Wild Banana leaves, Red Ti ,Heliconia latispatha and Ixoras

Arrangement # 118

I have today met two variegated leaves that inspired me  to do today's presentantion.  First, the wild banana leaves of the musa  violascens and the light red to red and dark bronze leaves of the Red Ti ( cordyline terminalis) In order to match the flaming image of the Red Ti, in goes the dark orange to pastel red of the heliconia latispatha bracts and flowers ( slightly hidden).  I still keep yesterday's fan -shaped leaf of the licuala grandis and made it to wrap half of today's materials.  The licuala or fan palm leaf are green and plaited and toothed along the edge.  Nowadays it is remarkably easy to propagate this species from seeds because being popular as a tropical short palm it is made very available in many  a decent nursery.

To provide a middle focus to the display, I added the jungle geranium ( Ixora coccinea ) with its small scarlet tubular flowers in a ball-like cluster.  Another species I collected today is the Ixora chinensis var. lutea, having light yellow tubular flowers.

Having had the variegated wild banana leaves as a backdrop to the brilliant red and oranges in front, I reckon the best title for today's composition is....Jungle Flame

Exotic Lilac Spike

This is how beautiful the exotic lilac coloured bracts of

the wild banana plant looked this morning before

I decided to make a cutting of it.

I thought firstly to create a minimalist display of it.

I took the pink terminal spike and inserted it into this beautiful piece of well seasoned wood.

Arrangement # 34

To make a more classy presentation, I placed it inside a drinking glass and filled it with the fruits of the sea grapes. Then I filled the glass with rose syrup water to create appeal and excitement to the composition.
Arrangement # 35
Finally I took the glass outside and displayed it against a rough concrete wall to add texture and feel to the display.From all the above composition, I could think of only one name.....Exotic Lilac Spike

Something Different, Something Great!

I wasn't able to post for about two days recently due to a minor hiccup in my computer system. As at today(14/7) things are normalising. There is however something great happening at the farm. I had planted one species of the wild banana(Musa violascens) about a year ago at the farm. Towards the end of last week I noticed a remarkable show. The wild banana tree ( note that this wild species will only attain a maximum of 6 feet) has started to flower. Below is the banana plant which I collected a year ago from the Bintulu Water Catchment area. So far I have only two stands of this species. This one is at the outer section of the Heliconia Valley Project area and planted next to a big tree stump for micro-climatic reasons. True to the banana family, they need the sun to flower. At this location it receives the afternoon and evening sun at its optimum.


Below is how it look today in close up. Typical of wild bananas, the inflorescence are upright., unlike the common banana that has purple bracts and pendulous, the wild banana here has lilac( i.e. pale-pinkish violet bracts). Wild bananas need to be pollinated, some say by bats, others say by birds and a few others say by bees. Nothing so conclusive. Because nobody bothers to really study them in the jungle!!!


Anyway, the bats, birds and bees are always attracted to the flower due to its colour, sour-sweet smell and nectar. Its peculiar colour and dwarf status makes it a popular choice of landscapers for its curiosity value and architecture.

Truly such a magnificent show at the beginning stage( taken a few days earlier) keeps me excited at composing a display soon.....Hopefully by tomorrow.