Flowers in Singapore

Flowerinsingaporehome - Mable's new home

2011-01-03T18:02:00.001+08:00

After two forays into Wordpress

I have returned to the folds of Blogger

Click on the flower

and see a new bloom

where I call home

Farewell

2010-09-22T09:21:00.000+08:00

"When one door closes, another door opens".

This is my 999th post since Flowersinsingapore opened its doors on 15 Sep 2005.

I have to leave to find fresh pastures to graze after four years. Thank you for visiting this blog and those other blogs of mine that are linked to this one.

Do feel free to use the photos on all my blogs for non-profit purposes and do acknowledge the source or sources accordingly by making a reference to the associated blog address. Educators and students are especially welcome to use my photos for class presentations or projects!

For commercial usage, please email me at flowersinsingapore@yahoo.com.

When and if I start a new blog I will return to post a link here. Till then bye bye!

Hibiscus

2010-09-20T17:12:00.000+08:00

This is my favourite Hibiscus specie. I like the contrast between the deep red of the centre and the peach colour of the frilly petals with a tinge of pink between them. Unlike my other hibiscus plant, the flowers usually come singly and last for a day or two. The plant is scrawny and the leaves are not luxuriant. Nevertheless it is a delight to have in my backyard for the occasional flowering does brighten up the day.

Clerodendrum paniculatum

2010-09-18T23:13:00.001+08:00

Clerodendrum paniculatum - Pagoda Flowers. I have not seen them for quite a while. Today at MacRitchie Reservoir, there were a number of blooms gracing the new landscaped garden next to the Mushroom Cafe.

Thalia geniculata - Swamp lily

2010-09-18T21:01:00.001+08:00

MacRitchie Reservoir has a lovely landscaped garden with lots of greenery, ponds and running water and these graceful swamp lilies dancing in the breeze.

Baccaurea parviflora - Setumbun Merah

2010-09-16T19:31:00.000+08:00

When I first saw these almond-shaped reddish fruits bunched around the base of the trunk of this tree, I thought that they looked good enough to eat. On reflection, I should have touched them to appreciate them through the sense of touch for a change. I guess I still have to break away from my fear to touch anything that is unknown to me because it may be poisonous or it may cause me to break out in rashes. The same goes for using my sense of smell and taste is out of question for I do not want to die before my time. So I just stuck to using my sense of sight and all my fears aside, I was really glad to have spotted this interesting tree by the name of Baccaurea parviflora or in Malay, Setumbun Merah. This particular tree was growing very close to the boardwalk of the Petai trail in the MacRitchie Nature Reserve.

Clerodendrum deflexum

2010-09-15T16:14:00.001+08:00

These photos were taken in quite a hurry because the rains were coming and we were a few kilometers away from the MacRitchie Reservoir entrance. The prospect of being caught in a heavy downpower in the secondary forest did not appeal to me. I would have taken more close-up shots but then as I said, the rains were coming but I am glad to have seen these flower buds. I found out this plant has a rather scary name - Nodding Witch's Tongue.

Victoria Amazonica

2010-09-14T22:31:00.000+08:00

A lone flower, the only flower I saw today - the Victoria Amazonica. As I said to my daughter earlier, I am a simple person and I aim to free myself from complicated thoughts and complicated situations. Life in a pond is simple. A bud forms, a flower blooms. It has its glory for a short while and then it fades and disappears into its own reflection. A dragonfly zips by, chooses the flower to rest its tired wings on and flies away. Leaves unfurl, live for some time and then die. Fish swim around the flowers and the leaves. They live. They die. A simple life.

Hibiscus princesses

2010-09-13T12:12:00.000+08:00

Fate brought me to this particular hibiscus shrub to admire the collective beauty of these flowers and fate dictated that they outlive their physical lives on this blog. Today, the walk was great.

Bauhinia

2010-09-12T22:53:00.000+08:00

Where have all the flowers gone? Long time passing

Where have all the flowers gone? Long time ago...

So where have all the flowers gone this time? I guess I haven't been out looking for them. These bauhinia flowers were just there when I was passing by last week. What struck me was the colour of the flowers. Usually these flowers are a mixture of yellow and orange but not this time.

