hibiscus international · grown in brazil, u.s., france, ukraine, russia, japan and germany, why...

HIBISCUS INTERNATIONAL

HIBISCUS INTERNATIONAL 1

This stunning Christmas treedecorated with Hibiscus flowers

(refreshed daily) is gracing the home ofDick Johnson in Tahiti.

Thank you Dick for sharing thisglorious treat with us!


Glass house at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens, Banglaore

Pushpa Suresh (left)

and

Shyamala Madappa

An important Hibiscus Gene Bank is beingcreated at the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens,Bangalore. It was officially launched in2015 with the planting of nearly 300Hibiscus plants. The event was attendedby the Chief Justice of India and manyother important guests.

Green experts and advisors, Dr. Ravindraand Dr. Yellappa Reddy, both connected toLalbagh, had been toying with the idea ofhaving a Hibiscus Gene Bank at Lalbaghfor quite a while. 'It doesn’t exist anywhereelse in India, although hundreds ofvarieties are Indian derivatives that areprospering in many other countries. That iswhy Lalbagh took up the matter' says

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens (which means The Red Garden in English) is a wellknown botanical garden in southern Bangalore, India. The garden was originallycommissioned by Hyder Ali, the ruler of Mysore from 1761–1782, and laterfinished by his son Tipu Sultan. It has a famous glass house which hosts a lavishannual flower show. Lalbagh houses India's largest collection of tropical plants,has a lake, and is one of the main tourist attractions in Bangalore.

NEWS FROM INDIA

HIBISCUS GARDEN CREATED INBANGALORE

J.Gunavantha, the Deputy Director ofHorticulture at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens.

Although Lalbagh boasts a massive rosegarden on 2.1 acres with varieties ofroses sourced from all over the world, theHibiscus, which is largely native to India,has not had a place for establishing itsidentity.

Drs. Ravindra and Reddy contacted the‘Hibiscus Ladies of India’ Pushpa Sureshand Shyamala Madappa who, as proudBengalureans, meticulously worked onunderstanding the genes of the Hibiscus.After extensive study and research on its‘seed growth’, the two ladies have


together grown nearly 10,000 Hibiscusplants through their seedlings, crosspollination and hybridisation expertisegathered from all over the world over theyears.

'Pushpa and Shyamala, who haveinternational credits and awards inmapping their individual creations inHibiscus varieties, will be supplying 300Hibiscus plants of 150 varieties and coloursto mark the beginning of the first phase ofplanting in Lalbagh' says Gunavantha.

'After six months, the next lot of plants willcome in to add to the thousands that needto be planted in six phases.' he adds. 'Theefforts of Pushpa and Shyamala will go along way in creating a permanent asset forthe future of Hibiscus nurturing andshowcasing for posterity. Lalbagh will needto plant them and later collect the seeds forgenemapping which will happen in thenext two years' he says.

Green enthusiasts Pushpa Suresh andShyamala Madappa, who live in ParamountGardens at Thalaghattapura look backover nearly a decade of study andexploration into the world of Hibiscus asthey started from scratch to delve into theirpassion for growing and nurturing theHibiscus in all its hues.

'As a young girl I read about a lady whohad grown Orchids and supplied them tothe world. This was the beginning of mylove to do something for Hibiscus, as wein India grow them in plenty, but we hardlyhave their seed mapping documented toknow and grow more varieties and supplythem to the world. After all, other countriesare enjoying our natives' says Pushpa.

For Pushpa, brought up in Sagara ofMalnad region, green was a way of life.She worked her way through theinformation available on the net, and even'realised that Hibiscus plants give seeds.'

Pushpa waters a newly planted Hibiscus cultivar watched by family and officials.


This helped her plant more, observegrowth and focus on the crosspollinationand hybridisation procedures as well astending to the pollen for mapping anddocumentation of their parentage forcreating the genebank.

