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A garden enthusiast who loves to travel and capture the beauty of places and freeze the memories of her travels in photographs, as well as document her experiences in verse...thankful for the simple pleasures in life.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Passiflora Soi Fah

My fine romance with the passion flower is far from over. I am still fuelled with passion for this exotic flower, after twenty years of first getting to know her! In the early days, I used to be totally infatuated with her. My every thought was...would she appear on my chain-link fence where she dwelled, when I woke up the next morning? I literally pined for her presence, and if there weren't any buds on the vines in the morning, I would be forlorn. I spoke of nothing but her...her exotic beauty, her heady  perfume, her  delightful charm.


Today, in a new neighbourhood, she graces the pergola in my garden, resplendent in her deep purple attire. She is my pride and joy ...the jewel in the crown of my garden haven.















Today I found that I have a rival for her affections. She has a self- appointed guardian who stays by her side, refusing to be scared away by my presence.










Seeing how dedicated the chameleon is to his new-found love, I concede defeat. As long as he is there to protect her, I shall consider him my ally, not foe.








Plant profile

This  hardy vine grows very well in the tropics. In Malaysia where I am gardening, the  tropical  climate is suitable for the vine, even in the hot season which could reach a high of 35 degrees C. It is the humidity that the vine thrives upon. There is abundant rain in the monsoon season (the annual southwest monsoon from April to October, and the northeast monsoon from October to February).

This plant grows well on loamy soil, but can survive on most types of soil. The Passiflora Soi Fah flowers the whole year round, and the blooms are plentiful. You can find as many as 8 buds along one trailing vine, and the buds bloom one at a time. Each flower blooms for a day, but the large number of buds result in a prolific production of blooms on a daily basis.

The blooms have a subtle perfume that is truly remarkable. It is not an overwhelming heavy perfume, but a fragrance that is pleasant, like that of a rose.

The Soi Fah does not bear fruit. It is strictly a flowering vine.

Propagation is possible by taking cuttings, but the more successful method is by layering. Once it takes root, the plants grow fast and the growth can be invasive. 




















  























Who wouldn't be enamoured of this beautiful species of passiflora? Not only is she fabulous to look at, she is easy to maintain and a resilient character to top it all.










Friday, March 4, 2011

A Touch of Green

  Flaunting my touch of green this Friday. It is about time the green leaves came out to take a bow. My garden haven wouldn't be what she is today without the various shades of green and the fascinating shapes of the foliage lending their particular touch to the landscape.



Bauhinia Kockiana


Finger Palm


Knotweed


Lotus leaf




Japanese bamboo

Eugenia

Hydrangea


Green Bamboo
Hope the green does a little good for your eyes. Go click on the links here for a touch of  green and more!

Fertilizer Friday          Blooming Friday 
 http://www.tootsietime.com                 http://rosorochris.blogspot.com                          

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Mosaic Monday - Early Spring in Yunnan

It is early spring there in Yunnan, China and the flowers that were evident were those in pots. Indoors, in hotel foyers, even the camellia plants were brought in for display, in huge pots. Other plants like the narcissus and belladonna lilies looked so lovely in their oriental blue and white porcelain pots. Outdoors, in the parks and temple grounds, pansies, daisies,  and other spring flowers were arranged in their pots as landscaped flowers.Only the hardier varieties like calla lilies and cabbage flowers were planted on the ground.



Hope these images of early spring blooms bring a warm feeling into your hearts.


Do click on the link at the bottom of this page and get connected to Mosaic Monday today.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Macro Flowers Saturday - The Stately Camellia





I've been seeing a lot of Camellia lately...and mind you, she's a busy lady!


In the province of Yunnan in China, the camellia is the flower that  has been selected as the provincial flower. You can see her everywhere...in the streets and tourist areas, in posh hotels where she steals the limelight, in her natural environment, under the sky where she holds her head up high.










What an elegant lady!



Macro Flowers Saturday can be accessed here at this link Macro Flower Saturday