Clerodendrum splendens - Flaming Glorybower

Flaming red flowers are really attractive. Then on closer look, a surprise presented itself in the form of an equally bright blue fruit and the promise of more. Red is also the colour of racing cars in my mind. Red is for speed and excitement and this weekend it is all happening at the F1 Grandprix 2008.

Glass-house flowers in the HortPark

Blurred images are beautiful if we give them a chance
to show us that perfection is not all there is
sometimes the perfect are imperfect in the eyes of the more discerning
and the not-so-perfect
are sometimes perfect
to those who do not have high expectations

Tulbaghia violacea - Wild Garlic

I only found out that these are the flowers of the wild garlic plant from South Africa while reading the National Park's Board publication '1001 Garden Plants in Singapore'. The second edition is really a gem as it is better organised. The layout is attractive and it is so easy to look up the names of plants or trees by scientific or common names. The binding is also an improvement over that of the first edition. My earlier copy came apart and the book was in shambles even though I had taken good care of it. What is great is also the inclusion of Chinese characters for the names of the plants.

HortPark flowers

Sunny days are great for flowers and people who like looking at them. The HortPark is a great place to go to on your day off because of the beautiful landscape and the variety of flowers ranging from tropical ones to those belonging to cooler climates that are kept in glass houses. On weekdays the HortPark attracts wedding couples out on a photo-shoot with their respective photographers and assistants.

I have seen how a groom was given instructions to carry his bride and whirl her around till they they both fell onto the lawn. I have seen them do all sorts of funny stunts because they so trusted their photographer. It was a good thing such creative shoots in the hot outdoors were not the rage in my time. Ours were those posed shots in front of painted sceneries that were scrolled up and down depending on whether you want Mount Fuji or a heavenly garden with a couple of rabbits in the background. It was equally comical then and on retrospect, we should have just saved the money and had a wedding by the sea.

Couroupita guianensis - Cannonball tree

This flower is used in prayer offerings by the Hindus. This flower is fragrant. It always reminds me of sea anemones but it is not the flower that determines the name of this tree. If you have seen the fruits, you will know why. Between fruits and flowers, I am more attracted to the latter and this being the case, I have somehow forgotten about the fruits even though they were dangling heavily from the trunk of the trees.

Bauhinia Kockiana （素心花藤）

The sun setting on West Coast Park one evening lighted up flowers that were ordinary in daylight. The sun's golden rays have the power to ignite petals and flowers glow under their charge. The time of the day I love second best is evening especially when the sun's rays paint the sky with colours of orange, purple, pink and blue and flowers feel the last warmth of the day before they disappear in the dark of the night.

Leea Rubra

I like flowering shrubs like this Leea Rubra shrub growing in the HortPark. Healthy, full of blooms and thick well-shaped leaves. I feel so happy for this plant because it is thriving in an environment that provides it with great care and nurture. Not many plants are this fortunate. They live but life could be better for them. If they are free from pests and disease, it is not so bad an existence on their own. It is when they are invaded by disease that it becomes a pitiful sight. In the HortPark, I like to believe that the plants are checked regularly and their well-being taken care of and that they are not pulled out and thrown out to be replace by others.

Passiflora lauriflora

See what I have seen of the freshness of this flower on Mount Faber. It was dangling over a slope and I had to lean over a fence sideways while my husband risked rolling down a steep slope to hold up the flower and the buds for me to photograph. Exaggeration aside, these flowers are really head-turners because of their colours and form.

Passion Flower

This was the only flower out on a Sunday. Its companions are still waiting to emerge. As I was photographing this lovely flower, a lady came along and wanted to take pictures of it as well. She told us that she used to sell passion fruits in the market years ago and that she has not seen the flower for a very long time. I am glad I spotted this flower today.

Unknown flowers in the Hortpark

Fairy steps that take you where you want to go

where the stars carpet your dreams

and where some dreams can still come true

where you meet others like you in fields of white

that turn mellow as time passes through

and in the end there is just me and you lost amongst othersthere are no fairy steps back and no return journey
no indication of life beyond death,
no turning back, nobody...

Leucospermum cordifolium - Pincushion Protea

Family: Proteaceae

Common names: Pincushion

I saw these flowers in a place where I never expected to see flowers. It was indeed a pleasant surprise that greeted me as I stepped into a room where I found myself alone, undisturbed and with my new camera in my handbag. How could I ever resist this opportunity to photograph, and photograph. I sort of knew they were proteas that are native to South Africa. I have never been to South Africa but I had a penpal from Cape Town and for more than 4 years we corresponded fortnightly, weekly and those were the days when the arrival of an aerogramme from the post was the highpoint of my schoolgirl existence.

My pen pal was a few years older than me and through her I learned much about South Africa. Of course those days of Apartheid did not really make much sense to me and Nelson Mandela was not mentioned. It was only much later that I realised what it must have been like in those days of Apartheid. Though she tried to explain, it was just explained in a matter-of-fact way and so the impact was lost on me. She also sent me many postcards that showed the natural beauty of South Africa including flowers such as the Protea. That was how I could identify this flower without much trouble and a search using Google confirmed my hunch.

Today, when I saw these flowers, memories came back and it would be nice if I could get in touch with this pen pal of mine again.

Pandorea jasminoides - Bower Vine

The Hortipark was a refreshing experience for me because for the first time in ages, I came across flowers that I have not seen before. At first, I thought these were Allamanda flowers. When I looked them up in the '1001 Garden Plants in Singapore' I found out that they were not part of the allamanda family. The common name of this plant is Bower Vine, otherwise scientifically known as Pandorea jasminoides and they originate in Australia.

Giving the pages of the book a quick flip, I was not able to find pictures of these flowers. So for now they are unknown. Nevertheless, they do not take away the excitement of my first encounter with them. Coincidentally, they are all purplish in colour. These tiny flowers have a look of solidarity . It is as if they are all looking out for each other against common enemies. Finally, I caught sight of these small flowers on the ground. They are only about the size of a fingernail and their leaves are fern-like and they are known as Verbena.

Holmskioldia sanguinea - Chinese Hat plant

Flowers with no petals it seems. I missed the name of this flower. Anyway, it made my day for being the flower that looked really out of the ordinary. Thank you Marina for your comment and giving me the name. I read that this plant was originally from the lowlands of the Himalayas. It must be a very adaptable plant coming from a cool climate and to be able to thrive in our comparatively warm one.

Heliconia psittacorum 'Andromeda'

Time is marked by frames of beauty
A click at a time and time to review
what is captured and fascinated
the frames multiply

Flowers from temperate regions

What I like especially about the Horticulture Park is that at the end of the Park are glasshouses where we get to see beautiful flowers from temperate regions.

It is a good idea to let the public enjoy the work of researchers and even though we are not able to walk amongst these flowers, the sight of such beautiful blooms is a feast for the eyes.