Flower Today: Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum is not a seasonal flower. We can find it as fresh cut flower or potted plant anytime. It has not only many variant colors but also long lasting. Moreover, It's not pricey, too. No wonder lots of florists use it in table centerpieces or other flower arrangements. But it's rarely used as wedding bouquets, especially for Chinese people because this flower is identical as flower for dead people. However it depends on each individual person. Beyond that opini, it's a beautiful flower anyway.

White Chrysanthemum

Flower Today: Bee Hive Ginger Flower

This is another exotic tropical flowers besides heliconia and bird of paradise. This flower has uniqueness in appearance as well as varies color such as red, yellow and pink, so if you feel a bit bored with the same flowers or color for weeks or just would like to attract attention, use ginger flowers as focus. More over it is able to stand for more than a week, it's just perfect right?  But, because it has a rather big stem, make sure where you want to put it otherwise it will leave big hole on your floral foam if you pull it out. Ginger flower is also quite heavy so that not suggested for a car flower arrangement.

Ginger flowers in yellow color

Flower Today: The ‘Sorbonne’ Lily

Besides roses, the most commonly flower used in the wedding in St. Peter Cathedral Bandung is lilies. Lots of brides are asking for this flower not only for its beauty but also for the image of luxury. No matter whether it's Casablanca, Sorbone, Stargazer or any other variants, it seems that many brides like when their marriages' decorated with this flower. And based on the experience, lily 'Sorbonne' is the most preferred by brides so far, but we don't know the reason. So, obviously the St. Peter Cathedral is often adorned by this pink flower, just like in the last few weeks, he...

Sorbonne lily is a white oriental hybrid lily which has spots and tinge of soft pink color in the middle of the  petals.

 ‘Sorbonne’ lily. It looks so delicate and beautiful. Don't forget to cut the lily stamens before using it.

When it's still buds, haven't bloomed yet.

Excursion to Wijaya de Art of The Garden & Mekarsari (part 2)

On our last post, we have mention about Wijaya de Art of the garden and now we are going to continue with the second destination, which is Mekarsari.

Mekarsari, the Amazing Tourism Park that is located at Cileungsi District Km 03, Bogor regency, is not only a center of the agricultural biodiversity of tropical fruit but a laboratory, a cultivation center and a research center of corpse flower as well. It has a collection of tropical fruit plants that are endangered like 'kepel, duwet, menteng and matoa ....etc'.

And as a family tourism park, Mekarsari has many kinds of interesting packages that able to attract visitors, one of them is Green Land Tour package which 'Margriet-Dorothea' followed some time ago. By following the tour package, the visitors have the opportunity to see the orchards like salacca, starfruit, durian or they could feel the sensation of picking melons from the tree at the greenhouse site of melon.

Sound interesting, ya? Ok, here's a glance overview.

Corpse flower shown at the entrance hall of Mekarsari Tourism Park

Orchard touring by mobile carriage.

Picking melon from their plants at the greenhouse site.

Interested in planting fruit? Seeds, young plants or other materials needed can be obtained at the garden center.

As Green Land tour participants , before going home we got a gift packet each containing of a half kilo of salacca in a unique basket, a starfruit, a bottle of 'Mekarsari' juice (you can choose either guava or mango juice), a souvenir from Mekarsari (2 pieces of pens) and a polybag of young plant (the choice is rose apple, guava or avocado plant).

Note:

Pictures taken at Mekarsari Tourism Park, Cileungsi, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

Excursion to Wijaya de Art of The Garden & Mekarsari (part 1)

A few days ago Margriet and Dorothea, a community forum for florists of Bandung Diocese, went for an excursion together. And the first place we visited was 'Wijaya' de art of the Garden in Citeureup, Bogor. There, we saw rows of green plants as long as the eye could see, only a little bit of flowers such as orchids were at the front, but mostly were foliage. There were some foliage which usually we use to decorate St. Peter Cathedral, such as philodendron, dracaena, green cordyline, anthurium and florida beauty. We also saw caladium, sanseviera, bromelia, aglaonema with lot of variant in color were in nursery there.

