I was pleasantly surprised to see Moss Roses thriving in South Africa – every shade I had seen back in my homeland, Vietnam!
They are reminiscent of the countryside around my erstwhile home in Vietnam – yellow, orange, and purple swathes with splashes of white.
Moss Roses are ubiquitous in Vietnam. They were the first flowers I planted when I was young.
In Vietnam, moss roses are called 10-o'clock flowers. They are named so because they are all in full bloom when the clock strikes 10 - when the sun shines gently to the fullest.
I love them because they offer such bright shades of colours and they don’t need lots of attention.
On my regular cycling excursions from my new home in South Africa, I see many gardens showing off Moss Roses.
They are summer flowers here, dying back during the cold frosty winters – only to re-emerge in spring before blooming in summer.
I planted the Moss Roses you see in the photos in my pavement garden in 2017. They have kept growing year after year, until 2020 when they have been over-grown by California Poppies.
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| Moss Roses in my pavement garden |
Seeing them here makes me appreciate and love my roots more. I shall never lose the image of a Vietnamese pathway near my childhood village, blanketed with carpets of flaming, flamboyant Moss Roses. It is one of my treasured memories.
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| Moss Roses in my pavement garden |
Have a look at this link for an idea of how glamorous the Moss Roses of Vietnam can be: https://vtcnews.vn/con-duong-hoa-muoi-gio-doc-dao-o-mien-tay-moc-mac-nhung-van-hut-mat-ar637945.html
Something I have learned, living in another country, in a different culture, is that we should never take anything for granted.
Be present, enjoy the moment – the sights and sounds, and aromas of every occasion. They cannot be relieved.
Vietnam is a special place with beautiful, gentle, people; cornucopia of foods; breathtaking shades of green; and textures of every form.
It is not necessarily better elsewhere; just different. Love and appreciate what you have.
Mai from Vietnam
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| California Poppies |
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| California Poppies |
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