Sunshine flowers

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.

Pride of India

If these trees could be persuaded by the higher natural authority to flower at the same time at least once a year in Singapore, we could have our version of the Cherry Blossom Festival. When I visited Japan in 2005, the cherry blossom trees were just beginning to flower. I did not witness the flowering at its peak but it was enough to attract people to set up make-shift tables and chairs below the lovely drapes of pink cherry blossom flowers with food and drink to celebrate their appearance. If only we could have the privilege of eating and drinking beneath the boughs of flowering trees. On second thoughts, given the size of our parks and the hordes of people who will turn up as if there were free rides on the Circle Line, I think it is better this way - we enjoy these flowers in our own time and pace.

Lagerstroemia - Pride of India

Two years and we meet again

Did you grow taller, older, wiser?

Has life been good to you

Living off Heaven's showers?

Family : Lythraceae
Common Name: Pride of India, Pride of Bolivia, Rose of India
Origin : India, Indo-China, West Malesia

Pride of India

Lagerstroemia Speciosa

Also known as Rose of India and Crepe Myrtle. There are many trees like these in our parks and I first took notice of this tree when I saw the beautiful clusters of flowers on the trees up on Kentridge Park. The more common colour is pink. I have seen clusters of pink and white flowers and this particular cluster is photographed in West Coast Park. It is rather unusual to find the Pride of India flowers of this colour and I have not seen many trees with blooms of this colour since then.

Yesterday I was at the Singapore Swimming Club to meet a friend who is a member there. After parking my car on the 4th storey I happened to see a few trees next to the pool and used my Olympus 10x zoom to capture these blooms. Just when I said I hardly saw flowers of this colour, I seem to be in luck all of a sudden.