Sunday, November 07, 2010

Hibiscus


This post is about my mom's Hibiscus plants.

After 5 months, I finally had the time to take a break and go home. For two weeks, I spent time with my mom, dad and grandma and spent some quality time with them. Okay.. It was supposed to be my "rest weeks" but instead of getting that rest, I found myself having a very hectic, busier schedule. Oh, but that story will be told, some other time. This post is all about my mom's hibiscus flowers. She has plenty.. different types, different flowers.. all beautiful.

Plants are living things, too. And somehow, they are also adapting to their environment. They grow depending on how you feed the soil, on the amount of sunlight and water you give them and how much time you spend talking to them. Mom said that they actually like to be "talked to". When I was a kid, I was very hesistant to believe the last part. Why? Well, to a kid, the most common answer to that is, "Plants can't hear a thing because they don't have ears. Duh!" But one day during 6th grade, I was proven wrong.

Just a quick story. It's actually a funny story, but I swear.. it happened. I was taking care of rose plant, a requirement for my agriculture subject in school. Enough sunlight. Enough water. Rich soil. But the plant didn't grow well. It was actually dying. I did eveything but all in vain. One day, I was angry at this rose plant because if it dies, I'd definitely get an F. I yelled at it. "Yuga! Ano problema mo man? Gintugro run kanimo tanan, gin alagaan kaw ti mayad, dasun amo pa kara? Hindi kaw mapatay ha! Bantayan mo lang!" ( Translation - Damn it! What is your problem? I gave you everything you need, took care of you.. and then, this? Don't you dare die on me! OR ELSE!")

A few days later, that rose plant sprang to life. And I got an A. Harharhar.. ☺ True story. I'm not encouraging you to yell at the plants, though. Hehe.. That time, I just got lucky that the little rose plant "listened" to me. Anyway.. just sharing that short story. Going back to my topic. The plant "hibiscus". As I've said, my mom has lots of them.. And here are some pictures..


Hibiscus (pronounced /hɨˈbɪskəs/ or /haɪˈbɪskəs/) is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing about 200–220 species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species are often noted for their showy flowers and are commonly known as hibiscus, sorrel, and flor de Jamaica, or less widely known as rosemallow. The genus includes both annual and perennial herbaceous plants, as well as woody shrubs and small trees. The generic name is derived from the Greek word ἱβίσκος (hibískos), which was the name Pedanius Dioscorides (ca. 40-90) gave to Althaea officinalis.

The hibiscus is a "complete flower" because it has all of the floral parts - the four basic parts - the sepals, the petals, the stamen (the male reproductive part of a flower which is made up of the anther and filament) and the carpels, which are usually fused in the pistil (the female reproductive part, made up of the style, stigma and ovary).

My mom definitely has a green thumb. Seems like everything she plants would immediately come to life. She'll leave a stem on the cultivated soil, it grows a leaf. She'll drop a seed on a pot, it grows a tendril. It makes me wonder.. "How does she do that?".

She told me some tips on how to take care of a flowering plant. Of course, I followed them.. but there must be something more. I can't seem to grow a plant with flowers blooming on each branch. Mom can. Oh well. I guess it's a secret.






*Excerpts from Wikipedia

34 comments:

  1. No secret..your Mom is one with the living world

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  2. I agree with Harry, no secret, love is the answer. Ever notice how a meal cooked with love is so much more sarap than one hastily thrown together? I've become a big fan of the hibiscus lately and there are magnificent ones in the Philippines. You've shown us a spectacular array of this pretty flower, I especially like the last one.

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  3. Aw may nakilala ako noon nafafascinate siya sa mga hibiscus... hehehehehe... kaso di ko na matandaan ngayon kung sino yun... hehehehhehe

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  4. The hibiscus flowers are really gorgeous!

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  5. Beautiful shots, Leah. I love Hibiscus flowers, I have only seen the red ones. Thanks for sharing, lovely blooms:)

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  6. I don't know if my comment was accepted by blogger...so I am commenting again.

    ^_^ At talagang tinakot mo pa yung halaman ah. Buti na lang at tumalab. Siguro natakot yung flower na iyon na patayin mo siya kapag namatay siya. Ayaw niyang ma double dead.

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  7. Very informative post! I love your story about your rose project...guess everything needs a little motivation once in a while to thrive! (:

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  8. The flowers are lovely. I have also given a 'stern warning' to my dendrobium plant when it failed to flower. I threathened to dispose it. Soon it started to flower for the first time!

