SAY IT WITH FLOWERS

It has been a hectic week with lots of projects with tight deadlines in your hands. You suddenly remembered an important date, an event or a celebration and you just do not have the time and ability to personally go out to get the person(s) any gifts. You get into a panicky situation wondering who will be available to assist you out but you found none. Well, have you ever thought of sending them some beautifully arranged flowers? Regardless of the occasion, flowers do brighten up the days of anybody.

E-Florist is one of the best around with the proven track record of delivering quality floral designs to anywhere within the United States and Canada, freshly and promptly. You just name the place, whether it is in a cruise ship, an apartment, a hotel or even an office and their professional handlers will ensure that the flowers get delivered on time. You can also rest assure that those flowers will arrive fresh as they are arranged and delivered from their florist nearest to the recipient’s neighborhood. E-Florist has the confidence to do the job well with more than 140 branches in their network throughout the two countries.

If you could not meet up for the occasion, let the flowers speak for themselves. There are many types of blossom you can request for and all of them come either potted or artistically arranged in beautifully designed vases. Can you imagine that you do not even have to worry about finding the right vase for the flowers you received? E-Florist does provide more than 120 floral arrangements for you to choose from. You can even custom ordered your preferences by calling their hotline or email them through their customer support center.

So what would you like to send today? Would you want to send something fresh, colorful and fun such as the Teleflora New Baby Bear for welcoming a new baby into the world or the Field of Roses to make a lady in all smiles? You can even send an exotic potted Bromeliad to brighten up someone’s workplace or a Large Basket Garden for a house warming party. There are just so many options and you can even add on other items such as chocolates, balloons and teddy bears to name a few.

BIRD OF PARADISE

Strelitzia reginae is a monocotyledonous flowering plant indigenous to South Africa. Common names include Strelitzia, Crane Flower or Bird of Paradise, though these names are also collectively applied to other species in the genus Strelitzia. Its scientific name commemorates Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, wife of King George III.

The plant grows to 2 m (6½ ft) tall, with large, strong leaves 25-70 cm (10-28 in) long and 10-30 cm (4-12 in) broad, produced on petioles up to 1 m (about 40 in) long. The leaves are evergreen and arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown. The flowers stand above the foliage at the tips of long stalks.

The hard, beak-like sheath from which the flower emerges is termed the spathe. This is placed perpendicular to the stem, which gives it the appearance of a bird's head and beak; it makes a durable perch for holding the sunbirds which pollinate the flowers. The flowers, which emerge one at a time from the spathe, consist of three brilliant orange sepals and three purplish-blue petals. Two of the blue petals are joined together to form an arrow-like nectary. When the sunbirds sit to drink the nectar, the petals open to cover their feet in pollen.

PHALAENOPSIS CANDY STRIPE

The Phalaenopsis is one of the good hybrid orchids. It is easy to grow and the flowers will last for months with mature plants often re-blooming on the same stem. Larger specimens can be in bloom all year round. The size of the flowers varies from tiny 1.2 cm. to 12 cm.

Some species are fragrant but most are not. There are many varieties around the orchid world, from white, white with red lip, candy stripe, speckled or spotted, pink, yellow, orange and even solid red. They are indeed charming in their own right.

IXORA COCCINEA

Ixora is a genus from the family Rubiaceae. This is one of the best known garden shrubs in Malaysia. It loves the sun. The locals named it Jejarum (needle flower) because the buds look like needles. Originating in the Asia-Pacific, it blooms all year round and comes in a variety of colors the most common being bright red. It can also be found commonly in tropical climates in the USA.

There are many names for Ixora. Sometimes, it is known as West Indian Jasmine, rangan, kheme, ponna, chann tanea, techi, pan, jarum-jarum, Jungle flame, Jungle geranium, and many more.

The plant possesses leathery leaves, ranging from 3 to 6 inches in length, and produce large clusters of tiny flowers in the summer. It prefers acidic soil, and is a suitable choice for making good hedges and bonsai. The flower has sweet nectar which attracts lots of insects such as bees, butterflies and ants.

DENDROBIUM LOUISAE DARK

The growth habit, axillary bud differentiation and flowering behaviour in a sympodial orchid hybrid, Dendrobium Louisae cv. 'Dark' were studied. Flowering occurred only after termination of vegetative growth in the pseudobulb. Intermediate shoots with both vegetative and reproductive growth were produced when plants were placed in the shade. Decapitation did not stimulate floral initiation. In mature pseudobulbs, Cytokinin (benzyladenine) stimulated flowering. Gibberellic acid enhanced the cytokinin effect but was itself not effective. It is suggested that flowering in this orchid hybrid is regulated by growth substances, both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Department of Botany, University of Singapore, Singapore

THE BEAUTY OF MICKEY MOUSE PLANT

The Mickey Mouse Plant is sometimes known as Ochna Serrulata and was originated from South Africa. This woody weed grows as a small, erect shrub up to about 1.5 m tall. It is a woody shrub, and has an angled tap root that is easily broken when hand-pulled. Leaves are up to 5 cm long, narrow and glossy with serrated margins. New growth usually has a bronze tinge.

