Dragonfly In My Garden

I was out in the garden early in the morning when I saw my orchids starting to bloom. I went back inside the house to get my camera. It's been a while since I last took pictures of my flowers.

My heart leaped when I noticed this dragonfly on the bud. 

It stayed still and, oh, I so enjoyed the moment capturing it from different angles.

 This little winged thing just made my day!

Nelumbo Nucifera: LOTUS

Lotus is often mistaken as waterlily or the other way around. I, too, made the same mistake calling the waterlily in my garden as lotus. Though both kinds of flowers grow in water garden, they are entirely different plants.

The seed head in the middle is distinct to lotus flowers. It's one thing I look for to be sure it's lotus and not waterlily. It surely stands out and you wouldn't miss it.

The lotus seeds are edible and the seed head, when dried, is popularly used in flower arrangements.

Lotus is an important plant in Thailand which is a predominantly Buddhist country.According to legend, Buddha was born with the ability to walk and lotus flowers bloomed everywhere he stepped.

Aside from its religious importance, lotus is also a useful plant. The buds are sold everywhere to be used as offerings to Buddhist altars. The flowers, seeds, and roots are all edible, and the petals are often used as garnishing. A lotus leaf, which can grow as big as 60cm in diameter, is used as a wrap for food.

This week, I made some changes in my garden. I already have a spot for my future lotus plant. I can't wait to behold a lotus blooming in my own garden.

Exotic Orchids

Thailand is known for it's beautiful orchids. Here's sharing some of the photos I took during an Orchid Exhibit.









I have some orchids blooming in my garden these days but I thought I would wait until all buds are open. Also, my garden doesn't do well these days because of flooding. I hope I could go back to my normal gardening routine soon!

My Rose of Sharon is Blooming But.....

I finally have my first bloom! After months of waiting, my Rose of Sharon is now flowering but we are expecting a flash flood as the major river in our city is overflowing and heavy rain is expected. We have secured the house and I only hope that the flood would not be as bad as expected so my garden will be safe.

I would like to ask for your prayer for my host country, Thailand. Many of the provinces are now submerged in water and major roads are impassable. This weekend, the capital city, Bangkok, where I live, is expected to be hit hard by flash flood.

Although, I care for my garden but I care more for the millions of families that are affected.

Thank you for you prayers.

Rose On Fire

She stood alone in my garden.
She looked like a candlelight as a bud one night.

She's tiny yet fiery.
I can't just ignore her.
She seems to call my attention each time I pass by her.

"Won't you come to my garden? I want my roses to see you."

Richard Brinsley sheridan

Pink and Pretty Flower Collection

This is my pretty pink collection for this week. These flowers are form different places -- my garden, by the side street, and somewhere else. Once photographed, they are already mine, planted here at my Heart's Garden.

It is said that pink is the color of happiness and is sometimes seen as lighthearted. What do you think of color pink?

My Gardening Dilemma

When I had a large yard to garden, I wished I had a smaller one so it was easier for me to tend. Now that I have a small garden, I wish I have a bigger garden to have plenty of space for all the flowers and vegetables I want to plant, and perhaps a little space for my cosy garden shed where I can keep my gardening tools, pots and seeds.

I went online to search for garden sheds that I like and I found some fab ones.

 This one caught my attention first. My girls would enjoy this as their playhouse! 

This one looks cosy and looking at those chairs made me want to have my tea there. 

This one, too, is big enough to keep all my craft boxes and other projects. 

I bet men, like my dad and husband, would prefer a  straight forward shed like this one.  

Which one should I choose?

Credits: Photos from Google Sharing Images

Orange Jessamine

I wonder why they're called in that color when they are so brilliant white.

It's one kind of flower that I missed. It is very fragrant especially at night. I had 2 trees of this that never failed to bloom all year round. It always filled my house with its fragrance. When we moved to our recent house, I could only move the potted plants. 

"White...is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black...God paints in many colours; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white." 

-- G. K. Chesterton

Flowers For The Day

We drove past a plants shop one day and my husband parked the car for a minute so I could take photos of these beautiful flowers.
I have my real garden that I tend everyday and I also have a garden at heart. In my heart's garden, I don't have to own the flowers. I only need my camera to get to enjoy them anytime I want. In doing so, I pay tribute to the Creator. I believe He likes it every time we pause to appreciate what He has made.

My Favorite Bench At The Prayer Garden

I've sat on this bench for many hours begging God to change my situation. I did not get the answer I expected  but He changed my heart. He showed me the other side of where I was and I had a better perspective of things.

My situation did not improve but my heart did.

On this cozy bench adorned with white flowers, a miracle happened to me.

Roses and Poetry

Oh, how they beautifully go together!

The gardener's visit to a rose garden

Roses

You love roses - so do I. I wish 

The sky would rain down roses, as the rain 

From off the shaken bush.Why will it not?

Then all the valley would be pink and white

And soft to tread on.  They would fall as light

As feathers, smelling sweet; and it would be

Like sleeping and like waking, all at once!

(George Eliot)

My Parents' Garden

My father is a serious gardener.As soon as the cock crows, he is already in his garden. 

My Pa in his garden at sunrise when I last visited them in my homecountry. 

Durian, chestnuts, avocado, marang, rambutan, lychee, pomelo, etc. He's got them all in his garden and  they always bear fruits in season. More photos of his garden here.

My Ma is into flowers. She likes her house surrounded with blooms. Below is the collage of photos I took when I visited my parents.

I'm glad I am a gardener like them.

Something White From My Garden

The fragrant Jasmine in the night...

the beauty of Hibiscus in the morning light.... 

the hanging plaque that commands the gardener to rejoice with her blooms in sight...

they all blur when the gardener saw a promise of life --

in the birdhouse something glowed in white!

