The Tall and Short Ruellias

The Ruellias are one my favourite perennials. The 'elegans' are the leggy ones while the 'brittoniana' are shorties. Both bloom almost daily and add so much gaiety to any garden.

Ruellia elegans 

This is the taller version. They tend to be floppy and need some staking while some of the branches can be allowed to drape elegantly over a tall pot for a striking visual impact. 

Close-up of Ruellia elegans 

 

and bud.

They bloom in clusters.

 They can be planted in the ground or in containers. Here they are planted next to a row of Baphia nitida hedge.

These undemanding plants thrive without much care.

They flourish despite neglect. In fact this clump was unceremoniously extruded from its pot and dumped with its naked rootball on to the ground, yet it is thriving. 

What they cannot do without in our hot tropical clime is water. Copious amount is needed to slake their thirst otherwise they would easily wilt. However, as soon as they get a through drenching, recovery is rapid in no time and they look none the worse for wear.  

Propagation is by stem cuttings or root clump division.

Ruellia brittoniana

These are the dwarf species. I have them in three hues; pink, lavender and white. Propagation is by root clump division and from seeds. In fact they self-sow freely and in no time, baby plants are seen everywhere.

delicate pink

lavender

bridal white

This plant share the same container with Philondendron xanadu and ivy.

A pot of Ruellias of different hues with the white ones on the other side.

Snails are very fond of their leaves and make lovely meals out of them. After their chow down, the plants are reduced to mere stalks, being completely denuded of foliage. In frustration, I potted them thinking that heights might deterred those pesky molluscs but alas no heights are too lofty for them. I've seen them scaled up to the second level of the house.

With such voracious apetites, the snails are on a ...

continuous chow down.

Floating dwarf Ruellias with teeny-weeny ivy leaves.

Allamanda - violacea and cathartica

I've planted the violacea and cathartica versions of Allamanda from cuttings. Both types root easily. The former has thicker petals than the latter. All parts of the plant when removed before its time will bleed a sticky and milky-white sap.

The A. violacea is a real climber with more sturdy, woody stems and is now about 10 feet high.

It grows vigorously and looks set to scale even greater heights. However its height is limited to the 12-foot bamboo stake used.

The bright canary yellow A. cathartica is

a real attention grabber.

This insect moved into the inner recesses of the bloom and has trouble making an exit. 

Masses of bright cheery trumpet-like flowers are produced year long. Growing in between are Nerium Oleander and Heliconium rostrata.

Flower buds are waiting impatiently to burst into blooms.

 The leaves of the A. violacea are of paler green and covered with fine hairs while those of A.cathartica (smaller piece, in front) are smooth with a sheen.


I can't determine whether these tiny pellets on this Allamanda cathartica leaf blade are eggs or seeds. 

A solitary A. violacea among a bunch of A. cathartica in a clam shell.

Flight of the Carpenter Bee

Carpenter bees are frequent visitors to my garden. They are often seen collecting nectar and pollen only from the flowers of the...

 

 Thunbergia Grandiflora which cascaded freely down.

A cascade of sky blue flowers formed an attractive drape over a fenestra in the concrete fencing thus providing a privacy screen.

A humming and buzzing bumblebee carpenter bees zoomed straight into a Thunbergia Grandiflora

 and stayed for quite a while. As blue flowers are not as common as reds and yellows, they complement the whole gamut of colours in the garden.

When they are done with gathering, they are frequently seen sunbathing on hibiscus flower buds. In the background, Bauhenia kockiana vines hung down, heavily laden with a profusion of yellow-orange blooms. 

Bauhenia kockiana start off as yellow blooms which gradually mellow into a deep orange colour.

 

Carpenter bees are adamant about perching on the same flower bud, even when there are many others to choose from. When I approached with my lens, they'll buzzed off but soon returned to the same bud in spite of my continued presence. 

This bud-hugging activity can go on for the rest of the day. Such behaviour is so persistent and repetitive that it presents a good study on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

 This bumblebee continued to hug its dedicated flower bud possessively for the next few days, always the same bud and no others.

Wings are spread-eagled presumably to derive the full benefits from sun worshipping.

When it flew off momentarily, I playfully placed a flower near its bespoke bud. On discovering this unfamiliar object upon its return, it buzzed over the unsolicited flower, then chided me by buzzing furiously and closely over my head. I felt the strong air currents and feared that it would sting me.

The wings are delicate and look almost black while some shimmering rainbow colours are picked out by the sunshine.
 

Here, this carpenter bee is preparing for flight. Wings are flapped rapidly prior to take off, generating a loud buzz. This is indeed a good life.

“The busy bee has no time for sorrow.” - William Blake

Eventually all good things have to come to and end. Nothing was known about how this bee met its demise.  It was disposed off in an orgy of feasting for days on end by some marauding ants. 

NB: Originally this bee has been identified aas a bumblebee. It has been determined that this guy is actually a carpenter bee

The Bougainvillea Flaunt

Bougainvillea plants are at its best during the hot, dry season though the occasional tropical showers bring some respite from the intense heat. This is the time to pamper them with nutrients, preferably organic fertilisers. Then just step  back and be tantalised by the big FLAUNT.

Burnt orange bracts never fail to impress.

Burnt orange with variegated leaves

White bracts with variegated leaves.

 

This bougy is a prolific bloomer with flowers flaunted the whole year round. This is one of the best specimen around and a must-have for any avid bougy lover.

Baby Pink bracts with variegated leaves seen at dawn...


and at dusk. A casuarina tree in the background sways gently in the evening breeze.
 

Pink bracts with variegated leaves.
 

This starts off as pure white bracts with the pink blushes appearing later.

Bougainvilla 'Mrs Eva' is a great bloomer. It has never disappointed.

A trailing branch of bougy blooms, cascading in front of a mickey mouse bush.

Bougainvilla 'Mrs Eva' planted as a standard, almost sans foliage.

Bougainvilla 'Elizabeth Angus' 

Colour became less intense with time 

An ant wandered forlornly around ...

on these faded blooms with shrivelled stamens.

This bougy with magenta blooms adds colour to the garden.

Bougainvillea spectabilis has pristine white flowers.

Bougainvillea spectabilis (white) and B. Mrs Eva (mauve) planted as standards. In the background is a mature Callistemon (Australian Bottlebrush tree).