Flowers are bright yellow with five petals. These petals fall off, leaving five sepals which turn scarlet red when the fruits appear. Fruits are initially green, turning glossy black in summer with some resemblance to Mickey Mouse’s ears.

JINGLE BELLS OR SUNSET BELLS?

Jingle bells, sunset bells or Annabel? Haha… this is just a joke for my Switzerland friend. Anyway, this plant is called Chrysothemis Pulchella and belongs to the Gesneriaceae family. Some people call it the Black Flamingo or Sunset Bells. It has a little resemblance to the African Violet but a bit larger in size. It may grow to approximately 2 feet tall and bushy-like.

This lovely plant originated from the West Indies with lovely bronzy-brown foliage so glossy that you will just want to give it the occasional wipe to keep it that way. The buttercup-yellow flowers are backed by long, persistent and ornamental, conspicuous, flower-like, bright orange-red calyces. It does not like strong and direct sun. It does better in areas away from sprinkler heads so go easy on the water. It does indeed look like an orange bell with yellow flowers shooting out in the middle.

THE MAGIC OF FLOWERS

Your daily routine has gotten to you making your prospect of getting a long vacation slip away quietly. It is high time for you to revitalize, reenergize and rejuvenate your luster lack self in the radiance and splendor of fresh flowers. Flowers do not necessary be suitable only for the feminine species, men can also enjoy and breathe in some vitality and freshness into their life.

Drop by your nearest florist and pamper yourself to a vibrant, refreshing medley of colors. Feast your eyes with the brilliance of Mother Nature’s finest creations, and soothe your tired soul with its gentle and fragrant scent of peace and tranquil to the mind.

It would also be better to take the experience home with you by liven up your house with the cheery and friendly petals of the flowers. Your home will never be the same again. You will not be the same again. You will realize that the gloom and doom of your stressful life have quietly step out from your life!

We have been living in a concrete jungle for ages since we were young and it is time for us to just take some time off and clear our minds from the pressure and hustle of our daily life. Take a stroll down to the nearest botanical park and enjoy the fresh clear air of the atmosphere. Rest your eyes with the greeneries and floral surrounding you. After all, a clear and fresh mind works wonders for many years to come.

HYBRID ORCHIDS CAN BE BEAUTIFUL

Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi is distinguished by its rather plump, flattened inflorescence from which flowers with small petals emerge. This plant in my garden flowers almost continuously, and as older flowers fade, new flowers appear. Primary hybrids made with this species have been used to improve and give color to other generations of hybrids.

The most common color is yellowish green, and its markings are some variation of reddish brown or cinnamon colored bars, spots and blotches over all segments. The lip is white or near-white with parallel, reddish brown or cinnamon colored stripes on the lateral lobes and base of the column.

GROWING UP WITH THE DANCING LADIES

I have quite a few varieties of orchids in my garden. Oncidium Gower Ramsey or commonly known as the Dancing Ladies are among the most popular and easiest to maintain orchid in the world. A member of the Oncidium family, the common name comes from the shape of the flower which resembles a lady with her arms outstretched on the top with a skirt-shaped lip below. With the evening tropical breeze, it looks like there is a whole troupe of dancers waltzing all the way in a ballroom.

Growing orchid is rather easy as a hobby. In Malaysia’s tropical weather, daily watering with a good orchid fertilizer is recommended. The large flattish pseudo bulbs will start to wrinkle if not enough of water is given to the plant. Burned or very light leaves will indicate too much of sunlight whereas dark green leaves indicate inadequate sunlight. The orchid plants should be repotted every couple of years after flowering. This will help the plant to bloom more. The best method to get good results will be either planting it in a coconut husk or using bits and pieces of charcoals.

PHOTO HUNTERS: PINK

This week’s theme is on PINK,
What could be more amazing than Mother Nature’s own creation,
PINK flowers!
I took this shot last weekend during a sumptuous buffet lunch at
our local heritage hotel, Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

Recently, I went for the birthday celebration of a deity.
I took a shot of the altar where there are lots of PINK buns.
We call them Mi Koo in our local Hokkien dialect.
Other than that, I had a very interesting vegetarian lunch too.

For those PhotoHunt members,
Please click Mister Linky above and enter your information for easy tracking.
Thank you and have a Nice Weekend!