'While in the beginning it took nearly threemonths for me to see the seed sprout,today I know they can grow up in a week’stime' says an excited Pushpa. While herfriend Shyamala, who grew up in Coorg,also joined her in the green quest, thecommon journey got better by the year asthey connected with both the InternationalHibiscus Society (IHS) and the AmericanHibiscus Society international platformsfor hybrid experimentations in Hibiscusplants. Soon, the ladies had registeredthemselves with both groups and becameactive members. Today Pushpa is theIndian representative for the IHS.

The two have participated in severalcompetitions and published their findings

and reports in the quarterly publication ofthe IHS Hibiscus International. WhilePushpa has registered over 50 newHibiscus cultivars with the IHS, Shyamalahas nearly 30 of her own documented. 'Wehave nurtured thousands of varieties, butthe best is what we have registered' saysPushpa.

'Since Indian Hibiscus cultivars are beinggrown in Brazil, U.S., France, Ukraine,Russia, Japan and Germany, why not havethem documented and grown in India forshowcasing our own heritage of flowers?'It is no wonder that Pushpa named one ofher first new Hibiscus creations 'BobCarran' after the expert who had firstguided her. Shyamala called one of hers'Classical Dancer' to express her love forthe arts. After all, the two ladies havenamed all their creations for posterity.

(Adapted from an article featured in 'The Hindu' inOctober 2015.)

Pushpa and Shyamala being interviewed by the media during the launch of the Hibiscus garden.


Left and centre: Views of thenewly planted Hibiscus gardenat the Lalbagh BotanicalGarden, Bangalore.

Centre left: Pushpa andShyamala are presented withcertificates in appreciation oftheir pioneering work.

Bottom: Pushpa andShyamala pose with theirproud families after theinauguration ceremony.


MAUDE WHITEPaper Carving Artist

“When I cut paper, I feel as if I am peeling back theouter, superficial layer of our vision to reveal thesecret space beneath. With paper cutting there areso many opportunities to create negative spacethat tells its own story. Letting the observerbecome present in the piece allows him or her tolook through it. I like the idea of the stark contrastbetween the black and white paper, and the cutnature of the work makes my art more threedimensional than paint on canvas.”

Maude is based in Hudson, New Yorkand more of her extraordinary workcan be enjoyed on her website.

Photo by Julian Montague

http://bravebirdpaperart.com


MY FAVOURITE GRAFTING TOOLBy Elizabeth Ridzi Jordan

Elizabeth has recently been singing thepraises of her new toy. She has invested in agrafting tool ... and she loves it!

The omegashaped cut of this grafting tooleliminates the fiddly (and dangerous!) use of aknife. As long as your rootstock and scion areof the same diameter, two centered omegacuts will fit them together perfectly, giving youa stable graft, with maximum cambiumcontact, ready for taping.

A sixsided grooved anvil keeps the cuttingstock centered as you notch it. If the anvilwears over time, you can rotate it to one of theother five grooves. If the blade should dull,you can get spares for replacement. Someonehas commented that the only poorlyfunctioning part of this tool is the bypasspruner tip. Fortunately, the rest of the toolmore than compensates.

Petrópolis, Brazil

Elizabeth lives in Petrópolis, Brazil. Also known as The Imperial City of Brazil, Petrópolis is amunicipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro and is 68 km away from the state capital. Beautifullylocated in a valley nestled among forested hills the temperature here is mild. The summeraverage is 23 °C (73 °F) and the average of the coldest month is 15 °C (59 °F).


These Hibiscus cuttingsare waiting to be shapedfor grafting.

They have beenprepared by removingall excess leaves andtwigs. The tool containsa pruning attachment(the bypass pruner)which might come inuseful here.

The next step is to use the specialgrafting guillotine to cut both therootstock and scion. This is normally themost difficult part of grafting however,with the grafting tool, Elizabeth finds iteasy to create a flawless cut.

Here you can see the scion gripped by thetool in readiness for the cut.


Left: The rootstock has been cut with thegrafting tool.

Centre: The scion has been cut to thecorresponding shape and the two shapedpieces have been gently slotted together.The resulting join is neat and secure andready to be tied and waxed.

Bottom left: The newly made graft hasbeen tied and waxed and now it is just acase of waiting for the graft to 'take'.

