He named her 'Neelmonilota'

Neelmoni is not a common flower in South Asia; it is native to tropical America. This enchanting purple flower caught my attention ten years ago; it appeared every year in late spring at the neighboring building near my office. I had just started my rooftop garden and was in search of this vibrant plant; at that time, even the name of the flower was unknown to me. I was desperately searching for this plant in many local nurseries and finally found it. 

This full-bloomed plant brings me real happiness every year.  I feel like inviting everyone in this city to watch its beauty and have a peaceful time. This year the plant seems so happy and blooming in full pace. Once the flower is matured, it just drops and the purple shades are spread throughout my garden. 

As I said, Bangladesh is not the home of Neelmoni; a good friend of the legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore gifted him, and he named this flower. The botanical name is Petrea volubilis from the plant family Verbenaceae. Common names of the flower are Purple Wreath, Queen's Wreath, Sandpaper Vine, etc, and in Bangladesh and India, it is called Neelmoni. There is a white variety of this flower called "Shetmoni," and my garden is home to both. I placed them in the corner of my garden. Neelmoni usually grows from cutting, but surprisingly, I grew one sapling last year from a seed, naturally. This plant requires only sunlight and water, a genuinely low-maintenance plant. 

I have over 50 varieties of plants in my garden, but this plant gives me peace and pride the most and makes me confident as an urban gardener. It always reminds me that only plants can change the world now, not us!

This article is written by Farhana Afroz, development worker and urban gardener