:: nelumbo nucifera ::

I couldn't get close enough with my camera to these almost unearthly-beautiful flowers and I really wanted to...plus, it's a crazy action shot when I thought I'd be able to come back for another attempt...ah well, the lotus still looks lovely to me!

:: narcissus vi ::

I like how this clump of erlicheer looks like a whole community, mirroring the clusters of houses behind...here comes Spring!

:: chaenomeles ::

It took awhile to figure this flower out - it is mostly known as a red quince flower, although the plant is related to the quince, it is not actually quince.

Really, it is more of an ornamental shrub that grows to around 2m and is enjoyed mostly for these bright coral-red blossoms in the Spring and the nasty spikes, which make it a great boundary plant.

:: lantana ::

Even a weed can be beautiful - it is all a matter of context. 

Not native to Malaysia, but the Southern Americas, lantana has naturalised there as it has in many parts of the world, often with fairly disastrous consequences. As its leaves are toxic to herbivores and its fruit is scrumptious for birds, it spreads almost unchecked and has 'colonised'.

On the bright side - and it is a very brightly-coloured beauty - lantana is a wonderful attractant for butterflies. In appropriately-trimmed tropical gardens where the immature fruit is pruned before birds get there, it is such a pretty plant to admire. Three or more colours in one 'umbel' - or flower cluster - as the individual flowers mature, they change colour from yellow through orange to pink. 

Not only admired by humans and butterflies, the weaverbird collects lantana flowers to decorate their nests!

:: leucojum ::

ah, the blessing of knowledge and of learning...I thought that these adorable harbingers of Spring were...snowdrops...

...but, NO! They are not. 

I found out this morning that these wee blissful bells are indeed known as 'snowflakes', snowbells, dewdrops, St.Agnes' flowers or Loddon Lilies...

...imagine going nearly 50 years believing these to be snowdrops all that time!!!!!

...snowdrops are similar - the difference is their teardrop-shaped petals are quite separate and are splayed out into a drooping shape, whereas the snowflake or snowbell has the form, of, well...a bell...you see?
...the name comes from the Greek, leukos - 'white' and ion - 'violet'...

...anyway, it was an absolute delight to come across the first official generous clump of these ivory and lime lovelies, riverside, yesterday morning...almost late for school...!

:: leucojum ::

ah, the blessing of knowledge and of learning...I thought that these adorable harbingers of Spring were...snowdrops...

...but, NO! They are not. 

I found out this morning that these wee blissful bells are indeed known as 'snowflakes', snowbells, dewdrops, St.Agnes' flowers or Loddon Lilies...

...imagine going nearly 50 years believing these to be snowdrops all that time!!!!!

...snowdrops are similar - the difference is their teardrop-shaped petals are quite separate and are splayed out into a drooping shape, whereas the snowflake or snowbell has the form, of, well...a bell...you see?
...the name comes from the Greek, leukos - 'white' and ion - 'violet'...

...anyway, it was an absolute delight to come across the first official generous clump of these ivory and lime lovelies, riverside, yesterday morning...almost late for school...!

:: first blossom ::

It's quite something to see such delicate white blossom seemingly floating in mid-air on long, spindly branches extending toward the path from the dank, riverside shade in the middle of Winter.

Something akin to hope, wonder, awe and reverence was yanked into my consciousness.

...bring on Spring!

:: plumeria ii ::

There wasn't as much frangipani as I had expected to see in Malaysia...there were plenty, but I felt in the lovely warm and humid coastal environment that I'd have seen more.  And certainly they weren't easy to get at with a camera - the plants around our accommodation were really large and the blooms reaching skyward, definitely being kissed by the sun...

...when I began reading about the plumeria or frangipani in relation to different cultures, it does rather make sense.  In a resort setting, which is far more Westernised an environment, yes, planting some frangipani would be ok. But, for the Malay people, folklore has it that the scent of the frangipani is associated with a vampire-like creature!!!

...in neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia, the frangipani is thought to give shelter to ghosts and demons and is also planted in cemetary grounds!

...in Bengali culture frangipani is associated with funerals and death...