Hibiscus - Selamat Hari Raya

2010-09-10T15:59:00.002+08:00

I have nothing to offer except these Hibiscus blooms from my own backyard and to say Selamat Hari Raya to all Muslims in Singapore.

Quiz for Alice

2010-09-07T21:50:00.000+08:00

No flowers to post. One reason amongst others is that I do not have any new or interesting flowers to share here and I do not want to keep posting the same flowers all the time. Anyway, beggars cannot be choosers. But I have enough in my store of photos to choose something that is not new here but seen from a different viewpoint. So Alice, what do you think is the name of this flower?

Bromeliade flowers

2010-09-06T12:18:00.000+08:00

I have not seen any flowers in the last few days because I have been largely home bound. So I dug into my reserves and found these photos of a bromeliade flower that I had taken in 2001 at Changi International Airport. Imagine, it was taken with my first digital camera, an Olympus and it was a 2megapixel model. Still, I marvel at the sharpness. I still have that camera but unfortunately the lens have jammed and having repaired it once for the same problem, I think I shall just keep it as a 'museum' piece in my house.

Hura crepitans (Sandbox Tree, Possumwood, Jabillo)

2010-09-05T15:28:00.001+08:00

Hura crepitans (Sandbox Tree, Possumwood, Jabillo) comes from tropical north and south America and are found in the Amazon jungle.

I am lucky to have been able to see the flowers and fruits of this tree without having to make a long and arduous and probably dangerous journey to the Amazon jungle. I used to see these trees in the Singapore Botanic Gardens on the fringe of the Ginger Garden but have never seen the flowers or the fruits. This Sandbox Tree was seen next to the MacDonald's outlet at Ayer Keroh, Malacca. Previously, I saw the fruits on the trees at the car park of the Gunong Ledang (Mt Ophir) Park in Johore.The seeds of the fruits and the sap of the tree are highly poisonous.

Bauhinia Kockiana

2010-09-03T11:37:00.000+08:00

If the colours of flowers are meant to match the brightness of day, then these Bauhinia Kockiana blooms here show that the day during those moments when their beauty was captured by my camera was at its peak. Thereafter the sunshine began to scorch the skin and the light became too harsh for textures to show in the petals. At West Coast Park there is this little garden where these Bauhinias are royalty.

Hibiscus

2010-08-30T22:57:00.000+08:00

The sun was high in the sky

bleaching the flower, just kidding

The first time I see the frilly dress

worn by a flower, no kidding

Yellow Hibiscus in West Coast Park

Kleinhovia hospita - Guest Tree

2010-08-29T17:01:00.002+08:00

These were flowers from two days ago. I found them by the sea along the boardwalk in Changi. In the past I have seen them but they were way above my head. This time, at eye level, there was no escaping my camera in their face. This tree looks to me like the Teak tree (Tectona grandis) but I am not sure.

Cabbage flower

2010-08-25T11:43:00.003+08:00

Once, toys known as Cabbage patch kids were the rage amongst children. I never bought my kids any of these toys because I thought kids were better off playing with cute teddy bears than with toys that came from cabbage patches. Anyway, my kids grew up well without those toys that did not come cheap. These cabbage flowers were part of a floral display that I saw inside a building. This is my flower for today's post. I am quite pleased with the performance of my camera.

Cabbage flowers in the US - I took photos of these cabbages years ago.

Cordyline fruticosa

2010-08-24T22:39:00.001+08:00

Cordyline fruticosa

This flower was photographed in 2006. I have countless digital images of flowers that date back to 2003. I want to but find it impossible to organise them systematically. I thought about a solution and found one that at least will be a starting point. If this idea works, I will apply it on my other blogs as well to get my photos of fungi, birds, buildings, animals etc organised.

So, if anyone reading this blog wants to see more of the flowers that have been posted on this blog, please let me know in the comment box. I will dig into my folders and upload more photos of the flower for you - provided that you are an active blogger.

Cheers!

Water Lilies

2010-08-23T12:20:00.008+08:00

Fuschia-coloured water lilies stood out amongst the white, the lilac and the pink ones. When I had only half-expected to see flowers in the ponds in the Sundial Garden of the Singapore Botanic Gardens and saw so many of them, it was indeed a blessed morning.

I've never seen water lily leaves like these with the edges of the leaves turned upwards forming heart-shaped dishes.

