Green Thumb Sunday- Fragrant Flowers

Coffee Arabica- Possibly the most exquisite flower that I have ever smelled. It is truly beyond description. However is is extremely short lived as the flowers seldom last more than a day or two.


This photograph is an older one and is not one of my own. It was taken by my friend Michele Jorsling, an excellent photographer with a sense of adventure. She is always willing to come along and shoot under the most precarious conditions. Up ladders, in trees, perched on rocks.....
Scented flowers make my garden magical. The scents are usually subtle, except for coffee which is unbeliveably strong. I've posted on several of these before, but the shots are probably different. The white and yellow flowers below belong to the white begonia. Many people do not realize that they are scented because they are so subtle. The larger the clumps, the stronger the soft smell early in the morning or at night.


This is my "chick vine". This follwing information is from the website http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/102522633/ABSTRACTA .....a new cytotoxic limonoid from Odontadenia macrantha from the Suriname rainforest has been identified as showing promise in the area of ovarian cancer research. "Bioassay-guided fractionation of the methanol extract of Odontadenia macrantha afforded a new limonoid, odontadenin A (1) and two known triterpenoids, lupeol (2) and -amyrin (3). The structure of 1 was established on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR and high-resolution fast atom bombardment mass spectrometric data. The new compound was found to possess moderate cytotoxicity against A2780, the ovarian cancer cell line. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

I have always been drawn to this vine and have learned how to propagate it fairly effectively. This type of plant makes me feel so very strongly about rainforest preservation because, I know we've heard it so many times, but I think the cure for almost everything lies hidden in the deep rainforest. It will just take us years to find them. if there is no more rain forest- then that option is gone forever. Sad. But in the meantime, my chick vine and I are continuing our love affair. She has pods on her right now, growing a whole new batch of seeds.


This photo of honeysuckle is one of my favorite photographs. Another scented beauty, the night scent is that of true honeysuckle. I would love to know who was the first person to sit rolling these words on his tongue- a new name......honeysuckle. Such a magical, fairy name.One of my hoyas. This one is also scented with a musky, sweet smell. The perfection of each hoya bloom never fails to amaze me. I can usually tell what is in bloom when I walk around the garden at night. Tropical nights are exquisitely beautiful. We are moving rapidly into dry season and our sunsets are becoming spectacular. Not showy but the sky goes a soft pinky, yellowy. Almost like the inside of a Queen Conch shell and the air is like velvet at the hour of the day.

This is my blue iris which is in bloom. It blooms when it feels like it. No rhyme or reason that i can figure out. It is also quite deeply scented. This is an older shot but is one of my favorites.

Happy Green Thumb Sunday