₦airaland Forum

Indian Head Ginger

This is a very sexy plant. Dazall

This is perennial shrub, very hardy with a truly, er.... UNIQUE looking flower. Very suggestive looking but I know you're all too mature to be making jokes right now . It likes Sun to medium shade and a moist soil (OF COURSE IT WOULD LIKE MOISTURE!! ). It does well in centre pieces as it lasts long. It usually comes in red flowers as I've never seen any other colour. It looks nice when you plant a lot of them on a border.

Canna lily

These are not actual true lilies. Cannas are known for their vibrant flowers and can be grown in pots or on borders outside the house. They do like water and sun and not giving them enough can lead to them not flowering. The plant can be harvested for its seeds (to make musical instruments), its leaves give a purple dye and the plant can be used to remove pollutants from wetlands (environmental cleaning). It is also given as a bouquet for Father's Day in Thailand. I believe the most popular colour of canna lily we see here is red and yellow-speckled, though I've heard they have white flowers as well.

Bougainvillea

A showy ornamental viney plant with thorns, with brightly coloured leaves in yellow, lavender, white, peach, pink and fuschia. It's an outdoor plant as it needs plenty of sunlight (it blooms better with sunshine and not too much water). They can be kept as an indoor plant (but they still need sunshine) and have been used as Bonsai trees. The funny thing is the flower itself is tiny and white, but they are known for their showy coloured bracts which most people think are the actual flowers.

oyeludef:
are you married with kids? I doubt it cos i know if you are, you can't give such an advice. The real world out there is different from what you see in Telemundo

Me, married ke?? what do I know of marriage, there's one man whom I carry his lastname and one child that calls me mummy. It's not like I've even spent almost 4 decades on this earth sef. But you're right, all i know of marriage is Telemundo, a channel i have never watched. Infact, what is this marriage thing you speak of?

Nkasiobi87:
hum, that's not what I want that's why I ask will a reasonable woman allow that.

Sweetie, you're not a reasonable woman. A reasonable woman would have gathered her children and found her square root by now, working hard to support her children. You're also not a smart woman, a smart woman would have at least moved out and faced her front by now and told the man's family to make their son send upkeep for his children or they won't get access to their grandkids. You have a phone, you're asking us here when you should have called your relatives, called his relatives and started sorting out your life.

Aloe Vera

I'm sure this plant needs no introduction. At some point in time, I think we all grew some. I still have some growing in 2 of my homes and from my observation, I'd say give it minimum shade and some good water in a nice loamy soil with lots of space in a big container and it will flourish. Aloe Vera tends to be grown from. planting a leaf of it or baby plants grow from the Mother plant (just take a cutting). Its uses are endless: I've consumed it to cleanse the body, rubbed it on some itchy skin irritation (it calms the itching), put it in hair, mum used it for skincare. It is also an air purifier. What you want to avoid though is eating the green outer skin (that will give you runny stomach), go for the transparent flesh inside the plant.

Snake Plant

Sansevieria, also known as Mother-in-law's tongue (go ahead, laugh).

a good ornamental indoor plant, though you should keep it close to a window. Once it flowers, it stops propagating so you can regrow it by cutting and planting one of its leaves. It needs to be reported because the roots can grow and end up breaking the original container. It doesn't like to be overwatered, so give it a well-draining (not clay) soil and not so much watering. It is an air-purifying plant, but yes, its leaves are poisonous. So keep it out of your children's bedroom and all will be well.

Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia Reginae


What a glorious plant this is. Native to South Africa, it is now well-established in Nigeria. Very hardy, does well in rich loamy soil, it likes full sun to semi-shade and is pretty low maintenance. Here's the thing: it takes up to 3 years before it begins to flower and bloom. But it's worth the wait! The plant symbolises Magnificence and liberty. Florists and brides, this is the showstopper you need.

Royal or Flamboyant Poinciana

If you grew up in Benin city or Ife, you should know this tree! It's name is the Dexonia Regia or Flame Tree (I was erroneously told it was "flame of the forest" as a child, that's not true because that tree is another specie native to colder climes). Stunning for its deep red flowers, it also had these seed pods that would fall on the ground and we would call them "Devil beans" and say they were scratchy to the skin
It's very much a tropical tree and in fact, certain Christians of India believe it was growing nearby where Christ was crucified and that his blood shed on the tree and gave it the gorgeous red colours.