Bolo Bolo

2010-08-19T15:13:00.002+08:00

The weather is erratic - hot sun one minute and dark clouds the next and before you know it, the sky has opened up and rain is pouring down in sheets. Not a very romantic description of rain. Though I welcome cool weather I am essentially a sunshine lover. So are these bolo bolo flowers.

Fish Tail Palm flowers

2010-08-18T14:04:00.003+08:00

Caryota mitis or Fishtail Palm. They fruit as they grow, the bunches of fruits dangling in bunches close to the trunk. Is not often to see the flowers and I have seen them only a few times over the years of looking out for them whenever I see the Fish tail palm. At the Hortpark I was rewarded at last. Even then this bunch of flowers was hidden behind the leaves and given the poor lighting I had to hold my breath with the taking of each photo and pretend that the camera and I were part of a rock formation.

Corymbia ptychocarpa

2010-08-16T16:19:00.012+08:00

Corymbia ptychocarpa - Australian Gum Tree

I found an old bookmark with this quotation:

"Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years.
We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin,
but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."

Samuel Ullman

Curious, I did a google search for Samuel Ullman (1840 - 1924)and discovered that he was an American businessman, poet and humanitarian who wrote a poem "Youth" that contained the quotation above. I checked out the poem and found it very meaningful.

Enthusiasm and passion for life are important to counter the depressing realities of advancing age. Maybe it is just passion for something small or simple like a daily act of finding something to upload onto a blog. The day my enthusiasm and passion for photographing nature and things around me dies, my blogs will come to a standstill. Until that day, my blogs will be always full of photos that show how much I value the beauty I see each day.

Bauhinia Kockiana

2010-08-15T20:54:00.002+08:00

Sunday is setting
tomorrow is another day
May the sun shine brightly
on the day.

Flowers in the Singapore Botanic Gardens

2010-08-13T14:51:00.013+08:00

I want to make up for the lack of flowers since Monday. Today's flowers perked up my day with their colours and variety.

Like a frilly skirt.

Two trumpets.

Mother and child.

High and mighty blooms.

Morning glory.

Thalia dealbata (Water canna)

Clerodendrum bungei (Glory Bower flower)

Maximum zoom (14x) in.

Here are the fading flowers.

This is its name.

My favourite Octopus tree flower. This time the leaves seem to be more interesting.

Orchids planted on the trunk of the Palm trees at the entrance of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

In reality, this flower was more brilliant in colour.

Bird of Paradise Heliconia.

Golden lotus Banana plant.

A specie of Heliconia not so commonly seen in our parks and gardens.

Water lilies enjoying the sunshine.

Below this gigantic Monkey Pot tree were the flowers that had fallen off the tree. They smell like butter.

The purplish flowers high up on the tree.

Maximum zoom again. This plant looks like it is related to the Pandan plant. From afar I spotted the lone, yellow flower.

Dragonfly on a water lily. Look closely and you will see the winged creature.

It was a great day for admiring flowers.

Happy National Day Singapore

2010-08-09T13:20:00.002+08:00

May we bloom as a nation
flowering forever
Peace and Harmony
Joy and Love
be ours
for eternity

Spider Lilies

2010-08-08T20:26:00.001+08:00

Crown for a Queen.

Corymbia ptychocarpa - Spring Bloodwood, Swamp Bloodwood

2010-08-03T22:19:00.005+08:00

When I find the time I will upload photos of Cantonese Opera costumes and head gears that I had photographed in a museum in Hong Kong. This tree at the Hortpark is ready to burst into blooms. At present there are only two clusters of pink flowers. This one in particular remind me of the elaborate sequined costumes of Cantonese Opera.

Origin: Australia (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)

Saraca Indica

2010-08-02T22:51:00.002+08:00

To photograph or not to photograph? Afterall, I have seen these flowers countless times. But then why not?

Hort Park gentle beauties

2010-08-02T14:24:00.003+08:00

I miss the sun upon the grass
lighting up the flowers
energising them with its rays
I miss the walks in good weather
when all is bright and cheerful
when butterflies come out to play
So where has the sun been hiding
happy to let rainfall take over the day
I miss the sun, the warmth and all
Give me back my sunshine, I pray

Clementis aristata

Periwinkles

Hibiscus

Golden Chain Tree

2010-07-30T09:36:00.008+08:00

Dark clouds hung above West Coast Park gathering intensity by the minute. A huge crowd of students converged on the park for a school running event and the carpark in front of MacDonalds was jammed with parents unloading their kids dressed in PE attire from their cars. The portion of West Coast Highway next to the park was also lined with slow moving vehicles caused by the excessive presence of cars at the park.

