My time in the Dutch Arboretum Trompenburg botanical gardens was one of the most serene and peaceful moments I have experienced so far throughout my travel journey. The botanical garden is located in Rotterdam, Netherlands in the main city. My…
Arboretum Trompenburg
The Korean Rose
The Korean Rose (대한민국의 무궁화), or more commonly known as the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), is the national flower of South Korea. This is a flowering shrub plant in the mallow family. It is native to south-central and southeast…
A Taste of Senegal
The Hibiscus flower is a common delicacy in my birth country, Senegal. It is an absolute delicacy and often turned into a drink known as Bissap (“hibiscus juice” in Wolof). The flower is also commonly used for jam, which is…
Longing in the Language of Flowers
“You made flowers bloom in my lungs and although they are beautiful, I can’t breathe.”—Anonymous. Flowers have been used to express emotion since the beginning of time. A red rose for love, white lilies for death, and the well-named forget-me-not….
The Sunflowers
The boy saw hundreds of miles of hills lined with sunflowers: long, green stems topped with magnificent golden limbs and bold, deep brown faces that stretched upwards to meet the sun’s light. He pressed his fingers against the thick pane…
Journey of the Daffodil
I was born from a man enamored with his reflection, who, when looking into the clear, translucent water of a pond, fell in and drowned. A nymph had loved him, her soul the soft Echo of sweetness. Yet in his…