The grafting tool can be viewed onElizabeth's website using the web linkhere.

http://www.hibiscos.com.br/alicate-para-enxertia-p1064


AN IMPORTANT GRAFTINGQUESTION ANSWERED

QUESTION

I have a technical question on grafting. Let's just say that situation A and B are unavoidable:The scion is smaller than the rootstock.

Which alignment is better A or B? Only these two options.

I am not saying this is the definite way of doing grafting ... I am just presenting situation that isunavoidable in the work of grafting. I am sure that many of us have came across this situation.

Thanks!Hafez Zahruddin

ANSWERS

Petar Tiholov: It is important to connect at least one side of the cambian layer.

Doug Litchfield: Defiantly A. You always want the cambium layer of both rootstock & scion tobe in contact with each other!

Doug Entz: ONLY 'A ' will work!!!

Richard Johnson: For me, "A" is the better choice as it aligns the conductive tissues best.


HIBISCUS SABDARIFFADamon Veach

Hibiscus sabdariffa (or 'sour tea') is a genus of the Malvaceaefamily. In Iran, it is typically known as 'sour tea', and in Englishspeaking countries it is called Red Sorrel. Originally fromAngola, it is now cultivated throughout tropical and subtropicalregions, especially from Sudan, Egypt, Thailand, Mexico andChina and, of course, in a garden on Bungalow Lane.

Photo by Marcia Nhanhauzinha

The flower ofHibiscus sabdariffa isnormally 8–10 cm (3–4 in) indiameter.

Also known as Red sorrel andRoselle, Hibiscus sabdariffais known by many differentnames throughout the world.

It is primarily cultivated for theproduction of bast fibre fromthe stem of the plant. Thefibre can be used as asubstitute for jute in makingburlap

The flowers range from white todelicate rose to pale yellow with adark red spot at the base of eachpetal, and have a stout fleshycalyx at the base. This becomesfleshy and bright red as the fruitmatures over a period of about sixmonths.


Hibiscus Tea

When I was editor of the International Hibiscus Society newsletter, I featured the work ofColleen Keena of Australia. This can be found in Hibiscus International Volume 2,Number 2.

I don't know of anyone else as knowledgeable as Colleen on Hibiscus Sabdariffa. Eventhough I will probably never make jelly, teas, or candy from this plant, it is a nice additionto my garden, compliments of Deb Rynders.

Right: The harvested 'flowers' areactually the ripe seed pods of Hibiscussabdariffa. They are edible and havean invigorating, astringent flavor. Theycan be brewed in water to make arefreshing, cranberrycolored tea. Theyare also used in salads, jellies (such asJamaica's famous rosella jam), sauces,soups, beverages, chutneys, pickles,tarts, puddings, syrups, and wine.

The leaves of red sorrel are alsoedible. They have a rhubarblike tasteand are served in salads and curries. The seeds can be eaten too and they are bestroasted or ground to make flour for baking. In the Sudan, the seeds are fermented into ameat substitute called 'furundu.' Red sorrel has a lot of nutritional value. The calyces, forexample, are high in calcium, niacin, riboflavin, and iron.

Photograph by Mbopar


A CELEBRATION OF

BEAUTY

Members of the International Hibiscus Society have shown wonderfulphotos of outstanding blooms and we are delighted to be able to share a

few of them here.

BORN TO BE WILD

(Misfire x KenMer Rhapsody)Hybridized by Charles BlackPhoto by Junko Yamamoto


(Moorea Anastasya x Tahitian Sophistication)Hybridized by Charles Atiu. Photo by Véronique Demailly

HITCHCOCK

(Kirk's Purple x Remembrance)Hybridized by Barry and SusanSchlueterPhoto by Lee Ming

MOOREA PATA RE'A


STOLEN TREASURE

(not registered)Photo by Gil T Friedman

INFINITY

(Remembrance x Royal Palace)Hybridized by Barry and Susan Schlueter)Photo by Anjali Blakely


TAIWAN DARK KKIINNGG

(Dreamscape x Barry Schlueter)Hybridized by Linda LeePhoto by Petar Tiholov

(Moorea Violet Moonx Moorea Sugar Blue)

Hybridized by Charles Atiu)Photo by Brad Daniels

MOOREA LOVELY TREASURE


FLYING HIGH IN TAHITIDrone footage from the Island of Paradise

by Richard Johnson

Dick and Chantal Johnson

A bird's eye view of Dick's rooftop Hibiscus gardenwith the Island of Moorea on the horizon.