Everyone focused on making his or her way to the tents set up in the large field within the park. I took a gamble that I would be able to walk around the park once and see things in a different light without being caught in the rain.

As I walked towards the park I saw a few of these trees all decked out in golder showers of flowers looking like Christmas trees dripping with ornaments. I stopped, as usual to take some shots. They were below my expectation in terms of quality and I blame the poor lighting caused by the impending heavy downpour. I also realised that the camera has a shortcoming that was overshadowed by the other features. It has a very limited aperture range and that made manual focusing not as desirable as it should be.

Lophanthera lactescens

Family: Malpighiaceae
Common Name: Golden Chain Tree
Origin: Brazil, Uruguay

Barringtonia racemosa

2010-07-29T18:29:00.015+08:00

When I saw this tree dangling with clusters of delicate flowers and young fruits I counted this chance discovery as a blessing because it was the first time that I was a witness to a single tree in full bloom. I forgot about the heat of the sun's rays on my face and back. I just wanted to capture these moments before the flowers drop to the ground as time passed by. A few big, black bees flitted from flower to flower and as I circled the tree to admire these lovely pink flowers through my camera lens and to freeze their beauty for eternity I also noticed that more and more of these flowers were falling to the ground. When I had taken enough photos to document the life of this tree for that particular hour, the base of the tree was carpeted with these flowers. An hour made so much difference to me, to the tree because time is cruel and beauty does not last forever in real life.

Bauhinia Kokiana

2010-07-27T23:04:00.010+08:00

This is one creeper plant that I would like to have in my garden except that it would be impossible to maintain without a gardener to do the pruning and trimming and replanting necessary to keep the plant in a healthy condition. I often envy houses that are adorned with these cheerful flowers decked out on their fences and sometimes enclosing the car porch in a cloak of orange flowers. Since I cannot have this plant in my garden I look out for them in our parks. That day, I was lucky to have seen the seed pod of this plant as well.

Hortpark Pelican flower

2010-07-26T22:55:00.004+08:00

The pattern on this flower looks as though it was painted by hand. Today on the side wall of one of the glass houses of the Hortpark, I found only one flower whereas in the past I have seen two to three flowers in bloom at the same time. Actually the presence of this lone flower made me more attentive to the unique characteristics of this flower - the shape, the texture, the pattern as well as the shape of the leaves. The only thing I did not notice about this flower was its smell or fragrance. I was too engrossed in making sure that there were a few flies around the cavenous mouth of the flower for my photo-taking and also I was in a hurry to carry on with my walk to want to spend more time and to smell this flower. Maybe unconsciously I really did not want to know. Anything with flies hovering around is not likely to smell of bath soap.

Silky Hortpark flowers

2010-07-26T22:08:00.000+08:00

I tweaked the colours because somehow my camera did not seem to pick up the colours that I had perceived. I keep photographing these flowers, always in the same spot, always there to welcome me with its presence. One day I will paint them all in various presenations as I have seen and recorded them on camera.

Garden Festival 2010

2010-07-25T16:07:00.004+08:00

You never get enough of the flowers at the Garden Festival. When flowers are put together for the enjoyment of people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to see such a stupendous display of colours and beauty of nature, how could we not be overwhelmed? So when I went back to the Garden Festival a third time, I decided that enough is never enough when it comes to taking pictures, for me at least. These photos were taken with the Canon 400D using a standard lens.

A spiral that sets your imagination free to think about how gardens can possibly be crafted.
Orchids that dangle before your eyes.
Orchids that are so fresh and pretty.
Orchids with brown petals from South America.
Top of the class orchids.

Couroupita guianensis - Cannonball tree

2010-07-24T17:44:00.010+08:00

They look like newly-opened flowers, fresh and fragrant. On a morning when flowers open their hearts to the world, we have no reason to close ours to people. Easier said than done really. There will always be a part of us that is not known to others. I wonder if flowers have secret thoughts as well.

