Colourful flowers in our garden, November 2009
How timely that our tropical garden in November 2009 was in top form to present me with enough photography opportunities to try out my relatively new point and shoot camera, Canon PowerShot SX200 IS! My dearly beloved, John, presented me an early Christmas-cum-40th wedding anniversary-cum-birthday gift during the last week of October. Hehe…too bad that [...]
Marvelous colors of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Tropical Hibiscus)
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Tropical Hibiscus, Chinese Hibiscus, China Rose, Shoe Flower) Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, the single form with the 5-petaled blood-red blooms, is Malaysia’s national flower. It is locally known as ‘Bunga Raya’ in the Malay language. Hence, it is no surprise that this spectacular ornamental shrub is popularly and abundantly grown in our country, especially along [...]
Cheerful Marigolds (Tagetes erecta, Tagetes patula)
Tagetes erecta, Tagetes patula (Marigold, African/American Marigold, French Marigold) Though we don’t quite fancy annuals, Marigold like Butter Daisy and Globe Amaranth are the few exceptions that we favor to adorn our tropical garden every once in a while with bright intense colors. Colorful, stunning and inexpensive too! In the tropics, Marigold is a year-round [...]
Gomphrena globosa (Globe Amaranth), a colorful everlasting
Gomphrena globosa (Bachelor’s Buttons, Globe Amaranth) These globe-shaped blooms in brilliant magenta-purple contrast beautifully with its cool and refreshing bluish-green foliage. Wonderfully catchy and everlasting in color and shape, their showy flowerheads are popularly used as cut flowers or dried flower arrangements!
Sun-loving Tecoma capensis (Cape Honeysuckle)
Tecoma capensis (Cape Honeysuckle)
The flamboyant display of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Dwarf Poinciana)
Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Dwarf Poinciana, Pride of Barbados, Peacock Flower, Red Bird-of-Paradise) A spectacular sun-loving flowering shrub or small tree that will be an excellent specimen in the garden if you have the space! Space above for its wide spreading branches and space below for its expanding root system or to ‘soak in’ its fallen debris.
Lantana camara with kaleidoscopic colors
Lantana camara (Largeleaf Lantana, Shrub Verbena, Red/Yellow//Wild Sage) Simply adore these plants that are such prolific bloomers all year round in our tropical sun and high humidity. Flowers come in such a diverse range of marvelous colors and shades that are so exciting and captivating, making their slightly unpleasant scent seem so distant and tolerable.
Ixora species, gorgeously colorful!
IXORA (Jungle Flame/Geranium, Flame of the Woods, Needle Flower) A beautiful and attractive tropical flowering shrub that blooms all year round in our country, Malaysia. A hardy plant that comes in varying shapes, sizes and vibrant colors. It has been and continues to be an all time favorite with home gardeners and landscapers in the [...]
Splendid Euphorbia milii in exotic and bizarre colors!
Euphorbia milii (Crown of Thorns, Christ Plant/Crown) We simply adore the Crown of Thorns! One of our top favorites that blooms all year round in our tropical garden, never ceasing to brighten each day with its striking and brilliant red clustered bracts. We have grown them since year 2002. Amazing plant, so hardy and very [...]
Cheerful faces of Butter Daisy (Melampodium divaricatum)
Melampodium divaricatum (Butter daisy, Star Daisy) Don’t you agree that Melampodium divaricatum has such delightfully cheerful faces? It is one of the most prolific summer bloomers and gaining much popularity, similar to the Marigolds and Zinnias. Attractive buttery yellow flowers, cheering all year round in our tropical heat, bringing sunshine even on rainy days! It [...]