my G@Rdening frenzY: November 2014

29 November 2014

HUB

The Adenium obesum (Common Name: Desert Rose) and Grammatophyllum speciosum (Common Name: Tiger Orchid) were flowering recently at the Hub.

the beautiful red flowers of the Desert Rose

close-up of the flowers

the Tiger Orchid

closer view of the flowers

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKING JAY PART 1

Continuing from last year's part 2 of the Trilogy, this first half of the final part was not as entertaining for me as the earlier one.

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland etc, Katniss woke up from an underground rebel facility in District 13 where she was reunited with her mother and sister and was introduced to President Alma Coin, who was leading her army of rebels to fight the war with the Capitol. Alma wanted Katniss to be the face of the mocking jay as a symbol of the rebellion, to unite all the districts together to fight a common war. Katniss was not convinced of the cause of it but relented when President Alma Coin agreed to her request to save Peeta and the other victors from the clutches of President Coriolanus Snow of Panem.

A visit to her District 12 showed Katniss the devastation brought on to her home by President Snow for her success in thwarting the 75th Hunger Games and destroying the competition arena and uniting the Districts in staging a rebellion against the Capitol. A series of videos were broadcast to the Districts and Katniss was once again received by the other Districts as the symbol of the mass rebellion. The Capitol retaliated by releasing recordings of a brainwashed Peeta, who pleaded with Katniss and the Districts to give up their rebellious quests to destroy the Capitol. When Katniss realized that Peeta's life was on the line, they made a desperate attempt to rescue Peeta and the victors in a dangerous mission to break into the Capitol's Tribute Centre.

Peeta and the others were easily and successfully extricated from their prison, without any resistance of the Capitol, much to the surprise of the rescue team. When Peeta woke up, he attacked the delighted Katniss savagely and strangled her to unconsciousness, but not before he too was knocked unconscious. It was only revealed then to the awoken Katniss that Peeta was brainwashed by the Capitol through aversion therapy and tracker jacker venom, which fueled his desire to kill Katniss. As Katniss tread cautiously in anticipation and fear towards the treatment room where Peeta was kept, she was horrified to find him struggling like an erratic person against the tight reins that held him to his bed.

The movie ended with President Coin announcing the successful rescue of the victors to the surviving residents of District 13.

Plutarch, President Coin and Gale

President Snow taunting Katniss with white roses wherever she went

23 November 2014

WEED

There is so much beauty in this simple weed growing in the crevice on the concrete floor. This is nature's art.

BEAUTY OF PLANTS

Finally a pink Episica that proved to be able to grow well here in our lowlands.

it has the typical flame coloured flower

mushrooms that look like eyes

Leaf Flower

a red-orange Cosmos sulphureus cultivar

I think this is a tall wild one

MARINA BAY SANDS CHRISTMAS ON ICE

It's a snowy Christmas at MBS, complete with snow covered trees, a skating ring and a central tall decorative Christmas tree.

At some boutiques, dogs were brought in to decorate the shop fronts.

CHRISTMAS AT GARDENS BY THE BAY

For the first time, we have the Luminaries lights at the Christmas Wonderland in Gardens by the Bay. It is definitely a must see and promises to be a spectacle because these lights do accentuate the displays at the Flower Dome. At the Supertree Grove are also Luminaries lights of different scales and forms and shapes.

Watch out for the launch by PM on this upcoming Friday evening.