...yet in Southern India in the region of Karnataka, the bride and groom exchange plumeria garlands at their wedding (cream, not red, though)...

...and in Eastern Africa, the flower is common in Swahili love poems...

...in the Pacific Islands which ear the flower is placed behind determines for a man whether a woman is available or already in a relationship!...

...and Nicaragua and Laos feel so strongly about the frangipani that it is national flower of these countries...

...personally, I think I would be in flower heaven if I had a garden with even one frangipani tree showering me seasonally with those luscious blooms - for me frangipani radiates happiness and the perfume sends me giddy - and I don't mind that a bit!

:: neomarica longifolia ::

Poolside at the resort there were very many lovely and different kinds of flowers than what we have here at home. This one, though, looked vaguely familiar - like the dietes iris, but yellow.

The curious habit of the stalks with newly-forming plantlets becoming too heavy to remain upright but surrendering to gravity whereupon the plantlet immediately issues new roots into the ground where it grazes has given this very pretty plant the name 'walking iris'.

:: dendrobium ::

While on holiday we saw many examples of beautiful epiphytic orchids, co-habiting with trees, seemingly just hanging out in the air, which I believe is where they primarily get their nutrients. Another name for this type of lifestyle is 'air plant'.

A surprising fact I found out while reading about these very pretty dendrobium orchids is that they are dynamic air cleansers - particularly of chemical solvents like toluene and xylene - 'vigorous' was the word used to describe their ability.

:: zingiberaceae ? ::

It is a brisk and crisply-clear kind of sunshiny Winter's day outside today - so cold is the Southerly that when walking the dog it was completely necessary to keep one's hood on one's head...brrr!

Inside for a spell now I have been sipping a warming concoction including turmeric, white pepper, coconut milk, coconut oil and...GINGER!

I'm thinking this very beautiful ruby flower head is of the ornamental ginger family - I may be completely wrong...it was used lots in the landscaping around the resort we stayed in in Malaysia.

:: phalaenopsis ::

Being an epiphyte, I suppose it is only natural to hang out in trees, but I was still quite surprised when I first noticed the many orchids just hanging about in the trees at the fancy-pants place we stayed in Malaysia, recently.

Here a striking magenta moth orchid protrudes into the pathway, giving anyone passing a delightful double-eyeful!

These lush orchids are quite ingenious underneath their showy exterior...once the flower has been pollinated and begins to die off, the plant in some of the varieties (not all) starts to green the petals to a kind of leaf that then goes on to photosynthesize - the wonder of nature :-) .

:: middle bits ::

sometimes I really just like spying right into the middle bits of a flower and checking out what's happening in there...

...like in this one - there are teeny tiny ants or something right in there...

...the colour in the centre is intense and then there is the packaging of petals - something we could never design so incredibly well...

:: ixora iii ::

...just because there was yellow ixora as well...and don't you think it's amazing to witness just the one, first bloom open?

:: ixora ii ::

another ixora...red this time

:: chrysanthemum iii ::

From a hotel lobby...stunning chrysanthemum blooms in such vivid colour...photo credit to my Dad :-) Thanks!

:: ixora ::

I would never get tired of having hedges made of these very lovely ixora. Splashily bright against a dense growth of richly-green leaves, they flower year round in tropical climates, like that of Malaysia.

:: hibiscus ::

 Today has been a settling back in kind of a day, after a fairly epic 'ride home' - from Malaysia for a family holiday with siblings, parents and nieces and nephews(11 of us in total!) - doesn't sound particularly far away, really.  But 26 hours (time zones adjusted) after leaving our fancy resort home of 8 wonderful and warm days, we walked back in the door to home and pets, all fabulously taken care of by kind friends.

Bunga Raya in Malay language, the hibiscus is Malaysia's national flower. The name translated means "celebratory flower", after the words bunga for 'flower' and raya for 'grand' or 'celebratory'. 

As well as being on the coins and notes of the country's currency it is a symbol for much in daily life.

