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Monday, May 5, 2014

Hoyas and Friends

You will not be surprised why my posts are mostly of hoyas. Even my FB photos are hoyas too. Maybe it is also a stage in my ornamental hobby escapade. When both blogging and FB were not yet "in", i was into orchids. Or let's say, that time even digital technologies are still being invented. So when the orchids craze left me, and literally they left me too, succumbed to virus, i changed to hoyas. That was only for the last 2-3 years. And space and time hasn't changed yet for me. I am still an absentee gardener, relegating all the maintenance to my sisters and nephew who are left at home where my hoyas are. I am in the big city, trying to be home only on occassional weekends. These past few weeks i try to go home weekly, even at these extreme heat, do you know why? The main reason is to tend to my hoyas and monitor what happens to their growth, observe the conditions most specially the first blooms. A few of them are already showing signs of flower buds, and a few already has blooms.

Of course, i will not let them pass without taking their photos. Even the smallest of buds or shots are recorded. Now, their visitors are recorded too, and i will be sharing them with you.

 First flowering of my Hoya fungii had 3 blooms opening in 3 consecutive days, so i can watch the 3 of them so delightfully. Moreover, the scent in the late afternoon to the early night is too strong that it catches a lot of attention, both humans and insects.

 The above cotton bug, Dysdercus cingulatus, is less than 2 cm in length. It has been there for 2 nights and 2 days. It is still there when i left for the city on Sunday afternoon. I wonder if it is still not drunk yet with all the nectar it has been sipping all those time. Its proboscis is always digging the nectar container.

 This bee also lingered for so long. But unlike the cotton bug, it leaves for a few minutes to go to other flowers. But the lure of the hoya nectar is maybe so overpowering, that it returns again and again.

 This ant maybe has other intentions other than sipping nectar. I guess it is eyeing some prey of smaller ants that frequent the flowers. I just wasn't able to watch them longer, but the dynamics of predatorship in my hoya plants are going on so healthy and active.

Maybe this is a sucker, as it has a long proboscis always pointing to the stem. I just don't want to alter their dynamics, so i let it be. It is less than 1 cm in lenght. This can be a hopper.

I wanted to record more of the residents of the hoya community, but i just have no enough time. I still have to tend to the bigger work of watering, making trellis, getting the long hoya shoots from embracing its neighbors, clipping them to their own pots.  Later on, i will do more of these records, by that time i will share with you more. I hope i can at least give you a few information.



22 comments:

  1. Fabulous captures of the tiny visitors to those pretty little blossoms.

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  2. They hoyas are gorgeous! You found some very interesting insects as well.

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  3. Gorgeous and fascinating shots! Great!!!

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  4. Beautiful flowers, reminds me a bit of some Viburnums.

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  5. I love your hoyas...fascinating flowers and interesting insects that love them too

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  6. It is interesting how we all have our favorites and how they change over time. As you say, for you it is the Hoyas now, and for me it's Camellias and Lemons. :) Enjoy your time with your gardening pursuits!

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    1. Hello Beth, because i change my flower desires a bit more often i am thinking maybe i have Ornamental ADHD! hahaha

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  7. Wonderful macro shots. No wonder you adore your hoyas.
    www.womenandperspectives.com/2014/05/living-doll-on-street.html

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    1. Yes Lina, i am now a hoya addict. thanks.

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  8. Fascinating and very well done shots.

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  9. Wow!! You can put your hoyas outside!!! Maybe I will try it this summer...
    My hoya has three clusters of flowers on it right now, and I am so happy to see them!! I have taken so many photos, like you, but I do love seeing the insects that come to sip the nectar!!!

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    1. Of course Judy, most hoyas are endemic to the Philippines, so they are at home in our tropical conditions more than those in the temperate countries. What species do you have? If you have facebook, mine are posted there. Thanks for your visit.

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  10. I don't see Hoyas where I live, so it's great to see your wonderful photos of them, and also their little visitors!! I particularly little the creature in the final photo!!

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    1. I haven't encountered someone in Hoya groups from UK, but there are successful growers from the temperate countries like Sweden, Norway, the cold US, etc. Thanks for visiting.

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  11. We do not have them here in the nature, only in as roomplant.
    Great to see these beautiful flowers and the insect

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    1. Thanks for dropping by, i've been to your site but there's no provision for comments. I love your macro shots especially that of the white iris and the snowdrop.

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    1. Thank you Birgitta, and also for dropping by!

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  13. I have a few hoyas myself so I love them. I have mine indoros so they don´t get that many guests.
    BTW either I´m blind or you forgot to linkup to NF Blo-Ma.

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    1. haha, i already have a link there as Andrea, i've even commented too. What species or varieties do you have?

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