Ruellia brittoniana - Desert Petunia

I saw these flowers at West Coast Park growing around a tree. My first impression of this plant was that it was a kind of weed. Although I thought that the flowers were pretty, the leaves were rather unruly and wild.

Most of the flowers were bluish in colour except for a few pink ones. There were several small butterflies fluttering around the flowers and it was my good fortune that one decided to pose for a picture on the flower.
"Hi, what brings you here on this fine morning?"

Nothing lasts forever.
Double happiness.

An alluring orchid

I noticed this pot of orchid for three reasons. Firstly, the colour purple which is my favourite colour and secondly, the shape of the orchid that is not like the kind of orchids I am used to seeing. Lastly, the size of the blooms caught my attention from the day they appeared. I asked my neighbour if he had bought this plant as it is normal for non-orchid growers to buy the orchids that are already flowering just for the purpose of enjoying these flowers. I was really happy to learn that a friend of his had given this pot of orchids to him because he could not get it to flower and that my neighbour had managed to coax the plant into producing these lovely blooms. As is normal, I just could not resist the call of the flowers to have a closer look and with my neighbour's permission I have taken a few photos for sharing on my blog. But as I have confessed in an earlier post, I am not an orchid admirer and except for large orchid flowers that have extraordinary looks such as this one, I am totally ignorant of this type of flower although now, I am beginning to take more interest in them.

I had tried to search for the name of this orchid in a website on orchids that I thought was pretty well-organised and comprehensive. But after some surfing, I decided to abandon my quest because it was, for me, like looking for a needle in a haystack. I certainly would appreciate some help here in identifying this orchid from orchid enthusiasts reading this blog.

Hibiscus Flower

Today is a public holiday in Singapore because it is Hari Raya Puasa, the day that Muslims celebrate the end of the fasting month, also known as Ramadan. It was less hazy this morning and we even had rain in the early afternoon on this part of the island. The rain has stopped now and this hibiscus flower in my garden looks great after receiving showers of blessing from the Heavens. I have been searching for images to help me identify this particular hibiscus flower but did not have any luck despite combing various sites on hibiscus flowers including the fantasitc site here:

http://www.toptropicals.com/

Heliconia psittacorum 'sassy'

I consider this heliconia the most beautiful of all the heliconias that I have seen so far. Although it is not spectacular in appearance, I like it for its gentle beauty and the combination of colours that are easy on the eyes and soothing to the soul. In general, I like heliconias and one day would like to plant some species including this particular one in my garden for they are hardy and relatively easy to take care of. I have taken many pictures of various types of heliconias and they can be seen at my website:

http://www.flowersinsingapore.com/heli.htm

Quisqualis indica - Rangoon Creeper (使君子- shih3 jun1 zi3)

Today is Deepavali, also known as the Festival of Lights. It is a public holiday in Singapore celebrated by our Hindu friends and is a time for rejoicing to mark the triumph of good over evil . It is akin to the celebration of a new year and there is much colour and festivity amongst the Indian community in Singapore. In deciding on a flower to mark the celebration of Deepavali in Singapore, I could only think of this vine that I have seen many times especially adorning the fences of houses or growing in pots outside shophouses. This particular bloom was photographed in Ann Siang Hill park.

Family : Combretaceae

Origin : Tropical Asia, New Guinea The flowers are such a joy to behold as the flowers change from white to pink and finally to red as they mature. For me it represents a community where a few generations live harmoniously in a close-knit formation. I like this flower very much. Happy Deepavali to all who celebrate this blessed day!

With the support of of the Nparks, these

metal structures will soon be covered completely with Rangoon Creepers.

I think of Indian ladies in colourful saris walking down Serangoon Road with these fragrant flowers adorning their shiny black hair.

Ricinus communis - Castor Oil plant

Castor oil plant

Castor oil is extracted from the seeds of this exotic-looking shrub that is a native of Tropical Africa. But beware because the seed coat contains ricin that is highly poisonous with the potential to kill. I probably would not have noticed these plants had it not been for the flowers that look like tiny cauliflowers.

