Pink Powder Puff, Deserted

Can't think of anything in my garden that is deserting me...on the contrary, there are more weeds now that I wish would go away, more pests that I wish would crawl or fly away... . However there is one particular tree in a corner of my garden that has been feeling pretty neglected by her owner, and I see signs that she is planning to desert me. No, she is not packing her suitcases in the middle of the night and preparing to tip-toe out of my garden-gate though she might just do that. I deserve that kind of 'stealing out when I'm not looking' treatment because I had hurt her feelings. For a long time, I had forgotten to give her the pampering she deserves, as she is such a well-behaved plant that I had taken her for granted. She produces pretty flowers regularly without any prompting. These flowers dutifully turn into pretty berries which look like raspberries.



As with anything that is out of sight, this plant is also out of the owner's mind. No fertilizer
fridays for her, not even on any other day of the week! Now she has grown spindly, and her branches are rather bare of leaves - they had long deserted her..



She stares out of the window, hoping against hope that her owner would one day give her a second look, realize that here is a plant pining for attention.
And wonder of wonders, it happened on fertilizer friday!!! Rosie came to give her the best fertilizer that was usually applied on her precious  hydrangeas and her other showy flowering favourites. She trimmed the dead twigs, and.... is she drawing her camera out of her pocket??? Is she going to give the greatest gift of all - the gift of appreciation to this forlorn specimen? No, this can't be happening - it is a dream. Rosie does not even know her name!!

Click - click - click!

The flowers might inspire a designer to use it as fabric motif  for a Shanghainese  'cheongsam' (elegant ladies' costume)

She gives her best smile to the camera. The camera loves her. She glows with happiness. This is her moment of fame, glory. But more than that, she is no longer deserted, but was lost and has been found!

This could very well be a chinois print.

Note from Rosie : Does anyone know the name of this plant? I had always thought it was a bottle-brush, but guess it isn't. Please leave me a note if you know this plant. It needs the recognition due to it, don't you think?

Have a wonderful time at Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday and Katarina's Blooming Friday. Click on their links at the bottom of this page.

Post-script
Thanks to Autumn Belle, we now know the name of this pretty flower - Calliandra emarginata.