Red Ginger, Red Ti and Heliconias

Arrangement # 133

Having arrived Bintulu safely after a ten hours journey from Kuching by road on the 3rd of March, I felt inspired to do a little composition to indicate the free abundance of red colours in our garden today. From a clump of red ginger ( Alpinia purpurata) I cut a stalk of brilliant red terminal bracts arranged like a parasol. Next on the list were the heliconias, particularly the heliconia stricta with four emerging red lobster claw-like bracts and the orangy red heliconia latispatha with its characteristic green tips. To hold them firm in the glass vase I sandwitched the pastel red young leaves of the Cordyline terminalis or Red Ti and two variegated wild banana leaves ( Musa Hirta) . Since the materials were close at hand it took me less than 15 minutes to finish the composition. Fully satisfied, I call this arrangement....Welcome Back.

Parrot flower, Firebrand and Red Ginger

What would you do if your eyes are feasted by the young leaves of Red Ti ( Cordyline terminalis) and the superb yellow and light pink bracts of the Parrot flower ( Heliconia psittacorum) ? Amazed, I quickly run my thoughts on a composition that could display such vibrancy yet simple to compose.

First I fold up the Red Ti leaves ( sometimes referred to as 'Firebrand') and plunge them into the vase. Four of these fitted in just nicely into the small squarish glass vase. Next I inserted a long stalk of the Parrot flower and firmed it upright. I thought for a simple composition that would do. Some would pronounce it as minimalist. Less is more. However to add to today's glowing show I threw in the terminal infloresences of a Red Ginger ( Alpinia purpurata ) plant that grew nearby.

Arrangement # 132

My feelings swung upbeat. Yes, it is confirmed now that Red Ti leaves are a staple for the kambatik style floral arrangement. But they must be essentially young to exhibit its vibrant and luminous red colours. For today's composition , the blood in me says.....Call Me Hot.

Pink flower plants

It has been a while, a long time really since I last posted in this blog. I am back at it again and this time around it gets restarted from Kuching. Our Kuching garden is shaping up slowly as can be seen from the images here. On the left the pink frangipani blooms
are a real treat to the eyes. This plant stock was taken from Bintulu when I first started to landscape the house garden here way back in 2007.

The red hibiscus and the sassy pink heliconia join to make a crowd. Since they are showing their best this morning, I'll make them the focus of today's show.

Arrangement # 131

Pinkgression 1 - the three pink sisters seem comfortable in the long glass vase. Just cut from the garden and looking fresh they all look pretty but there isn't the scent of a woman.


Pinkgression 2 - The fragrant pink frangipani blooms get introduced to the crowd. All seems to be part of the puzzle except one flower that takes a humble seat downstairs. For an excellent show in the pink of health I call this compsosition......Pretty Ladies in Pink.

CU of the composition from a bird's eye view.