Thanks to both and Nancy and Karen for their lovely comments on yesterday’s blog. Great coincidence that Karen should mention Hibiscus Red Heart as I read her comment just after I had taken the pics for this next blog.

The idea came to me when I saw the sun streaming through my kitchen window for just a few seconds - thought it would be good to put a cheery picture on the site as the weather today is predicted to be even worse than yesterday.


I adore these showy, tropical plants - they transport me to a beach in St Lucia where I spent a fabulous holiday a few years back and where I would certainly prefer to be at the moment.

There are more than two hundred species of evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals with extravagent flowers in a range of delicious colours. They need full sun and very rich humus soil which is kept moist in dry weather - wet I can do but dry weather is a bit thin on the ground at the moment so this one is staying put on my kitchen window. It has lived there happily since January, repeatedly producing these wonderful flowers which are delightful on a cloudy english day. Not quite as good as being in the West Indies but, for now, it will do.

These photos were taken in the garden about half an hour ago as the sun was out in between heavy showers. Thought I would give my hibiscus a taste of some real sun rather than through a pane of glass.

Maybe you are reading this blog in a country where Hibiscus (Malvaceae) grow in their natural state? Would love to receive your personal experience of these spectacular plants. I remember the colours in St Lucia were breath-taking - but that could have something to do with the number of rum punches I had drunk!

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