Friday, January 30, 2009

The shoeflower that blossomed two days too late


I wanted this flower to blossom before parents left for Mumbai. But like the innumerable things I want that evade me, this was not to be. It bloomed today, exactly two days later than it was supposed to.

Supposed to? Anyways... It would have been really nice if it had blossomed two days before, so that I would have proved that I do indeed water my plants and the nurserywala does not manage to cheat me each single time.

Coming to think of it, Shoe flower is such an inapt name for a flower as lovely as this. Anyone knows why is it called so?


Mummy's lovebird birds now have three chicks. When I told someone this, he said I make the birds sound like mammals. The new female lovebird I got is as crazy as she can get. She has her seeds swinging upside down from the jhula. She pecks the male innumerable times when he silently eats his food and works up a frenzy when he chooses to ignore her. She bit me real hard when I was putting her in the cage and thank God for the napkin I use to handle the birds. The earlier pair, whom I miss so often, would lie as quiet as babies just out of shower, and open their mouths at the sight of the dropper to take their vitamin.

5 comments:

Indian Home Maker said...

Your love birds sound so cute! I have taken care of birds on and off when we found them fallen off the nest but found myself quite incompetent.
Still one thing I realised was that they do respond very adorably. Once a baby bird used to come the moment I reached out to feed her an open her beak wide, making a demanding racket. But somehow just like that one morning I found it dead.
Isn't Shoe flower also called Chinese Rose and Hibiscus?

Dr. Ally Critter said...

What a lovely post!
Please post some pictures of those birds

Glassbeads said...

U know its nice that nature doesn't do things the way we want them thats why its so endearing :) the hibuscus and lovebirds give us joy because they are unpredictable, maybe thats why its so lovely to get drenched n unexpected rains than during the monsoon season and a rainbow brings a smile coz its rare :)

Nino's Mum said...

The hibiscus is also known as the flower of celebration in some cultures, such as Singapore.
Nino loves it too, though he's the one who told me 'mum, that's not a shoe flower, it's a high-bis-cust'.
We've a potted one that gives us rare but absolutely magnificent yellow flowers.
Must have been rejuvenating having your folks visit you.

Gauri Gharpure said...

IHM-- They are cute.. rearing up chicks is the toughest, yes. Shoe flower is indeed called those other names, but why the shoe before flower.. :) one of the quirks of taxology, may be..

Alankrita--- thanks..I will let u know when I put up the pics..

NM-- yes. u r right. we get demanding at times, don't we? :)

Aditi-- yes, it's the national flower of Malaysia, they have it on the coins too, and wonderful gold jewellery with the flower also..
I have seen the yellow flower, looks magnificent. It was great while they were here, yes. Love to Nino..