WHITE FLOWERS

It is not easy to grow coffee plants here and these are saplings of Coffea arabica (Common Name: Mountain Coffee, Arabica Coffee; Family: Rubiaceae) from the Ixora family.

The second is a white flower Thunbergia grandiflora (Common Name: White Trumpet Vine; Family: Bignoniaceae).

They are both found in the Colonial Garden.

BIGNONIACEAE

Unlike the Melastomataceae plants, these are plants from the Bignoniaceae Family. They are Thunbergia erecta, Radermachera "Kunming" and Jacaranda obtusifolia and some of the typical characteristics are:

• opposite leaves
• trumpet-shaped flower with a fused corolla
• zygomorphic (bilateral symmetry) flower 2+3
• 2 or 4 stamens
• winged seed
• estipulate

THUNBERGIA GRANDIFLORA

I never quite like this Thunbergia grandiflora (common name: Trumpet Vine, Large-Flowered Thunbergia, Clock Vine, Blue Sky Flower; Family: Acanthaceae) but this plot by the Singapore Polytechnic changed my mind a little. The link on the prolific and fast growing climber is as shown below:

http://www.floridata.com/ref/t/thun_gra.cfm

On the ground were the wooden floor planks with some growth of orange bracket fungi. I just love to see colourful fungi anywhere anytime.

VIEW

This is a view that I always enjoy although I was on the wrong side of it. I eyed the shelter for quite some time and when it was affected by some works, I moved in on the kill, I mean moved in to request for it to be relocated to this corner of the garden.

To me, this was a strategic corner and sitting on the bench within the shelter looking out was an enjoyable experience. I then added the Plumbagos, Bougainvilleas, white-flower Thunbergias and pinkish-flower Stachytarpheta to accentuate the landscape.

I have a few grouses though - the Stachytarphetas were allowed to grow too much and blocked the view from the shelter, the Bougainvilleas and Thunbergias were not fertilized enough, the Syzygium campanulatum (red-leaved) were overpruned at the base. The latter was my fault because I didn't give specific instructions on it.

I wasn't supposed to do that, but I planted the light bluish-white flower Thunbergia to partially block the red fire hydrant. Towards the right above the directional signage, the variegated Ceiba that I posted previously was peeping above the Syzygium hedge.

Whilst all the featured plants have small leaves, I love the strong contrast in the colours of this landscape.

THUNBERGIA ERECTA

This is the last photo taken on 12 Jan 10.

Usually, the colours of this species come in dark blue. There is now a white-flower variety which I planted at the valley next to Arbor Garden. This particular species or cultivar with light blue flowers with white streaks can also be found just across the Hands-On-House.