My son came up the mountain to visit us with some friends from Australia. They brought anexpensive drone and HD video camera with them. The HD video cam is stabilized by a roboticgimbal and directed from a remote with iphone attached for viewing what was being shot. Hewas doing a video on his beautiful girl friend who is marketing her own line of bikini swimsuits.


Living the dream ...


By way of orientation, the house has three levels. We live mostly on the mid level andthe roof top terrace where I grow my hibiscus.

I have been interested in plants since childhood and Hibiscus were an immediateattraction when I arrived in French Polynesia. I have been growing them for nearly 45years, intensely so for around 17 years. I am passionate about hybridization and havecreated a number of excellent new varieties, most of which carry the prefix "Tahitian".

Looking south along the coast.


The passion for Hibiscus spread to sharing my experiences with others which resulted inthe founding the International Hibiscus Society. I created the original IHS website whichwas improved upon in several renditions by Joseph Dimino and, more recently, by KesWinwood and Ian Rabenda.

Looking straight down on thehundreds of Hibiscus plantsclustered on the roof.

Press 'Tahiti 1' for a view of Dick's rooftopgarden and 'Tahiti 2' for a general view of the

spectacular coastline.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17-Iwe6N4LA&feature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVoMgSwS5cI&feature=youtu.be


VISITING TAHITIVeronique Demailly on the Island of Paradise

In November, Veronique Demailly travelled from her home in Paris out to the island ofTahiti where she spent 10 glorious days being shown the sights by Dick Johnson and hisfamily.

On the first day Dick's son took them in his boat over to the island of Moorea to feed thesting rays. The black fin reef sharks were attracted by the odour of the fish being fed tothe rays, but were not a problem. On the last day they visited the high mountains wherethere were fabulous views, tree fern forests, etc.

From left to right: Vero, Dick, Chantal and Gi Gi, a Bichon Frise.


VVooiillaa!!

Voila! by Dupont Nursery. Photographed by Tatyana Sokolova.


JEANETTE'S CAKES“You are never too young or too old to begin your journey

in this wonderful form of art.”

Jeanette Bugler's love for the culinaryand especially the confectionary artsstarted at the age of ten. After highschool Jeanette completed coursesand diplomas in catering and foodservice management at theJohannesburg Hotel School and VaalTriangle University of Technology. Shewent on to work in hotels andrestaurants in South Africa, Germanyand Switzerland.

“Jeanette’s cakes” is a cakedecorating studio located in Oakville,Ontario. More of Jeanette's deliciouscreations can be viewed on herwebsite which includes her favouriterecipe for a perfect fondant icing.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

OFFICE BEARERS

President: Kes Winwood : VicePresident: Peter Moll : Sec./Treasurer: Dick Johnson

BOARD MEMBERS

Eurasia (EU): Taner Turt : Petar Tiholov : Eurasia (Russia): Elena Tabuntsova

Indian Subcontinent: Pushpa Suresh : Oceania: Joseph Bautista

Africa: Gail Cahi : Orient: Bi Yu Jin

N. America: Damon Veach : S. America: Elizabeth Jordan : Australia: Sue Lansdown

Wild Card Reps: Wendy Williams : Doyle Williams

ICRAR: Ian Rabenda

PRESIDENT EMERITUS : Richard Johnson

Web Address www.internationalhibiscussociety.orgEmail Address [email protected]

I.H.S. PATRON DAVID FRANZMAN

http://jeanettescakes.com/

hibiscus international · grown in brazil, u.s., france, ukraine, russia, japan and germany, why...

Documents