A Fragranced Rose & Another Without

I have only two types of rose bushes. One is structured but totally devoid of fragrance. Yet it is frequented by predator insects like this semi-transparent tiny spider.

After a shower, this itsy bitsy spider emerged from somewhere and started flexing its eight hairy limbs. The big drop of water at the centre of the flower seemed to be its watering hole.


The progression from young flower bud to full bloom over several days:

 


 

 
 
Here it is at full bloom and at its most beautiful.

 
The day after full bloom, the petals curled back further, everting them.

This itsy bitsy spider has the run of the rose. On this bloom, it seemed to be possessed of strong territorial traits .

Probably because of its tiny size, it constantly raised its limbs to appear bigger and more threatening.

A single rose can be my garden...a single friend, my world ~ Leo Buscaglia.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The other type of rose that I've planted is the old fashioned rose which I've known from my childhood days. Someone told me it is called the damask rose.

It is bluish-red with unstructured petal arrangement

and imbued with the most glorious rose scent.

Sometimes when there are numerous blooms on the bush, I would plucked some and freezed them for rose-flavoured ice-cubes.

A single rose and Tristellateia australasiae (Maiden's jealousy) in a coloured glass bowl as centrepiece for the dining table.

These are old silver modesty plates from Sulawesi used by little girls. This were tied from the waist to hide the sex, both to protect the modesty of the child and to ward off evil forces (From my sister's antique silver collection). 

Bougainvillea Flaunt @ Casa Del Rio

Sometime in September last year we visited Melaka, a much sought after destination for both local and foreign tourists. We stayed at the riverine Casa Del Rio Hotel. When we approached the hotel, I was bowled over by the stunning display of multi-hued bougainvilleas from the balconies.

This is the view from the corridors of the guestrooms.

"A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love" ~ Max Muller

 
Its not surprising that the Bougies here are in their full glory as Melaka is one of the driest city in Malaysia. 

Bougies thrived and flourished in full sunlight with minimal rainfall.

This humongous raintree provide a verdant background to the colourful blooms.

They seem to be sprouting like weeds from the top of walls

and balconies.

The bougies were planted on almost every tier of the hotel.


At the central courtyard of the hotel, a large three-tiered  fountain gurgled and bubbled noisily. Four Frangipani (Plumeria) trees graced the courtyard.

In the evening the lighted lamps bathed the flowers in soft amber light.

Yellow and red bougies seen through black wrought grill.

Tall containers lined up against the wall provide colours to the stone facade in front.

This Portugese-inspired arch which is the gateway to Casa Del Rio Hotel in Melaka. In the early 1500s the Portuguese came to Malacca and ruled the place till 1641. 

A Reflective Praying Mantis on Bougainvillea

Praying mantis looks like walking dried twigs. The eyeballs are enormous compared to the size of its head. The mouth piece is very small and this give the head an overall triangle shape. It is weird looking like some alien from outer space.

The front pair of legs are habitually in a praying hands posture, thus its moniker.

It has an adventurous spirit and nimbly crossed this floral bridge of variegated bougainvillea.

Every now and then it stop to survey the surroundings from a leafy podium.

It selected a vantage point to have a good view of my garden and stayed a long time, possibly to reflect. 

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest" - Confucius 

 

It finally settled on a pale yellow leaf, without any variegations. When I got clicking away,

 

 it turned to face me, and I gotcha this shot with the half-opened bedroom eyes, scrutinising me.

 
Pure white flowers on yellow-green variegated leaves.

This is the stomping ground of this intrepid praying mantis. Light purple and white flowers are borne on the same stem. Light blue Plumbago Auriculata flowers and numerous leaf blades of Neomarica longifolia (Yellow Walking Iris) are seen below it.

An antique silver neck ring (hansuli) worn by women living in the Rajasthan Punjab region.
(circa early 20th century, from my sister's collection)

A Bird Nest - Three is a Crowd

Unknowingly my domestic helper snipped off the two yellowed leaves of the Hydrangea macrophylla bush where the bird nest was attached.

I held the nest wondering what to do with it when we heard the mother bird chirping frantically away on top of a tree nearby.

Hydrangea macrophylla

Bauhenia kockiana

22 Dec 2012: I then used some green garden twine and secured the nest to several stems of Hydrangea and to a metal stake for Bauhenia kockiana. I then tied the upper stems together so that the leaves arch over the nest forming a protective canopy to shelter them from the elements.

 

 No sooner had I finished the job, it rained cats and dogs. Phew, just in time!

24 December 2012: As the babies nestled in the cramped nest, Santa and Rudolf, the red-nosed reindeer visited.

 25 December 2012: The fluffy yellow down was beginning to show.

26 December 2012: I went to check on them early in the morning. Their feathers have grown longer and thicker. 

 
 
27 December 2012 am: Both parents took care of their progenies. They constantly flew to and fro with grub in their beaks while at the same time chirping shrilly.

The babies stirred from their sweet slumber. It was feeding time.  
 "God gives every bird its food, but he does not throw it into the nest"
~Josiah Gilbert Holland

27 December 2012 pm:  By evening, they've acquired a thick mantle of downs and feathers and were more alert.

28 December 2012 pm

Nest Address:    No 27, Hydrangea Lane, Lake Edge.

Nest Residents: Tweety, Peety and Weety

29 December 2012 pm:   Early this morning, Tweety, Peety and Weety had flown the nest with mum. I was too late to record their maiden flight. Now, I'm suffering from empty-nest syndrome. The nest is framed by the Hydrangea, Jasmine and Bauhenia kockiana shrubs.