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.

A Jarful of Satisfaction

Arrangement # 77

( In Three Stages)

I have these 'tongkat ali' roots ( a local aphrodisiac) inside the jar for sometime. But it was just the tongkat ali and the brown jar. I was however inspired to make a composition based on the jar and the aphrodisiac this morning.

To match the jar's brown colour I add three bracts of calathea with its minute yellow flowers hiding behind their thick brown bracts, making the flowers less showy as is charateristic of this species. At the lower storey I placed a few stalks of the pseuderanthemum ( Pseuderanthemum recticulatum ), the flowers of which are held by terminal spikes. They have white blossoms with purplish spots radiating from the center. The young leaves are very attractive due to its golden yellow colouration.

Then I add another heliconia species, the orangish heliconia latispatha with its lovely green tips.

Finally to add drama to the whole scene, I made the heliconia sassy pink to circle the base of the jar.
Yes...completely satisfied I felt and in no uncertain terms call this composition....a Jarful of Satisfaction.