Today's flowers - Red, Yellow and White

Today's flowers are not from my garden.

The first two flowers, the Peacock flower and the white Lily were from my walk this morning planted along the track by the roadside.

Caesalpinia Pulcherrima commonly known as the Peacock flower

I have always called this Lily, Bernie said its called Spider Lily (Hymenocallis), though there is no sweet fragrance coming from it

Cassia Fistula or the Golden shower flowers

Love the bunches of yellow flowers hanging profusely from the tree in my cousin's garden...I felt like walking under a cherry blossom tree!

http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com

Cranes came to visit....

picture perfect!

While hanging clothes in the backyard suddenly I saw 3 cranes wading the knee high water of the Ampang River behind my house just a few feet away. I ran in to take my camera but by the time I came back again, they were all gone to the neighbour's side!...Only one was seen and luckily I was able to snap its photo. She's a beauty isn't she?

No idea what's its called but have seen this type on Chinese scroll paintings....red markings on the head near the beak and black feathers on the wings and back. The cranes look so graceful, with their long slender necks standing on their two twig-like legs in the water. Their beauty and spectacular mating dances have made them highly symbolic birds in many cultures dating back to ancient times. I wonder if our dance in the ballrooms or the discos is a copycat of their mating dances, showing our dancing skills, moves and manouvers to attract the perfect mate!

Anyway, its my lucky day today to get a glimpse of these rare big birds so near human habitat foraging in the river, which I know have lots of fish especially after a heavy rain this morning. Athough a fleeting meeting, its such an exhilarating one! I hope someday I will have the chance to meet another river dweller there - the Monitor Lizard (biawak)!....Though not face to face, mind you, I have seen glimpses of it a few times, quite huge! Just far enough to photograph it!

Malayan Ground Orchid

Its Friday again!

Blooming Friday this week's theme is On the Ground - hosted by Katarina at Roses and Stuff. Today Im flaunting (Tootsie's Fertiliser Friday/Flaunting your Flowers) my ground orchid planted on my new flower bed near the pond.

Scientifically it is known as Spathoglottis Plicata or the Malayan Ground Orchid and the Philippines Ground Orchid. It is a native of South East Asian countries and the Philippines but it is one of the most common orchids found in the islands of Hawaii!

the first flowers of my Malayan Ground Orchid planted in a pot are white/pinkish with a bit of yellow in the centre

transplanted the whole clump on the ground...they love the sun or semi shade

the second time blooms show more yellow after that

The colour of the flowers are usually white, purple, lavender/violet, peach, light pink, orange/yellow

the plant was a big clump, had so many bulbs, so I broke them apart and planted them in the new flower bed circling the pond

How about this? This dainty sweet flowers are the Chinese Ground Orchid (Bletilla Striata) a tiny version of the showier Cattleya....though I dont have this in my garden, just to show here another variety of ground orchid

While doing my gardening, Im usually accompanied by the Ground Patrol, today is Comot's turn. She was the neighbour's kitten who came one day for lunch, then dinner....then stayed for good!

snooping and snipping around under the flower and vegetable beds...

hmmmm...can I eat this? snipping water cabbage thrown from the pond for my compost bin under my vegetables....dont disturb me...Im working! here's the weed! the weed!

not weed you....its my newly planted lemon grass!

hey you Ground Patrol...are you pooping or what? Ground Patrol indeed....making a mess of the ground in my garden!

Pop over to Katarina's garden to see what's on the ground there and to Tootsie's for her Spring flowers and seedlings!

ENJOY!

Wordless Wednesday - Perforated!

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Today's Flowers

Not only the flowering plants are blooming, the vegetables are also not to be left out!

Miss First Pumpkin

Miss Shy Eggplant

Miss Prim Bean

Last but not least...a big surprise indeed, a late entry - better late than never....

a rose? Nope....its

Miss Sassy Red Balsam!

( move over Miss Pink Balsam!)

Visit more flowers at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com

Cat's Whiskers

Remember I took home the wrong plant a few months back? Well, this time I got the right one! The cat's whiskers (Orthosiphon Aristatus) or misai kucing as it is known locally. I just adore the pretty purple inflorescences.

The plant is not only a medicinal herb but a pretty ornamental one, found mainly throughout South East Asia and tropical Australia.

The leaves are dried and boiled like tea for drinking to treat ailments of the kidney, bladder stone, urinary tract infection, liver and bladder problems, rheumatism and gout.

the buds of Orthosiphon Aristatus campared to...

the buds of Clerodendrum Incisum which I mistakenly took home because of the similarity of their leaves

Im flaunting these pretty purple blooms showing the characteristic cat's whiskers for Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday/Flaunt Your Flowers this week.

Why is mine pink?

The balsam seeds Malar (My Little Garden) gave a month ago finally bloom today. But what a shock I had, its PINK not RED!

but still....its a beauty!

Could it be the soil or not enough fertiliser?

Malar's

I was looking forward to the red double layer blooms shown in Malar's and Bangchik's garden.

Bangchik's

But Im still happy they finally bloom, no matter what colour!

Thank you Malar for the seeds