Plumbago auriculata

Plumbago is a scrambling shrub with clusters of sky-blue flowers while the leaves are light yellowish green.  It blooms all year long. The name Plumbago is derived from Latin plumbum (lead), perhaps from the colour of the flowers.

The sky blue flowers are long tubes spreading into 5 petals.

 
The flower calyx secrete a sticky substance on to its fine hairs that is used for of trapping insects.

 

 The flowers are borne in terminal clusters. 

Plumbago can be pruned into a compact shrub or trained to grow like a vine and sprawl over supports with its long gracefully arching branches.

The gathering of ants over an interesting 'drinking' spot. I wonder what is the cause of this phenomena on this particular flower. Some ants were seen to crawl away with engorged abdomens.

Tasha receiving solar energy next to a pot of Plumbago auriculata. 

A simple arrangement of yellow Allamandas and Plumbago auriculata. 

It's Christmas!

This year I decided to use my two-year-old Norfolk Island Pine as a live Christmas tree. I bought this 8 inch tall plant from Ikea, had it planted in a container and now it has about 8 tiers. It is not very tall but I thought that it should suffice for this year.

 Well, next year it will be different as I planned to be more diligent in applying nutrients and molly coddle it for the next 12 months.

 

This plain, chocolatey moth flew and rested on a leaf next the colourful tinsels.

It scrambled around for a while and then laid motionless, which to all appearances has become part of the tree ornaments.

Santa visited this bird nest of three baby birds.

 

Tasha was also enomoured of the ornamented tree.

Tasha getting into the festive mood by

 

donning a diamante tiara.

 

This huge wooden dog door stopper present a merry welcome to guests.
 

This Dracaena draco houseplant was tarted up for the occasion.

Santa teddies on a rope of acrylic garlic.

Dried home-grown bamboo stems are used as props for these ornaments, some of which are decades old.

Some concrete garden animals at the base of bamboo props.

Ornaments on pussy willows from last year's Spring Festival.


The tall one at Berjaya Time Square.


Wishing you a joyous Christmas!

 

Tecoma Stans - Cheery Yellow Bells

Tecoma Stans are cheerful and showy flowers to brighten the day. They bring on the sunshine even on dull days. 
 
I've rooted many cuttings and have them planted in as many spots as possible.

 
The cluster of delicate flowers are borne on racemes. 


A young and tender bud just prior to flaring out its petals. Blurred images of lilac Hydrangea and red Alpinia purpurata are seen in the background.

 
Maroon striae runs down the throat.

 The flowers last about 2 to 4 days,

 and are replenished by newly bloomed ones so that the bush appears to be perpetually flowering. The blurred images of hot pink Madagascar periwinkle are seen inthe background.

Heavy showers bring down many of its delicate flowers.

Beans form rather easily with a row of viable seeds in each of them.

 
It is actually a climber so the stem is not strong and needs staking. It branches easily and I make it a practice to trim off most of them to maintain a sturdy stem.

This bush is container-planted to be trained into a two-tiered standard. Next to it is a Bougainvillea plant of green-yellow variegated leaves and white flowers.

This Pygmy Grass Blue (Zizula hylax pygmaea) butterfly perched tentatively on the tubular part of the flower and peered over its rim, as predators abound.

On the other hand, the ants threw caution to the wind and scrambled right in.

There is no shortage of visitors.

A tiny transparent spider lies in ambush on the side of a flower, waiting for ...

... the kill before striking a predator's pose in anticipation of its next meal.

A myraid of aphids have colonised this bud. The tiny white ones look like their babies or some other critters. This must be a new infestation as ants are not seen yet.

Another tender bud has been heavily populated by aphids making it look like a sequin-encrusted Christmas tree ornament. Aphids come in a variety of colours ranging from pale yellow, green, grey and black.

This cottony stuff covered a nest comprising numerous cells. As it was an empty nest, the ID of its inhabitants remains a mystery.

A soldier beetle rested on the underside of a leaf with its cast-off moult. It was very possessive of its shroud. When I turned the leaf over, it moved to the dorsal side of the leaf, but immediately came back and stayed closely next to it. I was told that it would later consume it for energy and growth.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” 
― Søren Kierkegaard

My sweet Tasha posing Marilyn Monroe-style between a Philodendron xanadu and a Tecoma stans bush. She was making an attempt to smile for the camera but ended up looking coy and langourous.

"The only disability in life is a bad attitude" - Scott Hamilton

 

A raceme of Tecoma stans and some Thunbergia erecta flowers in a Giant Clam shell.

A hot bowl of Cauliflower-Potato-Leek soup and Butter-Cheese toast for supper satiates the stomach for a good night's sleep.