Golden Dewdrops

Have you ever laid eyes on this beauty?

It's the Golden Dewdrops! Also known as "Duranta Repens", this is the 'Sweet Memories' species.

I was drawn to it when I first got a glimpse of it at I-Vision Nursery today. Purple is my favorite color and to see it on this tiny clustered flower, is captivating! What's more, it smells of vanilla!

It is a species of the verbena family, Verbenaceae, so that explains the sweet fragrance.
Check out the foliage and its spiny ovate leaves.

The way the flower arranges itself is awesome, blooming like a chain on weeping droopy branches. You can see here those tiny flower buds waiting to bloom.

Just love the pale lavender borders on the edges of each wavy petal.

This plant is actually an ornamental shrub and it can grow up to 5ft tall or taller!
Wow! Can you imagine this purple flowers cascading down when all the flowers on the chain blooms!
Good thing I have the 2-tier flower stand ready at home to put this flower pot on and to savor every moment of its cascade when that happens ;)

Well, one thing for sure I'm not gonna let it grow that tall. Can't spare the space :)
Will be pruning it often to maintain a compact bush and encourage more flowers.

I'm so glad to have encountered this gorgeous flower. All these years my experience of Verbena comes from L'occitane, the French expert on body and skincare :)

Do contact Ms Angie of I-Vision Tropicana Nursery at 019-3866568 for any queries of this lovely plant.

Have a good day and thanks for dropping by!

Pentas or Egyptian Star Cluster

It was love at first sight when I first laid eyes on this beauty. I know right away that I gotta have it.

"Pentas lanceolata"  is my all time favorite flower, tiny yet captivating with heart melting pastel colors. These red ones, which is the boldest among its colors, with a touch of violet in the middle is really stunning.

On close-up, you can see that the leaves are furry yet harmless...and deeply veined.

When I brought it home from the nursery 5 months ago, it was just a tiny plant. I let it grow and get accustomed to my garden for a few months before re-potting it into a regular ceramic pot.
Just look at it now...

I must say, this is one of the easiest plant to grow. Doesn't need much attention at all yet the reward is spectacular. Regular watering and little fertilising is sufficient. No pests problem whatsoever.

Pentas, in my local language means "stage". When mass planting, this plant would truly make a fantastic "stage" in any garden. Great for container gardens too if you mix and match with the other colors. I'm on the lookout for the pink or lilac color to complement this red one. Most probably mix of pink and lilac in a white container :)

Regular pruning of its wilted and spent flowers would produce bushier plant and much more blooms!

I have always wondered why the name "egyptian star". Were they referring to the twinkle star above the Egyptian deserts or their 'curvy' belly dancer..LOL
No offence my fellow Egyptians, just a wild thought ... nothing more.

Have a great day !!