Colours of the Tropics

The sun popped out long enough today to do a bit of much needed maintenance in the garden.   Our "wet" season has started a lot earlier this year so looks like we might be in for a wet Christmas. 

I can't believe how well my little Panasonic Lumix has captured the colour and detail of this poinciana bloom.  I've  been experimenting with the Macro and flash settings and am quietly pleased with the results.   If you look closely you can even see a couple of little bush bees stopping by for a drink of nectar!

Everything in the garden has taken on a new vibrancy after the rain.  The beautiful blooms of the Poinciana  are starting to fall and the ground around them is covered in a thick carpet of red petals.


Just look at the colour of this Bangkok Rose.  The actual flower is that tiny little yellow thing in the middle.  The rest of it is made up of these gorgeous dusty pink bracts.  I have a number of these beautiful shrubs in my garden - one in the softest, palest pink and another a  crisp, clean white.  The contrast is just stunning.

Whilst on the subject of colour - I never grow tired of vibrant bougainvillea.  It just screams "Look at me!"  My arms have taken a bit of a battering over the years - the thorns are lethal . 


The cute little Sunee alamandas with their striking yellow flowers and glossy green leaves just look so cheerful.  They always make me smile.


Mother Nature never ceases to amaze me.   How about this for an incredible colour combination.

My special "Christmas" edition of  Colours of the Tropics would not be complete without a few candles (or two) - Golden Candles to be precise.  Just look at the intricate formation of these flowers and the cute little angel wings at the top.   They just look as if they are ready to fly away.

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."

 ~Author Unknown