Monday, December 3, 2012

The Orange are not Oranges

Butterfly plants are blooming nicely in our yard even if the rains hasn't been coming lately. I guess that is the reason the butterflies are not as plenty as during the rainy days. Of course, you know that the butterfly larvae eat the moderately opened leaves, and without rains they are limited. So the nectar plants are just for human's eyes, but I am not as pleased without the butterflies.  

 This orange lantana has been so attractive to butterflies, and now seem lonely without them.

 The newly opening lantana flowers also show color variation. Opened flowers also change hue until they fall off. I guess that is one characteristic attractants of lantana.

Our papaya fruits are starting to mature, this are the first two fruits i harvested. This is a native variety and just  volunteer growing in our orchard. I love this one as the fruits are just moderate in size, one fruit can be finished by two persons in one sitting, or a papaya addict can finish one fruit at one time. These are ripened in the tree so very sweet. I don't normally eat ripe papayas, but the color and freshness of this one attracted me much and I ate papaya today. Huh, not bad! I guess i can try that 2nd fruit when it ripened more tomorrow.

    lorik art




28 comments:

  1. Your papaya looks yummy. I have chopped down my papaya tree after producing about ten fruits as it became badly infested with mealy bugs.

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    1. Stiletto, thanks again. We have lots of mealy bugs and scale insects here too, but i guess that papaya being native and a volunteer is not anymore favored by the insects, they have more delicious hosts around.

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  2. Fantastic colours! And the papaya looks lovely. One of my memories from when I visited the Philippines with Mark were seeing papaya growing at the side of the road when we travelled about the countryside.

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    1. Oh so you have been here! Yes you can see papaya anywhere and it is one of the most persistent grower, even the cracks on cement can grow papaya plants. We have lots of volunteers that we cut when too much, but at least the birds are happy. Also the civet can which prefer ripe coffee berries eat papaya as substitute.

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  3. Replies
    1. I am honored with your visit, thank you so much.

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  4. You have one of my favorite orange flowers in that lantana and I love papaya...what a treat to have fresh papaya.

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    1. Yes Donna, even if it is an old plant which doesn't produce an overall beauty, the individual flowers still pacify me and the butterflies. Papaya ripened on the tree is really a treat compared to those you see in the store.

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  5. Suddenly craving for papaya. Great pics! Happy MOM.

    Orange Bike

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    1. Hahaha, mine is good because it is ripened at the tree! Come let's eat some!

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  6. Beautiful oranges today, Andrea.... I love the orange Lantana... Gorgeous!!!!!

    Thanks for sharing.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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    1. I wish i have the real oranges too, haha! Do you know that our orange don't produce orange colors on the tree?

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  7. Replies
    1. Thanks for dropping by Karen, i hope you stop by once-in-a while.

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  8. lovely macro shots!
    i don't like ripe papaya...i prefer it still crisp.:p

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    1. You know what Luna, that was the first papaya I've eaten because i know it is sweet, and for its characteristics that "you know what", hehe! I eat it as if it is medicine! thanks.

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  9. You are clearly living on the other side of the world from me. We have no color ... it is winter and grey and bare. Our drought kept the Butterflies away here too, last summer... sad. I love that you can grow Papaya ... I have to buy them in the store and I know they are not as sweet, but good just the same. So this is Andrea commenting on Andrea ... Don't you just love it:)

    Andrea @ From The Sol

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    1. Yes Andrea of the Sol from Andrea of the Moon, hahaha! I hope you are not feeling so cold there at the other side of our world. We have the sweetest papaya because they are bathed with sunshine from sunrise to sunset and they are ripened on the tree so have accumulated all the sweetness, if only i can send you some, it is a pleasure! Because we have many fruits in the tropics i can choose what i want, so i don't like papaya, just eat a bit for the nutrients. Thanks for dropping by, my posts will warm you!

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  10. Replies
    1. Hello Laura, thanks for dropping by. I know you are in peace and blessed!

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  11. I love Lantana, I grow them in containers. And I have never tasted a papaya, must try it some day.

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    1. Jason, if you will taste a fruit for the first time, make sure it is of the highest quality!

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  12. Everything looks so different up close. The color pops. Papaya is not a favorite of mine. In Costs Rica I ate too many, now I don't even want to have it in mixed fruit.

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    1. Yes Donna, that's why your instructional posts are so meaningful for me! I don't eat papaya too since birth, i just tasted it for health reasons! I am sure you know what i mean! Thanks for commenting here.

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  13. What a great display of orange - love the colourful plant and I really must go out and buy some papaya. I did have mango with my lunch today though:) Thank you for taking part in Mandarin Orange Monday:)

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    1. Oh that's lovely to have fruits always. I wonder if you have tasted our 'Carabao' mango, it is the best mango so that one place in Mexico branded theirs as 'Manila mango', but it actually is unfair competition.

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  14. I love all your images! One of my plants was supposed to have orange in it but looks all pink! :oP

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    1. Oh that is welcome in my garden, planted as orange but turned out pink! Thanks for coming by

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