Celosia/Cockscomb

Also known as Wool Flowers. Beautiful unique-looking flowers with a soft, velvety feel. They have a very different texture and they almost look like fake plants but are very real. They come in colours like green, orange or deep pink and red. Plant in sunlight and dont water the flowrs directly to avoid fungus, they like a well-drained soil. They are very long-lasting in bouquets and centre pieces (below is a picture of a bride in Lagos who used them for her bouquet) and don't wilt easily. Apparently the leaves of a Cockscomb specie is what Yorubas eat as "soko" leaf for vegetable soup.

Nerium Oleander

This is a new addition to most Nigerian gardeners, but I do see it a lot around my house. It's a shrub with lovely flowers ranging from. white to dark pink. But BE CAREFUL: every single part of this plant is poisonous in a serious manner. Ir is a posionous plant, no children or adult should be injesting any part of this plant (I used it in a centrepiece for my house amd the sap killed the other plant). So this is not an indoor plant, but it does bring a certain elegance to the front of your home.

Dumb Cane

Dieffenbachia.

Very, very popular indoor plant. It doesn't flower. It's very good for purifying air and is easy to care for (its very hard to kill, so little maintenance apart from some watering). However... there's a reason for its name. You see, it secretes this liquid that, when ingested, causes your throat to swell up and you can't speak for a while. In smaller animals, it can be deadly (it won't kill children but it will cause them medical distress for a few hours). So try not to have it around very small children who are still at the age of eating and putting everything they can see in their mouths. But once they pass that age, get one!

let's start by identifying some popular flowers and plants we see daily, feel free to join in.

IXORA COCCINEA

Also known as Jungle Geranium or Flame of the Woods. We all know this one (I'm sure several of us pulled out the stall from the flower to suck the juice at the bottom as kids. It's a beautiful shrub plant that comes in flower colours like red, yellow, orange, pink and white. A lot of gardeners use it as a hedge plant. It likes Sun and can be potted as well. It looks lovely in a table centrepiece. A lot of the different parts of the plant is used in Ayuverdic lifestyles in India and Asian subcontinent. Try it in a floral arrangement for your home today, add water to a vase and cut diagonally down the stem, very colourful.

They should pay taxes. We all should. So that the next time we see any politicians living beyond heir means or awarding themselves fraudulent money, we will realise it is our sweat and blood they are using to enrich themselves (rather than some obscure oil money that came from one land most of you never went to) and stone them, their children, their friends, in fact they will constantly feel our anger over their lack of performance. Because it is now OUR PERSONAL MONEY THEY ARE TRYING TO STEAL.

Besides, if a church profits from a business, they should pay honourably or increase the. amount of their charitable deeds.

Are you into flowers and gardens? Do you love plants? Get in here!

Welcome to the Inaugural meeting of The Hibiscus Flower Society

(abeg don't keep quiet o, clap! )

Please feel free to showcase your plants, share your stories, identify different tropical blooms and share any knowledge about potting soil, aphids or best times to plant or what to plant indoors (especially in dark areas) with us. We are all here to learn.

For now, we will keep the discussion on local tropical plants and trees. Stuff growing here already.

Thanks.

Try Lola Shoneyin "The Many Wives of Baba Shege"

sheunfemix:
6
The Ministry of Education should close all private schools??!!! That's so hilarious because government schools are worse. And we all know it. Don't just get me started on what's happening there.

I know full well what goes on there; I volunteered with some. What did you do??

There are too many mushroom private schools in existence. If there are fewer schools, there will be better standards as state resources won't be stretched too thin. We don't need a million small rubbish schools, we need fewer large quality schools. I grew up with access to public libraries and a government education and my parents attended PTA meetings and everyone gave a damn because the person sitting as the head of the school was a seasoned educator hiring teachers (not graduates that needed a job as we do now). But now, every single library with a low income or middle class private school I've seen in Lagos (and I've seen more than a few) sells school books, that's all.

The millions being paid at some private schools, yet their students cannot write SATs without further training. All they have are pretty facilities.

Close most private schools down and hand them back to true educators and not people who are looking to supplement their income, keep their wives busy or make profit to enlarge their wealth. Force the government to do its job (if all our kids were attending Queen's College and KC, we would care more what is happening there).

I think the Ministry of Education should close all private schools. Most of them are run for profit. A friend of mine is building a school, as investment. He's not more educated than the average undergrad and shows zero interest in furthering his personal knowledge. Yet he said he will hand the school over to his wife and mum (neither of whom are education facilitators) to run.