The Singapore Garden Festival 2010

2010-07-22T10:36:00.002+08:00

The Singapore Garden Festival 2010 was held indoors at our Suntec Convention Centre. For a delightful change, the 4th and 6th floors of this place were filled with beautiful flower displays and arrangements and designer gardens and clusters and clusters of beautiful orchids. If you want to be overwhelmed by the beauty of flowers and nature, this is the place to be. I was there on three occasions and of course I came home with thousands of photos. For the record, here are the better photos taken on my second visit. Nos 1 and 3 should be coming soon on this blog.

Today's flower

2010-07-15T22:37:00.005+08:00

Today is the first day of the Singapore Garden Festival 2010 at Suntec City. I was there with a friend half an hour after the doors were opened and we spent a total of 5 hours there including taking a late breakfast and a late lunch at the food court there. As expected I took countless photos using my Canon powershot and my Canon IXUS. However, I shall not upload the photos before the festival ends on Sunday. I feel that people have to be there to truly enjoy the beauty of the displays and to admire the individual floral arrangements as well as to smell the fragrance of flowers that come from countries afar.

Solandra

2010-07-14T13:17:00.001+08:00

There are many species of this flower such as the Solandra grandiflora, Solandra longiflora and Solandra maxima. I have no idea about the precise identity of these solandra flowers that I came across in West coast Park one sunny morning. The whole bunch of them looked like they were out in full force to enjoy the sun while they can. I put up with the sun's rays beating on my face and hands to take full enjoyment of these flowers while I can.

Barringtonia racemosa

2010-07-13T23:13:00.001+08:00

This is only one out of 84 shots I took of the flowers of a Barringtonia racemosa tree in West Coast Park. Uploading will take time, aiyah...

Flowers on Sentosa Island

2010-07-11T16:44:00.017+08:00

This post features the flowers I saw on my Sentosa Island outing. Though there were not many, my best encounter was with these Octopus Tree flowers that were about a meter above eye level. Considering that these trees were always towering over me at heights of 5 meters - those at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, on Mount Faber and near Sungei Buloh Wetlands Nature Reserve and MacRitchie Reservoir - I was really lucky to come this close to these flowers.

Unknown. These flowers were on the ground and I did not see any plant nearby that had these flowers. Perhaps I did not look above me. I like the tiny flower pattern encased in the pentagon-shaped centre.
One of my favourite flowers - the frangipani (plumeria)

The Thunbergia, faithful vine.

Celosia spicata out in full force.

Too late to see the flowers. Instead there were small berry-like fruits at the top of this plant that I do not know the name of.

A flowering Kopsia fruticosa shrub across from the tram station at Palawan Beach.

Curcuma - Tumeric

2010-07-10T22:34:00.003+08:00

Everytime I see a fresh bloom of this Curcuma plant it is like seeing a magic lamp. The translucent bracts with tints of pink and the flowers contained within always take my breath away. It is a plant I would wish for in the garden of my dreams.

Heliconia

2010-07-10T16:23:00.008+08:00

Wings that take you away
on a dream flight across the sea
From Sentosa to the sky
follow me and you will fly.

Pometia pinnata - Kasai Daun Besar

2010-07-06T16:20:00.005+08:00

I have walked past these trees growing to the height of the boardwalk in Kent Ridge Park for months and have always admired the deep red leaves at the crown of each of these tall and lanky trees. About two weeks ago, I was rewarded with flowers! Pity I did not have my camera with me at that time. When I went back to Kent Ridge Park the following week I made sure that I did not leave my camera at home and it was a lovely sight that greeted me as I walked towards these flowers with the sun behind them and the bees buzzing around the tiny flowers.

A few weeks later...

Rain Tree

2010-07-05T22:06:00.002+08:00

Flowers of the rain tree for this week - an appropriate flower for this post because of the copious rainfall we have been receiving for the past weeks.

Hibiscus

2010-07-03T00:31:00.002+08:00

Red Hibiscus makes me think of Malaysia and all the wonderful family holidays we had especially the numerous ones at Genting Highlands. Peach coloured hibiscuses are my favourite. These were seen at West Coast Park.

