Red Ti, Golden net bush, Red Ginger and Parrot Flower

Arrangement # 109

I am still not over with my experiments using the Red Ti ( cordyline terminalis) leaves. Here I fold them and held in place with the aid of staples. When placed in a glass you can see them clearly and glowing.

Three of these leaves, slighly bent gives the impression of open arms. Into the open embrace I plunge in the parrot flowers ( helionia pssitacorum), a Red Ginger terminal spike and the yellowish young leaves of the golden net bush.

The warm exuberance of this presentation makes me call this composition...Warm Embrace.

Golden net bush and hibiscus hybrids

Arrangement # 95

I stumbled upon the golden net bush plant late this afternoon around 6.00 pm. at my garden.   The evening rays heightened the yellow colour of its young leaves. The golden net bush or golden eranthemum ( Pseuderanthemum recticulatum) has golden stems and and bright yellow leaves  with a web of green veins. The flowers are white with spotted violet at its center.

How would I display its attractive blooms?

Without much thinking further, my eyes were caught by the soft colours of a hibiscus hybrid plant bearing light orange petals and brilliant red at its core. This variety is unique because the flowers seem to hang from slender stalks and they come in two tiers. These two flowers then became my choice of the day.

How would I display them?

Back at the chalet, I noticed the perforated green flower vase was empty. That's it. But before they go in there, I realised that I need a signature to the display.  Therefore I looked for the colourful stem of heliconia sassy pink, removed its bracts to expose it flowers and let them popped out of the perforated vase.

Finally I threw in a single red hibiscus bloom for good measure and lay it on a banana place mat. Done.

Now comes the hardest part. What should I name the composition?

Hibiscus flowers do not last long as  cut flowers. Probably a day at the most. That gives me an inkling for today's presentation. Why not call it...Just tonite, my darling.

Delightful Sarawak

Arrangement # 64

Waking up early to a Saturday morning, less rain, I felt somewhat elated.  Saw the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics 2008 last night live on RTM 1. What a dazzling show it was. The moment I stepped out of the front door the heady sweet scent of a white ginger blossom ( Hedychium coronarium ) pricked my senses.
This particular bloom was next to a clump of wild bananas that are at present flowering and fruiting too.  A unique combination of events that I thought would be the subject of today's arrangement.
Moving around the garden I saw a small stalk of golden eranthemum ( Pseuderanthemum reticulatum ) in partial bloom.  These two blooms would make it to the table today.
I placed the two blooms and a couple of young variegated wild banana leaves into a mini 'tambuk'.  At the background I placed a favourite batik painting of mine which shows an Iban design motif. For a unique mixture of sorts, I name this composition....Delightful Sarawak.

Evening Gold

Arrangement#21

I came late from Bintulu town this afternoon to make good some problems with my notebook computer and hand phone N93i with the service provider ( CELCOM) . Around 5.00 pm the problems were solved. Thus when I arrived at the farm it was late afternoon and the yellow and orange rays of the evening sun began to set in. That gave me an instant hint.

Today I am going to make an arrangement using yellow as the central theme. I moved around quickly through the garden and noticed the glossy yellowish - greenish leaves of the Golden Eranthemum (Pseuderanthemum reticulatum) and a mass of tiny yellow flowers of the Tristellateia ( Tristellateiaa australasiae). Having got the material for the main menu, I next collected materials for the side orders like, the fronds of the bird's nest fern and a leaf of heliconia with its young red bracts.The red colour of the bracts would finally make the icing to the cake. Thus the title of today's composition.....Evening Gold.