Growing Rose of Sharon from Seeds

 

My rose of Sharon (Hibiscus Syriacus) - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Really, in Singapore? As we all know that hot weather is our daily temperature and the sun hits soo bright!  Whereas this type of flower loves low temperature and somehow is not suit in our environment. However, I would like to try with the advantage maybe Sunbird will approve and love it. 

Ichi's Garden: small Hibiscus - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

I do not remember when the exact time bought Hibiscus Syriacus. When did weekly grocery shopping, I was captivated by the seeds called Hibiscus? On the cover, they did not say what kind of Hibiscus that was. Something on my mind was willing to grow these seeds as I have been working on Project Sunbird. If this plant could produce such kind of flower that Sunbirds love, then this would be a further step to finding another Sunbird diet besides the common Hibiscus flower, Pedilanthus Little Bird flower that I have grown in my "garden." 

The bud of my special Hibiscus - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

A few days after buying that particular Hibiscus seeds, I started putting some seeds on the regular pot with potting soil. I placed it on the ledge in our laundry room where the morning sun hits the space. Not long to wait, the seeds sprouted and I gave it sprinkles water daily. Day by day, my sprout had not grown much until I moved the pot outside (in my "garden"). Since then, they have been growing stronger and taller than before with healthy leaves. Only 8 survived and I separated them into 3 different pots and gave them organic fertilizer. About 30 cm tall or less than 50 cm, they have produced flowers! My guess is the last week of January 2022, was when my rose of Sharon was full-bloomed! Nowadays, only one pot is left because others plants in another pot had been attacked by mealybugs and I cut and thrown them away. Meanwhile, the only one survived, I trimmed them so they will prepare to bloom again, hopefully!🤞🙂

My special Hibiscus, small yet pretty!🥰 - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

How long I had been waiting until full bloom? To be honest I do not remember. Maybe 4 months because at first I got some obstacles where they won't grow and looked weak.  What I can say is that it is worth to try growing this pretty Hibiscus. my neighbors admire this type of Hibiscus as they are small yet pretty enough to make our day smile and feel great. Every morning I have seen small pollinators flying around this flower when it bloomed. And you know what? I am quite happy because I succeed to create nature and attract some birds and pollinators. Today, not only does Sunbird visit my "garden" but Yellow-vented Bulbul also comes daily. In a rare case, sometimes Dove suddenly appears on my plant and eats tiny snails that are abundant on my potting soil surface as I have always picked up yellow leaves and put them on my potting soil surface. So, these tiny snails decompose the leaves to give nutrients to my plants, then the bird eats the tiny snails. In a specific event like a thunderstorm, many worms come out from the soil and somehow they just disappear; my guess might be the Bulbul bird eats them. For me, lots of worms grow in the potting soil which means these creatures help my plants to grow healthy. Sometimes my neighbor mentions that my plants look pretty and healthy despite the fact they grow in small pots. How?🌞✌

My pretty Hibiscus - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Although this kind of Hibiscus is typically hard to grow in our environment yet I managed to keep them in my best what can I do and bloomed 3 weeks ago. Maybe the last pot of rose of Sharon won't survive, however, I am satisfied with the result that I have working on it. Unfortunately, Sunbird did not approve of this Hibiscus as one of their diets. But, it doesn't matter since some of my Hibiscus plants have started to bloom so they still feel happy by visiting my "garden" daily to suck the Hibiscus flowers nectar!

My small Hibiscus bloomed about 3 weeks ago - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Growing Hibiscus Syriacus in a small space like the apartment? Why not! Maybe the result is not so great like we grow them in the ground. However, at least by doing this activity, we can create a habitat for some creatures one example birds, in a bustling city. We, humans, have taken soo much from nature, and now it is time for us to give back to mother nature, coexist side by side with nature.🌞🤗

Read my new article on Ichi's Fusion Recipes, link is here https://ichi-recipes.blogspot.com/2022/02/warming-sweet-skinless-boneless-chicken.html

Thank you for reading my article, see ya!🖐🌞

Note:

• Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Do not copy this article without permission
• Do not reuse these photographs anywhere else without permission

How to make Hibiscus bloom continuously?

 

My orange Hibiscus flower - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Look at the stunningly beautiful orange Hibiscus in the picture above, it is pretty, isn't it? Unlike nowadays that has bloomed continuously,  this plant hadn't flowered for more than a year! So, what did I do to make this plant finally back to track to produce buds and bloom?

