Costus erythrophyllus

This beautiful ginger flower is known as violet spiral flag. To come upon flowers that are still fresh is a delightful experience.

Hibiscus

I have posted photos of this hibiscus flower on this blog a few times. I am doing it again because I am amazed at the sharpness of this photo that was taken with the first digital camera that I had bought in 2002. It is an Olympus C-200 zoom that is only 2.1 megapixel vs the 6 megapixel Canon Camera that I am now using. But the superb picture quality (for such a low-end camera) puzzles me. It is actually comparable with those taken with the Canon IXUS 800. The only negative is that the colours are not close to the actual colours. Otherwise, I am tempted to carry this camera around for close-ups although it is not so user-friendly in terms of adjustments and reviewing of shots taken.

Garden in an educational institution

In a place of higher learning

there is a piece of paradise

where carps swim and greenery rules

Sometimes it is good to just rest your eyes

and gaze into the ponds and feel

the sensation of calm and peace

How nice if every place of work

contains a glorious space like this.

SIM University at Clementi Road.

Grass and jewels

Against the bright sunlight, these stalks of humble grass assume a glamourous look - something that the ordinary eye is unable to record.
Berries of the MacArthur Palm - jewels of the palms.

Echinodorus palaefolius - Mexican Sword-plant

There are many of these in the Singapore Botanic Gardens growing in the man-made ponds and streams at the entrance next to the Taman Serasi Foodcourt in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Somehow I had not thought of this plant growing anywhere else other than in public parks and it was a pleasant surprise to see this plant flourishing in my friend's garden. This lovely corner of her garden provides much joy to her husband and her, as well as to visitors like me.Beautiful gardens need not be large as my friend has proven. All it takes is imagination and most of all a love for plants and nature to create your piece of tranquility and beauty at your doorstep.

Tabebuia rosea - Trumpet tree

Also known as Pink Tecoma, Pink Poui. They make the tree look absolutely gorgeous and when they fall to the ground, they are a sight to behold when they are still fresh and dry. Have you ever looked closely at these flowers when they are at your feet? If not, here they are:

Antigonon Leptopus - Coral Vine

A creeper that goes by the names of Honolulu creeper, Mexican creeper, Bride's tears and Coral vine. In Mexico, it is also known as "chain of love" and I happened to have captured the reason for this name here:

Tabebuia rosea - Flowering again!

These are not the most brilliant pictures that I have taken of these beautiful trees but it was the first chance that I got to photograph them. In the past few days, I've seen some trees either in full bloom or giving signs that they would burst into a flowering frenzy in a few days' time. Imagine my frustration of just looking and longing to be able to stop the car there and then to take some pictures. Today, I was greeted by a few of these Tabebuia rosea trees all decked out in pink and white glory in Kent Ridge Park. In the fading light of day, these pictures were the only reminders that I had walked next to beauty for a few precious minutes. The trees all around Clementi, Ayer Rajah Expressway and Buona vista, Ghim Moh look like they will be putting on an impressive show of floral display for the next few days. I should go on a 'hunting' trip or live to regret it.

Begonia nelumbifolia - Lily-pad Begonia

One of the most delicate flowers I have seen. This plant is native to India and the tropics and is found wild in Central and South America. The flowers drop and according to my neighbour who gave this plant to me, the flowers can be put into the soil and new plants will grow from them. These are flowers to remind us to stay calm at mid-week and never to let ourselves down in the face of adversity.
References:

http://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/garden_catalog/cat.cgi?uid=Begonia_nelumbiifolia

http://www.botany.com/begonia.htm

http://florawww.eeb.uconn.edu/acc_num/199000052.html

http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_d32f.html

Water Plants

These water plants were photographed in the Singapore Botanic Gardens. The Thalia dealbata remind me of delicate crepe paper and the Thalia geniculata look like fishing rods. These flowers never fail to make me stop in my tracks to examine them closer whenever I see them. When you next walk by the water's edge, do look out for them.

Family : Marantaceae
Common Name: Water Canna
Origin : Tropical America

Thalia Dealbata

References for Thalia Dealbata:

http://www.wildflower2.org/NPIN/Plants/Detail.asp?Symbol=THDE

http://images.google.com.sg/images?hl=en&q=thalia+dealbata

http://www.botany.com/thalia.html

Thalia geniculata
References for Thalia Geniculata:

http://www.plantatlas.usf.edu/images.asp?plantID=3590

http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/plantguides/view.asp?chkbox=5443

Saraca Indica

Saraca Indica - All dressed up to impress. Tree in Ngee Ann City - All dressed up in lights for Christmas.

Spathodea campanulata - Afrcan Tulip

Sunday is a day of rest for all who have spent the week hard at work. This post is especially for people who have spent a better part of the work week glued to the computer screen.

Green is good for the eyes.
Blue is good for healing the soul.
Red is joy and for me it was finding this African Tulip tree with

flowers that were at eye level. Most times I could only gaze at them from a distance because the flowers are usually well overhead, above ground and out of reach. So it was a pleasant surprise to find these!

More information on this website - http://mgonline.com/africantuliptree.html

Thumbelina's petal bed.

Thumbelina is a fairy tale about a girl of that name who was only the size of a thumb. She had to overcome adversities thrown onto her path before she was able to find true love. Being nature's child, she drank dew and slumbered in a soft, pink petal in a pond full of beautiful water plants.In an encounter with a toad, she managed to escape from the unpleasant prospect of marrying the toad's son but lost her petal bed. Perhaps this one belongs to her. But no matter, by now she would have married a prince and is safe from the toad and the likes of her. In my version of this fairy tale, the pond was a jungle of giant lotus flowers and leaves seen from Thumbelina's point of view.

Botanical name: Nelumbo nucifera

Ridley's Staghorn Fern?

Something caught my eye this morning. The ferns looked different. I could not recall seeing ferns like these before. Referring to my book on "Ferns of the Tropics" by Dr Wee Yeow Chin, I saw a picture that was close to what I have here and the name says "Platycerium ridleyi". The fern is found only on lowland forest trees, often by the river. These ferns were attached to quite a few trees in Kent Ridge Park near the entrance as well as by the side of the treetop walk. I hope they thrive in this environment and always look beautiful like they do in the photos.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima - Peacock flower

Caesalpinia pulcherrima- Peacock flower (孔雀花 - kong3 que4 hua1)

Family: Caesalpinioideae / Caesalpiniaceae

There were a few of these peacock flower shrubs with flowers that were past their prime at West Coast Park. I had to circle them a few times to find some flowers that were still reasonably good-looking. Wish I had seen them when they first bloomed.

Caesalpinia lutea (Yellow Peacock flower)

Solandra longiflora - Chalice Vine

Look and you will find

Gold dangling from the chalice vine

A toast to happiness and good health

To eternal enjoyment of nature's wealth

Family: Solanaceae

Origin : Mexico,Colombia, Venezuela