Lotus flower

2010-06-30T14:50:00.002+08:00

One afternoon when the sun
tired of the rain in the morning
made an appearance
to shine on a lotus flower beautifying
the backyard of a friend's garden
and I was so lucky to be invited
to enjoy this bloom before it
bade farewell the next day.

Hortpark flowers on a bag

2010-06-27T22:02:00.002+08:00

I bought a recycled carrier bag from the Hortpark office some time ago. It was simple with green outline of what I thought were bunches of flowers. It cost only $2 and I thought it would make a nice gift for friends whom I have not seen in a while. Today I decided to take a better look at the design on the front of the bag and then it dawned on me that I could actually fill in the outlines with some fabric paints. I started enthusiastically for the outlines looked like there were many flowers that I could paint on. After some time of dabbing yellow paint on what I thought were petals I realised that they were not petals but leaves. By the time I finished 2 hours later, I have managed to transform the outline into a picture of a frangipani tree. These are the flowers for today!

Flowers in Kukup

2010-06-26T20:01:00.006+08:00

Kukup is a fishing village that is about 50 kilometers from Singapore. It was there that I saw these flowers.

Hortpark blooms

2010-06-24T20:41:00.007+08:00

It is raining everywhere and the rains in China and Taiwan have brought misery and disaster to people in those countries. We have rain here, more than what is usual at this time of the year. We have to be thankful that apart from the freak floods in Orchard Road last week, the rains have brought about fresher air and thriving vegetation. Today, Kentridge Park and the Hortpark were alive with the calls of kingfishers and we saw two brilliant blue kingfishers, a mother bubul teaching her two young ones to fly and a few other birds that we heard but did not see. There were many butterflies and we saw two or three beautiful ones. Of all days, I left my camera at home. Luckily I had a 5megapixel handphone camera and at least, I have some memories of the flowers I saw today.

These trees have always had red leaves at the top. Today, instead of the familiar red leaves, there were these flowers.

The ever-blooming Rangoon Creeper vines draping over the fences at the back entrance of the Hortpark.

I have seen red, pink, white and yellow flowers of the hibiscus mutabilis plants but not flowers of this colour.Yellow Pagoda flowers.

Wolfe's Vine

Curcuma ginger flowers.

Not a boom microphone but the fruit or was it the flower of the breadfruit tree.

The giant hibiscus flower that looks like it has the power to receive radio signals.

Flowers for a friend in Japan

2010-06-22T15:46:00.011+08:00

The weather is rainy these days but today was cool and breezy with threats of heavy downpour in the morning not materialising and instead giving way to a cool afternoon with the sun behind clouds most of the time - a great day for a walk in the park. I have not seen nice flowers in for long time till now. These flowers are for my friend in Japan who tells me that Hydrangeas are in bloom where she lives.

Plumeria(frangipani)

Bauhinia Kokiana

Strophanthus preussii

Xanthostemon youngii (Red Penda)

Pigeon Orchids

2010-06-18T00:59:00.006+08:00

I do not see these blooms often. When I saw them in the past, they were high above my head with one or two sprigs of flowers that were not easy to photograph. This time, at Labrador Park, I saw them and the best thing was that they were close enough to be touched. These are not shots that I really like. White flowers are not easy to photograph with point-and-shoot cameras and the results are often disappointing.

White flowers, Woodlands Park

2010-06-14T00:52:00.003+08:00

The rain came in the late afternoon and after that the weather was nice and cool. So we went to the newly opened Woodlands Park to take a walk. The park had much to distract us from our usual interest in flowers. In any case, there were not many flowers except these:

Hibiscus

2010-06-12T23:03:00.003+08:00

Saturday satellite
Receiving great news
that Sunday will be
just fine.

Flower for this week - Michelia alba (White Chempaka)

2010-06-06T23:18:00.003+08:00

I know its fragrance
I've seen it before
Right now I am busy
or lazy to find out its name
So just enjoy these images
till I find its name.

Delonix regia - Flame of the Forest

2010-06-03T23:17:00.002+08:00

June is a hot month and red flowers are suitable for a post in this month. These flowers were photographed in Hong Kong and it does not really matter because Flame of the Forest trees are also found in Singapore. However, it was the first time that I was able to get such close-up shots because the blooms were on branches that were at eye level.

