Dusk in the Garden

This is my favorite time of day. Dusk. Lights are just coming on in the houses, dinner is cooking and all the lovely smells from the neighbours' simmering pots come wafting by. The speed of a tropical twilight is not to be underestimated. It seems to come up from the ground rather than fall from the sky. First the shadows lengthen and then the sky goes from blue to violet and then suddenly into clear night.
This orange heliconia is particularly vibrant and prolific. The bracts last for weeks on end. And this variety only grows to about 3 feet which is very manageable in the heliconia world.

One of my favourite begonias. I have never seen it flower but the leaves are so flamboyant that perhaps the flower is very insignificant. This variety catches easily by piece and provides much needed depth of colour in green beds.

Fern fronds make me happy.

This tanager is quite young with the pin feathers still showing on his chest. I have no doubt that his mama and papa are still close at hand, keeping a watcful eye. He has come for the bananafest that I have on my bamboo feeders every afternoon