Friday, October 26, 2007

a nice day...

My husband and daughter were out riding bikes this evening and stopped by and asked a nweighbor for a cutting from their Confederate Rose plant.

yay! what a lovely flower it has.

The Confederate Rose is actually in the hibiscus family, and is an old Southern "pass along" heirloom plant.

It has blossoms that are about hand sized, and the plant can grow up to 10 feet tall!

The blossoms start out as a bright white, then as the day progresses the blossoms turn a pale pink, then by the end of the day they have turned a hot to dark pink color. Extremely awesome flowers. So very pretty.
This hibiscus apparently was first cultivated in Europe during the 1690s and then transported to Southern gardens in colonial America, where it took on a new identity. By the mid-19th century it had adapted so well in the South that it became a pass-along plant.Not much else is known about the American history of the Confederate rose. Even how it came by its common name remains a mystery. There is a legend, however, inspired by the Confederate rose's prominence in Southern cemeteries. After the Civil War, the legend goes, impoverished Southerners used this easily propagated heirloom found in their gardens as a substitute for other shrubs they could not afford to buy. It's more likely that the familiar name of this hibiscus was prompted by the shape of its flowers.

I was able to get about 4 cuttings from the branch that hubby was given by the neighbor, and I really hope that they grow.
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We are going to try and get out to some garage sales for fun tomorrow.
It is always fun to snoop.:0) And once in a while come across some really fun treasures.
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I hope that you all have a very lovely weekend.
~The Garden Goose~

3 comments:

Flea Market Queen said...

I love the rose...
Hope you have great luck growing them!
Priscilla

Anonymous said...

Hi Tnia,
How are things with you. I see a storm is brewing out there and may head toward Fl. . I will pray it misses you.
I have been enjoying your garden.
Hugs,
Elizabeth

Quinne said...

What a lovely flower! I hadn't heard of them before. My sweet daughter loves flowers as much as I do, and I think she would be thrilled with this one. Love to you! Q