Fragrant White Flowers

Arrangement # 96

White fragrant flowers. This seems to be the theme today. I collected blooms of the  gardenia, plumeria and spider lily and have them tugged inside a yellow drinking glass, the ones you can plenty at the RM2 shop nowadays. I chose yellow to reflect the yellow core of the plumeria bloom.

Then I accentuate the height to match the over topping spider lily flowers by inserting the colourful orange bracts of the heliconia.  Composition-wise I am happy and would leave the display at that. Pure and simple , without any pretensions. All the blooms chosen are fragrant, some ooze out a sweet soft scent like the spider lily (Hymennocaullis caribaea) while the plumeria ( Plumeria obtusa) sometimes called the Great Frangipani produces a strong and quite heady scent.
Today people in Malaysia plant the great frangipani in modern contemporary gardens to get back to traditional roots and for the aroma therapeutic effects it is believed to offer. For example, soak the gardenia and jasmine flowers in a towel and place it around your head, in no time your headache is forgotten. Hmmm....can try that. For the perfumery I have at my room right now, I name the composition...Perfume Blossoms.

The spiders and the gingerly hot

Arrangement # 94

Three blooms of the spider lily ( Hymenocaullis caribaea), two flower spikes of the red ginger ( Alpinia purpurata) and a variegated cordyline species make today's presentation.

Today's composition combines red hot energy of the scarlet ginger and the subtle freshness of the spider lily. Thus would like to call this composition....Just as hot.

P.S.The inspiration was this encounter below:

Have spiders perched on these evergreen leaves? These spider lily blooms show their delicate spider-like petals. Spider lilies should be cut and placed inside the living room because they ooze out a softly sweet fragrance. Time taken: 5.30 pm, the U- turn about to reach my farm, Laman Kambatik, Bintulu.

Exotic Plant Therapy

Arrangement # 75

I am pretty impressed by the survival factor of yesterday's cut flowers. To recall I had the heliconia sassy pink, calathea, costus , parrot flower and finally the fragrant white blooms of the spider lily.

Today I thought of just reorganising the presentation. Therefore I had them placed inside a special square container that is made from four pieces of the abacus. I let the green tips of heliconia sassy pink peep out and cascade from the front side of the container to suggest movement.

For having counted days of blessing my soul as I watched them and still do, without a tinge of doubt I call the above composition...A Continued Blessing.

An Exotic Cut

Had a good look at the front garden this morning.  Love those young fragile cycas fronds (Cycas rumphii) welcoming a new day.  My front garden has slowly turned out to become more exotic as the various large and multi-coloured foliage reveals their true identity.  The under story of colourful foliage too are showing colours of pink and purple especially the species belonging to the rhoe discolour and the irisine.  The upper story of palmate leaves are rising to the occassion as well.

From yesterday's composition I noticed that the spider lily flowers are still stiff and freshly fragrant and more buds are blooming even as I am writing this post.  This prooves that the spider lily flowers are  quite lasting  materials for cut flowers. Not to miss this new found love of the spider lily as cut flowers I therefore decide to retain yesterday's cuttings and to add that tropical exotic lustre to the display, I placed a flowering stem of the sassy pink heliconia with some bracts removed to expose its beautiful green tips.

Arrangement # 73

I strongly feel invigorated with this new discovery of the spider lily as cut flowers. Pleased and entertained as I watch the above display , consequently would love to name this composition... Exotic Cut.

As I type this post the sweetly fragrant scent from the spider lily flowers perfumes the ambience around the dining table. A day to remember.

Spider Lily

Arrangement # 72

My house garden in Kuching is still in its infancy since we decided to 'look west' .  While trying to make my pick for the day, I was pleasantly surprised to see a bed of spider lily ( Hymenocaullis caribaea) bearing a couple of flowers. I just took one stalk thinking to make a simple,fast and elegant composition.

To match its long stalk and white flowers, I chose the contrasting colours of the brownish bracts of calathea ( Calathea lutea) and stopped at that. Not to complicate things further.

Glad to call today's composition ....In Contrasting Mood.