding the cup with two hands, and staring at it the whole trip. From there, they adorn the kitchen table all day, from breakfast right through diner. If you happen to drop in, she might just escort you over to the table to admire her handiwork. Then, in the evening, when the dishes are done and the lights are turned low, and my daughter is finally asleep, the little cup is quietly emptied and the wilted flowers are secretly tossed. In the morning there will be new ones that need to be picked. And every morning she will run to pick them. And every morning she brings them in. And she says “I picked these for you!” One day, when she has grown up and moved away, people will wonder why we have so many pink hibiscus plants all around our house. And I will tell them, it’s because it’s my favorite flower. If you liked this story, please LIKE our Savvy Stories PAGE and share it with your friends! https://facebook/SavvyStoriesByDanAlatorre
Posted on: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 11:25:13 +0000
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