It's bright red colour is meant to symbolise the life, the courage and the rapid growth of the Malaysian and the five petals each represent a principle of the 'Rukun Negara', a declaration of national philosophy or values. These principles were instituted royally, after serious race rioting in the country in May of 1969 as a way to help encourage unity between the different races co-inhabiting the islands of Malaysia.

And, having experienced some of the general 'mix' on our adventures, I can see there are some quite different attitudes, beliefs, religions and values to work with...fascinating!

:: hymenocallis littoralis ::

Today's delightful bloom... a white beach spider lily.
The botanical name originating from the Greek 'hymen' for membrane and 'kalos' for beautiful, describing the delicate and beautiful membrane connecting the filaments.
Incredible viewing when seen en masse along pathways near the water.

:: strelitzia ::

Like this richly- coloured strelitzia is for the eyes, Malaysia in general feels like it has been a tonic much appreciated in the middle of our Southern Winter.

My vitamin D is topped up, I'm pretty sure I've slept extra well and have enjoyed many good things to eat. And no matter where we've been,  the energy has the feeling of pulsing with life.
Holidays. ..so good for the soul.

:: crab claw heliconia ::

On the morning walk this morning these dramatically-shaped and coloured beauties were dangling in the greenery along the marina path. In the water on the other side we were amazed to find corals, sea eggs and THOUSANDS of small,  tropical fish in clean and clear water. ..In the marina! 

:: nymphaeaceae ::

Morning walks bathe us in the beauty of sunshine, warmth, birdsong and beautiful blooms bursting out from the lush greenery...sooo relaxing...I mean invigorating, - right?!

...actually, I think I was heard to say something like..."isn't it great how easy it is to feel like we've done some decent exercise in this heat?"...hmmmm! Yes, it is so warm - a high of 34 today - that one only has to step outside to suddenly feel as if one is working out, getting up a little sweat, or 'glow', shall we say :-)

:: thunbergia laurifolia ::

One of the stunning views I was able to pause and admire several times on a daily basis was this lush and delicate combination of a flurry of generously-proportioned and blousy blue trumpet vine flowers and bright leafy vine, languidly tumbling over the edge of an archway between buildings.

Common to Asian tropical gardens it is also a very useful plant for treating ear ailments, even deafness, by crushing the leaves and using the resulting juice in the ear canal.

:: bougainvillea ::

 The first thing that struck me, flowerwise, on holiday was the COLOUR! WOW!
So many colours and so many bright colours just bursting out of the greenery - so enlivening and such a feast for the eye! And what better colour for a bougainvillea than a lush, bright lipstick pink...mmmm!

:: bulbs ::

Lovethis little notice I spied in someone's front garden...a very sweet way to mark the spot!

:: hydrangea iii ::

this is precisely why it is a good plan to leave some of the tidying up in the garden 'til really late...

...because when there is a frost, what are really the untidy leftovers from Summer's hydrangea bushes that have dried to a lifeless brown, take on a whole different look with minute ice crystals rimming their every papery edge...

...so beautiful, so worth the frozen fingers out in the front garden at -1 this morning :-)

:: no id ::

Another mystery plant in our street...with many stages of development before fully opening into a spray of perfect, tiny white flowers each with 5 rounded petals...

...this stage, where all those perfect petals are folded exactly inside and ready to flower, yet concealed entirely, except for colour...and a miniature star revealed therefore...

...the precision of nature!

:: camellia iii ::

It really is camellia season now, with all kinds of lovely beauties bursting out.
I really didn't realise there were so many varieties until I started looking.
...and in the background is my trusty flower-spying-assistant, Miss Olive, dutifully examining something I obviously had not!

:: erica ::

I 'think' these very joyfully-pink miniature blooms are of the erica family and probably a heath or a heather...someone may be able to correct me if they know more...! For now, I'm assuming this.

...and aren't they spectacularly-coloured and abundantly profuse? 

...like the weekend we've just enjoyed - a marvellous gift of a train journey to and from the West Coast of New Zealand with an overnight in Greymouth in the middle. Have decided that train travel is a very lovely and gentle way to travel - may have started something...!!

:: kowhai ::

:: rosa xxiv ::

Special day, the 1st of July - a very happy big birthday for Mr. A!