A Chinese Lantern

 

Chinese lantern plant

The Chinese lantern plant is strictly ornamental. Its bright orange, balloon- or bell-shaped husks make this species prized. You can harvest and dry these husks to use in fall décor and craft projects or simply enjoy their vibrant hues in the garden. Ensure that children and pets cannot access your Chinese lanterns, as ingestion of this species is highly toxic.

In midsummer, the Chinese lantern plant blooms with small white flowers, which grow into tiny berries surrounded by a balloon-like husk, or calyx. The husks start off green, then shift to yellow, and finally a vivid orange. When it dies back for the winter, cut down the plant at its base. Its roots will survive the cold season, and when warm weather returns, your Chinese lantern plant will begin growing again.

To preserve its attractive foliage for floral decorations, tie the stems of your Chinese lantern plant into bundles, hang them upside-down in a cool, dark place indoors, and replant any dropped seeds next year. Once they've dried after a couple of weeks, you can keep the husks on their stems or trim them off as separate pieces of décor. Information got from here.

One thing I learn from doing my art is that I get to know more when I search the Internet to get more information about what I am painting. Knowledge is powerful. It also gives you something to talk about in a conversation with someone. Doing that shows that you are not just a shallow person but someone who discovers new things and makes you an interesting person to know. Isn't that cool?

When I discovered my blog is being blessed by many Vietnamese visitors, I googled Vietnam and saw what a wonderful country it is. They have the most amazing variety of picturesque landscapes, and the people are friendly. One website recommends various souvenirs travellers should buy. One of them is paper lanterns. So, I have added a snip of what they look like. They look a lot more colourful than my painting.
paper lanterns from Vietnam

I have started a page on Patreon where I am selling my book called Love For Blankets, People, and Lesotho and feature tutorials on how I create my little works of art (that is coming but not ready yet). Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. If you enjoy reading my blog, then you will definitely enjoy reading my book.




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