My hibiscus, which was blooming so beautifully, stopped blooming. The buds would form, but would not open fully, just crack a bit, then turn brown. Internet detective time. What I suspect is that little critters called thrips are to blame. These are tiny, tiny insects that apparently can cause quite the havoc both in the garden and at home. There are 6,000 varieties and can they reproduce asexually. (This is Wikipedia knowledge, so take it as you will.)

As recommended, I removed all the damaged buds before they could fall to the ground to start a new generation, and sprayed the plant with a mixture of Neem oil, Peppermint oil, and Castile soap (3% Neem, 2% Castille, and 2% peppermint in water mixed in a spray bottle) because I don’t want to use heavy pesticides. I added the peppermint because Neem oil has an unpleasant odor. I sprayed at dusk to reduce impact on pollinating insects. A week later, we had a bloom!