Tuberose: St. Joseph’s staff

Week 35	August 25, 2014	August 31, 2014

1.     Preamble:

The monsoon season is coming to an end. Even though the clouds keep gathering, I doubt if there would be more than a couple of showers if at all, here on. The nights are already cooler. The end of this, thirty fifth week will lead to the beginning of September, signalling gradual demise of summer.

The transition brings back to mind  the sweet memories of the 1961 musical comedy 'Come September'. Alas! they don't make movies like that anymore. The title music of that film instantly acquired a celebrity status. One could listen to the tune all the day long without feeling tired or bored. Those days in 1961 were synonymous with my entering the college and getting almost suddenly exposed to the world, which in those days used to be so thrilling and exciting! There could never be more adept and savvy an initiation to the adult life. But now more than half a century later, I must move fast-forward to September of 2014 without being too nostalgic about the past!

Among the fragrant flower blooms that we know and are aware of, following may be listed in order 
of intensity of sweet and pleasing scents, they emit:

1. Kamini (Murraya Paniculata) 2. Tuberose (Polianthes Tuberosa) 3. Raat Ki Raani or Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum Nocturnum) 4. Motia (Jasminum Sambac) 5. Orange Blossoms (Cotrus Sinensis) and 6. Spring flowering Hyacinth.

We are most fortunate to have all of them at our farmhouse. While we have already talked about Kamini (Ref. Blog of Week: 27 dated June 30, 2014, 'Kamini Heralds the Arrival of Monsoon') in this blog besides talking about the Tuberose and celebrating the birthday of our youngest son Taha, promised last week, we will also look at the 'Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum Nocturnum) or Raat Ki Raani, which too is in full bloom these days. Additionally, we will exhibit the picture of ripened Chiku fruit (Manilkara Zapota/Sapodilla), which we had already introduced and talked about earlier in the blog of 18 July 2014 (week: 29). We may not however broach forward the Motia (Jasminum Sambac), for it's season (beginning of summer) has already expired. 

2.     Garden Flower:

2.1.  Polianthes Tuberosa:

Tuberose is native to Mexico that produce short grassy looking leaves and spikes of white intensely fragrant flowers. They are grown from bulbs and reproduce fast. With time clumps have several mature bulbs capable of blooming. The flowers appear during late summer to fall. Several of us may be wondering about the title: vara de San José, chosen for the blog of this week. In Mexican Spanish, the Tuberose is caled nardo or vara de San José, which means ‘St. Joseph’s staff’.The tuberose is named for the shape of its rootstock, not for its resemblance to a tube shaped rose. The tuberose is not a rose.

The tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) is a perennial plant. It's name is derived from the Latin tubarosa 
meaning swollen or tuberous in reference to its root system. Polianthes mean "many flowers"in Greek. It may not however be confused with Polyanthus, which is the terminology used for any of several hybrid garden primroses, such as Primula Polyantha, which has brightly coloured flowers. The bulbs of tube Rose were planted in the front garden of our farmhouse, when we moved into it some five years ago. They are there since then and have never been pulled out at the end of the season in winter as is suggested by many.

Read more at:

[1] Polyanthus Tuberosa 
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polianthes_tuberosa

[2] Tuberose
http://www.flowers-cs.com/tuberose.html

3.    Flowering Bush:
3.1. Night Blooming Jasmine (Cestrum Nocturnum):

Cestrum nocturnum is a species of  Cestrum  in the plant family Solanaceae (the potato family). The species is native to the West Indies but naturalized in South Asia. Common names include  Hasna Hena, lady of the night, queen of the night, night-blooming jessamine and night-blooming jasmine. Locally it is called Raat Ki Rani. We have a couple of these bushes at our farmhouse:

Raat Ki Rani has the strongest fragrance out of all the fragrant plants. In the evening, the fragrance becomes pleasantly intoxicating.  

Read more at:

[1] Centrum Nocturnum
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cestrum_nocturnum

[2] Night Blooming Jasmine Raat Ki Rani Cestrum Nocturnum Plant Care and Tips
http://gardening-simplified.blogspot.com/2012/09/night-blooming-jasmine-raat-ki-rani.html

[3] jasmineandtheelephant's Blog
http://jasmineandtheelephants.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/raat-ki-rani/

4.     Fruit of the Season:
4.1.  Chiku/Manilkara Zapota/Sapodilla

We introduced and talked about our Chiku trees and the fruit it was bearing earlier in the blog of 18 July 2014 (week: 29). The fruit having since acquired the desired size was harvested last week. It is of ellipsoid shape, up to 15 cm in diameter, containing two to five seeds, Inside, its flesh is of earthy brown colour with a grainy texture akin to that of a well-ripened pear. The seeds are black and resemble beans,  with a hook at one end. The fruit has an exceptionally sweet, malty flavor. 

