City of Smiles

Bacolod, the City of smiles...

Look at what my hubby gave me after his trip to Bacolod. Lilies can be found everywhere but the thought of giving me something for my garden when he comes home from the trip was pretty much appreciated.

I love the scent of these bulbs. Once again I get to feel the soil in my hands. 

Days turned into weeks, weeks became months and the months welcomed sprouts of the plant.

And it started to bloom...

and blossomed into a beautiful white lily.

Now I have something to smile on like these happy faces.

Hello Garden!

Northeast monsoon has been around casting a dry, cool atmospheric conditions in the area. Living in a tropical country, I can tell the ferns and  some plants alike are enjoying the cool, gentle air in the morning.

Cyathea

 The tree fern is producing more crosiers than I expected. Look at those exquisite hairy young stipes.

Five crosiers

Fertile leaves of staghorns never fail me. I am always delighted to see how fast they grow in my humble, limited garden. 

Fertile leaves of staghorn fern

Coming home from a tough but wonderful day, the basal leaves greet me like welcoming hands telling me I am home, safe and sound with my family and the weariness gradually disappears...

Basal leaves

I wonder why these crazy black ants never cease to leave this beautiful still unidentified bloom alone. This was given to me by an aunt.

Sweet unidentified bloom

My one and only jade plant is happily giving me colorful red flowerets. 

Crassula ovata

Even this thorny shrub is producing dainty pale lilac with yellow efflorescence at the center.

Malpighia coccigera

Fun in Hundred Islands

The last time I visited Hundred Islands was like ten years ago. Since it is just located in the province where I live, I seldom or barely visit the place at all. Nothing has changed much since my last sojourn except that I came to realize how beautiful the place was. It was a  haven for persons who wish to experience the calmness of the ocean scenery, where the only sound you can hear are the wind blowing and  the water splashing along the shores of the Hundred Islands, one of the enticing spots in the Philippines.

For one to appreciate the island hopping, a motor boat is readily available with a tour guide that will take you from one island to another.

View from the top of Governor's Island. 

Hubby and me.

Blue, calm water surrounding the islands.

Crocodile Island because of its shape.

Island shaped like a turle thus it is called the Turtle Island

Boat rides

Fascinating school of  fishes in the pristine waters.

Bat cave. See those black ones hanging onto the tree? Those are bats!

"Lulubog-lilitaw Island" or the "Now-You-See-It-Now-You-Don't Island," is said to be the 124th island when low tide. When high tide, it disappears making the islands 123 in all.

Oh, how inviting the white sand was!

Phymatosorous scolopendria hugging a tree.

First time to encounter bangar fruit, used in dyeing blankets. I don't think it is edible.

Sea cave with stalactites 

A quiet place for a stop over for some refreshment during the island tour.

Bewitched by the sunset.

Special thanks to Manong Jimmy as he is fondly called by many, our guide and navigator.

Fireworks Plant

I hope I was not too late to post my New Year blog.

Happy New Year!

Dracena tricolor

Christmas tree vertical garden

Meet Our Garden Pets

I was asked by my kids one day why I always blog about things that I find interesting such as the garden and prodded me to post something about things they love as well. Since they are animal lovers, let me share what pets we have at home.

There are various colors and kinds of lovebirds but these peach-faced lovebirds are the easiest to care for. Their warm, happy color combination reminds me of a bromeliad bloom Vriesea or flaming sword. Kids feed them with sunflower seeds. A garden would not be complete without the sound of chirping birds.

Agapornis roseicollis

Peach-faced lovebirds

As their first pet, they had guinea pigs or cavy. Belonging to the rodent family, they are gentle and social animals. They love to be touched and coddled. They produce a wheeking sound everytime kids go near them. Perhaps it is their response when they get excited.

Cavia porcellus

Guinea pigs

Hamsters love to dig and stay in burrows so we provide them with wood shavings in their cage. They have pouch-like cheeks that can hold considerable amount of food. They store food in their cheeks and carry them where they want them to eat.

Cricetinae

Baby hamsters

Red-ear slider turtles have a distinctive red mark beside the ears. Their diet consist of insects and worms.

Trachemys scripta elegans

Meet Chewbacc, the newest member of the family, given to us by an aunt. I am not so much of a fan of Star Wars but I did watch the movie and remember vividly the names of the characters. Star Wars will always be a part of my growing-up years. A shih-tzu and poodle mixture, he was named after Chewbacca, the seven foot sidekick of Hans Solo in the movie.  This lovable and cuddly little puppy carries the same loyalty of Chewbacca to Hans Solo. How the kids adored him!

Chewbacc

Mixed shih-tzu and poodle

Suddenly

It has been like more than a month since I stopped blogging due to changes in schedules, extra work load, some out of town seminars and a favorite sister getting married. How I wish those trips were for leisure. Even if I was not blogging, I never left the garden. How I miss the blogs of my fellow gardeners. 

A Japanese-style garden with a soothing koi pond of a hotel.

A huge vase in the hotel lobby. 

My work assignment in the operating room made me choose to set aside blogging for the time being due to the erratic schedule.

Suddenly, my day became the night and my night turned into day.... 

and the metamorphosis has begun.

Swallowtail caterpillar

What used to be backbreaking affair in my garden became long hours of leg-aching sessions in the operating room. There was a time when little spiders were common sight in the garden. Now, spider veins are the last thing one would want to see in the legs which may possibly occur from prolonged standing and from restricted movements. Thanks to Conrad Jobst who invented the compression hosiery. With that, varicosis can be prevented and  long periods of standing becomes comfortable and easy.

I was told this plant is called variegated papua but when I googled it, I can't seem to find its name.

Suddenly, the glare of the sun was transformed into the glow of the surgical lights in the theater. I did not mind getting dirty at all in the garden. Now, scrubbing to keep the hands and arms as clean as possible is a protocol and keeping asceptic field in the OR area is all that matters. Garden gloves turned out to be surgical gloves. The greens surrounding the garden came to be the green drapes and gowns. Pruning shear and secateurs, shovels, hand hoe, garden hose were made into the surgical scissors and bone shear, retractors, tubes and catheters. 

My Pleomele reflexa with volunteer coleus

Basically, time plays a vital role in the OR. In the garden time passes by unhurriedly, calmly.

Chocolate ti plant

Life in the OR contrary to the time in my garden... I can have both worlds, I can't complain. As Albert Einstein said, life is like riding a bicycle; to keep your balance you must keep moving.