Garden Insect closeups

20 Jun '06 8:44 pm

Liza: Hi there, yes it’s truly wonderful to be back again! My absence was unavoidable because I had no internet access after my retirement beginning this month. Ha..ha..I was like a wounded bird, free but can’t fly! Everything’s okay now that I’m fully equipped with my new toy Wink

Thanks for asking and that peony close-ups of yours above and in your other recent post are spectacular – their many petals look so fragile and the sweetness of its pink, indescribable! Thanks for posting them.
Regarding the Alpinia Purpurata, it’s different from the edible ginger known as Zingiber Officinale (more info here: http://www.floridata.com/ref/Z/zing_off.cfm ). This gorgeous Red Ginger is so easy to grow, requiring minimum maintenance and will reward you with long lasting flowers that’s truly an attention grabber. We were ‘forced’ to part with them (donated to some friends) mainly because they looked so unhappy (turning yellow prematurely and new shoots dying young!) in the overcrowded limited space (just 2’ by 2’) that were available. I shared about this beauty in my blog last October and am copying snippet of it here for your reading pleasure:
Alpinia Purpurata ‘Red’ is a rhizomatous perennial that grows up to about 8' tall and develops into large clusters. Each terminal, upright inflorescence has a cone of deep red bracts with small red or white flowers emerging between the bracts. These red spikes which blooms the whole year round are very long lasting and very showy against their large shiny green oblong leaves. The Red Ginger, sometimes even named ‘Jungle King’ can be propagated from rhizomes or plantlets that grow at the base of the red spikes. They grow well on the ground rather than in containers and are excellent for landscape. They should be grown in semi-shaded areas preferably with morning sun, watered and fertilized regularly for optimum growth. Since they’re long lasting, they’re great as cut flowers and in tropical flower arrangements.

Christopher: Hi there, thanks for presenting those lovely macro shots of your flowers. Love them all, especially the first with the brown lady bug bringing sweet memories, the fifth which displayed the various stages of blooming and your peonies - they're gorgeous! (Wonder whether I can obtain these peonies locally. I've googled search and found that they're about 3-4 feet tall which suits my garden well.) I've observed that an added 'visitor' further compliments their beauty! Next time, I must grab opportunities when presented in my garden. Wink