My Plants

Last year I learnt how to grow roses. It’s so easy. Just take a few cuttings. Remove the thorns. Rub rooting powder, and plant them in pots. Once the roots come out, you can plant them in flower beds. I got a total of fifteen new roses from the three purchased. I gave away a few to my daughter, some to neighbors, and the rest I planted for myself.

When we moved into our present home, there was a lovely shrub bearing fragrant white flowers in the backyard. In February 21 when the weather turned Arctic, I lost most of my plants like lichees, cherries, date palms and avocado. The white flowers shrub got burnt down by the cold weather. Recently I found out it’s name. It’s called Arabian Jasmine. Miraculously it grew again.

Last year I had tried the rose technique with it. It failed. This year I tried again. I took two cuttings, and put them in a plastic glass filled partially with water. Masha’Allah both the cuttings have grown roots, and there are green leaf shoots too. I’m waiting for the roots to grow longer, then I will Insha’Allah plant them in the ground.

Two of the Arabian Jasmine

Some plants are hardy like the Setcreasea. The other name for this plant is Purple Queen. It may wither with cold weather, but renews itself once warm weather comes along. It’s a very forgivable plant. You can neglect it, and it will stay. It propagates easily, that’s an amazing trait.

Setcreasea (Purple Queen)next to Aztec

I have always loved to have geraniums, specially red ones. They are so eye catching. I met with zero success with them. The Pakistani counterparts I had were hardy. They never withered away. Here buying them is useless. I never could fathom why they dried. This year I didn’t buy any. What is the use if they won’t survive? It’s just money wasted.

Son has got me two Azaleas, one Gardenia, and a huge pot of Mums. The Gardenia, and Mums were my birthday gifts. Gardenia was from Son, and the cold weather hit it hard. The Gardenia was in the entrance to our home. The plant turned brown. I waited for it to renew itself once Spring came along. It remained the way it was. I couldn’t throw it away. I planted it in the ground in the front yard. Finally it showed signs of renewing. Here it is :

Gardenia looks small in front of Xenias

My indoor bamboo wasn’t happy indoors, but it didn’t survive the cold weather either once I transferred it outside. I looked to see every time I was outside. I detected new shoots, so I divided it. Two are inside, some remain in the ground, some are in pots out on the patio, and this one is in the front yard.

One of the bamboos

Mini Rock Garden

My outdoor rock garden

My indoor cactuses

My outdoor rock garden suffered a draught of water, while I was away, so there were casualties. Some didn’t survive. I have removed the dried ones. I thought I had removed all of them, but after taking the photo, I can see the one I missed.

My indoor cactuses had one too. It had turned black by getting more water than needed.

Every year it’s like gaining new knowledge about plants. Last year it was about growing pineapples. They didn’t survive my absence of two months plus getting entombed in snow during the month of February. There are some really mini ones growing in a plastic container. I’m waiting for them to grow a bit stronger before planting them outside.

This year it was roses, and how easy it was to grow them from cuttings. I have Masha’Allah about nine of them of them now grown from cuttings. I wish I had this knowledge years before.

I had a Dracaena. In a way still have it. It hanged onto life with tenacity when I wasn’t there to rescue it. Last year it was about to give up for forever by turning a sickly yellow, I transferred it from the pot to the ground. It started flourishing. I was so happy. Come February, and the snow got it. The only remain was an ugly, dry, black stump. For a month I let it be, then tired with waiting for it to show any sign of life by turning green, I tried to pull it from the ground. It wouldn’t budge. I left it for Son to help me with pulling it out.

Son, as usual with him wasn’t home. He would be away some place else. Thank God for miracles. Lovely new green leaves sprouted from the base of the ugly stump. Masha’Allah.

Minimal

Today I discovered the minimal style of selecting three flowers, and a little greenery at three different heights in three different vases on a mirrored plate to create a minimal flowers arrangement. Cool, isn’t it?

At home in Peshawar (not here), I have acquired over a period of time, two (if I remember correctly) sets of three each different vases. I didn’t purchase them, but are gifts from friends. I never knew what to do with them, except to arrange them on a mantelpiece collecting dust. Whenever I go back the first two weeks are spent feverishly cleaning, washing the various knick knacks, and removing the clingy dust.

Maybe next time I am over there I will try the minimal flower arrangement. When dear husband was alive, I would ask his permission to cut a few of his beloved roses from the front garden of roses he created. I needed them for flower arrangement in the sitting area, or the dinning table. I was minimalist in my approach. I did it only when company was expected, or it was a special occasion.

