Blooms at the Peak of Heat

We are at the peak of our dry season, out Heat Index is way above 40°C sometimes even 42°C. WE cannot go out of the building as our head feels like exploding. It might sound like an extreme feeling, but at least to us who normally stay inside airconditioned rooms during the day, that is the predominant feeling. But we can still see the construction workers on top of buildings, the jeepney drivers still roaming the streets even at noon. We feel sorry for them, but maybe they are at least acclimatized already with the heat.

Our rainy season is already at the horizon, expected to be here in June. Now the clouds above our skies are filling more weight to explode as rain. The past 3 days, our late afternoons in the city are visited by a few minutes of drizzles, lessening our heat index. That is a welcome sign. But in the province where my plants are, rains are still not felt in the horizon.

 Cymbidium finlaysonianum

This endemic species blooms normally at the height of our dry season. My clumps of this plant died in the past years, so i am still regrowing this small clump.  At least there are already 2 inflorescence that emerged this season. Mature long clumps produce more number and longer strands.

Pteroceras unguiculatum

Above is another endemic orchid species, but the flowers are open only for one day. 

 terete Vanda

This is only one of the very few vanda orchids that survived my neglect and diseases. It is already a very resistant and tolerant species, so i am sure it will still survive this heat. 

 Adenium obesum

This dessert rose are from seeds i got from the condominium garden in the city.

One of the most heat loving ornamental plants is the bougainvillea, which blooms profusely with the heat and direct sun.

bigger inflorescences emerge when the heat is at the peak

Heliconia rostrata

The above also produce longer and more prolific blooms when it is hot. But i am sure it likes some water too, however we don't have that luxury to give them. It thrives now on very dry grounds, producing longer roots to take advantage of the deep moisture remaining from the rainy season.

 Duranta erecta

Rain or shine, cold or hot, this duranta flowers nicely. But the golden fruits mature during the  dry season. It is a good feeder for butterflies, but lack of available hosts for larvae is the problem. I see only very few butterflies in this heat.

This justicia loves the heat too, producing shorter stems and more flowers.

Hippeastrum puniceum

It normally blooms after the first heavy rains in May, but a slight drizzle was enough to force this clump to flower.  I have hedges of them, which will show up when the rains come.

Look at the ground planted to hippeastrum. The clump on top is under the cycas shade, maybe the cycad leaves gathered moisture from the drizzle dripping to this bulbs forcing it to flower. The hedges below the cycas trunk have some still remaining leaves, but will eventually die. When heavy rains come, this very dry ground will be alive with flowers.

GBBD
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