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Thursday, June 13, 2013

GBBD for June

Our rainy season starts in May in all the years that passed. However, this year our official weather bureau proclaimed it just started this week, last June 10! Imagine the almost 1 month delay in all farm activities, plus the plant's delayed quenching their thirst! Moreover, the plants showed unusual characteristics because of the unusual weather conditions. Being a plant person, both in profession and in hobby, i think a big change in plant physiology really changed because of the changing weather patterns and climate. I have observed a lot of changes, although i still can't fully explain it.

But i will post here a few of the blooms as a result of the first heavy rains.

My Hippeastrum puniceum usually flowers simultaneously after the first heavy rains in May. With some twist of fate, it started sending a few blooms at a time since March, and continued on till now when the real rains are coming. It produced the usual simultaneous blooms last week, unfortunately i didn't go home to see the show. The blooms are almost finished when i arrived home, only the bald scapes and wilted flowers remain. Therefore, i will wait for next year again to see all of them blooming, if they will ever be able to bloom. They said the flower primordia starts 18 months before blooming, so all the primordia might already have bloomed this year and nothing more for next year! I will cross fingers.

We planted some clumps in different areas, in the above case under the shade of a big golden shower tree. The beauty of this hippeastrum is that they grow nicely even when shaded.

The 'katunggal' or Proiphys amboinensis/euricles bloomed just in time after the first heavy rains. That is its normal habit. Three scapes are produced this year, while last year was only two. The above blooms are nearly wilted, and one umbel has a lot of seed pods. I hope some of them will continue maturing, as last year they all wilted before maturity.


The above bloom is abnormally different because the scape didn't elongate before blooming. I had to push aside the leaves just to see this big umbel bloom, fresh and simultaneously open. I am sure the plant hormones are in control in this condition, as affected by the very long dry season and late rainfall. But it didn't diminish its beauty, however the umbel is not very conspicuous.

The hoyas especially this Hoya buotii showed abrupt growth in response to rainfall. They all show long spikes of growth, and this one produced bigger numbers of blooms per umbel unlike the previous bloom. This species has a slight scent too.Those hairy petals are so lovable.

Duranta erecta produced a lot of simultaneous blooms, that butterflies, bees and other insects truly love.  In previous years, i used to prune this before the rains come, but this time i wasn't able to do that as i didn't go home often. I am glad that branches produced lots of blooms scattered all over the canopy.

 The blood lily or Haemanthus multiflorus remained true to its habit, flowering after the heavy rains. I experimented on watering the bulbs even at two months before the rains, it started leafing but the real blooms didn't. Now they have a real big show.


 The caladium also started to produce leaves. They are dormant without leaves during the dry season.

Another dormant underground is this 'kamia' or Hedychium coronarium. Now the rhizomes are all sprouting some have leaves already. In a few weeks white fragrant, butterfly-like flowers will be emerging. It will not be a long time.

 And ferns which are nowhere to be seen during the dry season, now starts to show up. This species grows ahead of the others, and we have many ferns species in our property. In a few weeks the ground will not be seen anymore, but fully covered with plants and weeds.


That green lush is just the outcome of the first heavy rains. We cannot see the sky from this vantage point, in contrast during the height of the dry season in April, when we can fully see the blue sky between those branches. And that crape myrtle also produced those blooms in response to the first rains, isn't this view relaxing enough? This is my line of sight when sitting at our terrace, having breakfast or sipping coffee and watching the butterflies on plants at the ground level. I am sure you will agree, it is delightful.

17 comments:

  1. Beautiful flowers. I love the hoya.

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  2. i didn't know "catunggal" has flowers..i've been seeing the plant since i can remember but never seen the flower. i love the ferns, green and happy.:)

    yes, rainy season is finally here--and the city streets are flooded again.:(

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  3. we see thsi happening in sweden too even if it is not that obvious.

    Love that yellow HOYA. I have several hoyas but never seen this yellow one. Would love to have it. It is gorgeous. :)

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  4. Your wet season has been late in starting this year, as has our dry season. It seems to have finally begun this month, which is a little behind the usual schedule. The cycle of wet and dry certainly has an effect on the garden, and I've noticed some differences as a result of the late dry this year.

    The Blood Lilies are simply fantastic. I finally got a little plant and I just can't wait to see mine mature. How fantastic that you got more flowers on your Proiphys this year. Loved the Hippie too!

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  5. The hoya is an amazing looking flower! Gorgeous colour and fascinating design! A great series of photos! Enjoyed the information in this post too!

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  6. Such beautiful flowers...so tropical..things I can't grow in Oklahoma! Thanks for sharing!
    Miss Bloomers

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  7. Wonderful and very different plants. I love the hoya - such unique shape - and the blood lilly - so dramatic.

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  8. You photographs are stunning. It is nice to have a glimpse of a garden on the other side of the world.

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  9. Thanks for coming by my blog. You have such gorgeous flowers where you are. I have never even seen some of them. The blood lily is incredible. I would love to have something like that here.

    Yael from Home Garden Diggers

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  10. Wonderful to see all your rainy season flowers starting already...I especially love the fuzzy star-shaped hoya.

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  11. How nice to see so many flowers I have never seen before! It seems many of us have strange weather patterns this year too, here in Britain we have had the coldest spring in 50 years and everything is very late. I would love to have the hoya, but I don't think it would like my winter.

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    1. Hello Helene, I observed from all the blogs around the world that weather and seasons, are changing. I hope each one of us change individually to effect a simultaneous change of our earth. It is alarming and scary. Regarding hoya, i learned that it is thriving beautifully even in Belgium, Sweden and yes in UK. I am just starting on collecting and my new friends are from temperate countries, you can do it too.

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    2. Oh, I know you can buy several types of hoya here in UK, but they won't survive outside over winter, they are only hardy down to about 5 degrees C, and I don't have a greenhouse so I am afraid they are not for me. I could have one as a houseplant of course, but I don't really have anywhere for such a big plant. If you have heard of someone who has a hoya in Sweden if would surely have to be as a houseplant or in a conservatory!

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    3. Oh yes Helene, maybe they have the greenhouse. I joined the hoya forum and many of them are from Europe. It actually is more prolific in growth and blooming in south of Spain, as i see it in their photos. Your problem is coldness, mine is hotness. If only we can trade temperatures so we will both live in moderation. haha

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  12. I really enjoyed all your very different plants. All your rain has fallen here in Italy where we have had the wettest winter and spring for many yeaars. Christina

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  13. Very pretty blooms,and I echo many others in saying how interesting it is to see flowers from such a different climate than I'm used to! My grandmother grew a hoya as a houseplant; it's flowers were pink and white, and it smelled heavenly! I wish I could find one for myself. And those blood lilies are stunning! Thanks for sharing!

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