It's unbelievable when I saw for the first time after more than a year my orange Hibiscus hadn't bloomed! Last year, I didn't do any gardening activities in my corridor due to the coronavirus situation. Yes, last year was a hard time for everyone here in Singapore, even we were under circuit breaker for 2 months or you can call it semi-lockdown as the new cases in the community spiked and many people felt uncertain with the situation. Therefore, I didn't care about the healthiness of my plants nor bought new flowers. Completely, we just sit tight at home, watched and read the news and listen to our government conference, what do and don't during this unprecedented crisis. Because of this, sort of to say, I abandoned my plants! Sorry...😐

Since early 2021, I have gradually started my gardening activities as the condition far more stable by buying chicken fertilizer to give my plants nutrients so that they are in good shape again. However, I noticed one of my plants; and it was my orange Hibiscus, looked skinny without any leaves along the big branch. Only some leaves on the top even though I put chicken fertilizer but still it hadn't any improved. What happened? 

My orange Hibiscus looks fluffy now and produces more buds! - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

A Hibiscus flower is typically a plant that loves planting on the ground. But, for me, it's virtually impossible to grow it on the ground since I live in an apartment. The only option is a pot to raise this flower. Well, it's quite challenging but I would like to try it. So, after bought from the flower and plant shop, my orange Hibiscus bloomed for some time until one day it didn't show any sign of buds. At this point, I trimmed in order to stimulate the growth of the flowers and gave it organic fertilizer. It failed!

More than a year, finally, my partner had an idea to buy fertilizer for bloom. Since then, once every two weeks, I put this special fertilizer to make it blooms! The result is fantastic! After the first fertilizer, I saw the growth of the leaves along its branch. Gradually, my orange Hibiscus produces buds and blooms! 

Nowadays, My orange Hibiscus looks fluffy than before. And now it's 8 weeks and produces buds continuously and attracts Sunbird. Yes, I have 6 pots of Hibiscus Flowers now which two of them are still growing. With those flowers in my "garden", it brings the bird in the garden every day. Start around 8 AM until 5 PM, my "garden" just similar to the feeding station where Sunbird comes and goes from dawn to dusk! 

That's what I did to make my orange Hibiscus blooms again and again. I put a special fertilizer for bloom. And it is not a big deal since the price of one pack of fertilizer (for bloom) only cost around $4. I can use it repeatedly because one plant only needs 1 tea table spoon or 1/2 of tbsp. So, it's quite a cheaper maintenance yet an amazing result. Moreover, I can use it for other Hibiscus plants so that I could provide a food source for the Sunbird. In another word, I create the Sunbird habitat in the apartment!😊

Note:

• Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Do not copy this article without permission
• Do not reuse these photographs anywhere else without permission

Red Hibiscus: The forgotten Flower

 

Red Hibiscus in my "garden" - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Welcome to Ichi's Garden! Look at the picture above, it is a beautiful and magnificent flower, isn't it? The red color makes this flower could easy caught in our eyes. The good thing is we can use it as a small Biology project if you want to learn parts of a flower and its functions. That's what I did when I was in the third year of secondary school. However, how Hibiscus become a forgotten flower and everyone ignore it? 

I mention in my article before that Hibiscus was a common flower in the village where I lived and grew up. We could easy to find red Hibiscus on the side of the village streets, gardens, or villagers' yards. Everyone knew it and seemed nothing special about it because lots of households had this bright beauty flower that attracted butterflies. Not only butterflies, but villager's children also used to pick this red flower when they played. I could say, maybe the people in my hometown didn't realize that this flower is really beautiful and become one of the flowers that sold in the flower shop and an expensive price in another country for instance, in Singapore. The price for 1 pot of Hibiscus flower is around $8 - $ 10.

My red velvet flower aka red Hibiscus in my "garden" in rainy day - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Year by year, one by one flower and plants that common in my hometown goes to in the edge of cliff including Hibiscus along with another flower, for example, Jasmine, Periwinkle, Crepe Gardenia, Gardenia flower, Aglaonema, Caladium. I remember one of my Indonesian friends told me that the Jasmine flower that growing in my "garden" was priceless and rare. I just wondered how does it happen because as far as I know, the Jasmine flower was a familiar flower in villager yards. Even my father grew 2 kinds of varieties in his garden, single petals, and double petals.

