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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, August 13, 2011

Tropical Rhododendrons

I often go gaga over the impressive displays of masses of rhododendrons in the gardens in temperate countries, not realising that we have our equivalent in the tropics. The Senduduk as we know it by its local Malay name here, is actually known as the Singapore Rhododendron. It is not only found in Singapore of course; it is found in South East Asia, China, Taiwan and in the sub tropical regions of Australia.


The Senduduk belongs to the melastoma family, and this shrub grows by the wayside of roads and on wasteland, so it is not much valued as a garden plant. However it flowers freely, and is rather pretty. The shrubs that I see being used lately for landscaping in my hometown are even prettier. I assume this newcomer is a new variety, as the petals have a different shape, but the leaves are similar to Senduduk. The common Senduduk have broader, rounded petals. I wonder what this new variety is named. If any of you out there know the identity of this particular melastoma, do tell.


Here are some potted shrubs that I photographed by the Melaka River along the boardwalk. The shrubs are eye-catching to say the least. The flowers beckon passers-by to admire their striking colours. So, here they are for you to get closer to them as you stroll along the boardwalk with me.

















mysterious stranger
hiding who you really are
 whispers speak of you



Linking to:
Fertilizer Friday
Macro Friday
Macro Flowers Saturday
Haiku Heights
Haiku My Heart






15 comments:

  1. It's the whispers we need to be listening for...

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  2. I love this post...the pots look wonderful along the water like that...so pretty and inviting!!! thanks for linking in this week...I hope you don't mind my adding your post this week to my facebook page for Tootsie Time...I just hit share...! *)

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  3. Wow, what beautiful flowers! Thanks for sharing.

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  4. I would love to stroll along the Melaka River, you make it look so inviting Rosie.

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  5. What a beautiful place! Those flowers look like a cross between a clematis and a rhodie. Very pretty!!

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  6. Beautiful version of a rhodie. Loved the haiku.

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  7. I love how you draw us in, closer and closer... until we can hear the whispers and glimpse the mysterious stranger... Beautiful!

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  8. They do look like azalea with the pretty pick flower and small leaves. The design pulls you along the river walk. I do like that river flowing right through town and gracing front doors.

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  9. Great photos, Rosie. I really like the 3rd one.

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  10. Wow, the wild senduduk we see along the highways really are beautiful if planted them in those big pots! I have the blue and white variety, Tibouchina urvilleana, so I must trim them into pretty bushes like those..

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  11. They are very beautiful, such a lovely color.
    It a great pleasure to see these flowers at the other side of the world.

    I thought I left a comment earlier the day but it's not here. I'm getting too old, I think.

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  12. I would add a couple of weeping willow between the lamposts for shade and also to cool the hot concrete and the glare of the surrounding! cheers

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  13. Liked your read and thanks for the flowers too.

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  14. Love what you wrote with this last photo here. So very nice to 'meet' you and to see your wonderful, 'flowerful' blog!
    Louvregirl :-)

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