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  9. Hej Leah


    I love hibiscus...They are the flowers let me think about my childhood and I have wrote about it some months ago

    Yes..I posted 3 stories with photos about ZANZIBAR..WITH THE SAME KIND OF FLOWERS....

    THANKS FOR YOUR COMMENT
    NICE DAY
    gRACE Olsson

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  10. I like your hibiscus and my favourite is the last one, it´s fabolous! :)

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  11. Ayos! Educational. Haha. Ang ganda naman nung bulaklak kahit hindi ako sobrang hilig sa flowers. Nanay ko din ganun. Basta siya magtatanim, instant gandang tubo. Haha.

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  12. That is so cute. :-) I love flowers, could never grow them though. I don't have the talent.

    http://ficklecattle.blogspot.com/

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  13. wow ganda ng nanay!. naniniwala ako na kailangan mong kausapin ang mga halaman.kung hindi mamamatay sila. di sapat ang matabang lupa , tubig at araw. iwan ko ba kung bakit kailangan silang kinakausap.
    love ko ang mga plants kaya alam ko.

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  14. Great collection of lovely gumamelas!

    When I lived in the lowland (Philippines), we had so many hibiscus around that I just looked at them as ordinary flowers. When I moved to Baguio City, where only a few varieties thrive, I started to like them and missed those in the lowland. Then when I moved here to Sweden, I started to wish I could see such flowers here. Maybe there are in some greenhouses, but I haven't discovered them yet.

    Thanks for showing these lovely flowers and for your comments on my photo blogs.

    Mabuhay!

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  15. Beautiful flowers! I like how you explained that it's a complete flower. :)

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  16. Wow beautiful variety of hibiscus.

    My Flower post. Have a great week ahead!

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  17. wow, you have all the colors! and the last one is stunning..i seldom see that kind of gumamela anymore. does you mom talk to her plants?:p

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  18. aw.. ang ganda nung mga flowers!

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  19. You mom garden must be lovely with so many variety of colours hibiscus! There a few bushes of red hibiscus just in front of my apartment and my next door neighbor have the same type of the red hibiscus in the first photo.

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  20. Wow, very lovely Hibiscus... Love it :)

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  21. Your mom's got the most beautiful hibiscus plants! After that experience, do plants still listen to you?:)

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  22. Hi Leah, thanks for your visit on my blog!
    Well I experienced a similar story to what you tell about your rose plant! My sister had a plant in her living room that would not grow nor die and she angrily yelled at the plant: If you won't grow, I'll throw you out! And the plant began to grow and became very beautiful. I also believe they can hear and miss you when you are not around.
    Have a nice week ahead!

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  23. Maybe because your mom doesn't yell at her plants but speaks to them gently the way a mother would to her children.

    It was nice to have come across your blog. I will visit again soon.

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  24. Hahaha nakakarinig nga sila. Your line made me laugh! hAHAHA sigawan daw ba ! hahaha! But true... They can hear and feel ... :D

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  25. Olá, querida!
    Linda coleção de Hibiscos! Se fosse um concurso seria difícil escolher o mais belo... Concordo com você, as plantas têm sentimentos e reagem a estímulos a sua volta. Aqui eu converso com elas e algumas mais antigas até possuem nomes carinhosos. Sua mãe deve ser uma pessoa positiva e ao plantar transmite só boas energias. Também achei lindinha a Sophie, estou aguardando a chegada de minha primeira netinha que vai se chamar Sofia, estou radiante!
    Abraços cariocas!

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  26. whoaah! really AWESOME photos you got there! gumamela is my favorite flower, i find it more WHOLESOME than rose, lol! nice post!

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  27. hahaha natakot ata sayo ang plant kaya na-force siyang mamukadkad hahaha...adik! Pero totoo yan kinakausap din tlga dapat ang plants...yan ang ginagawa ng nanay ko dati every morning tuwing nagdidilig siya ng mga halaman sa bahay...

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  28. lovely pics of hibiscus! ang tawag namin dun sa last pic ng gumamela e pansit-pansitan. i dunno why hehe

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  29. Awesome captures of beautiful flowers. Love the colours!

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  30. I love it, I love them all! I miss that summer flower!

    Iris sibirica

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  31. nice collection of hibiscus :)

    baw, karay-a ka gle.. hehe.. kruhay :)

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  32. I LOVE those pictures! Thanks so much for sharing!

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