Many, many moons ago, my Mum bought a Lotus plant. Back then, in the late 70's or so, they were scarcer than hens teeth, although now you can buy them in garden centres etc.

Anyway, the lotus Mum had lived in a 15 foot diameter 18 inch deep pond and was something amazing to behold when it was in full bloom - 10, 20, 50, 100 dancing, dipping, nodding pink blooms. It was also an amazing sight watching one of the horses dump Raewyn on her arse in the lotus pond as well, but that's a whole other story. But amazement aside, for 25 years, the offshoots of that original lotus plant have been kept alive - in a bucket, in a trough, in a pond, and now in a piece Rae took off her treasured one and planted in my copper in the front garden. Its only been there a few months and started out as one small piece of tuber with a growing tip, but today it flowered for the first time - one single, perfect lotus bloom.

The kids think its cool, and Im just rapt. Bet Mum is, too, wherever she is :-)

Wouldn't you be?