HIBISCUS SAGA
My Balcony Became a
Summer Garden
When moving to this Seniors' residence, several years ago, end of
October,
I brought with me two Hibiscus plants: one would bloom with
single-petalled yellow flowers ~
the other, produced double-petalled colourful coral blooms.
When the temperatures were about the same (inside and out),
I brought them inside, placing them near windows.
In Spring, I pruned their branches before movng them to the balcony
again for their 'summer retreat'.
Previously,
I've written about the dilemmas I faced, when Blackie
and Grey (two squirrels)
who frequently visited, insisted on demolishing these 2 plants by
chewing their leaves.
After 2 summers, my gorgeous hibiscuses died.
Not
to be undone, Blackie
and Grey, returned
again to attack
my
flowering hanging baskets and a couple long flower-filled planter
boxes on my railing.
The following summer, I resorted to colourful, artificial flowers.
Bundling and covering them well, I winter-stored them beneath my
balcony table.
Yes! You guessed ~ they simply chewed through the plastic coverings
to satisfy their quest.
Winter came...occasionally I saw them scampering to locate hidden
nuts.
Hungrily,
these 'cute little buggers' climbed the brick wall with their sharp
little claws, searching for food and when none was found on my 3rd
balcony floor, they decided to 'break
and enter' my
apartment. Shocked I was!!! to see both of them, trembling on my
living room carpet (obviously looking for their 'food fix'). Trying
to shoo them away, I opened the balcony and screen doors...but to no
avail ~ they dashed to the hallway and bedroom to escape...shooing
them away, they then rushed back to the living room...dashed out to
the balcony... and there they madly scaled down the brick
wall...hustling to the trees along the 'hydro-right-of-way...and
retreating into their winter nests.
It was only after they escaped, that I noticed a huge torn hole in my
bedroom window!
Pesky
little creatures, a few days later, while sitting at my computer, I
noticed Blackie and Grey sitting on the window ledge where they'd
already made a hole in the screen beside me while I was computer
typing...with plans, I assume to again' break
and enter'
through this window to gain access to my apartment...no doubt again
on their food quest. With flat hands along the screen, I pushed
them out through the broken screen hole...and again, they scrambled
down the brick wall to the level ground.
.
In the summer of '15, I hung 2 flowering baskets on my wall;
I
couldn't believe it when Grey
consistently,
insisted on visiting my far basket.
Good
Grief!
I thought, as with broom bristles,
I
constantly chased him (her?)...until, SHE left the basket... carrying
her nude baby in mouth...but dropping it on the balcony floor before
my feet...hurrriedly, picked it up again...and dashed off,,,rushing
down the brick wall 3 floors to the tarmac below...dashing off to a
few woodland trees along the bike trail. Never saw either
Grey
or Blackie
again ~ hoping this was 'good riddance!!!
Following
a sojourn, when in '16 and'17, I saw neither of these squirrels ~ at
end of August that year, visiting Holland Park Garden Center, I
enquired about purchasing a Hibiscus plant...the plants were gone,
said an employee, “We do have Hibiscus Bushes”. Bushes? Yes,
they had 5 remaining along the eastern fence....four in full
bloom...the 5th
one with undetermined colour blooms...with a $20 deduction, this one
I purchased...being a 'bush', it was much bigger and bushier than the
hibiscus plants. An employee carried it to my car...squeezing its
leafy limbs into my back seat area. Arriving at my residence, the
'super on duty' retrieved it....placed it in a 'grocery cart'...and
in my apartment, he placed it on the balcony. Graciously, I thanked
him, promising to give him the first colour bloom it produced!
Loving its northwest environment, it soon started to bloom: a
single-petalled flower in gorgeous coral...and continued last summer,
to bloom and bloom and bloom with many, many buds before autumn's
cool days arrived. The beauty of hibiscus, whether plant or bush, is
that the blooms come and go, throughout the season...forming a bud
first...preparing to open in a day or two...then in full bloom for 2
full days before closing of petals and dropping to the floor or
ground. For the full season of blossoming, there was a continual
offering of over 70 blooms. Hibiscus is so delightful!
As per instruction, I moved it indoors when temperatures are about
the same inside and out. In the spring of this year, 2018, I pruned
its branches, moved it to my balcony end of April..and over these
several months, produced 57 magnificent blooms...and now inside near
my balcony door (end of October), another 17 buds have bloomed. This
bush I have, regiments its behaviour ~ in that, from advice from the
botanist at Holland Park, the Hibiscus may lose its foliage in
autumn, when cool weather arrives....many leaves have turned yellow,
dropping off ~ and when, as all blooming has ceased, I shall prune
its branches low to a green notch allowing the 'bush' to rest over
winter in preparation for spring's new growth. Today, one bud has
opened to a 5-inch beauty...with 2 or 3 other buds awaiting to fully
bloom. What an amazing 'plant' or 'bush' the Hibiscus is!!!
To me, this bush is akin to a child:
whose growth we observe ~ awaiting development!
Wise
Words from the Wise
Flowers are Love's truest language. (Soren Kierkegaard)
Be honest, be nice, be a flower ~ not a weed. (Aaron Neville)
There are always flowers for those who want to see them. (Henri
Matisse)
I wanted it said of me by those who know me best
that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower
when I thought a flower would grow. (Abraham Lincoln's belief)
Unknown
Prophesy:
Welcome to the “Karma Cafe”
There are no menus.
You will get served what you deserve.
Author: Merle Baird-Kerr...written November 13, 2018
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