It started in 2000an when many of the new generations didn't care anymore about their flowers or plants that had been growing in their yards and garden. Meanwhile, their parent grew old year by year and fallen sick. Many of them cleaned up the garden and their yards just because they didn't want to take care of the plants. I asked one of them, "Why you chop all those fruit trees and all the beautiful flower plants that had been there for so many years?" Here is how she answered my question, " I do not want to rake the leaves that are an annoying thing." I was speechless!🙄 Why I speechless? Because when I lived in my father's house, I did rake all the leaves in my father's big yards every day. Moreover, on Sunday I helped my father to take care of flowers and plants. I would pull the weed as well. 

Red Hibiscus in my little "garden" - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Nowadays, I have seen many people in my hometown admire expensive plants that they think it is more have prestigious or could show their status in the community. One of those people is my classmates. They say it is their new hobby to collect plants that they call expensive. When I look at the plants that they claim priceless, I do not have any surprise. Why? Because it is some plants that actually exist in the past where many households in the village had planted in their yards or garden. The question is why these plants costly? I am sure you know the answer. First, they did not care about flowers and plants; second, as a result, many common plants and flowers in the village become rare every year; third, nowadays, they completely forgot their root and just following the wave where some people sells flower and plant that they claim as unique or inimitable plants. What I can say, some people took advantage of a business to promote flowers and plants that actually it was there in the same place many years ago before finally becoming a rare plant. 

What happens when people take gardening as a hobby? After those plants or flowers do not have any prestige or the price in the market falls down which means the price becomes cheap or no value on it,  they abandon those plants or flowers. I have seen these events repeat again, again. Moreover, they get bored because, in deep their heart, they buy that expensive plants or flowers for status in the community. Furthermore, taking care of the plants or flowers is just part of making the plants look good when their friends come to see them. 

My pretty red Hibiscus in the morning - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

In my view, people who love nature, basically, love flowers and plants without thinking about the status or prestige in it. They grow those plants because they want to. Me, for example, I grow flowers because I want to grow them and see the flower when it blooms. Moreover, it is a good thing if I can planting flowers that can feed butterflies and birds. That's it, Yes, just simple like that.😊

Back to the topic, why Hibiscus flower become a forgotten flower in the place where I lived. The answer is the same as many flowers or plants that I talk about. Hibiscus flower does not have any value in it which means there is no prestige or guarantee that will make someone getting high status in the community. If this happens continuously, someday Hibiscus will extinct for sure. Furthermore, when it happens, the environment has also gone where no more butterflies and nectar-eating birds around. 

When I was thinking about why it does happen, I just can see it because most of the children in my village did not get to school which means they grow and become uneducated adults. Many of them drop off from elementary school or secondary school. Some of them because they think school is not important and rely on their parent's money. Some of them simply did not have money to continue their study or lived in poverty. When children do not go to school and study, they do not know how fun to study floral in class and knowing it as knowledge. Like I said in the first paragraph, I picked Hibiscus flower to study the Biology in-class experiment. I was just excited to study parts of flowers. That's how I grow my respect for nature.

Start the day with my red bright Hibiscus - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Growing Hibiscus as a part of my "garden" plants is not only to remind of good memories about my hometown but also to create harmony with living around for example Sunbird that has always stopped by to feed themself. Another reason is to enjoy the beauty of this red velvet flower. Furthermore, I give my respect to nature that I have believed if we care the Mother nature, it will bring luck for us. Like my neighbor said, "if we grow flower or plant then bird come that means a good thing will come to us."

I think every flower has its own story. For me, like another flower, res Hibiscus also has its story that I could share with all of you. The bottom line about this story is that we have to respect the environment around us. Doing a small thing such as planting just some flowers or plants, that will make better harmony between us and small creature for instance butterflies and birds. Moreover, it is not that bad to planting some kind of flower that call "cheaper" and "kampoeng" ("kampoeng" means village) because every flower has its own beauty.

Read my another article on Ichi's Fusion Recipe, link here https://ichi-recipes.blogspot.com/2021/03/veggie-fried-hokkien-mee-with.html

Note:

• Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Do not copy this article without permission
• Do not reuse these photographs anywhere else without permission

 

The Beauty of Dwarf Hibiscus Flower

 

Dwarf Hibiscus Flower in my "garden" - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Who's loves this tropical flower? Talking about Hibiscus, it is identic with the tropical island as well. I agree this flower has a different magnet that could bring us to a shiny place where we could enjoy a day by relaxing on the beach! And in this article, I am going to talk about the beauty of dwarf Hibiscus!

