Hot Pods & Blooms

There is always a time for a Bromeliad to shine and this time it's Billbergia pyramidalis's turn to take center stage :-) I noticed the bloom even when it peeped out from the leaves. You just can't miss!

The outstanding bloom looked extremely red against the bright green leaves. No wonder the plant is commonly known as Flaming Torch.
As the inflorescence develops, its many three-petaled flowers with purple tips open to reveal a blueish-purple stigma and yellow stamens.

When all flowers are opened, it was a good to snap another shot ;-)

Caught a huge lizard visiting my the garden one day... It jumped out of a sudden from a nearby potted plant when I was watering. It's unfortunately something that I don't like... sorry no close up...

While the succulent (pic below) is growing towards the sunlight, a little branch with leaves grew out from its bent trunk...  cute? The trunk, the little one or both? ;-)

Meanwhile, my mini hot peppers have flowered and started to set fruits -- chillies!

For now green hot pods... 

One night as I was walking out of my house to bring out the garbage, I smelt something unusual... not from my garbage bin :) but a scent from my Hoya publicalyx. The vine is blooming again!

The bunch of porcelain flowers was hidden from sight all this while. Good thing that the flower release strong fragrant. Love to see a hoya in bloom :-)

Here is my Rosa 'Othello' in hot pink! Sometimes I wonder how do flower get their colours and so brilliant...


Upon checking, well, the colours come from its pigments. Different pigments make different petal colours. Anthocyanins makes reds, purples and blues, carotenes producers reds, oranges and bright yellow and flavones, pale yellow.

The colours are important for attracting pollinators like bees, birds and butterflies :-)

Have a beautiful day :-D