Orchid

Most gardeners consider these wildflowers as weeds but I find them pretty amusing. Their simple beauty makes me smile. Marjolein Bastin, my favorite sketch artist, seemed to be drawn to their beauty too that she always draws them. I can’t help but emulate.

Ilang-Ilang is probably the most fragrant flower on earth. It’s the secret ingredient in most signature perfumes especially Chanel, I learned. Ilang-Ilang or Cananga odorata is a tropical tree indigenous to the Philippines. It grows tall to about 40 ft. in height. In the forests where they grow well is acidic in nature so they…

My previous blog talks about cacti and succulents. I have this Christmas cactus for a long time and as expected, it flowers during Christmas season. It never fails. I really enjoy the pink flowers every time. Easy to care for, Christmas cactus is also easy to propagate. I accidentally broke a branch and I put…

I have high hopes this flower will soon be pollinated and become a fruit. The variety I have in the garden is the yellow type. Apparently there is a purple type but I haven’t seen any yet. I love having “lilikoi”(Hawaiian name for passion fruit) in my garden. The fruits I gather can be made…

Vanda Orchids are one of my favorites. I’m surprise to see them thriving in my cousin’s place in the Philippines when I went on vacation two years ago. The color pink is quite amazing. I’ve seen them in different colors here in Hawaii. I love the color blue the most. I know it is the…

Tahitian Gardenias are one of those flowers considered to be exotic. The smell of the flowers is heavenly. The plant grows tall up to at least ten feet and when it blooms the perfume permeates in the whole neighborhood. It’s a very prolific bloomer and the recent rains make it want to bloom some more….