You are My Family- Clerodendrum

Arrangement # 115

This is a tale of two clerodendrum species which I have ready stock at my garden.  First the climbing species with its white calyces and blood-red corollas called the Bleeding Heart Vine ( Clerodendrum thomsonae). 

In the above display I have included the slightly older calyces which appear dull pink in colour but nevertheless attractive to me because they stay for months on the stems before they die away looking brown. The Bleeding Heart vine comes from West Africa.  In the above presentation, I have teamed up the orange  bracts of the parrot flower ( heliconia psittacorum ) and the red hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) to the bleeding heart for variety, colour and contrasting form. As usual I employing a simple trick of wrapping the stems of the flowers in Red Ti ( cordyline terminalis) leaves such that they appear neat in the glass vase.

I would like to name the above composition ....Torn Between Two Lovers.

Arrangement # 116

There is no competition in the above display.

There are from the same family.  Here I placed the pagoda flower ( clerodendrum paniculatum) overtopping the bleeding heart. The pagoda flower has a conical flower head that displays hundreds of small red flowers.  It is native to South East Asia and that means Sarawak, Borneo.  Thus it really surprises me why people do not use this plant in urban public landscaping or homes. Its flowers are frequently visited by butterflies.

I have attempted to display a gradation of colour in the above presentantion.

For being rather forgotten ( because we take it for granted) and now seldom seen I would like to name the above composition as .....Love Me MORE.

Hibiscus and High Places

I am still not over from my hibiscus infatuation.  Tell you the truth, the red hibiscus flowers do really steal my attention. Keeps me wondering what is that special quality that makes  it so lovely? Hibiscus flowers do not last long when cut, a full day is just about it. Though it is a common practice here that if you cut it early in the morning, you need to keep it in the refrigerator without water  so that they can be used in the evening.  Probably the reason why I fall in love with the red hibiscus flower is that it is available anytime of the day for the picking since they are free flowering.  Secondly, in Malaysia it is the national flower and therefore has achieved a queenly status. This 'queen' of flowers in Malaysia is called "Bunga Raya"( Bunga means flower and Raya connotes the idea that it is found every where in  Malaysia, in gardens ( private, public and palaces) in towns, villages and cities. In pots, beds and in flower arrangement..... like below

Arrangement # 41

I would like to name the above composition ... My Everyday Love.

 Arrangement # 42

Now, while the hibiscus has its queenly status, the Pagoda Flower ( Clerodendrum paniculatum) has flowers on tiers and therefore reminds me of high places. I shall call the above display...In High Places.