The Powder Puff Passion
I first came across a powder puff on my mother’s dressing table. It lay inside a cylindrical box, on top of a bunch of white powder.
My mother would open the box with one hand, lay the lid down, gently push the puff against the powder and then swish it on her two cheeks. I was fascinated by this procedure.
My mother got me a powder box with a puff. It was made of paper mache and hand painted, from Kashmir. I was in powder puff heaven.
A couple of years ago I started seeing the powder puff plant. I mean really SEEING it. Its red blooms fascinated me and reminded me of my mother’s powder puff.
I saw it in different places — parks, gardens, other people’s homes. The red flower was intoxicating. I became rather passionate about the powder puff plant. I liked the delicate balance of the darkish slim longish leaves against the blood-red flower.
Finally, on one trip to the nursery I bought a powder puff plant and brought it home. Raamu, the gardener, put it on the ground floor patio of our home. But it didn’t get enough sun.
So, we brought it up to the first floor back terrace. But, there were no blooms, and I was very disheartened. On several occasions I would say to Raamu: why doesn't it bloom? He’d smile sheepishly and say, it will.
I was intrigued. All the plants got a regular dose of the home-made compost we made from the kitchen leftovers. In a conversation with my brother-in-law Jasbir, I mentioned that some plants were not flowering as well as they could. Put some wood ash, he advised. I ordered it online and treated the plants to it.
Last year, when the lockdown was announced due to Covid-19, the gardener stopped coming, so I started taking more of an interest in the plants. As I watered, weeded, uprooted, planted and photographed them, I got to know them better. Previously, I was an onlooker, not paying them the attention they deserved.
For example, last April when the hibiscus started drying on the plant, I picked it and put it on my table. Next day, it was all crinkled up and rather beautiful. And, more so the next day, That was the beginning of my dried flower project as I started plucking the flowers when they were almost dead and bottling them.
A few months ago, as the weather warmed up, for the first time I noticed a bloom. I was ecstatic! I started watching the plant. Its now about six feet high and the ants love it.
Three days ago, I was in the back terrace and noticed a stem with little nodules on them. I’d never seen it before. I probably hadn’t bothered to look too closely. It was the bud of the flower, I later learned by watching it more closely.
The ants loved them too as about six large black ants were hovering over them. Then two powder puff blooms appeared.
Yesterday, the nodules changed colour and because deep red. This morning they bloomed. This evening they drooped and withered away.
I am so excited that I was able to witness the metamorphosis of this beautiful flower.
Today I did a water colour of the flower and leaves.
I am so happy the plant has begun to bloom. I intend to watch it carefully, every day.
It is after all, my passion. One of many.
