Ochna Kirkii - A Mickey Mouse Flower

Ochna Kirkii is one of those interesting flowers that displays dual facades;  a mantle of yellow follows by red. This 'change of clothing' is one of Nature's play on preserving its lineage. Firstly, by an assurance of the stage of pollination (yellow flowers) and secondly the stage of fruit dispersal (red  floral-like calyx) by insects.

The yellow five-petaled flower opens up to reveal numerous fine filament-like stamens around a white stigma. It last about 2-3 days before it fades. The five pale green calyx seen behind the petals have an important role to play further on.

A spent yellow flower is seen on the left while the one on the right is in a more advance state of development where the chilly red calyx have formed and persisted. The stigma is still seen protruding from it. 

This bug has no appreciation for the flowers. It clambered irreverently all over before deciding to rest with hind legs astride them. Talk about 'casting pearls at swine'.

Some shrivelled yellow petals can still be seen on the red 'flowers' (actually are sepals and calyx) which open up to reveal one fruit or ...

several green ones on the dome-shaped base of each 'floral calyx'.

The green fruits took on a yellowish-red tinge before ...

turning jet black when ripe. When two fruits are seen together they look like Mickey mouse's ears. Seedlings sprout easily from these seeds and is the main form of propagation. I have several large shrubs derived this way.

The calyx are thick-fleshed and last long on the shrub.

Even when totally devoid of fruits, the calyx stood out, looking outlandish and striking. 

Little deeds are like little seeds, they grow to flowers or to weeds. 

- Daniel D. Palmer 

Leaves are elliptic with bristle-toothed margins. This flower fly held the edge of a leaf for security. I've noticed many insects doing this while appearing to be perching nonchalantly. It is strange for them to do so as they have wings and can always fly away.

Young leaves are coppery in colour. A busy ant scrambling around must be on a purposeful mission.

The same type of looks-challenged bug comes on the prowl.

It scrambled unceremoniously over the buds looking for some undetermined  critters or objects. A protuberance on the abdomen of this bug seems to be used as a fulcrum for stability.

Posted from Cork, Ireland (This is the second week of my one-month sojourn in Ireland)

Ps - This is a re-published post. Actually, I published this post yesterday, but an error occured and it reverted back to draft, thus the dates of comments by Rosemary and Robin are not in chronological order.

Gardenia Augusta of My Perfumed Garden

Gardenia augusta is one of the fragrant shrubs that I have planted in my endeavour to establish a perfumed garden. The fragrance is intense but lovely. The petals are waxy while the leaves are leathery, shiny and bright green when young which turn darker as they age.

An early bloom of pristine white with streaks of chartreuse which disappear as the flower matures.


The whorls of petals are unfolding in ...

an uneven fashion.


They look prettiest to me on the third or fourth day with the inner whorl still folded up.

 
The full bloom in all its perfumed splendour.

"It is a golden maxim to cultivate the garden for the nose, and the eyes will take care of themselves" - Robert Louis Stevenson

The bloom on the left has started to turn into a light cream colour which becomes darker as it gradually bite the dust over the next few days.

 

Petals are fully unfurled to release its intense fragrance. I always can't resist sniffing at it.

A flower bud demurely wrapped up.

 

An aesthetically challenged bug was on the prowl. Since I've no inkling of its business, I let it go for the time being. If sap-sucking is its occupation, then I would rise to the occasion of being the Exterminator, much as I dislike the role.

 

A solitary white scale insect found its niche on the stem. It was not on my invited guests list, so was unceremoniously ejected after the photo-shoot.

Gardenia and Lantana camara 'ham and eggs' in a sundae glass. This simple arrangement can last about three days before the Gardenia turns yellow while the tiny Lantana florets start to drop off the stalk.

Posted from Cork, Ireland (I'm on a one-month sojourn in Ireland for the whole month of October)

Aechmea chantinii - A Bromeliad of Distinction

Bromeliads require very little soil or none at all to grow. Actually the roots are for attachment of the plants to surfaces. They can then be planted in tiny pots with no ill effects. This is unlike most container plants in the tropics which have to be grown in large pots to counter water loss. The flowers are gorgeous and last like forever.

 

An Aechmea chantinii in full bloom is a sight to behold.

 

The flower bud wrapped up mummy-like gives little indication of the blooming beauty that it will one day transformed into.

 

The dramatic scarlet bracts unfurled to reveal several spikes of red-yellow flowers. The stiff upright leaves have silvery horizontal bands, giving it the moniker of Amazonian Zebra Plant. Thorns are found along the edge the leaves.

