As usual, our annual winter trip to the tropics consists of visiting our stair landing and admiring our Hibiscus bloom. It’s a curious experience to be there while snow covers the ground outside the windows. This flower is the first of 2019.
The bloom offers all that it has during the day – an exotic explosion of unfurling colors and soft shapes meant to attract pollinators. At night, it wants to rest alone and closes itself tightly. This bloom soon will fall to the floor, a victim of its own exuberance. But, there are at least two more buds waiting for their chance to give away a Hawaiian vacation. (Brooklin, Maine)