Euphorbia Milii - Crown of Thorns

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia Milii) are year round bloomers. They can always be relied upon to brighten up the garden. Each inflorescence last for months and they are seldom seen without any floral adornment. This is a tough plant and resistant to common pests such as mealy bugs, thrips and aphids.

This inflorescence of red flowers is tinged with green. Contrast this with ...


this cluster of pure red flowers. This plant has since passed on to plant heaven due to poor drainage of the pot-bound plant.


In the background is a Lantana camara standard.

 

Euphorbia Milii co-existing happily in container with pink Portulaca and pink Torenia fournieri. Its bluish-green leaves are thick and when crushed, bleeds with a white latex.
A single frond of the Philodendron bipinnatifidum is seen stretching out towards it.

Euphorbia Milii is easily propagated from stem cuttings. Snip off a small section from the lateral branches, let the milky white latex dry off for a day and stick it into a rich soil mixture. It will take root in no time. 

This male dawn dropwing dragonfly perched on a dried up twig.

 

The blue and pink flowers in the background are those of Torenia fournieri which self-seeded themselves in containers meant for other plants.

Inle Lake at Heho, Myanmar. This photo taken from the verandah of a lakeside restaurant. This restaurant serves western meals.

Wooden houses built at the edge of the lake are charming and hark back to a rustic, gentler way of life.

Neomarica longifolia - Yellow Walking Iris

Neomarica longifolia have yellow flowers with mottled brown markings. It can be propagated by rhizomes or from the offsets formed from the flowering stem. It can be planted in partial shade, but for showy blooms, it is best to locate under full sun.

The leaves are sword like and upright and can extend up to 2-3 feet.

FROM BUD TO BLOOM

j

Fully extended petals  

The centre is mottled with brown markings.

At the end of the day, the petal closes and drop off the next day. Each flower last only one day, but the following day, another one will takes its place, ensuring that the clump is always adorned with blooms.

When flowering is done, little plantlets "pups"developed next to the spent blooms. These can be harvested and planted elsewhere. 

If nothing is done about it, the flowering stem gets weighted down to the ground allowing the plantlets to get rooted and replant themselves. Over time, the clumps will continue in all directions, änd literally walked" to a new spot.

  

However when planted in a container, the "walking" will somehow be restrained. I started planting the pups not too long ago. Now here it is rewarding me with blooms.

The denuded petiole is one of the dragonflies' favourite holding post.

The purple and red Dawn dropwing dragonfly adds another layer of colours to the image.

 

Golden dragonflies are also commonly seen on the clumps. 

A Thunbergia Erecta flower is seen in the background.

The flower fly however prefer the leaf blade 

 

 

Night Boarders

We see our garden by day and picture in our mind how it looks but what happens after dark is entirely different. When the critters think that we are not watching, a different scenario sets in. 

Bougainvilla Elizabeth Angus. I have this Bougy E. Angus just outside my doorstep. One night, I ventured into the garden and had a pleasant surprise.

This fledgling settled on this bougy as its night time retreat.
It kept returning every night around 8.00pm for about a fortnight. 

It always chose the same leaf to perch on which is at eye level. With its head tucked into its chest, it was sweet slumber, oblivious to human activities.

A blue skimmer dragonfly (Orthetrum Caledonicum) retired for the night on the unfurled leaf of the epiprenum.

A very tiny Damselfly decided that this pair of frayed blue jeans left to dry in the kitchen was safe sanctuary.

A male Common Mormon (Papilio polytes) appeared blue instead of deep brown when shot at night.

This Mandevilla vine was deemed suitable for night time refuge. It hung precariously on the tip of the leaf.

Mandevilla sanderi 'Red Riding Hood'

 A mottled skipper tinged with orange on the forehead and underside settled on a hibiscus leaf for the night.

Another moth of unknown ID settled on this ...

... Galphimia gracilis or commonly called as 'Rain of Gold' (updated on 9.1.14)

This young bamboo stake provides a high point for this purplish-red dragonfly.

An unidentified critter on Philodendron 'Ceylon Gold'.  

 
A snake coiled up languorously for the night, on the broad leaf of the Alpinia purpurata (Red ginger torch).

A pair of bats make this canopy of Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper) their night abode too.

 
This hairy moth took refuge indoors, on the back of my front door. So, good-nite to all and sleep tight.