It’s A Good Harvest

It was a busy weekend but days before that I was so lazy even to go out because of the summer heat. I finished three books in one week.

Fancy an early morning breathing  in the heavenly fragrance of Gardenia and Amazon Lily flowers mixed with the lemony scent of Calamansi (Philippine lime) flower buds.  It’s a perfect excuse to stay in the garden for a while. My Gardenia shrub is flowering again, a bit early for the month of May when it shows its blooms almost in every tip of the branches. I didn’t know that Gardenia symbolizes love, harmony and grace and it was named after Dr. Alexander Garden, an American botanist, until now. I just love Gardenia and when it is in bloom , I always take shots of the lovely white flowers.  Our two Calamansi trees are on their flowering stage too but the fruits are there all year-long.

Finally, one of our jackfruits was ready for harvest. I was as excited as Josef when we finally harvested it the other day and this morning, I sliced  it with a sharp knife and  separated the pulp from the rind. Josef just wants  it  fresh and cold from the ref.  One can cook it as “langka preserve” or marmalade, the way you cook other fruits in season.

Jackfruit, anyone?

The young green one is cooked as a yummy vegetable dish, either sautéed in pork or cooked in coconut cream with lots of chilis. Try it, it is best served a little hot and spicy.

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The Wait Is Over

A few days ago, I posted a blog at Gardens and Empty Spaces, some shots of my garden blooms.  I was excited to see my Amazon Lily in all its white glory. Here it is finally 🙂

It belongs to the family of Amaryllidaceae.

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Summer Blooms

With the temperature reaching  to  as high as  34°C here in Metro Manila, it’s definitely the start of summer days. Surprisingly though, it’s  still a bit cool at night with a light breeze to  enjoy the  evening. What comes to mind when summer comes are flowers blooming everywhere. Some plants definitely love the sun and it is a joy to always discover something new.  Here’s the second set of the pictures I took of my blooming lilies. It’s one of my favorites among the three varieties of lilies I have in my small garden – the white, dainty and sweet-scented Amazon Lily. It has Hosta-like leaves and prefers partial shade.  It blooms twice or thrice a year.

I spend part of the morning here watering, digging, weeding or just watching the world go by while having  a hot  cup of black coffee.  And it is a reading nook as well.

And I love those pockets of shadows that say, “welcome the morning with a smile, it’s another great day to garden”.

Even my Ruellia is showing its face everywhere. Ruellias are also called wild petunias. Clustered together, they could be used as ground covers.

Framing our small grotto are these lovely pink  Bougainvillea. 

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Life’s Tender Moments

“She cast her fragrance and her radiance over me. I ought never to have run away from her… I ought to have guessed all the affection that lay behind her poor little stratagems. Flowers are so inconsistent! But I was too young to know how to love her” – The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)

Moments of bliss could be found in simple things  – a flower in bloom, the intoxicating scent of each petal lovingly nurtured by God’s hands. I call it life’s tender moments!

 

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Metamorphosis

Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature. – Gerard de Nerval

Don’t look now, but there was a time when I used to document every bloom and every seed that grows in my garden.  I even dreamed of writing about it, describing every bloom, how long it took for one particular plant to grow and  surprise you with that lovely bloom after nurturing it with your heart and soul. And always, the pleasure of seeing it transform before your eyes and the joy you feel after long days of wait is worth a thousand smile on your face. I remember taking these shots with my old Pentax Optio camera while recuperating from a life-changing ailment almost three years ago. It’s my Amazon Lily, from bud to bloom.

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My Amazon Lily Is In Bloom Again

There was a time when I used to take shots of every flower in our garden but since we have it landscaped two years ago, everything now looks green except for my potted plants lining up one side of the wall. My Amazon lily blooms every year giving that sweet fragrance and oh so lovely flowers. Here are some facts about this showy plant. It belongs to the genus Eucharis and is called  Eucharis grandiflora. It is a slow growing bulb plant that produces star-shaped cluster of white flowers which have a prominent corona usually tinged with green.

And here are more facts about the Amazon Lily:

• Amazon Lily is a bulbous perennial plant.
• Amazon Lily plant leaves are basal and narrow into petioles.
• Amazon Lily is a beautiful shade loving plant from South America.
• The shinny dark green foliage is very attractive.
• The broad stalked leaves are 20-55 cm long and 10-20 cm broad.
• The glossy leaves of Amazon Lily plant are deep green, several inches wide and in the form of a rosette.
• The tall Amazon Lily spikes bear fragrant , waxy, long lasting white flowers.
• Mature clumps can flower at different times of the year but more often it will flower in the spring.
• It likes shade and sheltered areas and makes an excellent potted plant.
• The bulbs will go dormant if the temperatures goes near freezing.
• Amazon Lily plants can flower twice a year.
• All parts of Amazon Lily plant are poisonous if ingested.

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