2010 Archives

Gerbera jamesonii (Barberton Daisy), in an explosion of dazzling colours!

Gerbera jamesonii (Gerbera Daisy, Transvaal Daisy, Barberton Daisy) Want an attractive and colourful floral display in your home? Choose the Gerber Daisies that will surely lend beauty and brightness, inside the home or out in the garden. They’re such a cheerful and vibrant lot and you’ll be spoilt for choice of floral colours that come [...]

Passiflora miniata (P. coccinea hort.) with flaming-red passion flowers

Passiflora miniata Vanderplank (syn: Passiflora coccinea hort.) (common names: Red Granadilla, Scarlet/Red Passion Flower) What a beautiful sight indeed! Live and flaming red flowers decorating the vining stems of Scarlet Passion Flower that were draped on a trellis built of dexon steel bars!

Backyard bird watching in our garden, May 2010

Now you see, now you don’t! Watching the White-browed bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus) trying to start a family over and over again during the month of May can be debilitating! It was like a see-saw affair, experiencing fleeting moments of hope and joy, and then followed as quickly by sadness and despair for this species of [...]

Danaus chrysippus, the dancing African Queen or Plain Tiger

Danaus chrysippus (Plain Tiger, African Monach, African Queen) These Lantana camara bushes, blooming ‘endlessly’ so to speak, are such an attractant to butterflies and other insects! Butterflies just get swooned by the psychedelic colours and the irresistible scent of the flowers, hence providing great opportunities for us nature lovers who desire to photograph them. That [...]

Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore or A. violae), a tropical butterfly

Acraea terpsicore or A. violae (Tawny Coster) During a visit last December to St Francis Xavier Home for the Elderly in Cheras, run by The Little Sisters of the Poor, I sighted some lovely butterfly species flying around, intoxicated by the Lantana blooms that were showing off like crazy in the Home’s compound! Of course, [...]

Cyperus involucratus (Umbrella Plant/Sedge), an ornamental waterside plant

Cyperus involucratus (Umbrella Plant, Umbrella Sedge/Flatsedge) These Umbrella Plants are really beautiful and attractive as the involucral bracts are symmetrically arranged in an umbrella formation and held atop elegant stems that sway with the breeze, giving a tropical touch to the landscape! We’re smittened by their beauty! Our fascination with this plant started as early [...]

Easter garden joy in April 2010

Alleluia! Jesus Christ has risen, He has risen indeed! Let us give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His mercy endures forever! Let us rejoice and be glad! Wishing one and all, “A very blessed and joyful Easter Season!” May the triumph of the Lord strengthen our soul and grace us with [...]

Our belated garden news for March 2010

Humph! A very much delayed post…blame the lightning that snuffed out our computer and rendered it unserviceable for more than 3 weeks! Nevertheless, better late than never, yes? Kalanchoe uniflora (probable ID) : Lovely unexpected addition to our garden! We walked into a nursery mid-March, hoping to get a pot of Christmas Kalanchoe blossfeldiana at [...]

The Prodigal Son Retreat during Lent 2010

Ouch…what a lousy coincidence! I had scheduled to complete and publish this post on March 31st, the night before Holy Thursday but lightning chose to kiss our iMac a few hours earlier. Just got back our computer this evening with the mother board replaced! Missing in action for three long weeks…really a drag, fortunately I [...]

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Christmas Kalanchoe) for charming colors

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Christmas Kalanchoe, Florist Kalanchoe, Flaming Katy) Garden retail centers would naturally know the kind of colourful flowering plants that could entice their customers during the festive seasons! In our tropical country, Malaysia, especially during the Chinese New Year in January or February, Kalanchoe blossfeldiana is a must in their list of favourites, besides [...]