Saturday, May 23, 2009

pic of the day - booganvilla silly


Very unusually for England, I came across this collection of bougainvilleas at a local garden centre. These are very common in South Africa, and I love them to bits, especially this shade that wasn't on sale here.

Once, when I was in high school, my dance teacher asked me to run a kiddies' dance class because she was unable to make it.

Among the other highly unorthodox things I got them to do, I had the kids pretend to be flowers. Most of the little girls adopted simpering type poses and declared themselves to be roses, daisies and the like. One little button with a cheeky face stood with fingers spiked and one leg sticking out at an odd angle. In answer to my question, she told me "I'm a booganvilla, silly. And (pointing at her foot) that's my forn."

Ever since then, my family calls this plant a 'booganvilla silly'.

3 comments:

Rina Tripathi said...

Lovely pic! Here we get all these shades in this picture. Hope the remaining exams are bright as these flowers for your son. Thanks for the JO link it has some beautiful links that I shared with my son. Please let me know if there are specific questions that I can help with in your son's syllabus. I have just finished my PG in Ecology and am a bit in touch. These little incidents you weave into these posts clasp the memory like tendrils,I remember the 'just in time information' every time I give directions. Take care and thanks for these wonderful posts.

V Yonkers said...

When I think of bougainvillea, I think of the burst of colour splashed over walls when I walked to work in Costa Rica. Like ivy or climbing roses in Europe, the fuchsia, violet, and cobalt blue vines gave dramatic colour to the landscape (in the rainy and dry seasons).

The upsycho said...

@Rina Thank you for your encouragement.

@Virginia In the UK, the equivalent is clematis and wisteria, a much gentler prettiness. I do like the English spring, but sometimes I miss the bright, bold, uncompromising colours of a warmer climate.