Golden Showers

2010-05-31T18:43:00.005+08:00

I saw a gleam of gold in the distance, the perfect target practice for my new camera. Here's what my Canon SX210 IS is capable of:

Satisfied I continued my walk along the Marang Trail down these steps towards Vivocity.

Alpinia purpurata

2010-05-29T17:57:00.003+08:00

After so many years of photographing flowers that I see in Singapore, it gets increasingly difficult to make my posts interesting. The same flowers from different angles, at different times of the day and taken with different digital cameras.

I started with a 2 megapixal Olympus camera, moving on to another that was 4 megapixel with a 10x zoom feature and then acquired a third with an 18x zoom. At the same time, I have also used three Canon IXUS cameras (850IS, 860IS and 870IS). On and off, I also use the Canon 400D that was bought by my husband for his retirement. He has not retired and so I try to justify the purchase by using this heavier and bulkier camera sometimes.

Yesterday, I bought my latest - the Powershot SX210 IS with a widescreen LCD monitor and a 14x zoom! I am a die-hard Canon fan and I have pictures to show why:

Hortpark flower - Afgekia sericea

2010-05-18T08:35:00.003+08:00

This flower was captivating in its youth. That was more than a week ago. Today it is probably gone from the face of the earth and the green grass is poorer without such a companion. At least, I still have these images to call upon each time I want to remember the moment delight when I came across this flower.

Flowers that make a happy day

2010-05-15T16:30:00.002+08:00

Saturday comes with no invitation. It just comes and it cannot be stopped. A day in a week is unique. Saturday is a day of peace and these flowers are a joy.

Barringtonia racemosa

2010-05-11T23:15:00.002+08:00

Today I saw some fallen flowers like stars swiped off the night sky and left to die in the shade of a tree. What would be their wishes before they merge with the earth?

Hortpark flowers

2010-05-09T15:41:00.007+08:00

My daughter called me to wish me Happy Mother's Day. My son asked what I would like for a present and I told him I would like to have his presence instead. Nevertheless, I am warmed by their thoughts for me.

Trinidad Pink Trumpet Vine.

Hippeastrum hybrid Clappertonia ficifolia (Bolo bolo)

Samanea saman (Rain tree)

Megaskepasma erythrochlamys

Kopsia fruticosa - Pink Kopsia

Combretum erythrophllum (Bush Willow)

Happy Mothers' Day

2010-05-08T13:51:00.005+08:00

You will not know how a mother feels
unless you have brought up a kid
from cuddling stage to nagging stage
to a stage when you sometimes want
to jump ship and say be done with love
I just want to swim ashore and be myself
Sometimes a mother does feel like that
A present, a dinner or an outing for a mother
is nothing but a commercial message
or a chance to make one less guilty for not
thinking of mum except on her birthday and Mother's Day.

A mother should be thought of and loved everyday of the year
Make my day without a date to remind you my dear children
that a mother deserves attention in more days than just one
Shower her with your love and concern all the time.

Give a mother a Happy Mother's Day, not just for today
but for as many days as is possible in her life.

Canna flowers

2010-05-07T19:06:00.002+08:00

I got the sun in my eyes but I also got the sun behind the flowers. I love to shoot against the light and I love to go against tradition. That is why I have always been a rebel and do not like to dance to the same tune all the time nor do I really bother if I am different from others. Children like me and I like to talk to other people's small children especially if they are between the age of five and seven. I think kids this age are so adorable and they like adults who like to talk like them. So sometimes when you see an 'aunty' getting friendly with your kid, it is probably me. I like talking to teenagers too but I find them less interesting than kids of the age group that I mentioned because most of them can only talk with their friends, in their lingo and about things that interest them only.

Hortpark flowers

2010-05-06T15:24:00.003+08:00

Some flowers in the Hortpark. More coming up...

Rangoon Creeper - Defying the heat of the morning sun.

Tetracera indica - the only one left as most have become fruits.

Frangipani (Plumeria) - Seen from my friend's garden, other people's flowers.

