Macroflowers: North Borneo Orchids.

This is the flower I joined this meme. My Dad's favourite flower. It gives me warm fuzzy feeling every time I see this flower. Dad used to grow this from little saplings from North Borneo. They didn't bloom as frequently as the hybrids grown these days. The beauty of this plant is the waiting is paid off. The blooms remain beautiful for three months on the plant.

These flowers are grown in the Winter gardens, green house at the Auckland Domain.

Addition:
Maia,

As I look carefully, you are right. The leaves are longish oval. I think I was so engrossed with the beauty of the flower I didn't think of photographing the whole plant.

The spray of flowers shoot up about 18 inches. So the background leaves are most likely to be from another plant.

My Sister Margaret reminds us siblings of how carefully Mom and Dad use a toothbrush and soapy water and carefully removing the aphids. Seeing them together doing it on one plant now warms our heart. It was truly a symbol of their love for each other.

Mom and Dad were not child hood sweet hearts. They did not even know each other when they married. They had met only once and were chaperoned. It was during World War 2. Their parents had to get them married, so Mom won't be taken by the Japanese to be their sex slave, and Dad to be conscripted to their army.

http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2009/05/mothers-day-tribute-to-my-mum.html

On the day of my oldest sister Rose's wedding, he cut it and I wrote to her children and their spouses today. This was the beautiful orchids that Grand Pa cut to make your mum's wedding bouquet. Grandma said she was surprised that he did it. His heart probably hurt as he cut it. It even hurt her heart though she wasn't so attached to it.

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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.

Macro Flower Saturday

Fund raiser, selling cookies

I was most impressed with this primary school boy.

He knocked on my door,
"Will you buy a pack of cookies for $2.50? It is for my school and I have the change."
He was very confident.
I asked him to wait.
I came out not only with my money,
But with my camera.
He was quite perplexed when I wanted asked him to pretend he was coming to my house, and I only wanted to take his back.
I am most impressed with him.
I know some kids would not go door to door and will ask their parents to give them the money, or ask their parents to accompany them.

Ka Pai , Good Job and Paki Paki to this little boy whose name I didn't catch.

Ruby red Tuesday: Wii game

http://workofthepoet.blogspot.com

For Father's day. My son and I gave the man of the house a Wii game console. We gave it to him a week earlier because we want to play it as well.

If you are hearing me huffing and puffing, you heard right. I just had three games of tennis and three bouts of boxing. I don't know how the console works, but the playing is very realistic. You really sweat and curse. I grunt as loud as Monica Seles. LOL

Sunday Bridges: Carrington

http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/

This is one of the bridges I travel everyday to work. Auckland had volcanoes which erupted luckily once upon a time, so our land is up and down with ridges, valleys and plateaus.

You won't notice that this is a bridge, and think that it is just a 4 lane road. But when you stop at the lights here, you look down on the motorway. Very often it is jammed with traffic going into the city. When this happens, I am glad I don't work in the city.

By the rails, a lot of students from UNITEC walk to the university. They come in all shapes and sizes, and attire. Some dress very smartly, and some very casually. Sometimes, when it rain, and they are not dressed for the rain. I almost feel sorry for them.

Photohunt: Hot chillis

Habanero chillis I grew in Singapore, originally from Mexico.


This is another unusual chilli. I don't know the name. Do you? This is grown at the winter garden at the Auckland domain.

http://tnchick.com/
In Singapore, I was given this habanero chilli, I ate the chilli and germinated the seeds. I got hundreds of chillis from my two plants. My friends were "burnt" by this very hot chilli from Mexico. Even my Indian friend's husband who could eat very hot food had to surrender to this little thing. All of us had great laughter when we tried the chilli.

The plant is gone but I have the photos. The original chilli came from Mexico, courtesy from my friend W. on his tours.

I also learnt that to beat this fireball, sip slowly milk, giving yourself a milky mustache, or take some yoghurt. This is from my research. It works like magic.

Habanero Hot Pepper (Red Savina™) PVP - Guinness WorldRecord HP426-10

Capsicum chinense. Plant produces good yields of 2" long by 1 ½" wide wrinkled hot peppers. Peppers are extremely hot and turn from green to shiny red when mature. Plant has green stems, green leaves, and white flowers. The Red Savina™ is protected by the Plant Variety Protection Act, #9200255. United States Department of Agriculture, PI 562384 PVPO. A variety developed in California, USA. pk/10

Height: 42"

Sunlight: Full Sun

HPLC Test Results: Guinness Records *

Guinness World Record Holder

* In 1994, the Red Savina was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as one of the hottest spices. It is recorded as the hottest pepper at 577,000 Scoville units.

macroflower: Flat Succulent

I am the proud owner of this unusual succulent. It has red edges and is bigger than the size of my palm. It has fleshy, paddle-like leaves that resemble the shape of a clamshell as though I am closing my palms together.

Sorry I can't tell you the name, Do you know? I googled the images, but can't see any like this, It might be a flapjack but it is definitely not a rosette.

*****Thanks very much Drought Smart Plants said...http://www.drought-smart-plants.com/

That is Kalanchoe thyrsiflora - I have it on my wish list for sure. What a great plant in mixed planters with Echeveria and other succulents.

If any of my friends go to Canada, and when I can propagate them and get lots of babies, I will get them to take them to you.*****



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. My Dad's favourite flower. It gives me warm fuzzy feeling every time I see this flower.

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.

Macro Flower Saturday

SPCA cupcake day,

On this day, 30 August, New Zealand celebrated her Cupcake day. People of all walks of life baked, and volunteers braved a chilly winter's morning, to set up the stands to sell the cakes throughout the country. This is SPCA's second annual Cupcake Day. All funds raised will go directly to local SPCA branches.

Someone brought a whole basket of cupcakes to sell in school.

I am glad cupckaes made a comeback. When I was young, mum made cup cakes. We all learned to make cup cakes. I love the yummy buttery cakes.