Schefflera actinophylla - Octopus Tree

These blooms have been on this particular tree for the past 2 weeks and are still going strong. This tree is next to the road to the right after passing the tidal gates towards Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve just before turning into Neo Tiew Lane. Today is my lucky day or is it the lucky day of these trees to be photographed so that their exuberance can be admired by many more people other than folks like me.

Family: Araliacceae
Common name: Australia Ivy Palm, Umbrella Tree
Origin: Tropical Australia, Papua New Guinea

Butterflies belong to no one

A little girl saw this picture and asked, "Whose butterfly is this?"

I did not even stop to think and spontaneoulsy said, "Butterflies don't belong to anybody, dearie because butterflies are free." And a smile came upon my face as I pondered on what I had said knowing that one day I too, will be like the butterfly - free.

Hydrangea Macrophylla

The flowers are blue, for a change. These were in my garden some years back when my kids were still small. Today I bought a book titled "Plants that heal, thrill and kill" by Dr Wee Yeow Chin. I read that the leaves of this plant which is commonly grown in gardens, are poisonous. Fortunately, my kid did not fancy eating leaves though he had many opportunities to do as he loved to toddle in the backyard or pushed himself around in the walker to entertain himself while we parents were examining the other plants in the garden. Anyway blue and purple flowers hold a special fascination for me probably because flowers we see are mostly in varying shades of red, yellow or orange.

In response to Budak's comment, here is a photo of a pink hydrangea bloom taken during a visit to a nursery and he is right about the colours and how they can be determined by what goes into the soil.

Here's an excellent website on Hydrangeas:

http://www.hydrangeashydrangeas.com/

Came across hydrangeas that are purplish in colour:

6 May 2006

Samanea Saman

Family name: Leguminosae

Common name: Rain Tree

Origin: Tropical America

These are the flower and buds of the Rain tree that gives us so much greenery along major roads like Upper Thompson road in the picture below. They are found on either side of roads and pruned regularly in such a way that the branches of the trees meet midway above the roads to form green tunnels in some parts of Singapore. Because the trees are very tall, flowers are seldom noticed unless they are the younger ones growing in the parks where the branches are within reach. The picture above was taken at Upper Peirce Reservoir some time ago after a shower and as a result they look drenched instead of the usual fluffy appearance on a fine day.

Cassia Fistula (Golden Shower)

Common name: Golden Shower

Origin: India & Sri Lanka

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

Like the Trumpet tree, this tree flowers liberally on road dividers and in parks like West Coast Park and Marina City Park. The dangling flowers remind of the ornaments that adorn a Geisha's hair and never fail to make my a delightful one whenever I see these trees in bloom. The richness of the yellow flowers in bloom make me recall a scene in the movie "Hero" where Maggie Cheung and Zhang Zi Yi fought a graceful battle in the thick of yellow Autumn leaves swirling around them. Wow!

Sunday flower

11.19: I had to find a bright, cheerful flower to post on this blog and call it my Sunday Flower because the skies look like there is an impending battle in Heaven and the effect on earth is absolutely gloomy. So from my garden, my Hibiscus plant coming back to what it was originally after a few months of being off-colour and unproductive. Yes! What a joy and I hope heaven will take notice and bring back the sunshine.

11:30: Believe it or not, the sun is shining outside again. Believe...and dreams can come true.

My tree, my inspiration

Imagine this tree laden with flowers the way the Trumpet trees were some weeks ago before the rains came. But then, there really is no need to. Not every tree has to have flowers to make a difference to our lives. To me, this tree is my inspiration to live life to the full. I see this tree every morning. It is always there to greet me as I slow down or stop at the traffic light. I have always admired its gracefulness and how lush and green it is. I draw my strength at the start of every work day from the energy given off by trees like this one, in particular this one. It is always there, constant as the stars. It is so full of life - I wish I could be like it every day. It's posture says that it just loves life - I like that attitude. It has so much confidence in the way the branches grow, up towards the sky holding everything it is given as if they are light as feathers.

I just love the way this tree is.