What nonsense is this??

How lovely!

This is my main concern about getting a dog here in Nigeria, I want a good Dog Training School. I see too many badly behaved dogs here and I don't think I can train a dog all by myself. I want a pet that will be sleeping indoors, in a basket or a warm rug, not out in one cage with wooden floors and mosquitoes (then the owners will be declaring they have "pets").

I wish I could post a pic of my SiL, nursing her newborn with her dogs napping beside her innthe bed. Those dogs are so protective of her baby because the Dog Training they got taught them how to accept children and never bark angrily at them or attack. But fear will never let me carry my child near a naija dog (with very little training).

I'm going to say Buy. Building (especially in cities like Lagos) can easily become a nightmare as the quality of work by over 70% of the "professionals" is rubbish and omo onile greed has become a horror story. I had a relative into luxury construction abroad and when he came to visit a site in Lagos, he got so upset by the shoddy workmanship he saw that he took their tools and started showing them the basics. You think I'm lying, look at the finishing of most houses in Lagos. To get good workmanship you have to pay through the nose.

Buy and spend money finishing to your taste.

MrsPhyno:
I don't know if this grey hair suits her as much as she apparently thinks it does but she's pretty. I was just showing my friend her song "Irawo" and they were admiring her skills. Good singer.

I don't think so. The first picture, the pose, lighting and everything makes her look like a woman in her mid-late 30s (unflattering). Second picture is marginally better but she looks late 20s to early 30s (lighting, styling and makeup are off).

Your child comes first. It is important that you both know this well and understand and acknowledge it.

Stop keeping money in the house. There's nothing wrong in giving him, but he should ask you first for the money before he takes it. And since both of you are contributing, he should explain to you what or where the money is going to. So for now, no more money in the house.

If he gets angry, please tell him that his wife and child comes first, there are too many expenses and uncertainties with a pregnancy and a baby and it is wise to start saving for it now, rather than later.

Ask that you guys both get a joint savings and checking account in your names and both of you contribute a certain amount monthly to it. After that, if he wishes to spend the remainder of his salary on his relatives, no problem. If he gets broke doing so, please tell him that you too, are broke.

He cannot beggar his own family to please others.

As for what happened at the wedding, just be quite for now. A time will come to bring it up, because he should have been more appreciative of your family's effort.

(sits down and waits for the Prayer and Endurance Association of Nairalanders ((PEAN)) to show up)...

c'mon, don't keep us waiting...

PresVA:
Nne, that's the crazy world we are in... in the olden days, children ran around naked or wore only pants..

Now, we hear: wear your children full clothings even if they're hot because of some stup!d men.. some will even tell you, don't allow your husband bath your baby girl

The world is just getting crazier..

But honestly it's weird. In the past, children ran around naked and their bodies were still mature. So why were they not being raped at 11, 8, 4 years of age? Doesn't that imply that the problem is not children but oversexualization of adults, who now see sexuality in everyone and every thing?

I mean, there are innocent words I cannot use now because they connote sexual meanings in these times. Is it the word's fault or is it people's fault?

So why cannot all these mothers who give birth and cannot keep the babies, not use their brains and DROP THEM AT A CHURCH OR HOSPITAL? Rather than abandoning them in a bush where even a stray dog can eat them OR rats bite them?

And if 20 people carry a baby to a police station, they will accuse all of them of kidnapping one baby?!

I swear, we need to be recolonised. Maybe in 200 hundred year's time, African brains will start working.

katyamizotta:
Thanks Everyone, I sincerely appreciate. I will make myself happy first, while comitting this to God.
For the sake of my child i hope it gets better.
@ Edwife, I read, I have colleagues and TV to listen to, enough to have an idea what an orgasm is. Remember i can fake it.

I tried to talk with him again. It was a stalemate as he obviously hasnt gotten over the fact that i talked with the head at our worship center, and his sisters.
My punishment for bringing up the topic: No sex, and i can stop cooking since he'll no longer eat at home.
He also complained that once Im at work, i do not call him or remember he exist. I do but i keep shifting waiting for a quiet opportunity till the day is gone.

Moral lesson; Pause well, look before you leap

Resolution; Be happy, Love myself and it will spill over, and trust God

Hello.

