macro flowers: Agavaceae

I was in the Gold Coast of Australia in my sister Helen's house when I saw these majestic plants. On the way to Sam's Karate class, I see this yucca tree in some one's front yard. I see it's progression from a tall rod to eventually flowers. It was about ten feet tall as it was higher than the house. I wasn't blogging then. Below are 3 stages of three different plants.

Agave americana Century plant Agavaceae Family The plants are perennial, but each rosette flowers once and then dies (see semelparity); they are commonly known as the century plant. I posted how majestic the plant is, and a friend commented what is so great about it. It grows, then flowers and dies. It makes me think of some mothers who die at child birth.

Below is a flowering Agave americana in Sandringham, Auckland.



Another Agave americana with flowers dropped at Auckland Domain.



In 7/6/2010, I posted this plant as a Yucca. For my friend Ellen, who is now my Facebook friend as well.

The Yucca/Agave americana is a majestic plant. I see this Sandringham yucca tree in some one's front yard. I see it's progression from a tall rod to eventually flowers. It was about ten feet tall as it was higher than the house.

I was in awe because it was strong and didn't need anything wire or stake to hold it up. I couldn't photograph the whole plant as I was sneaking around and stopping my car at a no parking zone.

Once, when I was at the Auckland Domain, I saw the other. Gone were the flowers, but it is still regal. The stem of flower has not bent.






You can see in the above photos, the young plantlets have already grown on the stalk itself, and the mother plant is slowly dying.


I re-dedicate this post to my friend E. She is beautiful and strong like this Yucca. You see, I have not met E, but our lives have been intertwined because we are both bereaved mothers of Campomelic children. If my life of having Andrew is tragic, E's is doubly or triply worst.

Who told me that lightning doesn't strike twice? E lost two babies to Campomelic Dysplasia and now she is struck again and is battling with cancer.

E, you are like this Yucca/Agave americana. You will not be beaten.

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Flowers: Hydrangea

Hydrangeas is part of me. When I was a kid in Tropical Borneo, I lived with my Grandpa who left China in his 20s. He told us fairy tales the same way as western children read in books. He spoke of the hydrangea flower which is known as the embroidery ball flower. In this fairy tale love story, when a girl comes of age, she would stand in her balcony and throw her embroidered ball to the young men waiting down in the garden. The young man who catches the ball wins her hand. I joked with Grandpa, what if an ugly fat man catches up, Grandpa laughed, he said, "Why do you have to ruin an aged old story?"

Hydrangeas became reality when I came to live in Auckland. There are bushes everywhere. In two houses we stayed. I had the light blue hedges, and I had lots of stories.

A hint to gardeners, I was told if you put tins/can at the base of the plants, the iron rust will make the flowers become a deep colour. I remember reading John Michener's book Hawaii doing that for their pineapple plants.

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Pink Cedrela (Toon) Tree.

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While you have Fall/autumn in the northern hemisphere, we have spring here. We have a tree is is completely pink. Pink Cedrela (Toon) Tree. It doesn't stay pink very long. Then they become green. A spectacular tree in spring when the new foliage is pale pink. The foliage slowly turns cream then deep green. An upright, narrow habit growing to approx 8M.

The young leaves are extensively used as a vegetable in China; they have an onion-like flavour. Plants with red young leaves are considered of better flavour than those where the young leaves are green.


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Singapore Zoo Flower: wild ginger

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a kind of wild ginger