Allamanda

2010-05-03T21:55:00.004+08:00

A friend said that he did not believe in taking photographs of anything because the best things should be appreciated and enjoyed with your own eyes. His view is that technology has still not perfected the way the human eye perceives colours. Looking at the two photos above I am beginning to wonder if there is truth in what he said. The same flower taken from different angles and at different times even though it may be seconds apart in time are of two different shades of yellow. Did I really see them in these shades of yellow? I think I have to pay more attention to the accuracy of the camera in recording the colours of the flowers that I photograph. Maybe my friend is right after all but that will not stop me from taking pictures like there is no tomorrow each time I see flowers.

Tetracera indica

2010-05-02T21:52:00.003+08:00

Sunday is a day of rest
These flowers
are dressed their best
To say hello to me.

Ginger flower

2010-05-01T18:01:00.004+08:00

I am not sure what type of ginger plant this is. I do have a feeling that this is the flower of the ginger that we use in cooking our Chinese dishes. I saw this plant at the side of the small waterfall in the Ginger Garden of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Bougainvillea

2010-04-30T17:28:00.001+08:00

Charity begins at home
There is no place like home
Home sweet home
Home is where the heart is
Home is where my bougainvillea blooms.

Osmoxylon lineare

2010-04-29T20:57:00.008+08:00

During times when there are no flowers, the plant looks ordinary. When flowers appear they are transformed, from the ordinary to the extraordinary. People stop to look at these unusual clusters of flowers that are like multiple gemstones mounted on a single stalk. It is not difficult to imagine diamonds, rubies and sapphires in place of the real flowers. Imagination has the power to make life glitter.

Hortpark flowers

2010-04-28T22:25:00.008+08:00

Walking from Kentridge to Hortpark and back. The flowers are not the same everyday. The leaves too grow from young to old, the path remains the same but the surroundings change because nature is never static. The plots of landscaping belong to various companies undergo various design changes and each time new plants and trees and flowers are planted to please our senses as we walk through them. It sounds a little cliched to say that the only thing constant about the Hortpark is change and the lovely thing happening now in Kentridge Park is that the Tembusu trees are flowering profusely in unison and the air especially at the hill-top carpark is filled with their lingering fragrance.

Sunshine flowers

2010-04-28T21:43:00.004+08:00

We usually take the sun's existence for granted. It rises everyday, showers us with warm rays and leaves while most of us are still in the office or in our cars stuck in traffic jams. The sun is like people whom we take for granted such as our parents who provide the means for us to grow and thrive and have comfortable lives. Our parents are like the sun, always there for us.

Torch ginger, Frangipani

2010-04-27T21:48:00.006+08:00

If there were awards for flowers, the torch ginger should be nominated into the Most Popular category and be amongst the top ten in Singapore. It has presence, attraction and the quality to beckon from afar. The Frangipani flowers could take the prize for being an everbloom. Have you ever seen a frangipani tree without flowers? I have not. In whatever part of the year I see them, they are always dripping with flowers.

Hibiscus

2010-04-26T14:43:00.002+08:00

I only have this picture of a flower at Kentridge Park because I decided to take greater interest in my surroundings instead of taking countless pictures of flowers. The rest of the photos are here>>>>

Flowers at the Singapore Botanic Gardens - Gingers

2010-04-24T23:01:00.008+08:00

There were not too many ginger flowers at the garden today. Still, they made a difference to me.

Costus lucanusianus
Torch GingerCrepe Ginger

Alpinia Purpurata

Flowers at the Singapore Botanic Gardens - Octopus Tree flowers

2010-04-24T22:51:00.002+08:00

I wish that someday I could touch these flowers. They are at least 4-storey high next to a building. Like the tentacles of octopuses, they beckon me from afar. How could I ignore them?

Flowers at the Singapore Botanic Gardens - Hibiscus

2010-04-24T18:53:00.005+08:00

From the back I saw this white hibiscus and did not think that I would like to take a picture of it because white flowers are not appealing to me. As I passed it by, I decided to turn back to take another look at this flower and I stopped in my tracks because this was not a completely white flower. The red colour at the centre of the flower did not look natural for it looked like someone had painted it. I then had a good reason to stop a while and take pictures.

Couroupita guianensis - Cannonball tree

2010-04-23T11:30:00.004+08:00

The bee was a blurry image
the flower a constant
I tried to get the perfect short
by being extremely patient

The bee was too busy to pause
therefore sharpness was lost
blame my camera for it was slow
but I got good pictures of the flower.

Flower of the Cannonball Tree