Dahlia

Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. A member of the Asteraceae or Compositae, related species include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum and zinnia. Classed as a dicotyledon, there are at least 36 species of dahlia.

Last year, Kieran and Nicole, teachers at pt Chevalier school did a"crops for Christchurch". They invited everyone, students and parents to bring their crops, flowers, fruits and baked stuff. It was a fantastic exercise. http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.co.nz/2011/03/skywatch-friday-crop-for-christchurch.html

This year, they are doing it again. The beneficiary is Nepal, a country close to my heart with my connection with the Con-joint twins Ganga and Jamuna. http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2009/01/siamese-babies.html

Among the crops for sale were dahlias. A flower grown in a house garden can just be as beautiful as a florist's flower. I bought a little bunch in a yoghurt container and gave it to my mentor. Some little kid must have brought it to school. I am also also sending by cyber mail to a friend L I met through Facebook. Her dad was my teacher. My mum used to grow this in Borneo.

Crops for Charity is starting again this Friday morning...lots of spare crops from everyones gardens! Cheers, Keren


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Sunflower

I grew a big patch of sunflowers and I was very proud. But I as disappointed I didn't grow a big flower. In Singapore, I grew some. My friend B commented that she didn't have go to Japan to see Sunflowers. She only had to look out of her kitchen window to my garden.

Now in Auckland, a stroll in the suburban will show you 10 inch wide sunflowers.





Sunflowers in Aotea Square, Auckland Town Hall.

I placed my hand to show how big the flowers were.


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Flowers: Trumpet vine

The trumpet vine or trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), also known as "cow itch vine" and (in horticulture) as "hummingbird vine", is a large and vigorous woody vine of the family Bignoniaceae, notable for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers. It is native to woodlands and riverbanks of the southeastern United States, but is a popular garden perennial plant across much of the US and southern Canada, as some cultivars are hardy to as low as -30°F/-34°C.

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Mandevilla

I saw this beautiful crimson Mandevilla at my friend Connie's house. Her friend from Canada gave it to her. Connie's friend was delighted that the Mandevilla here bloom for a long period.

Mandevilla (play /ˌmændɨˈvɪlə/)[2] is a genus of plants belonging to the family Apocynaceae, the Periwinkle family. It consists of about 100 species, mostly tropical and subtropical flowering vines.

Mandevilla is native to Central and South America and many Mandevillas come originally from the Serra dos Órgãos forests in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The genus was named after Henry Mandeville (1773-1861), a British diplomat and gardener.[3]

Mandevillas develop spectacular flowers in warm climates. The flowers come in a variety of colours, including white, pink, yellow, and red. As climbers, Mandevillas can be trained against a wall or trellis to provide a leafy green and often flowering picture of beauty. They have a tendency to attract insects like mealybugs and scales.



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agave/yucca 2012 at Pt Chevalier.

I had problems with blogger this morning. So I tried posted this photos again. For those of you who loke to look at photos, this is the post.







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macro flowers: Agavaceae

I was in the Gold Coast of Australia in my sister Helen's house when I saw these majestic plants. On the way to Sam's Karate class, I see this yucca tree in some one's front yard. I see it's progression from a tall rod to eventually flowers. It was about ten feet tall as it was higher than the house. I wasn't blogging then. Below are 3 stages of three different plants.

Agave americana Century plant Agavaceae Family The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies (see semelparity); they are commonly known as the century plant. I posted how majestic the plant is, and a friend commented what is so great about it. It grows, then flowers and dies. It makes me think of some mothers who die at child birth.

Below is a flowering Agave americana in Sandringham, Auckland.



Another Agave americana with flowers dropped at Auckland Domain.



In 7/6/2010, I posted this plant as a Yucca. For my friend Ellen, who is now my Facebook friend as well.

The Yucca/Agave americana is a majestic plant. I see this Sandringham yucca tree in some one's front yard. I see it's progression from a tall rod to eventually flowers. It was about ten feet tall as it was higher than the house.

I was in awe because it was strong and didn't need anything wire or stake to hold it up. I couldn't photograph the whole plant as I was sneaking around and stopping my car at a no parking zone.

Once, when I was at the Auckland Domain, I saw the other. Gone were the flowers, but it is still regal. The stem of flower has not bent.






You can see in the above photos, the young plantlets have already grown on the stalk itself, and the mother plant is slowly dying.


I re-dedicate this post to my friend E. She is beautiful and strong like this Yucca. You see, I have not met E, but our lives have been intertwined because we are both bereaved mothers of Campomelic children. If my life of having Andrew is tragic, E's is doubly or triply worst.

Who told me that lightning doesn't strike twice? E lost two babies to Campomelic Dysplasia and now she is struck again and is battling with cancer.

E, you are like this Yucca/Agave americana. You will not be beaten.

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/campomelicfamilies/

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Marco flowers: summer flowers

Summer flowers in New Zealand, sorry don't know the name.

Luna Miranda said... this looks like fuchsia but i'm not sure.:p January 14, 2012 9:03 AM

Blogger SquirrelQueen said... They remind me of a fuchsia too. But whatever the name they are gorgeous blooms.