Wrightia antidysenterica

Family: Apocynaceae

Common name: Winter Cherry Tree, Arctic Snow,

Pudpitchaya, Sweet Indrajao

Origin: Sri Lanka

I was drawn to a few of these flowering bushes thinking that the flowers were some kind of jasmine. On closer inspection, I found them to be quite unique. Normally, I am not very attracted to white flowers preferring those that are red or purple. However through sheer numbers, the presence of these small flowers won my attention. I read that this plant possesses medicinal properties and the bark and leaves are used to treat various ailments.

Uvaria grandiflora

Uvaria grandiflora
Native species of Singapore
Family Name : Annonaceae
Origin : Indo-China, West Malesia

On this fairly hazy morning, friends and I sought refuge in the nature reserve of Bukit Timah Hill. Hordes of people also had the same thought of getting the most out of an outdoor activity while the winds carry to our island, the unhealthy air from the blazing forest fires in Indonesia. As I walked up the hill, I could not help but notice the thinning canopy above me. There are fewer trees and a lot more sky now than before. I recall years ago, Bukit Timah Hill was really nice and cool with many trees and creepers and the sounds of cicadas and birds. It is no longer the same.

Cordyline fruticosa

We see the flowers

What do they see?

A face peering at their loveliness

People walking by mostly oblivious

To their presence

for their own reasons

I see these flowers

It matters that I shower

them my undivided attention

moment by moment

my breath taken away

but returned renewed for the day

A chance encounter

right place at the right time.

More on this page of my website:

http://flowersinsingapore.com/Albums/Cordylinefruticosa/index.html

Palm flowers

Name of palm, unknown at this moment. Taken at West Coast Park. The warm yellow against the brilliant green is simply captivating.

Paeonia lactiflora - Chinese Peony

Family: Paeoniaceae

Common Name: Chinese Peony, Garden Peony 'Sarah Bernhardt'

These flowers were, for a brief period of their lives, in Singapore serving as the lovely bouquet of a bride who came from China. I have never seen real peonies before attending her wedding and thank goodness for photos, the beauty of these flowers can be admired beyond their physical existence.

Cleome speciosa - an unusual plant

I saw this unusual flower in somebody's garden and went near the front gate to get a closer look. A lady was standing at the door and I said to her that I was just admiring her flowers. She came out for a chat and told me the plant came from the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia and that the flowers looked their best in the evenings when it is cooler. I suppose that made sense since Cameron Highlands is a hill resort. If you look closely at the photo, you will realise that what appears to be leaves are actually seed pods. This is a most unusual plant. Sad to say I have never seen anything like it in the books that I have. Hopefully, someone will know its identity and let me know so that there is a name to this flower.

I have an identification of this plant. Please see comments by Funfun.

Family: Capparaceae

Gomphrena globosa - Bachelor's buttons

Though I am unable to recall where I had taken this photo, I have good memories of this humble flower and of a neighbour who has moved away and whom I have lost contact with. She was a house-wife with two young children and we used to spend time chatting with each other over the fence. I am not sure if 'Bachelor's buttons' is the name of these flowers and I remember conjuring up a picture of a dapper young man with this flower on his lapel.

Family Name : Amaranthaceae
Common Name: Globe Amaranth
Origin : India

Fake maple tree

With raindrops streaming down my car window pane, I snapped a picture of this tree that was in front of a shop put there as a kind of gimmick to attract attention of passers-by. It got my attention all right but I could not help but think about how sad the day would be when all I can snap are imitations of nature in all forms - plastic flowers, plastic trees and plastic everything. This picture is posted on this blog to remind us not to take nature for granted and though we have the capabilities to produce or reproduce anything in the name of consumerism, nature can never be replicated.

Water Lily - Nymphaea sp.

Family: Nymphaeceae

Common name: Water Lily

One flower is lovely and a pond full of water-lily blooms is one of the biggest treat nature can give.

Kopsia singapurensis - Singapore Kopsia

Family: Apocynaceae

Origin: Pennsular Malaysia and Singapore

This plant was once in the running for the title of National Flower of Singapore because it has the red and white colour combination of the national flag. It is not commercially available and the conservation status in the wild is 'vulnerable'. So, where did I manage to see these flowers? Not in the wild but in a small park near the playground at the foot of Bukit Timah Hill. This particular plant was left on the fringe of an open area apparently ready to be planted on the park grounds. It was a small plant and had the potential to grow into a small tree. The chance was too good to miss and the beautiful flowers were just too irresistable.