But the star of everything there are magnosia and filansia. They look like grass in appearance but softer and cuter. The seller said that they're easy to grow, just hang them to the air, or attach them on the dead tree, they will grow well. These plant also don't need any care and any fertilizer since they live in the air. Ho... ho... sounds good for busy people in the city, right guys?

The gate of Wijaya de art of the garden. Pay attention to the letters of 'wijaya'. They're actually a living plant.

Rows of green young plants are neatly in the nursery.

Here it is, the star among the green plant here, Magnosia and Filansia

When magnosia and filansia attached vertically on galvanised wire, it can be used just like wall for outdoor design. Beautiful!! 

Magnosia or filansia attached to the dead tree. And since it's quite pricey, imagine if you have one, it's alike a ‘money’ tree for you, he...

After selecting the desired green plants, some participants went to the cashier while some others rested on the bench, waiting to board the bus heading to the second destination, Mekarsari.

Well, don't miss our next post ya....

Note:

Pictures taken at Wijaya de art of the Garden, Citeureup, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia

Flower Today: Arachnis ‘Magiie Oie’

Look at this beautiful brown-striped yellow orchid. It’s also popular as scorpion orchid.

Another variant, its red color is so tempting

Magnificent

Flower Today: Paphiopedilum Glaucophyllum

This Lady Slipper or anggrek kantong/kasut is rare. 

The up-close look of Paphiopedilum. Very exotic!

This is another variant of Paphiopedilum Glaucophyllum. Look at the gradation of the color. And if you observe it carefully, it looks like a bat with different wings and beautiful color. Very unique!!! ... more, I think. It’s outstanding!!

Note:

The Images were taken at the Orchid Asia Africa Expo, Bandung, West Java

Flower Today:Yellow Phragmipedium

This kind of orchid is unique. It has a kind of ‘pocket’ on its lip which looks like slipper. That’s why it is called Lady Slipper or in Indonesia it’s famous as anggrek kantong or kasut. 

Note:

Images were taken at the Orchid Asia Africa Expo, Bandung, West Java

Flower Today: A Unique and Rare Orchid

We don’t know the name of this orchid, as it’s the first time we saw it. Unfortunately we couldn’t find the name tag on its vase, as well as the seller. So, who knows one of you can tell us what name is.

The flower has 5 petals. The petals are quite thick and has dark brown color with yellow line on the edge and in the middle. Very contrast and unique!!!

Note:

Image taken at the Orchid Asia Africa Expo, Bandung, West Java

Flower Today: One Hawaian Sunset

As shown on the label below, its name is One Hawaian Sunset

The up-close look

Look at the lip! It's bigger than the three petals above. With red brownish round-shaped and white on the tip, they just look like babies tortoises to reach the sea, right? Fantastic!

Note:

Images taken from The Orchid Asia Africa Expo, Bandung, West Java.

Flower Today: One Snowy Baby

Look, how beautiful this kind of orchid is! The color, the black stripe lines on its lip and the soft hairy stem ...

hm... marvelous.

Note:

Image taken from The Orchid Asia Africa Expo, Bandung, West Java.

Flower Today: Phalaenopsis Amabilis

Phalaenopsis Amabilis or In Indonesia called as 'Anggrek Bulan' is quite familiar in Indonesian society. It is one of the Indonesia's National Flowers. It's species of orchidaceae which its characteristic wide petals and its white colour. I don't know whether it's hybrid or not.

Pure white color with a bit yellow 'lip' make this flower look amazing and classy, doesn't it? 

Note:
The pictures taken at the Orchid Asia Africa exhibition, Bandung, West Java

The Orchid Asia Africa Expo (part 3)

These are what we bought at The Orchid Asia Africa Expo few weeks ago. We bought 2 pots plant of dendrobium. We purposely chose the plants that haven't bloomed all, some flowers at the top are still buds so that they will last longer. What we thought is right because it has almost been a month since we bought and those orchids still look beautiful. They are even more beautiful since the flowers are all blooming now.

'green jade' dendrobium

an up close look

'red peking' dendrobium

an up close look

Plant of the Day: Xanadu Philodendron

This kind of philodendron has unique leaves in appearance. The leaf looks like 'crocodile teeth', doesn't it? That's why it's also named Reptile Split Philo or in Indonesia it's most populer as philo 'gigi buaya'. Some of you could be familiar with this leaf, as it's often used in hand bouquets, table centerpieces or other small flower arrangements such as chairs and pew decoration. Fabulous leaf, right?

