It's raining outside as the much awaited Monsoons are here and the garden is a riot of colours, almost too beautiful to believe...I am curled up with a cup of hot cocoa and instead of a recipe want to give you a peep of all that is so pretty when I look out of the window...
Anthrium, pronounced an-THOO-ree-um, are once-seen, never-forgotten flowers. Their unmistakable glossy heart-shaped bright red flower bract (which gives them their popular name of painter's palette) surrounds the true flowers, which are in the form of a spike (or spathe) at the centre. Anthuriums come in shades of reds, pinks, white, lilac, green and chocolate brown.Each flower will last about six weeks on the plant or several weeks when cut and placed in a vase of water
Calico flower-I find these absolutely fascinating and fairy-like...they are the cutest thing you ever saw!!Native to South America, Calico flower is a tender evergreen vine with very unusual flowers. Leaves are beautiful, bright green heart shaped. Slender woody stems twine gracefully in tight coils around any support, growing to heights of 10-15 ft. In summer the vine produces abundance of 3 in flowers scattered among the drooping leaves. The greenish-white flowers have a s-shaped tube that is flared at the mouth that resembles a 19th century Dutch pipe or I think more like a duck!. The inner portion surface of the mouth of the "pipe" is covered with a purplish-brown pattern that is reminiscent of calico fabric which inspire this species common name "calico flower".
China rose-Nobody knows whether the hibiscus really is a native of China as its latin name, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, (rosa-sinensis = Chinese Rose) suggests or not. Many believe, it comes from India. This large shrub or small tree grows to 15 feet high. Flowers are glorious and huge and occur in many colors. Most are flared and have a bell shape and may be single or double, smooth or scalloped.
Wishbone Flower- What a lovely name! The pale violet flowers have deep purple blotches on the lower petals with yellow inside. The cool colors are a welcome relief during the heat of summer. Flowers bloom throughout the summer and autumn.
Sweet William is a species of Dianthus native to the mountains of southern Europe, with a variety in northeastern China, Korea, and southeasternmost Russia. The flowers are produced in a dense cluster of up to 30 at the top of the stems and have a spicy, clovelike scent. There are varieties with red, pink and white flowers. The plant is widely used in borders, rock gardens. Sweet William flowers attracts birds, bees and butterflies. Many legends purport to explain how Sweet William acquired its name, but none is verified. It is variously said to be named after Saint William of York, William the Conqueror, or Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. Another etymological derivation is that william is a corruption of the French oillet, meaning "little eye". Sweet William is a favourite name for lovelorn young men in English folklore.How sweet is that!
Hydrangea is a rounded shrub, flowers are arranged in huge, ball shaped clusters on the most common varieties. The name probably comes from the resemblance of the flowerheads to mops!!Isn't that unusual??. Hydrangeas are fascinating in that, unlike most other plants, the color of their flowers can change dramatically. Changing a hydrangea from pink to blue entails adding aluminum to the soil. Changing from blue to pink means subtracting aluminum from the soil or taking it out of reach of the hydrangea. Though we commonly call it French hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla is native to Japan and Korea.
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