Our daily dose of JOY!

21 Apr '07 12:32 pm

I guess it is as surprising to me that so many of us compulsive gardening types are as hapless indoors as it is to my guests. Every one assumes the outdoor greenthumb just naturally extends indoors. This exchange feels a little like a 12 Step meeting, confessing our failures. I guess we must be alright afterall!

22 Apr '07 10:57 pm

I almost forgot I had a new addition to my photo album recently – a beautiful dragonfly, that didn’t give me such a difficult run as the Blue Tiger butterfly did! Chasing butterflies and other flying insects in our garden seems to be my new found joy! Wink

I’ve managed to capture images of another three more butterflies, though less gorgeous than the Blue Tiger butterfly but still beautiful all the same! Practice makes perfect – so, my ‘race’ with them is less unruly and more fine-tuned as I realized that they do pause to rest too!

This Easter month is my joyous yet! Very Happy

Besides the wildlife pictures, our orange Amaryllis (Hippeastrum hybrid) decided to resurrect itself. The last time it bloomed was a year ago, during Easter season too! How wonderful! However, I find it strange that our bulbs don’t flower more frequently as seen elsewhere around our neighborhood. Maybe it thrives on neglect? Any advice, friends?

Another fabulous surprise in our garden this month! Our potted Hydrangea plant which was given by a much-loved friend last September at a height of less than 8 ins. and has shot up dramatically to slightly above 2 feet, has finally burst forth so many buds/flowers! We’re so excited and happy over this success! To dear Liza and Dixie - I'm always fascinated and captivated by all those awesome hydrangea blooms in both your garden (esp. the blues!) and had always wished for at least a little to drop over here. At last my wish came true and I'm so very happy!

23 Apr '07 3:23 am

Dear Jaqueline, your pictures of blooms, butterflies and the dragonfly are great! I am so happy for you that you now have a hydrangea. It should perform well for you all summer. As for the Amaryllis, mine only bloom once per year also. Maybe the ones you are seeing around your neighborhood are just later blooming types. That orange one is a beauty. I have never seen one that color.

23 Apr '07 4:20 am

I don't know how to take them but I know them when I see them.

Nice to see that whitish butterfly. We have one in a similar color range on the underside of the wing. From the top they're a nice orange with spots. I used to get lots of them hatching out from a popular passion vine called 'Coral Seas'. I reluctantly cut it down when the park next door complained because it had engulfed a couple of their trees. I didn't mind losing vine for the flowers but I do miss the butterflies.

I'll bet now that you're focussed on the insect life you'll make lots of discoveries. I don't know how built up your area is but I know that the diversity of insects in the tropics is great. This will be a challenge with your love of macro to not only catch a moving target but get it in the kind of detail I think you like.

Like Zuzu, I am greedy. More, more ... please.

23 Apr '07 9:27 am

Dearest Jacqueline! Your dream about butterflies has come true -- since some time ago! And you take such excellent photos!! And how they are beautiful these beings! I noticed, that in each post of yours, they have different colours!

And not only this ; what an adorable Hydrangea! She seems to be a short variety and different than mine. She is like a beautiful jewel!

And your Amaryllis macro is splendid! You have been progressing a lot in your photo technique! Amaryllis is a great model, very beautiful herself!

23 Apr '07 3:31 pm

Jacqueline, I loved your recent pictures! Especially the ones of the Lime butterfly with its big "eye" on the wings and the one of the dragonfly. I really like dragonflies but get only a few in my garden. The last one I saw here was red in colour but I didn't get a picture of it. Sad

My amaryllis plants usually bloom only once per year, but sometimes twice. They need a dormant rest time after blooming, when the leaves die down for a while, then the flower stalks appear, followed by the leaves. The bulbs like to be about half to two-thirds out of the soil and they need a pot that is only a bit larger than the bulb. They like to be pot-bound. After they bloom, fertilize them regularly until the leaves begin to turn yellow, then ease off on the water to induce dormancy. Once new shoots appear, begin watering again. If you are going to repot them, do it after they bloom so the goodness of the new soil can go into producing next year's flower. It works for me!

Cheers!

gordonf

23 Apr '07 8:09 pm

Thay're all extremely beautiful shots, but I'm partial to the hydrangea ones. It's a sweetie. Smile

24 Apr '07 4:57 am

Thank you so much my dear friends for all your wonderful responses! Knowing that you enjoy these pics give me as much joy as capturing them – it makes all the chasing around all the more worthwhile! Wink

Faith - I’m glad to know that it’s normal for amaryllis to bloom once a year! Thanks, so it’s not that we’re overfeeding them! Though, I think I’ll try out the dormancy period that Gordon mentioned, hopefully that will induce flowering twice annually.
Mark – hehe...you’d wanted to start from scratch remember..so start from page 1 of this thread and you’ll get to know how small the built-up area of our garden is! With all my recent interaction with all these insects and birds, how I wish my garden is much bigger to allow me to run as wild as them, instead of knocking down pots as I had done whilst chasing them! Capturing a moving target is impossible for me with my simple point and shoot camera. It'll turn out blurry! Don’t even think of suggesting that I change to a sophisticated one as I’m no longer gainfully employed! Laughing

Liza – thanks, you’re THE one that inspired me with all your gorgeous September butterflies, remember! Wink

My next challenge is to capture butterflies with their wings spread out, so far none have posed that way long enough for me to have a shot. Do you really think my hydrangea is the short variety, even though they’re slightly taller than 2 feet now and have room to grow taller? I’m really hoping the blue will deepen further, it’s a deep blue that I’m looking forward to!
Gordon – thanks for the excellent amaryllis info! I’m going to try your method and hope it works out for us too!
Anna – they are beautiful, aren’t they! I’m so in love with them too! Smile

24 Apr '07 5:34 am

You can make the hydrangea bluer with Aluminium Sulphate .It may not go dark blue ,as I think that is a cultivar .When we came here with about 8 blue hydrangea cuttings in pots ,I planted them ,and they all flowered Pink ! The soil here is very limey .I put Alum in with water and fertiliser each year and now they are a lovely blue .The stems are strong so they don't really need staking -a lovely easy plant to have .
I think your Amarylis photo is very professional .
Dixie.

27 Apr '07 3:33 am

Thanks, Dixie! These tips will come in handy someday! Wink

Meanwhile, I'll let nature take its course and see what color will emerge finally. Currently, this light blue stands out very well against its lovely rich green foliage. Recently after a heavy pour, I found my hydrangea plant bent forward and realized that it does need staking, probably it's still young and stems aren't so strong yet. Most likely I'll replant it into a bigger pot as the present one is too small and shallow. And I'm really looking forward to have more plants from cuttings later. In fact, I'm amazed that hydrangeas can thrive in our hot climate, always thinking that cool climate of around 16ºC is needed whereas in KL, it's about 30ºC.

Our daily dose of JOY!

Odd

Continuing my Easter Joy!

Bugs and blooms

Great photos Jacqueline.

Wow! Butterflies!

Bugs!

Hydrangea Blue