Inserted Note: Many have asked about the green fruit in the collage. It's called sugar apple (Atis). More info here.

Simply Hibiscus!

Nothing beats the simplicity and beauty of these hibiscus flowers. I had a blast taking photos of them in one spot while I took my children to the pool for their swimming session. The little birdie made it even more a fascinating activity.

The kiss of sun for pardon,

The song of the birds for mirth,

One is nearer God's heart in a garden

than anywhere else on earth.

Dorothy Frances Gurney

Passiflora: The New Star in My Garden

I was so thrilled when my husband bought me this new addition to my collection. I fell in love with passiflora the first time I saw it in a park, and I never thought I would have one in my own garden.

There's a small dead tree by the fence near my vegetable garden, so I let my new vine crawl on it.I believe it will not be long when it covers the whole tree and provides shade for the gardener.

I cultivate my garden, and my garden cultivates me. 

Robert Brault

White Lotus Garden

I was in a public park where there's a big pond of white lotus.

I took many pictures but I didn't seem to get a good one that I could be proud of.

Was it my camera or was I just not in my best position to get a good shot?

I hope it's one of both because, I'm afraid, looking at the quality of flowers and the leaves, 

the pond seems sick.

On the second thought, I think not!

"White...is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black...God paints in many colours; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white." 

- G. K. Chesterton

Tropical Flowers ....In My Garden

Nothing much is happening in my garden except that all my flowers continue to bloom under the heat of the sun and the heavy downpour of the rain.

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.

Gerar de Nerval

Missing My Garden.....

I've been away from home for almost 2 months now, and this pink flower was the last bloom I saw in my garden before I left. I miss the mornings where I can be alone in my garden, digging deep into the dirt of my heart, taking out stones that hinder beautiful virtues to bloom. It's a painful process yet to be surrounded with flowers makes it bearable. You just know that something beautiful is sure to come.

"Shall we compare our hearts to a garden - with beautiful blooms, straggling weeds, swooping birds and sunshine, rain - and most importantly, seeds. 

~Grey Livingston

My Birthday Flower

It's 50 days now that I've been away from my own garden. The gardener in me finds a little bit of satisfaction in scattering seeds from my garden when I jog in the mornings around the campus where I'm doing my MA studies. In the campus there's a prayer garden where my soul is always satisfied. Two days ago, I was there early in the morning. I saw this fragrant bloom that melted my heart. I don't know its name but I call it my birthday flower because it bloomed on my day.

One Morning Exactly A Year Ago

The Morning of May 20, 2010(A repost from my main blog)

I was out one misty morning. It was cold, wet and humid. Though tired from the past day's flight, I wanted to start the day early. I had my special reason and there were plenty of things I'd like to frame with my camera.
.

I was busy as the shutter was, framing flowers here and there. What a refreshing way to start my day, focusing on beauty.

As I worked on my macro, I started to notice tiny creatures creeping quietly.

I wondered, "Have they realized how short their lives are?"

I was thankful to be counting years not days.... I began to feel my inmost celebrating life!

Ahh.. they, too, were in celebration.


Then came Mr. Lizard to pose for me.

 I talked to him a bit and told him  "It's my birthday."

Thank you, Father, for the gift of life.

"....I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." 

John 10:10

  

Bee's Favorite Flower

I have this purplish pink flower in my garden. I don't know its name (yet) but it's one of my favorite, and bees', too! Oh, how I enjoy watching the bees buzz from flower to flower. They feast on sweet treat of nectar.

Bees work for man, and yet they never bruise
             Their Master's flower, but leave it having done,
    As fair as ever and as fit to use;
                              So both the flower doth stay and honey run.
                                - George Herbert, The Church--Providence

Flower Photo Collection (Hong Kong 2011)

One of the best things I enjoy when traveling is taking photos of flowers. Here's my collection during my recent trip to Hong Kong.

Flowers have spoken to me more than I can tell in written words.  

They are the hieroglyphics of angels, 

loved by all men for the beauty of their character, 

though few can decipher even fragments of their meaning. 

~Lydia M. Child

Red Roses

During my recent trip to Hong Kong, I was invited to a friends' house-warming dinner. My dear friends' little apartment was so cute and cozy. If you've been to HK, you know how expensive to have your own apartment so every inch counts! My friends did a good job in making use of every space and in decorating their home. Here are some shots of the roses in the vase by the tv set. Loved the fullness of each rose. They look so friendly!

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.

 - Emma Goldman

       

Bromeliads

 

“Blue flower, red thorns! Blue flower, red thorns! Blue flower, red thorns!

Oh, this would be so much easier if I wasn't color-blind!”

Donkey, From the movie Shrek.

Find out many interesting facts about this unique flower here.

Red Tulips

" Are these tulips?"  I asked myself. I wasn't sure from afar so I had to walk closer.  "Oh my, they are!" It was my first time to see real tulips and was so fascinated to see them up close. These were the 2 flowers I first saw....

I didn't know there will be more surprises few steps away.

My camera started to work hard, and my dear husband, who was ready for meetings, had to wait to give me time to enjoy a unexpectedly pleasant sight along the sidewalk.

It was a real treat to see these red blooms! I could stay there and wait for more of these buds to open.

I saw these gorgeous, red tulips in front of Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong the week after Valentine's Day. I believe they were meant for the love month celebration.

'Mid the sharp, short emerald wheat, scarce risen three fingers well,

  The wild tulip at the end of its tube, blows out its great red bell,

    Like a thin clear bubble of blood, for the children to pick and sell.

 Robert Browning
        Up at a Villa--Down in the City (st. 6) 

  

Blue Flowers

Blue thou art, intensely blue; 

Flower, whence came thy dazzling hue?

 James Montgomery