Red Hot Cattail (Acalypha hispida) for Leap Day Wordless Wednesday

Scientific name: Acalypha hispida

Common name: Chenille Plant, Red Hot Cattail
"Chenille" is the French word for caterpillar.

Malay name: Ekor Kucing (Cat's tail)

Origin: Malesia (Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea)

Photograph taken at: The Rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

Strobilanthes hamiltoniana - India Blue Bell or Chinese Rain Bell?

Do you think these flowers look like Indian blue bells or Chinese rain bells?

This is a plant with 4 scientific names and one incorrect name.

Rosa China Apple Green

1.

This rose cultivar was photographed at Floria 2011. The display label reads as "Rosa China Apple Green". I really like this shade of green and the shape of the petals which are wavy at the edges.

I wonder if it is a Chinese Rose or China Roses?

I am wordless today because I don't know anything about this rose. Meanwhile, I truly appreciate the
beauty of this rose.

Polyantha Rose 'Yvonne Rabier'

Polyantha roses are generally short shrubs, either compact or spreading in habit. They bloom prolifically in clusters, are low maintenance and disease-resistant.

"Polyantha" means "many-flowered". It is derived from the Greek word "poly" for many and "anthos" for flower. Originally a cross between two East Asian species, Rosa chinensis and Rosa multiflora, polyanthas first appeared in France in the late 19th century.

Scientific name: Rosa spp

Common name: Polyantha Rose
Cultivar: Rosa 'Yvonne Rabier'

Family: Rosaeceae

Photo taken at: Floria 2011

“Polyantha Rose 'Yvonne Rabier', a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on February 19th, 2012.

This rose can grow to a height of about 2-3 ft.
Polyantha Rosa 'Yvonne Rabier' produces clusters of creamy white double flowers with mild fragrance.
This cultivar is resistant to diseases such as black spot, mildew and rust . It is almost thornless.
It was hybridized by Turbat and introduced to the market in 1910.

I am extremely delighted to link in to Today's Flowers # 182, a meme which opens every Sunday, 2pm GMT. My grateful thanks to Today's Flowers team members; Luiz Santili Jr, Denise in Virginia, Laerte Pupo and Sandy Carlson. To participate and view other gorgeous flowers around the world, click here.

My DIY Home Garden in Malaysia - GBBD February 2012

1. Angelonia biflora 'Rose Pink'

During the Lunar New Year in January 2012, I was so busy that I didn't have time to visit nurseries to buy more specialty plants and flowers. I did get hold of some kalanchoes, chrysanthemums and lucky bamboos during my shopping trip in December 2011. Other than that, I had to rely on the performance of those already planted in my DIY garden. Luckily they didn't let me down.

My citrus limes and the little pineapple fruit stayed throughout the 15 days of celebration. The most wonderful was the Phalaenopsis orchid which I featured in my GBBD post in Oct 2011. Well, it bloomed throughout the season too - lasting a total of more than 90 days!

Flower Street of Kuala Lumpur Chinatown - Valentine's Day Flowers

1. Roses

There is a place in Kuala Lumpur Chinatown where we can buy cheap and affordable flowers of many varieties for any occasion. Well, I mean, most of the time ...

For Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year season, the prices are expected to follow market supply and demand.

Lichun (Lap Chun) 2012 - The start of a new zodiac sign

Today, 4th February 2012 is Lichun (立春) which signifies the first day of spring according to the Chinese calendar. This year, Lichun starts at 6:22 pm Malaysian time. It is based on the the Xia / Hsia (Solar/Farmer) Calendar. Lichun marks the begining of another cycle. For Feng Shui, 4 Pillar Destiny Chart or Phat Chee reading purposes, the Year of the Dragon starts on Feb 4th. It takes over from the animal zodiac sign of Rabbit.

“Lichun (Lapchun) 2012 - The start of a new zodiac sign”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on February 4th, 2012.

In 2010, I wrote a post about Lichun and our tradition of making an egg stand on this day (click here).

Updated on 5 Feb 2012: Eggs do stand on their ends - New Straits Article read here.