Impatiens balsamina at the back and red salvia in front
I am not so lucky in taking the photo of this Common Mormon, it is one of those which doesn't stop fluttering the front wings even when sipping nectar.
Crossandra infundibuliformis, i have two colors, the other one is orange. They become invasive in the long run, as aside from the seeds they also have tubers that can withstand long droughts under the ground. As the rains come they get resurrected!
white Impatiens balsamina
violet Impatiens balsamina, i can expect a pink next year from the hybrids of these two colors
I am so attracted with the young anthurium leaves, with its lovely symmetrical shape and color. The old flower is at the right.
This yellow Ixora is also loved by butterflies.
...but nothing compares to the attraction of the purple Duranta erecta. Butterflies are swarming here last 3 consecutive weekends, lots of them, with even 6-8 individuals within the same species. I have a few shots with some of them visible in one shot. Above is a Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace), while below is a male Common Mormon.
This crinum started the previous day, but i am already leaving the 2nd day and yet only one flower is already open. I cannot wait for all the buds to bloom. Even just one open flower is enough to send the sweet scent around it.
Some Hoya
Hoya celata is almost pure white
Hoya carnosa, the ever reliable species
Hoya bifunda ssp. integra
Hoya merrillii, it normally doesn't offer very organized flowers in an umbel, but this one is a bit better.
Hoya benguetensis starting to open, eventually it will assume the reflexed pose
Hoya valmayoriana. Can you imagine the view of the above two blooming next to each other? I tell you they can really hold you attention. I kept looking at them, for quite long minutes.
Hoya pubicorolla ssp. anthracina
Also an old reliable species, Hoya pubicalyx. Can you spot the green spider?
The Star of the Garden, one of the biggest flowers in hoyaworld, Hoya imperialis! It is also endemic to the Philippines and one of the most sought after hoya. It originated in Palawan, and there is also a white variety circulating among hoya collectors. I had 3 small rooted cuttings in the beginning, but only this one succeeded. It is very expensive at the moment, maybe not only for its flowers but also because it is difficult to propagate. I succeeded in 2 previous propagations, but one died. I tried the next 2, but both did not root! I don't know how to time the propagations yet. But i promise i will not stop trying.
GBBD
Nature Notes
Our World Tuesday
GBBD
Nature Notes
Our World Tuesday
Yes, I saw the green spider hiding on the hoya.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are exquisite, and your flowers make me wish I could do more in my garden. You've inspired me. I think I'll go out tomorrow to get some daffodil bulbs.
Kay
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travels
Beautiful shots of the flowers. I love the hoya!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers and photographs! Thanks for commenting on my blog!
ReplyDeleteHello, gorgeous flowers and beautiful butterflies. Lovely post and photos. Happy Tuesday, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteso nice to see some colour, it's Spring here so we're starting to see some of the same :-)
ReplyDeleteThat Common Mormon on the red Salvia is a real beauty, never seen such butterfly before. I only just can sigh when I see that wonderful purple Duranta with beautiful butterflies too. I´m almost jealous on the variety of for us exotic plants you can grow. Thank you for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures, as always, are beautiful -- I see the hidden moth and your butterfly pictures are great. They will never hold still for me.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty - those butterflies are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteWonderful flowers! Don't you just love the Duranta erecta? Certainly the butterflies do.
ReplyDeleteYes that Duranta erecta is very reliable, heat and drought tolerant and they are well-loved by the insects and butterflies.
DeleteVery pretty flower shots !
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful flowers Andrea. They all look so healthy. It is great to see the butterflies too. Here the butterflies are just about all gone now for the winter, although I saw a lot of them earlier this week at our property in the Scottish Borders. Your Hoyas are all looking very good. They remind me of icing flowers on a cake!
ReplyDeleteThanks Nick if only you are nearer you can take lots of buttwrfly photos, which I am not good at. There's a lot of them which I cannot document for lack of time and no expertise.
DeleteYou are so fortunate to have lots of butterflies in your garden, over here in Britain there is still a decline in butterflies but hopefully the good summer we have had this year will mean a good year for butterflies next year. Loved your Duranta erecta, what a marvellous colour. And as always I love your hoyas – I still haven’t got any here in my house, but eventually I will, I just have too much to do out in the garden still so I need easy-going indoor plants for now. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteHi Helene, thanks for dropping by. Sometimes i really think the butterflies really love in front of our house. Despite the weedy appearance, at least the butterflies love them. For the hoyas, they are the reason i try to go home to the province every weekend despite of the difficulty of long travel.
DeleteAh, that Duranta! Such a wonderful plant... You have so many fabulous blooms - most of them are houseplants where I am. The Hoyas are fantastic too - such a rich variety!
ReplyDeleteYes Anna, i am sure it is a bit difficult to raise these tropical plants in your climate. But duranta has a wide range of climate tolerance. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteIt can be so hard to grab a photo of the butterflies as they are fast. I love all the flowers Andrea... Michelle..
ReplyDelete