HAZE

This was the day when the haze was so bad that the PSI reached 400 and Marina Bay Sands and Bay East completely disappeared from our view hours later.

Everywhere was depressingly quiet and the gardens was like a ghost town shrouded in a fog, albeit one with a burnt smell in the air.

However, I did find some brief joy in a flowering Bougainvillea at the Secret Life of Trees at the World of Plants and the flowering orange Zephyranthes at the Chinese Garden courtyard of the Heritage Gardens.

CALLISTEMON

I was walking across the Dragonfly Bridge the other day and was drawn to a red patch on the slope of the Heritage Gardens. With my naked eyes, I wasn't able to make out what trees were they?.

But with the help of my camera, I was able to zoom in and identified the trees as Callistemon. They say red colour advances and it is very true, I must say.

GARDENS BY THE BAY & WORLD ORCHID CONFERENCE

Today's weather - sunny

I have been so lazy lately and should have posted this earlier.


On the way to the World Orchid Conference at Marina Bay Sands (MBS), one has to pass by the theme gardens at Gardens by the Bay. These are some beautiful plants at the Chinese Garden of the Heritage Gardens e.g. Radermachera ignea  and Pitcairnia flammea.  


The view of the gardens from the MBS bridge is so amazingly spectacular as one can take in the scenic view of the conservatories, SuperTrees and pond that give character to the magnificent gardens. Visitors were seen snapping aerial photos of the area.


I crossed the skybridge, which I think is at the 4th level, before reaching the MBS Convention Centre itself. By then, the sky was turning dark and was going to rain.


The WOC appeared to be of a smaller scale than the Singapore Garden Festivals (SGF) held previously at Suntec City Convention Centre. At the retail area, I saw this beautiful Stag's Horn Fern (Platycerium) on sale but didn't buy it because I am not really a foliage plant person. Various winning orchids were displayed in glass cases and I am positive that some orchids e.g. Slipper Orchid, can be grown in terrariums with conducive conditions for its growth. I said this because I managed to keep some of these orchids in containers for months although they didn't flower for me. Finally, I took a photo of this superbly beautiful Coelogyne orchid from one of the retail booths. The owner wanted to sell it to me but I decided against buying it because this is a cool growing orchid and I am unable to replicate such conditions at home.

SENTOSA - PART 12

This is an area where I saw another Heritage Tree. Oooh, another water feature was in sight and I just love it. And on the tree is an amazingly beautiful Platycerium coronarium(common name: Stag's Horn Fern), that reminded me of Medusa's moving mop of snake-hair. Wedged between the collar roots of the Heritage Tree is the Centotheca lappacea (L.) Desv. (synonym: C. lappacea subsp. inermis, C. lappacea var. inermis, C. malabarica var. inermis; Family: Poaceae / Gramineae), one of our very own attractive grasses suitable for the semi-shade areas. I hope they just let it grow. Some links on the grass are shown below:

1. http://www.kew.org/data/grasses-db/www/imp02059.htm
2. http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1050&taxon_id=242412596

There was also a clump of light brownish mushrooms nestled amongst the roots. Don't get me wrong, I love mushrooms as evident by the numerous posts and photos on them. But when they are found on a tree, be it at the trunk, branch or root, it does not bode well for the tree because it is an indication of some hidden internal decay. So good luck, my tree friend. I hope you can battle the odds and continue to live on for a long time.