A diversion from flowers

One morning after I had made a turn into a smaller road in a housing estate, my eyes fell on these mushrooms that looked so pristine against the unkempt grass that I just had to stop the car to take some photos. It was a good thing that I did so without bothering what the neighbourhood aunties might have thought of me. Anyway since I didn't live there, it was okay with me whatever their thoughts might have been. I certainly had no regrets because one day later, when I visited these mushrooms again in the morning drizzle I almost could not recognise them."Oh, whatever happened to you?' I asked.

"Well, we grew up and don't expect us to be the same as before."

This reminds me of my own kids who are now teenagers and like these mushrooms they must be trying to tell me all the time that they are not the same anymore because they have grown up. But I am just a mum who only wants to give them constant and unconditional love regardless of how old or grown up they may be.

Memecylon caeruleum

Family: Melastomataceae

Origin: Indochina, Malesia

I have seen this plant before and have photographed its flowers. That was years ago at the Botanic Gardens when I was attracted by the brilliant show of purple and pink on the branches. This bunch of dying flower and fruits was seen at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve. It does not have the beauty that qualifies it for a flower show or perhaps one wonders why it is featured on this blog. But beauty is only skin deep and beauty is in the eye of the beholder alone. Look again at this picture and see the various stages of growth and decay, joy and sadness, fullness and emptiness - life in progress.

Ixora

Ixora Javanica

Family: Rubiaceae

This Ixora flower hedge lines the road to the carpark. As I walked along it with the morning sun against me, these flowers sparkled as the sunlight caught the tiny drops of rain left there by an earlier shower. The blooms were exuberant, fresh and I felt revitalised to face another work day. I could not resist lingering to capture these precious moments of admiration for these beautiful flowers. During lunch time when I saw them again, I was dismayed to find that this same hedge that had, in the morning, presented me with so much joy, was cut and trimmed by a gardener wielding a pair of shears. The shredded leaves and florets were scattered on the road and what I saw might as well have been a concrete wall. I could not cry to see the ruined hedge that others saw as neatness and uniformity. I could not cry for nature's creation because of man's scheduled destruction. I cannot cry anymore because my tears will not be able to heal the damage caused to these flowers in less than half a day. I can only cry within my heart because I care much for beauty and creativity and heal myself in my own way even if no one else around notices that the flowers are deformed.

Turnera ulmifolia

Family: Turneraceae

Origin: Tropical America
Common name: Holy Rose, Lidah Kucing

I found this plant growing on the crevices of walls and drains on Ann Siang Hill Park. Truly amazing how this plant manages to survive in concrete surroundings looking no less beautiful than it does in a garden or a forest floor.

Poulinin, I.(1987). Plants and Flowers of Singapore. Times Editions Pte Ltd.

Quisqualis indica

Family: Combretaceae

Common Name: Rangoon Creeper

Origin: Burma

Found this plant growing in a pot in front of a wine bar in Ann Siang Hill. It is a climber with fragrant flowers that appear in clusters that hand down. It is interesting that the flowers undergo changes in colour as time passes from white to pink and finally to dark red. If you have a patio or a balcony, it would be nice to grow this vine.

Tabebuia rosea

Family: Bignoniaceae

Common Name: Pink Poui, Rosy Trumpet Tree

Origin: Tropical America

In Japan, the Cherry Blossoms are at the peak of the season. When I was there at the end of March last year, I got to witness the early blooming of some trees in a park. I had never seen anything like it. Here in Singapore, we have our own versions of these Cherry Blossoms. Though they are not as spectacular, when they bloom in unison, they are quite a sight to behold.

The recent daily showers in the afternoon must have triggered some need for self-preservation in these trees as they are now flowering profusely everywhere on the island where they line the roads, canals and are present in parks such as Marina City Park. The flowers range from pink to light pink to white and appear in clusters. The picture below shows a branch full of such clusters against the branches af a Neem Tree.

More photos on my website: [1] and [2]

Kopsia fruticosa

Family: Apocynacceae

Common Name: Pink Kopsia

Origin: S.E. Asia

I saw a couple of flowering shrubs on the fringe of the carpark of Upper Peirce Reservoir. The flowers were at the peak of their freshness especially after an afternoon shower. As usual, I circled these shrubs and snapped away like they were models standing absolutely still on the catwalk and they were even more beautiful because they were nature's gifts to us. So I think that the least we can do is to show our appreciation in our own way.