Blooming today...

[Sean]

I have a few things happily in bloom today.

I will start with a wonderful gift from Maryvonne, it's a rather large calla lily.

The next one is a Blue Bird Clematis and then finally my favorite multi colored gerbera daisy.

Cheers,
Sean

[miguynmkoi]

Lovely lilies.  Callas blooms here are on their way out. :'(  The bluebird clematis is so full and beautiful!  Gerberas are unique in their coloring.

Must be nice to come back from vacation to so many nice blooms!

[LeeAnne151]

Nice 

Sean that would be Clematis 'Blue Light' 'Blue Bird' has a much different bloom form and would have bloomed over a month ago.

[Sean]

Hi LeeAnne,

Your correct, I do also have Blue Bird and I think it has a bud that is beginning to open.

This is a bad year for my clematis because Marc decided to cut it back after much of the growth had grown well over three feet and thus he cut back the buds that were forming.

Sean

[LeeAnne151]

I hate it when that happens.....

[Double S]

My blue light has had 2 blooms so for this year. Don't you love the blooms it produces! So pretty!

[Cedric]

That gerbera is a bit of glorious sunshine.
Our parks department have gone mad with gerbera's this year, interesting because I don't think according to my experience they do so well in this heat,humidity and rain. I am watching with keen interest, as they smother every available cm square with them. It can't be their intention to use them as bedding plants because the rains have come bang on time. They are an endless source of amusement to me.

Our new airport had to be done three times over from scratch costing millions and millions and millions of tax payers dollars. They shipped in 800 fully grown coconut palms from Thailand, and I mean fully grown, not one survived. Bad planting, after care, variety and timing. 

The new Disney land is a similar fiasco. Again its costing tax payers serious bucks.

[LeeAnne151]

What new Disneyland?

[Cedric]

Hong Kong got a Disney land. Government in partnership with Disney.
What a fiasco. Problem is they used American horticulturists at first, who were used to conditions in Florida, they tried to mimic the look. One whole avenue of mature Phoenix canariensis arrived, they look terrible already almost finished, the humidity and rain and pests. Entire adult trees from Australia, dead. I used to bump into them in Thailand hunting for plants, they were always buying plants that I knew already were fatally unsuitable. And of course bigger the better on an almost unlimited budget.
Think they have been reduced to bedding planting already. I must go and have a look havn't been for a few months. I just go to look at the planting.

[Sunbeam56]

That's unfortunate - the disneyland fiasco and airport fiasco.
Pretty soon they will realize that they need a locally astute horticulturist...

Hey Sean - I have a giant calla too. It reblooms. Its in shade most of the day, and in rather deep water, flowing not still.

[maryvonne]

Hi Sean,

I was just past your place today on the Skytrain on my way to the Harbour Center SFU campus for a workshop. I could almost see your garden patio as we travelled past.

I'm so happy to see the Calla is doing well for you. There's a little story about that lily. My parent's nieghbours are Italien and about 35 years ago they made their first trip back to visit after being in Canada for twenty some years. That's a gorgeous photo too. I also like your Clematis and the Gerbera Daisy is very colourful. Bet it brightens things up nicely, especially with the horrid spring we've had.

Maryvonne

[LeeAnne151]

I knew there was a Disneyland in Japan and in France but not Hong Kong. Terrible about the horticulturists.

[bunny56lbc]

Sean , I love the Blue Light Clematis & Gerbera daisy.... . Just Beautiful!

bonnie

[cc]

Sean, they are all so pretty.

[Cedric]

I knew there was a Disneyland in Japan and in France but not Hong Kong. Terrible about the horticulturists.

Yea the problem is there is also no real expertise here in HK either, moi excluded of course they are all traditionalist, with a strong leaning to a handful of plants mentioned in the writings of Confucius. Now Confucius never lived here either he tended to stay in the cold Nrt East and Central China on the mainland so most of the plants held to be desirable don't like our climate at all. Also the locals find it far far more reward to make loads and loads of money rather than gardening, though all manage to have a pot or three of auspicious plants on the balcony it's true. One for general good fortune one for loads of money and one for health/longevity.

Wow Singapore on the other hand is spectacular. That small country is one large botanical gardens.