27.12.10

Christmas Flower in 2 Colors


I was happy to have red poinsettias in my garden, and was happier to have another color.

Merry Christmas my friends. I hope you have a more blooming and fruitful year ahead.
                   Today's Flower


10.12.10

Zinnias


I wont mind finding myself sleeping on this bed of zinnias.

Zinnias are colorful flowers that grow in many varieties and form, single, semi-double, double, and multiple layer . They're strong and easy to care. They're easy to grow, too. Just pick a dry flower, you find the seeds in the middle of it. Scatter them on the area where you want them to grow. After many days, you'll find little shoots with 2 tiny leaves coming out. I'm not sure how they do in a non-tropical place. But I know they grow best under full sunshine.

A beautiful flower begins its life in the dirt.
Author Unknown
 
 
 

  Macro Flowers Saturday              Flowers on Saturday    

 Mosaic Monday                    Today's Flower

 


26.11.10

The Balloon Flowers


Platycodon Grandiflorus is the scientific name but it is also called the balloon flowers because before they bloom, its close buds look like paper balloons.


It comes in 2 colors, bluish purple and white. And I'm happy to have both in my garden. Thanks to my niece who gave me the newest blooms in my garden.


 
Blue thou art, intensely blue; Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?
James Montgomery



  Macro Flowers Saturday              Flowers on Saturday   


Mosaic Monday                                        Blue Monday


13.11.10

Water Lily In Bloom

I have shown you my blue water lily (Nymphaea) before. Now I have another color to share.


Water lilies only bloom for few days but when they do, they really take over the show.


That's what they do in my garden. Each flower blooms like a queen.

     
   Mellow Yellow             Today's Flower   
 


9.11.10

Euphorbia Milii


 The stem of this beautiful red flower is very thorny.
 

 Euphorbia Milii means "crown of thorns" or "Christ-thorns".


The name given to it alludes to legend that Christ's crown of thorns during His crucifixion was made from the stem of this plant.

I'm happy to have this new addition in my garden for it is guaranteed to flower for most of the year.




5.11.10

Pink Flowers


 I have new blooms in my garden.



So dainty and sweet.



I am wondering if this is baby's breath?

The earth laughs in flowers.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson



....and these, to me, are giggles.


  Macro Flowers Saturday         Flowers on Saturday          Today's Flower   

Special Invitation:
Saturday Sightings meme is up starting today, Nov. 6, 2010. Check out this brand new meme!


29.10.10

Giant Waterlily


This giant waterlily can grow fast as big as 3 meters diameter under full sun, and it's leaf can carry a load spread evenly up to 45kg! I tried placing my heavy bag on a small leaf and it stayed unmoved.


The beauty of a lily pad is not just its size but also the veins beneath that are designed to support the weight on the leaf.


But of course, nothing beats the beauty of what this bud has to unfold.

"Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are."
Luke 12:27 

This is my entry for the following memes:

  Macro Flowers Saturday                    Flowers on Saturday 

Weekend Reflection        Today's Flower          Watery Wednesday    


22.10.10

Torch Ginger in Bloom


Torch ginger or ginger flower (Etlingera Elatior) is not only for our eyes to behold but also for our taste buds. The flower bud is an important ingredient to many Asian dishes like my favoriteThai tom yam and Malay laksa.
 

How could such sweet and wholesome hours be reckoned,
but in herbs and flowers?   

-   Andrew Marvell




15.10.10

Beach Garden


Before I got so fond of gardening, collecting seashell was my favorite past time.


Then my friend inspired me to collect sea glass, as well. I love the colored ones.


Now that I live away from the beach, I thought of something that helps bring that happy feeling whenever I'm in the beach.


I brought the "beach" feeling in my garden.
I'm happy that I have now a place for my seashells.


The bird bath has got a new look ....


...and my flowers are still in bloom.

In my new house, I have a very little space for my garden.
But I'm just glad that I could still do more with it.

There are no gardening mistakes,
only experiments.

  ~Janet Kilburn Phillips


       Watery Wednesday        


10.9.10

A Rose Is A Rose....

A rose is a rose is a rose!
No matter how defective, flawed, and marred. It remains a rose.....


...and it's still as lovely as a perfect rose.


“But the LORD said to Samuel, 
“Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. 
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” ”
1 Samuel 16:7



       Watery Wednesday                 Ruby Tuesday
 

3.9.10

Butterflies on my Zinnias

Zinnia is my all time favorite flower. All year round I have zinnias in my garden.

This was taken in my garden last year.
Zinnias fill my garden with colors and they also attract more butterflies to it.


This morning, I was amused to see another variety, or is it just a growth abnormality?


Another surprise that my Zinnias gave me was this new garden guest. She was quite energetic and couldn't stay still so I had to use another camera and set it to sports setting so I could frame her well.


Isn't she a beauty? Thanks to my beautiful Zinnias.


You can chase a butterfly all over the field and never catch it. 
But if you sit quietly in the grass it will come and sit on your shoulder.
Author Unknown

    
Today's Flower                Mellow Yellow 

27.8.10

Blue Flower In My Garden


I have a blue water lily in my garden.


It has only a single flower but it's a beauty to behold each day! Notice its transformation. I took the pictures in 3 consecutive days.






"No two gardens are the same.  No two days are the same in one garden."
~Hugh Johnson





24.8.10

Fresh Flowers in the Rain

It was raining when we came back from shopping for flowering plants for our butterfly garden project. I'm excited to show you how the project goes, but not yet. But here are the latest gorgeous addition:

The orange hibiscus is the most favorite. I just love the dews on it.

Liquid pearls
~ William Shakespeare

Every dew-drop and rain-drop had a whole heaven within it.
~Longfellow

 Dew-drops are the gems of morning,
  But the tears of mournful eve!
~ Samuel Taylor Coleridge
     
See more F words @ ABC Wednesday


For more watery sights go to Watery Wednesday

 




22.8.10

Birds of Paradise

My host took me to the far corner of her garden to show me her birds of paradise. She led me through deep leaves and muddy ground to see these beauties. She pointed and told me to frame these 3. I got 3 kinds in one snap!

Then she drove me to her friend's garden to see more...



God Almighty first planted a garden. 
And indeed, it is the purest of human pleasures.
-Francis Bacon 



Today's Flower        Mosaic Monday        Ruby Tuesday 



21.8.10

Little Creatures in the Garden

 
All things bright and beautiful, 
 all creatures great and small, 
 all things wise and wonderful:  
 the Lord God made them all. 
 Each little flower that opens, 
 each little bird that sings, 
 God made their glowing colors, 
 and made their tiny wings. 
 The purple-headed mountains, 
 the river running by, 
 the sunset and the morning 
 that brightens up the sky.
 
The cold wind in the winter, 
 the pleasant summer sun, 
 the ripe fruits in the garden: 
 God made them every one. 
 
  God gave us eyes to see them, 
 and lips that we might tell 
 how great is God Almighty, 
 who has made all things well. 
 -Cecil Frances Alexander
 
All photos are taken in a friend's beautiful. 
I thank her for my time well spent there. 

Camera Critters