Kekar Plant Adoption

Does anyone know the name of this orchid? We don't know either since it includes rare species and seldom found at the market. It's also the first time we saw this orchid and it was at the booth of  Kekar Merah Putih.

There, we also saw giant orchid plant (named gigantea?) which almost extinct because of the illegal lodging. There were also other species of orchid which drastically decreasing in population hanging there. 

Besides the almost extinct orchids, Kekar Merah Putih also brought some natural traditional products from  tribes in the inland Borneo, Kalimantan. They were woven fabric, hats, purses and hand bags from woven bamboo.

These rows of young orchid plants were not for sale but for adoption. Kekar Merah Putih is apparently a NGO, too. So, for those who are interested to adopt the almost extinct orchids or if you need further information about this can contact at the address below:

Kekar Merah Putih, NGO

Dewan Pimpinan Pusat

Jl. Saturnus Ujung VI S/134 

Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia

Phone: 022-70047680

kekar_merahputih@yahoo.co.id

The Orchid Asia Africa Expo (part 2)

Still from the Orchid Asia Africa Expo held in Bandung, we walked sightseeing from one booth to another looking for something interesting to decor our home living and then we saw a booth in which some women with lots of pots in plastic bags standing in front of it.  It was the booth of Eka Karya. Apparently there were many variants of orchids which commonly found in the market sold there but in reasonable price. No wonder they bought up a lot of orchid plants.

Clockwise is Tanida pink dendrobium, white spot phalaenopsis, Nexia purple anthurium and yellow phalaenopsis.

Besides selling various kinds of orchids, Eka Karya also sells dry moss and hydrogel, but I don't know whether they are really effective in growing the plant well. Anyway worth a try, right? 

By the way, we bought 2 pots of dendrobium at Eka Karya. Curious to know what they are? Visit our next posting, ok?

Note:

Eka Karya

Jl. KH. Hasyim Ashari Blok D3/8

Jakarta

Phone: 021-63856231

Plant of the Day: Song of India Leaf

I don't know why this leaf is called as 'Song of India' in Indonesia, maybe it's from India, who knows?. As I know, it belongs to dracaena. Dracaena Reflexa is its Latin name. For florists, 'SOI' is often used as filler as it's very effective to cover the wet foam. It'll make a big flower arrangements look full in a moment and also doesn't look monotonous because of its colourful color of leaves (usually green with light yellow in the edge). Imagine if  there are only flowers in  a flower arrangements without any greenish at all, so boring right? 

From appearance 'SOI' plant looks like 'suji' leaf, which famous as natural color for food in Indonesia.

The Orchid Asia Africa Expo (part 1)

A few weeks ago we visited the Orchid Asia Africa Expo which held on 9 - 13 May 20 2012. The location was at Bank Indonesia parking lot, Jl. Braga, Bandung - West Java.  Though we arrived quite early, there were already some visitors inside. The orchid expo was followed by dozens of participants with various types of booths just like the ones below.

Here you, the orchid lovers, will find various kinds of orchids in many colors and species.  From the very beginning seed (still tiny plants in the bottle)  up to the growing and blooming ones. From the ordinary one such as the  Phalaenopsis amabilis or in Indonesia called as 'Anggrek bulan', up to the rare species from Sumatra andKalimantan that are almost extinct. 

And these are some of the species that uncommonly seen. Beautiful, colorful, rare, and almost extinct. Very attractive aren't they?

Flower Today: Mini Carnation Flowers

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Mini Carnation Flower is another variation of carnation but smaller in size. It's also called spray carnation. Each stem contains several blooms which has lots of ruffled. It's perfect to any wedding bouquet or table centerpiece.

When hasn't bloomed yet, it looks like baby tulip with ruffles on its edge? Very adorable.

Flower Today: Bi-color Carnation

Bicolor carnation is a type of carnation which has 2 colors in its petals. 

Bicolor white and pink carnation flowers. 

These carnations have white petals with soft pink edges. Look at the ruffles, very alike lace on the clothes, isn't it? Very amazing!