Thank you Luna and Squirrel Queen. You gave me a name to research on. I am posting a new photo of a bush. I googled and perhaps it is a Bolivian Fuchsia. I was familiar only with the big body type which I used to grow. It is amazing how much we learn from our fellow bloggers. Taking walks in the neighbourhood becomes more interesting.

Fruits are eaten raw, but the plant is most commonly grown for its ornamental flowers. There are several varieties, but two of the more notable are the red, and white colored types. Flowers are borne in clumps, and cover the tree for most of the year.

Native Range: Southern Peru, Bolivian, Northern Argentina.

I was busy taking photos and didn't notice the fruits. Next time!!!! but I must remember where I took the photo.



Many consider this one of the most beautiful fuchsia's, the Bolivian Fuchsia also bears small red-purple fruits with a sweet flavor.

National Fuchsia Society of New Zealand. http://nfsnz.orconhosting.net.nz/

The society exists to promote the interest of fuchsias to all parts of New Zealand and to collaborate with all fuchsia societies world wide.
We encourage social interaction between affiliated members and societies. New members are always welcome.

This society is the national body for various fuchsia societies throughout New Zealand, as shown on the map below, as well as independent members in New Zealand and throughout the world.

The society maintains a register of all fuchsias grown in New Zealand. The registrar is Elaine Baldwin and her address is shown in the contact list below the map.






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Oleander

These Nerium Oleander look so beautiful, yet they are so deadly. All parts of this plant is highly toxic.
There is a folk story where a good but not very beautiful woman who was bullied by her husband. She tolerated his abuses until he became unfaithful and planned to divorce her. She made kebabs for husband. She used Oleander stems to skewer the bits of meat before barbecuing the kebabs. The unsuspecting man ate the kebabs and died straight away.
The moral of the story is do not abuse the person who loves you, even nature will not approve your actions.

There were cases of oleander poisoning in California when people unknowingly cut branches to use when cooking hot dogs over a bon fire. The drove the sap out into the meat. POW!

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Kowhai Flower

This New Zealand flower that grows from a tree is called Kowhai. Kowhai in New Zealand is yellow. WH is pronounced in Maori as F.


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Flowers: Chinese Lanterns

I was in someone's private garden in Auckland. I had never seen them before, but read about Chinese lanterns. It is the end of spring here and the flower is now dried up like paper.

Abutilons or Chinese lanterns are closely related to hibiscus, and most of the hundred or so species have pendulous, hibiscus-like flowers. Cultivars produced by hybridising some of the South American abutilons have all been placed in one group known as Abutilon x hybridum, and these are the ones most commonly grown in Australian gardens. They have a wispy, delicate form and colourful, lantern-shaped flowers. For gardeners who prefer plants with a more dense habit, new compact varieties are also available. Another popular abutilon is Abutilon megapotamicum, which is a prostrate ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr ground covering species with small orange flowers. There is also a variegated leaf form, Abutilon megapotamicum 'Variegatum'. Megapotamicum means 'from the big river' referring to the Rio Grande in Brazil.

I have since found out this may be Chinese goose berry.
http://capegooseberry.com/


I recall when I was in Singapore, as a professor/faculty wife, once a month, we went for lunches or high teas at the Shangrila Hotel. They had these little pods as part of the decor.



http://capegooseberry.com/

Physalis peruviana - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_peruvianaShare

The cape gooseberry is also grown in northeastern China,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physalis_peruviana

http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Flowering-Plants-and-Shrubs/Chinese-Lanterns/868


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Macro Flowers: Dedicated to Betsy and George

I am holiday and was hanging around in my Church Mt Albert Baptist Church when I saw these lovely photos beside the Forever Kids child care. I thought it could be an iris, because individually the looked like my Walking Iris I grew in Singapore. But as I google searched, irises appear to have individual flowers, and this is a spray.

Do any of you know?

I dedicate this post to my cyber friends Betsy and George. To me, they exemplify this song http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.com/2010/08/thursday-theme-song-will-you-still-love.html

Betsy and George, your posts and comments always make me smile. You encourage me and I feel confident to share my deepest feelings.

Now I teach you some New Zealand words, Ka Pai which means Good Job.
paki paki which means clap clap.



I have joined this meme for a while now, and I am loving it. First I love flowers. Second, the badge for this meme is the North Borneo Orchid.

Join Macro Flowers Saturday, a photo meme for macro photos and close-ups of flowers, garden flowers, wildflowers, blossoms, flowers with insects and butterflies (no insects without flowers), flowers with raindrops and whatever beautiful plants, plant seeds or berries you have, in close-up.

First time visitors, please read the rules. They are simple but I do ask that you, please, use a MFS badge or link back to MFS in some way. Thank you.

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Sunday bridges and spring flowering trees

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All through Auckland, this week, trees dote the road sides showing their beautiful spring flowers. Sorry I don't know it's name.
Do you know?
For cherry flowers, please go to this link.
http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.com/2010/08/sakura-cherry-blossom.html

This is a very old bridge in Mt Roskill leading to park at the opposite side of Wesley.