A Day of Sunshine in the Monsoon Season, June 20, 2009

I set out to find good opportunities to photograph the flora and fauna of my Silang farm during the few available sunny days during the rainy season. Sunshine quickly turned from a pleasant break from the monsoon season to humid heat.

Betty came over with her two handsome doggies, and provided an added attraction to my photo journal.


Betty's dog Spot is aware his photo is being taken. Just look at Spot face the camera and flash his doggie profile, while the other dog disappears into the flower bed, and helps himself to a zinnia salad!









































Betty hangs her sagumay on my kamuning bush. She attributes the condition of her very thin sangumay to pollution in the city, where it was originally posted on a dry fern on her home perimeter wall. She felt her sagumay will be happier in the country.

















A lovely butterfly caught my eye. This little butterfly was literally dancing around Betty and I when we came in from our photo shoot. I tried chasing this butterfly that must have been high on flower nectar and it was an impossible task to set up the camera in time to get it to reveal the bright lemon yellow and white colors as it flexed its wings. I decided to wait beside my purple duranta, a favorite food for nectar feeders. I know the butterfly cannot resist stopping by the purple duranta for a sweet drink. The little butterfly did perch and calmly was feeding, but she refused to open up her wings, and then as soon as I was ready, she was off again!


I didn't catch a photo of the yellow and white butterfly but this huge black bumble bee was a persistent feeder, and kept hovering during this morning's photo shoot!


















The attractions of the day, are the Purple Thunbegia,





a very pretty, and rare Lavender Hibiscus,





Giant Fuchsia Hibiscus,




a common bromeliad




and tiny white portulaca.








Well, the rest of the day was spent pulling weeds, planting the bulbs of pink amaryllis and a kamias tree sapling that Betty brought as a donation to my farm.


Till next week again, ALOHA and thanks for visiting my blog and seeing what's blooming in my garden.

What Blooms During The Monsoon Season?

Journal Blog Entry: June 7, 2009





















This lovely catleya bloomed the night before I arrived at my farm in Silang. This is a clear sign that temperatures have dropped, and the rainy season is beginning.


Once the torrential rains fall, plants take on all shades of green. A few thrive in the heavy downpour that often last for days. Certain plants start blooming profusely and are swamped by bees, and other pollinators ravenously searching for nectar that quickly washes away in the rain.


The allum that line the center pathway, have burst into tiny white tulip-shaped flowers.





















This is the season for harvesting Kalamanci, Langka, Guyabano, and Buko. These are all "green" fruits,and blending in with the rest of the foliage, these "green fruits" are less likely to attract insects that prefer the more colorful fruit.




































My eyes are drawn to the shades of tangerine, salmon pink, and bright red orange that break up the monotony of the green landscape. The flowers of the Ixora, Dona Imelda bush, and African daisy plants are a source of cheer when overcasts block out the sunshine during the rainy season.























There are a lot of beautiful tropical plants that stand out in the garden, and one of these are the Dona Imelda Flowers.















I can count on the African Daisies to bloom all year round.


























My favorite fragrant flowers at this time of the year are the pure white flowers of the local "Rosal" or "Gardenia" .




















"Grand Duke" and "Incense Spathypyllum", give off the sweetest scent during warmer nights.




































This very large spathyphyllum loves almost complete shade and thrive when gray clouds obstruct the sun, during most of the rainy season.























Even during the rainy season, my garden is full of wonderful things. I look forward to my santol harvest at the height of the monsoon season sometime August where my husband and I sit underneath the tree, and like hungry monkeys we indulge to our heart's content!


















Till next week! God bless my farm!