A Meeting with a Hearty Twist

By Vijaya Chamundeswari

There was so much cheer and laughter at the Children’s Park in Spurtank Road Chetpet. An array of plants brought by our members was reason enough. The plant of the month being Sea Hibiscus had colourful leaves that hung from their petioles. These heart shaped leaves quivered and shivered as the air gave them a breezy touch. Some had turned red, while some were a golden yellow. The entire tree was like a bunch of blushing brides.

Hmmm…..lets jump to facts from this romance. The Sea Hibiscus is a hardy plant and so flexible that it can be twisted and shaped to your fancy. Wonder why some masters like it to be bare without leaves (heartless!). With all its leaves plucked out from the petioles, it will still burst out into fresh foliage with the leaf hearts literally falling for you. Careful with die back as they love to have a good sun bath and at the same time balance it out with a love for water. Soil can be a well-draining one with akadama and pumice. Fertilize them with organic manure and repot once a year to keep them healthy. An addition of NPK can speed up the growth. Pests like Spider mites and Aphids can be controlled with a spray of neem oil. Having a botanical name - Tiliaceus and a common name - Cotton Wood, fisher folk use the wood to float their nets in sea. This interesting tree can be easily propagated by cuttings dipped in pure RO water for a week or so and with roots having formed, can be shifted to soil. Pick your plant from the varieties available – variegated, small leaf or large leaf and add them to adorn your bonsai collection. Mohan’s plant was admired by all as you can see in the picture.

Dr. Yogesh ready to work on Mohan's plant
while Mohan hides behind the screen guessing the outcome😄

Now lets rock and roll with literati style or Bunjin as the Chinese would love to call it. Twist the trunk and shake off a few leaves, knock off some branches and you have a dancing figure in a pot. Nature turns misery to mirth by accepting challenges and staying strong. Weather beaten or insufficient sunlight due to a near by hindrance makes some trees bend and twist and somehow survive disasters. Mostly the ones on hilly slopes bend over due to landslides, yet hold on to soil with a strong foothold of roots. This style is quite a challenge for bonsai enthusiasts to achieve for they need constant care and observation. The outcome is marvellously artistic. Thank you, Dr Yogesh, for the superb demonstration and points to remember. That was so inspiring.

Vandana's literati after the twists and turns💃🏻

As always, the youngest Harini did all the service, while we enjoyed our hot cup of coffee; chatted over some chat munching, and dispersed with chopped off branches as return gifts of our masters.