Eye Candy from Cambodia

I have not been able to visit your blogs lately as I was on a mission, away from home. My mission from Roses and Stuff for Blooming Friday was to get eye candy for the week's theme. I went far and wide, searching for some truly exotic eye candy, and so I travelled to a land that takes you back to ancient times. My destination was Cambodia. I have just returned today from the city of Siem Reap, where the ancient temple of Angkor Wat is situated, and although it was easier looking for ancient ruins than floral eye candy there, I have managed to capture some rather strange-looking flowers.


This is the strangest lotus I have ever seen.

These cascading flowers come from a tree. I was told that this tree is actually a jungle plant, but we see them planted along the streets for landscaping. Tootsie at Fertilizer Friday might find this a lovely bunch to flaunt this week.

This last eye candy is the frangipani which is very popular in Siem Reap.The trees are used for landscaping. This bunch was photographed in the morning after a heavy shower.  Laura at Macro Friday might appreciate this.

Do visit the highlighted memes to enjoy more eye candy.

Yellow Is The Colour Of My True Love's Hair

I sort of vaguely remember that there's a song with such a title. Is there? It is just that when I look at the spray of yellow orchids that I am posting today, the lyrics keep popping into my head...














These photographs above were taken when I was in Auckland in the Winter Garden conservatory. Presented here for Mellow Yellow.

  

The two macros are orchids from my own garden, served up for Macro Monday.







These two plants have been faithfully blooming for years...they certainly understand the art of aging gracefully!The mosaic above showing the plants from way back , when they were younger, is made for Mosaic Monday.


    

My Cherie Amour

Today's flowers are from my  collection of Unforgetttable Blossoms from my New Zealand Springtime Romance. These are my favourite pink blossoms from the previous spring. These pink beauties were encountered in different parts of New Zealand. Yes like the proverbial sailor, I had left behind a blushing flower in every port!


Oh I was lucky enough to see my cherie amour, Cherry Blossoms in the North Island and down in the South Island as well.

It makes my heart flutter just to see this beauty!

Just love that pattern of print on the ground...even the shadows cast are beautiful.

I'll miss this a lot !

We'll meet again, my cherie amour, in another spring, maybe in another country, but till then, I'll see you in my dreams.

 Dark sighs of  yearning 

 printed patches on the ground

  pink petals drift in dreams

Go on and have a good time at Today's Flowers, Shadow Shot, Pink Saturday, Haiku My Heart

  

  

On the ground

I am going to be a good girl and abide by Katarina's theme closely this week. I am going to traverse the length and breadth of My Garden Haven and keep my eyes on the ground, looking for what is ON THE GROUND and not be distracted by what is above ground or underground!


Here are the results of my focused task:


A strange mushroom (or toadstool?) was found under my Norfolk pine trees, BUT nevertheless it was on the ground. I have never seen this in my garden before. I have seen the round white ones that look like button mushrooms, but those were not to be found that morning, only this one solo ULO (Unidentified Lying Object), lying on the ground. I was quite taken by it...great texture and fetching pattern, I thought.









A macro shot for Macro Friday.

Next I found these lovely little blooms of white and yellow lilies along the perimeter of my White-and-Yellow Flower Bed. They are lilies that I  that planted earlier in the year as bulbs, and syncronizing with the spring crocuses of my blogger friends in the temperate countries, my lilies are now to be discovered on the ground peering demurely up at the world! What a find...again signs of spring in my eternally summer tropical garden.

  

 

Here is a low bed of anthuriums found on the ground, in a semi-shaded part of my garden. This is especially for Tootsie as I'm flaunting my anthuriums today for Fertilizer Friday.
Now the yard art in the midst of the anthurium bed is not strictly categorized as a bloom, but it is blooming pretty, and it is on the ground, so I'm happy to include it for my post today.





See what else is on the ground at Blooming Friday and what else gardeners are flaunting on Fertilizer Friday and don't forget to visit Macro Friday and Yard Art onThursday too.

       
     

My Shanghai Rose

This is a plant that I only know by the name Shanghai Rose. An exotic name that conjures up visions of  cabarets in the Shanghai of the 1920s? Ladies who sang in nightclubs and danced to American tunes.When jazz was hot in Shanghai. She does fit into that scene, my Shanghai Rose, doesn't she? Her look is definitely oriental, petite and rouged.

For Ruby Tuesday