2011 Chinese New Year Greetings

CHINESE NEW YEAR 2011
THE YEAR OF THE RABBIT

the most important and auspicious annual festival
celebrated by the Chinese communities around the world
will be celebrated for 15 days,
starting from February 3rd till the 17th!

John and I would like to wish
our dear Chinese friends, relatives and visitors
celebrating the Spring Festival

"A Very Happy And Enjoyable Chinese New Year
Filled With Great Times With Family, Relatives and Friends!
May The Year Of The Rabbit
Be Fulfilling, Successful & Prosperous
With Good Health, Joy, Peace And Love
Overflowing All Your Days
And God's Abundant Blessings Always!"

Those lovely decorative lime trees, so majestic, luscious and fruity, pictured in the greeting card above are not from our garden! Hmm...would be wonderful if they were! We didn't buy any though, as we weren't willing to be 'slaughtered' by profiteers cashing in on the festive mood! They were captured at a garden center in a nearby neighbourhood whose owner allowed me a free rein with my camera - how kind of her! :-)

Traders are doing a roaring business selling them and some colourful flowering plants, such as the Chrysanthemums, Azaleas, Gerbera Daisies and Florist's Gloxinia, to name a few, before the Chinese Spring Festival!

Known as 'Kat Chai' in Chinese or 'Limau kasturi' in Malay, these Citrus mitis (Calamansi) plants of amazing heights and sizes and adorned with golden-yellow fruits in abundance, plus Cheery blossoms, Pussy willows and Lucky bamboos are hot favourites at plant nurseries, garden centers, and even at superstores, weeks ahead of the Chinese New Year (CNY).

Beware that the attractive fruits of these decorative lime trees are deadly and not to be consumed at all cost! They are heavily laden with plant growth hormones, chemical inducers, insecticides, fungicides and the like to ensure that the trees bear abundant golden fruits as CNY approaches, knowing full well that they'll be in great demand as the the plant signifies prosperity, longevity and success to the Chinese. This interesting article on 'Deadly fruits of decorative lime trees' is a must-read so that you take caution!

Happy shopping~~Happy holidays~~Happy CNY!!

(Replicated from the article at my garden website, www.jaycjayc.com)