Generally, the Hibiscus flower has big open petals that big as our palm. I used to see red color in my hometown but sometimes I could find a white one. Basically, it was single petals, however, there are double petals in different varieties. Two things that I could picture about Hibiscus are ease to grow and low maintenance. It should have become popular for those reasons, but it was not. People in my village did not take this flower as their favorite one in the garden. Why? Because Hibiscus was just a common flower in the villager's eyes.

Moving to Singapore many years ago make me want to create a "garden" by collecting some flowers that I used to see in my father's garden or yards such as Jasmine flower, Portulaca, et cetera. By growing those flowers, I can memories the old time when my father was around. Furthermore, Jasmine flower was my grandma's favorite when she told on how I should give respect to my ancestor by picking some stem of Jasmine that had some buds and put it into a glass with water. However, even though my father grew so many flowers and plants but he did not plant Hibiscus.

Dwarf Hibiscus in my "garden"; the flower is not big as you think - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

I loved Biology. Every time when we were studying Biology subject in the class I had always been excited, especially when talking about floral. I remember when I was in my third year in Secondary school, our Biology teacher told us to collect some flowers and did some small research in the class. One of those flowers was Hibiscus. We studied every part of this flower, for instance, pollen, flower pistil, petals, et cetera. It was a fun day!   

I chose Hibiscus as a part of my "garden" plant because it is common in my hometown. By planting them I can feel the scent of my hometown. The funny thing is when my Indonesian friend has always said, "why I grow flower that has no value or cheaper flowers?" In their eyes, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Portulaca, Periwinkle, are just "kampoeng" flowers. "Kampoeng" means village, it means that those flowers do not have status or prestige. When planting flowers and plants, I do not concern about the status, I do gardening because I love nature and the beauty of its flowers. That's what I feel growing Hibiscus.

Maybe 2 years ago I have tried to grow Hibiscus by buying Orange and yellow ones. Unfortunately, I throw the yellow one because it had a bad condition last year. Moreover, we are in crisis because of the Coronavirus virus. I did not do gardening last year because our "garden" is in the corridor. I avoided contact with my neighbor to protect our community. Last year was the toughest year in Singapore, we were 2-month semi-lockdown. However, nowadays, we are in good shape which means Singapore has succeeded in stopping the spread of the Coronavirus and become one of the safer countries during a pandemic. 

My Dwarf Hibiscus - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

The one left is Orange Hibiscus in my "garden." It was several times the flower blooms and attracts Sunbird to stopping by before I trimmed it. It looks like it won't have flowered for a while because a new stem hasn't come yet. But I bought another Hibiscus, there are red and tiny yellow Hibiscus. The red one is normal size Hibiscus, meanwhile, the yellow one is tiny Hibiscus that I call Dwarf because the flower is cute and pretty!

I haven't seen before about tiny Hibiscus. So, this is the first time I am trying to grow this variety. It seems different from the normal size that has always been love sunshine. I am still observing this cutie and learn about it. My feeling is that this Hibiscus doesn't like direct hot sunlight, I am not sure. It still needs time for me to understand this flower habit. Unlike the normal size Hibiscus, the more gain bright sunlight they will actively produce flowers because generally, Hibiscus flower withstands hot weather. Therefore, they need water every day.

Dwarf Hibiscus buds - Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti

Dwarf Hibiscus has its own magnet that not only could attract Sunbird but also my eyes. I have always been feeling happy when I see flowers in my "garden."  By looking at this bright flower, I find peace for a while or just take me break and get their pictures.  That's why I have always said that gardening is not a hobby. For me, it is one of my way to make me smile! 

I think the Hibiscus flower is one of the best choices to create a "garden" in a hot weather place. I know, the best place to grow it is in the ground, however is not that bad for planting them in a pot. Giving them organic fertilizer, trimming them by cutting some stems, and watering them every day, I think is enough to maintain this Hibiscus. 

Thank you for reading my article. The next article could be Rain Lily! Take care and bye for now!🖐😉

Note:

• Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Photographed by Acik Mardhiyanti
• Do not copy this article without permission
• Do not reuse these photographs anywhere else without permission