The flower which is single need not envy the thorns that are numerous -Rabindranath Tagore

Dark coloured fruits are formed at the ends of some flowers. Propagation is easily achieved with suckers which sprout easily from the base of plants after flowering.

During the day several common garden snails such as the one above can be seen nestling in the plant's depths. The whorls of upright leaves formed a fortress of thorns protecting it. I actually gave up trying to pick it out as the snail's conical shape does not allow for a good grip and the thorns pierced my hand. I have to wait for nightfall to complete the job. 

At dusk this snail emerged to forage for food. This is the time to handpick it.

It moved down the length of the leaf and also did some crossovers to other leaves.

Ouch, ouch ... here it is performing its feat. Whoever says that scattering broken eggshells to deter snails have not come across this thick-soled mollusc.

These vivious looking thorns are actually very hard and sharp. I have actually comtemplated on tossing this bromeliad into the compost bin each time I got stabbed by the thorns.

 As this Aechmea chantinii was planted next to a clump of Mother-in-law's tongue (Sansievara trifasciata), it decided to cross over to that too.

 After crossing the saw-toothed edge of the Aechmea chantinii, the edge of Mother-in-law's tongue (Sansievara trifasciata) is just a piece of cake.

Snails are literally crawling all over my garden and even on my porch. One even have the audacity to explore my plant cutter. It probably wanted to supplement its diet with some iron.

Posted from Cork, Ireland (I'm on a one-month sojourn in Ireland for the whole month of October)

Tabernaemontana orientalis - The Perennial Bloomer

Tabernaemontana orientalis is a shrub that can be groomed into a small tree. This is a popular garden plant mainly because it is year-long profuse bloomer. It thrives well in almost any soil types and commonly seen growing robustly by roadsides. Pampered with good soil and plant nutrients it will flourish in all its glory.

  

A male Hypolimnas bolina jacintha (Jacintha Egg Fly) settled on an inflorescense before deciding to partake of its nectar. 

It continued to perch on the flower and basked in the sunshine.

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough" ~Rabindranath Tagore  

These numerous buds will in no time burst into large inflorescences.

  

The five-petaled white flowers are pin-wheel in shape.


This shrub branches readily forming an umbrella-like canopy. Lower branches have to be trimmed off for grooming into a tree.

The shiny, dark green leaves will bleed a milky sap when removed from the stem.

A shot at dusk of Tabernaemontana orientalis.

An ant scrambled at a frenetic pace to get at the goodies before night fall.

 

Caladium leaves growing cheek by jowl with the dwarf Tabernaemontana.

The dwarf variety needs no trimming.  It just grow into a bigger round bush. it needs minimal maintennance and is most ideal for the lazy gardener.

Tasha having a romp on the grass.

Tabernaemontana and Magdagascar periwinkle flowers afloat. Unwilling to relegate freshly-shed flowers to the compost bin, they were collected for watery baths such as this.

 

My goldfish went to piscean Happy Valley, so the bowl became a vessel for my flowers. 

Tabernaemontanas afloat with fragrant tea lights for a dreamy night ambience by the porch.

Posted from Cork, Ireland (I'm on a one-month sojourn in Ireland for the whole month of October)

Bananas Galore

Dwarf banana (Musa) trees, are most ideal in a small garden. In about four to six months, this variety will start to sprout flowers, followed by fruits when the trunk is about five feet tall.

The young fruits are covered by flap-like petals.

The young fruit-bearing stalk.



These are the young green horns - immature bananas.

The shrivelled up flowers at the end of the fruits take some time to drop off.


 
I planted it for the fruits as well as the leaves which have many uses in Malaysian cuisine. The large fronds are beautiful and provide good shade.

This whole bunch of fruits is heavy and need support to hold it up. I used old broomsticks to buttress the fruit stalk.

This is part of the harvest. The rest were given away to neighbours and friends.

When ripened to a golden yellow they are delicious on its own. The home grown green mangoes are from the backyard garden of Dr AngST while the oranges are from California.

The eating experience can be enhanced with fruit yogurt, a sprinkle of toasted sunflower seeds, and a drizzle of Bailey's cream.

Prawn otak-otak.

 

A dish of prawns, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk, chillies, onions, garlic, wrapped in banana leaf and steamed.

The otak-otak is yummy eaten straight from the banana leaf. It also made a delicious savoury spread on toast.

Chay kwai teow is one of Malaysia's favourite dish. It is a dish of fried flat rice noodles, bean sprouts, chives and cockles. Serving it on a piece of banana leaf enhances the eating experience.

 
A delicious custard with sweet corn kernels, java flour and coconut milk (santan).

The cooked custard mixture is wrapped in scalded banana leaf and chilled. The blue pea flower, Ternatea Clitorea is often used as a food dye.