In the beginning it was a total Nahna. He couldn’t stomach the idea. Gradually he relented to let me cut a few of them. Now the roses have vanished as he did too.

…

DAILY PROMPT

Minimal

Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/minimal/

A Memo to Myself

  
It’s hard to feel rejuvenated when you are bitten by a bug, the area becomes red and itchy, and you hope it won’t detoriate further into something else. I am looking with trepidation at my left hand and left foot, asking myself why did I go outside?

I went outside to get a photo of roses. There were so many dried ones still hanging on. I went inside to get a bag and scissors. Operation de heading began. I went on snipping and cutting removing unsightly leaves too.

  
The bugs in retaliation bit me. The bitten finger on my left foot has turned red. My left hand has been bitten too.

Memo to myself: Next time don’t go out in slippers. Wear socks and shoes for stepping in grass and going near plants. Don’t forget to wear gloves.
DAILY PROMPT

The Young and the Rested

When was the last time you felt truly rejuvenated and energized? What made you feel that way?

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/the-young-and-the-rested/

Fragrance of Flowers

Daily Prompt: Seasonal Scents
S’mores, salty ocean breezes, veggie burgers on the grill, sweaty people on the bus — what’s the smell you associate the most with summer?

http://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/seasonal-scents/
Fragrance of Flowers

We Were The Stars

Daily Prompt: The Cat Says Meow

Write a story about yourself from the perspective of an object, thing, animal, or another person.
Show Perspective.

An e- mail from my plants to me.

Dear Sheen, Our Sad Nods To You.

You would open the outside door, down the steps you would come, and greet us all. It was a sight, dear to our hearts. It would be evening time. The sun who scorched us during day, would be leaving to take a nap.

We would sway in the light sprinkling of water with which you would quench our thirst.

Your smiling face haunt us now. Just see, when you were here, we never thought you will abandon us for such a long period. We thought we were the moons, we were the stars in your existence. What happened to us? We miss you. Don’t you miss us?

Last year when Mr.R was having Chemo, the most you used to be away was two weeks or a month.

You have left us at the mercy of Mrs.A, who occasionally peeps out at us, from behind the curtains. She doesn’t have any time for us. She never comes out and talk to us. We are sad and disillusioned.

You would be talking all the time to us, examining us and removing dead foliage. You would be dead heading faded blossoms, your face flushed with the exertion, removing damaged leaves and stems. Your looking after us, kept us healthy.

Your brown hair would be falling on your face, while you bent to peer at us. At moments like those, you would forget your aching back, which hurts a lot we know. You would remove the slimy slugs and beastly snails, accompanied with jumping back, and low shrieks of Eee…….. , so that the next door neighbors won’t hear you.. The snails have punched holes in the Lilies’ leaves now.

The Geraniums are looking pathetic with brown leaves. We all look the same with tattered foliage.

The lilies of the Valley are overcrowded in their pots. The Palms have cracked their containers. You have to come and fetch new pots for them. The Ferns look pale now. We hope they survive till you come back to us.

Your Chinese Grass is over run with weeds. The weeds are having a jolly good time, if you ask our opinion. Nobody takes care of us like you used to do. Please come back soon. Waiting, your Loving Plants.
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/daily-prompt-perspective-2/
We Were The Stars

Images: Thanks to Google

PERSUADING BABA

The dialogue went on like this, “We are still going. You know Baba,I told you Baba we are going to the pool.” This was IB asking his father to take them to the pool. He was talking while gliding down on the stairs’ railing. At lunch time IB asked both his parents. Both said, “No.” They had their own reasons. Baba was tired from cutting his roses and tending the vegetable patch and Mama had earlier given Brunch to her friend and family. So, she was equally tired.

IB kept up pressure on his Baba. At lunch both his parents kept saying no. He climbed up to his father’s lap to put added pressure. Earlier he had recited, “Eenie, meenie, miney, mo to decide who should take IB and the other two to the pool. The ‘mo’ ended on Baba and IB’s mother was ecstatic on getting scot- free.

IB kept reminding his father, “I picked you Baba by saying Eenie, meenie, miney, mo. All the while, Baba protesting, “I am tired IB…….O.” IB’s father likes to add an O to his children’s names. IB kept running down the stairs to Baba’s side at intervals, trying to wear him down with his child’s logic, amid Baba’s protestations that he was tired.

Baba didn’t budge from his stance and finally IB gave up.

This was between my son and grand son.

IB showing me his goggles and air apparatus.