I really wanted to write a very long post yesterday (I was actually awake thinking about what you said). I kind of don't want to get into this publicly. I don't think you should have spoken to him, not yet. There were a lot of steps before "Sitting Down and Talking To Him" should have happened. So would you mind if I pm you? I'm not going to tell you to endure or to go crazy or to pray till your knees wear out or moralise at your expense. We are just going to try and get good results. We have some things in common so I felt sad when I read this. If you don't wish to talk, no problem and I hope the situation works out

Thanks guys for the replies. I spoke to Access Bank and they told me their interest rate was 5% and the account could accept cheques.

So I guess we will sit down and weigh options.

cococandy nd byvan03 some MiLs will make you regret getting married where were you when last week someone said her MiL told everyone she was rude and refused to visit because she stopped the MiL from using engine oil to rub the baby's navel during omugwo?

Hmm. This, I heard from second-hand sources.

Man took his bride home to complete traditional wedding preparations. Apparently the brideprice items became higher than he budgeted and kept increasing, with no end in sight. In anger or frustration, groom swore to marry and mortgaged his 2 shops in Lagos to get more money to pay the brideprice items. When it was time to collect bride, she refused to go, stating that if he had to scramble like that to raise funds for the wedding, perhaps he had been deceiving her about his finances. Groom came back to Lagos a single man (I think they returned the brideprice).

Second tale (sadly I knew some of the people involved).

Couple had been dating and the girl came from a wealthier background and the man's mum had been nursing a grudge against her family for a while (they were from the same place and the mama was prone to seeing disrespect in any little fault the girl had since she felt the girl's mum was carrying herself like a peacock. Girl's mum was a royal). Slowly, mama poisoned her son's mind but told him there was no need to call off the wedding, that once the girl was his, they could "train" her. Mama had a thing for revenge. On the wedding night, bride was dropped off at husband's family home. Husband locked the door and challenged her that "so you've been feeling like a queen and being rude to my mother, eh? " Shocked bride denied it and an argument ensued. Groom beat the sh.it out of her to the point she was screaming for help trying to climb out the window. What did Mama do? She turned up the radio loudly to drown out bride's cries for help. Then both of them warned bride to say nothing and be kneeling down to greet Mama or she would get the beating of her life. They insisted on privacy for the new couple so that the bruises would fade. But a week later, bride's aunt (suspecting something) insisted on seeing the bride. And that was how the marriage ended. Amazingly, Mama blamed everyone who came to collect the girl for the marital breakup (she accused my relative of wanting the groom for one of her daughters).

Putting it in a fridge or running the onion under cold tap water. No tears method.

Okunbabe, prune juice is very hard to find in Nigeria as it's an American thing (trust me, I've been searching for 4 months). Since you've seen a pediatrician, that bloody stool. isn't good. Most likely because the poo is hard, baby is refusing to poo because he knows it will hurt but holding it in just makes things worse (this is actual baby behaviour). You could ask to get another pediatrician to look at him (a consultant this time, with more experience and particularly if he/she has kids). I don't know about Mineral oil for babies (I have some but I don't know if they sell edible mineral oil in Nigeria as it's also an American thing).
Try and stop doing enemas and suppositories (inserting stuff in the bum) because those are last-ditch efforts and should be done if all else has failed. Preferably by a doctor.

The fruits diet, are you pureeing the whole fruit and giving baby? Because if you give just the juice alone, baby misses out on Fibre and that's important for good poo.

And I hit up a doctor and he directed me to a website and said "don't give Mineral oil, you won't find prunes in Nigeria. What you should try is Plums or Pears ( these fruits are sold in Shoprite and Spar), puree the whole thing after washing well and give baby. Also Flax Seed oil (which you can find in pharmacies in Lagos easily) should help". And try the following below:

The Bath and Bowel Movement Technique
Here is a Sears’ family trick that helped us ease the passage of stools in several of our constipated babies. Although it’s messy, it works. Immerse your baby in a warm bath so that the water is around chest-high. When your baby is relaxed in the bath, massage baby’s abdomen and get ready for the mudslide.

Please someone move this info to the front page. Why are we not making a fuss out of this? What can we do to prevent getting Lasss fever? Please educate everyone around you.

bizgai:
I see a practical female CIVIL ENGINEERING student perhaps she's on field with one superior Engineer

The only comment that is 90% right. If you're doing your IT in construction, this may happen. I did manual compaction and some other stuff.