Impatiens walleriana - Buzy Lizzie

My last post which on Argyreia nervosa (Elephant Vine), where I follow it skywards as it scrambled up the wall. For this post, I've decided to be more down-to-earth and shall feature one of my favourite bedding plants; Impatiens walleriana. It is extremely easy to propagate from cuttings. We simply pinched off any leggy stems and stick them into some potting material. Within a few days, it produces blooms as fresh as ever.

The moniker 'Busy Lizzy' for this plant is most apt as they flower almost non-stop. Masses of flowers are produced at low height, making them good bedding plants and excellent for use as ground cover.

Here in the tropics, it tends to wilt a little by late afternoon, so I plant them under the shade of taller plants such as this shrub of yellow Pachystachys lutea (Lollipop Plant, Golden Shrimp Plant). Here they thrive happily on partial shade and fitered sunlight. The Philodendron Imbe at the back slowly encroah on its space.

Peachy orange with dark green leaves.

Some have lime green foliage.

A variation is Powder pink flowers. This has sprouted in between some Caladium leaves.

A tiny Zizula hylax pygmaea (Pygmy Grass Blue) reposed contentedly on a leaf.

A juicy caterpillar of the Common Lime strangely ended up on this flower.

A grasshopper on Alpinia purpurata stem overlooking a bed of Impatiens.

 The Magdagascar Periwinkle complement them as low border plants for a grassy pathway to the pool.

Capers of Pygmy Grass Blue Butterflies on Lantana

Zizula hylax pygmaea (Pygmy Grass Blue) are incredibly tiny butterflies that freely flutter around in my garden. Lantana camara are their firm favourites.
 

"The butterfly is a flying flower. The flower a tethered butterfly"
- Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun

Their strong preference for this plant could be due to the aromatic leaves and flowers.

 

Unfurling a coiled proboscis into the floret of Lantana camara 'spreading sunset'.

Having a field day, hopping from one floret to another, they are simply just spoilt for choice.


Their thirst for the nectar seems to be insatiable as they flit tirelessly from one inflorescence to another.


The nectar must be like ambrosia to them.

Even flower buds are given the once over. 

 
The buds appear as little rectangle packages

 The buds are just as interesting as the flowers.

Encapsulating the Feel of Autumn

This post features some random shots taken in Cork (Corcaigh), city centre to encapsulate the feel of autumn - the energy, vibrance, nostalgia and smells.

A warm welcome to autumn from 'Best of Buds' *

 
Living wall ornament in rich ocher-red hues clinging on apartment exterior.
 
 
Gold flaunt from outside the apartment window.

Thick moss and curling leaf on balcony.



Holly leaves and red foliage in lieu of red berries
at entrance to apartment


Lilac-pink flowers of Buddleia aka Butterfly bush planted in the grounds of the apartment. I learned of its ID from a post by Rosemary Danielis


At the foyer of the appartment was this little charming box for snail-mails, increasingly an anachronism of this tech-savvy times.



Beds of impatiens provided much eye candy. Most of the pictures were taken from the car as we drove past.

Along the trail to city centre:

Unabashed wallflowers and vine

 
Titanic nostalgia

 
Majestic spires of a church pierced the skies.

 
Wavering shadows


 
Emerald, gold and garnet


  
 Green foliage and flowers provide splashes of colour.

 
Fallen leaves remind me of the song 'Autumn leaves' sung by Nat King Cole. I used to tinkle its tune (badly) during my salad days on the ivory keys.

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold ...
- composed by Joseph Kosma, lyrics from Jacques Prévert 
 

 

 Heralding autumn

 

Adding to Autumn's chill

 
Accents of autumn. 

 

An enigmatic smile, perhaps to warm autumn's chill.

What is left of the harvest for an autumn welcome

Feeding the seagulls

 
Pretty maids all in a row


A pair of seagulls merrily swirled around

 
Fallen leaves bobbing along the chilled waters of River Lee.

"Winter is coming" - deaf, blind and dumb to brace for winter
(taking a leaf from Game of Thrones).

These were hearty meals to appease healthy apetites stimulated from the invigorating walk and autumn chill.



 With full stomachs it was back to the warmth of hearth and home. The candle light quivered over the sofa making it look deliciously inviting.

Very soon it was post-prandial snooze time or perhaps more correctly described as been induced into a state of food coma.  Btw this is not me.

Note: * The yellow bench and witch decorations graced the exterior of a florist shop, 'Best of Buds'. This includes the first photo.