HIBISCUS, MIRABILIS AND BRUNFELSIA

Hibiscus tricolor 'Cooperi'

The following are some interesting plants:

1. Hibiscus tricolor 'Cooperi' at the Chinese Garden toilet area flowered beautifully in recent months,
2. Mirabilis jalapa with a sport at Satay by the Bay, and
3. fragrant Brunfelsia calycina at Satay by the Bay.

Mirabilis jalapa

a sport of the Mirabilis flower

Brunfelsia calycina

MIRABILIS JALAPA

The Four O'clock flower comes in a variety of colours and I must say I love the orange colour.

MIRABILIS JALAPA

I seriously do not comprehend why they removed the clump of Mirabilis in the first place but anyway the prolific seeds of the plant germinated.

Sadly, they removed the seedlings soon after as if they could not tolerate a sliver of the plant in the area. How disappointing!

MIRABILIS JALAPA

I was totally in shock and apalled this morning when I saw this bed of fully grown Mirabilis jalapa removed from the site. What was originally a beautiful bed of plants was now completely razed to the ground, leaving behind a bed of young seedlings. The sight of the seedlings was my only consolation and I took one home for planting.

I can only hope that the authorities don't remove the remaining plants and let them fluorish although I seriously doubt so.

OLD AND NEW

Darling, I am sorry I have to let you down and let you go. I noticed that you have been unhappy but you are not the problem. You have been excellent and have given me lots of excitement and joy when we were together. The problem lies with me. I just don't think I have the house and the means to provide for you anymore. I realized this recently and think I have found you a better place to be.

Just like the many others before you, you are the old one and I have found another new one who is better, who can probably give me more happiness than you. Let me introduce you Strophanthus preussii to Ipomoea tricolor from Mexico, who has taken over your place in my plant container. Before you were Quisqualis indica, Mirabilis jalapa, Lonicera, and you were all my favourites at some point. Sadly, all of you were very demanding in your nutrient needs and my miserable plant container could not sustain you in a healthy condition. You were often showing symptoms of nutrient deficiency that I could not correct, so I have to transplant you somewhere where I think you will have all the space and nutrients necessary to grow optimally, just like the one I grew in HortPark that climbed at least 6 m up the Parinari corymbosa (synonym: Maranthes corymbosa; Family: Chrysobalanaceae) tree.

On a separate note, let me introduce another new member of my plant collection the variegated Gynura aurantiaca (common name: Purple Passion Plant, Purple Velvet Plant; Family: Asteraceae/Compositae) from Java. This is not the first time I have this plant and I simply love this plant for its velvety purple colour and texture and serrated leaves. It's amazingly beautiful and I definitely hope it survives this time.

MIRABILIS JALAPA

I didn't know whether to name this post Mirabilis or butterfly and fly and finally decided on the former since the insects were found on the plant.

The Pygmy Grass Blue (scientific name: Zizula hylax pygmaea) was quite skittish and I had to keep really still before I could get these photos.

On another leaf, a pair of red-eyed flies were having it on. Like butterflies, they remained perfectly still and didn't budge even though I was moving so close to them. I wouldn't be surprised that the female would be the one to carry the male if they are disturbed, as observed in butterflies.

MIRABILIS JALAPA

I think I mentioned about this huge bush before. Just last week and this morning, I collected more than 50 seeds from this clump of shrubs. They were a mix or yellow and peach coloured flowers but they were few. I bet no one really pays attention to them except me. Given sufficient flowering inducing fertilizers, I am sure there would be more flowers on the plants, much like the ones I used to have along my common corridor.


This is life, I guess. Sometimes we can be everywhere but we can still be unnoticed or ignored. It takes someone with a different perspective to admire or appreciate us. So here I am, and as long as I am still around, this plant will never be relegated to the slums.

MIRABILIS JALAPA

Today, I came across some small pots of Mirabilis on sale but they were so small and the leaves were so pale. Unlike these huge clumps of orange and yellow Mirabilis shrubs that have dark green healthy leaves, the former were so pathetic looking.


Anyway, this time round I managed to collect 3 seeds although I have no idea what the flower colours would be. With the one I collected previously, I now have 4 seeds and I am waiting for the chance to grow them.

HERBS

In this part of the garden, the ornamental shrubs that is part of the landscape was gradually replaced by herbs. I am not a medicinal herb person, so I am not attempting to name them. But there was also a Pomegranate plant in one corner. I was pleasantly surprised to find there is a Mirabilis jalapa plant, the same one that I had growing previously along my corridor, in the bed.

MIRABILIS JALAPA

It was my intention to take photos of the developing inflorescence of the Agave. However, my sight was suddenly captivated by a huge bush in the vicinity. 


To be frank, I didn't notice the existence of this clump until I saw the orange and yellow flowers. Something clicked in my head and it captured my undivided attention. My pathetic dark pink Mirabilis never had the chance to grow to this humongous size but what it lacked in stature, was compensated by its profuse flowers.


Sadly, there weren't a lot of flowers and even more disappointing was the presence of only a single seed. Perhaps I should be more positive and see the single seed as a half-filled cup of water instead of a half-empty cup.


Finally, my gaze was back to the Agave.