5.     Family Event (s):
5.1.  Taha's Birthday: August 29

Taha has just turned 31. He was born on Monday the 29th August in 1983, some three years after I was transferred from PINSTECH, Islamabad to KANUPP, Karachi. We were residing then at 24 KANUPP Colony in Hawks Bay. I still remember vividly the day he was born at the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, situated on M. A. Jinnah Road (formerly Bunder Road) Karachi. All his elder brothers: Hasan, Omar and Saad were still quite young. As we couldn't possibly leave them all by themselves, we together drove to the hospital some 15 Km from our residence in Hawks Bay early in the morning on the day, he was expected to be born. While Anjum was taken to the labour room, huddled up we waited in the lounge to hear the good news, which was announced at about 11 AM.

Taha was virtually raised by his brothers, who took care of him all through his childhood. They would babysit him. They often would take him out on his pram and play with him until he came of age to play with them the game of cricket on which with time, he became so good as to excel them in all departments of the game. While working at KANUPP, I often used to go on extended tours both in and out of country. Anjum told me that even though quite young, he would by himself without Anjum asking him, come and sleep in my bed while I was away. What a cute thing to do, I would wonder! He went to the same school as his brothers. When I was at Ontario Hydro in 1994-95, he accompanied Anjum to be with me for 2 months in the end and we together went to see many a places. 

Taha passed his matriculation in 1998, the same year I moved to Islamabad to take up my new assignment as the Director Institute of Nuclear Power (INUP). Initially only Taha accompanied me to be admitted to a college. The change of environment and having suddenly been separated from his loving brother didn't sit well with him initially and he suffered a bit on that account  in his academic studies but then he recovered quickly and graduated successfully from the Beaconhouse Informatics. He then moved back to Karachi to receive professional training in IT Auditing from KPMG. Those were the turbulent years of his adolescence synonymous with angry age, too. Fortunately enough that phase passed quickly to our's as well as his satisfaction. 

Taha married Shaema in December 2009 and served brief stints at the Soneri and Pak Saudi Banks before moving to Muscat (Oman) to work at the Bank of Oman International (later HSBC). We together with Hasans (family of our eldest son) spent a week with Tahas in Muscat in February 2012 and thoroughly enjoyed our stay there, seeing several historically famous castles and forts besides beautiful Muscat harbour, the enchanting garden of Sultan Qaboos as well as the age old Souqs and bazaars. Taha performed Hajj last year and soon thereafter immigrated to Canada. Tahas now live happily in Missisauga with their two lovely daughters Ammanah and Zainub who respectively were born in May 2011 and December 2012. In Toronto he has served with the CBIC before joining the Manulife Financial (MFC), which is a leading Canada based principal financial services group with operations in Asia, USA and Canada. His varied professional experience have the promise of a very bright future insha Allah!

All our sons are endowed with special qualities. Taha too is a gifted son. He is resilient, tolerant, responsible and entertaining. Besides a loving son, he is a loving husband and caring father too. We miss his loud laughs and jokes when he is not there and immensely enjoy his company when he is around and with us. We always look forward to his home coming. He has the capacity to bring the otherwise 'quite' of our farm house back to life again. He is popular with adults and kids alike. He enjoys good food. He likes chicken of all possible preparations but his most favourite is Chicken Roast, which Anjum never forgets to prepare for him when he is at the farmhouse - his 'home'. Interestingly, his greatest dislike is also Chicken Roast, if it incidentally is from Muscat Bakery in Oman. Taha likes to dress nicely too. Both the Western as well as the local Shalwar Qamees suit him. 

Taha enjoys being with us and the families of his brothers immensely. He performed his Hajj last year just before migrating to Canada. On the eve of his departure, we all except Anjum (she was then visiting her mother in Canada) assembled at Hasan's place in Lahore and had thoroughly enjoyable time together. It was one of the most memorable reunion. 

We hope to be together again on coming Eid ul Azha and are looking forward to similarly wonderful time in sync insha Allah!

A very Happy Birthday Taha! Wish you many happy returns of the day. May you always be very happy and laughing (to yours and our liking loudly). We love you the way you are and wish very much you to always remain the Taha that Allah, our creator and benefactor has made - One if the best among ourselves!

Godspeed