Abutilon magic

Abutilon belong to the Malva family. They are a close relative of hisbiscus and it is very clear from the flowers shape as well. These are also called chinese lantern. The most beautiful abutilon are megapotamicum but i am yet to get my hands on that. These are abutilon hybirdum i think.


Although blooming in winter right now, i expect them to bloom till spring and then in the late fall as well. I doubt that they will flower in intense heat of mid summer. They need to be prevented from monsoon rains as they dislike heavy rains.


Abutilon make excellent shrubs. They get tall as much as wide around 4-6 feet. Pruning is required on older plants to get in shape. This is my first year with these plants, i hope they stay long with me.

This post is included in Macro monday by Lisa's Chaos so do visit her blog for more macro images

Butterflies of Lahore - Plain tiger butterfly

Starting from this post, i am initiating a series of posts on butterflies of my city Lahore. There is already a post on butterflies of Islamabad here. I have few butterfly posts on butterflies of himalayas as well but right now i am starting with those of my own city lahore. All the shots are taken by me. The first one is Plain tiger butterfly Danaus chrysippus.


Plain tiger is probably the most common butterfly in urban cities like lahore. And it is also one of the easiest to capture because it is a slow mover. Not very fast so camera captures easily. You will find this one on roads, in gardens, everywhere. It is not fond of a specific plant, you will find it mostly on foliage. Here is the side shot of this butterfly. Remember there is not much of difference between the male and the female at least not to naked eye.


This butterfly is common in India, Pakistan and many other countries. One habit of this butterfly is that it spreads its wing so that full sun is at the back absorbing the heat of sun through its fully open wings and that is the time to capture it closely.


The next butterfly post would be on Common lime butterfly, another common butterfly of Lahore - Pakistan. This post is included in Macro Monday by Lisa's Chaos. So visit her blog for more macro shots.

Snail vine, vigna caracalla flowering in my terrace garden

Welcome to another edition of Macro monday. This is what is blooming right now in my garden.
 Snail vine finally in bloom. Very sweet fragrance.

You will find all 3 colors on this vine. White, then purple and last one yellow. Very heat tolerant vine.


I captured this gram blue butterfly on the flower of hyacinth bean vine. Very fast growing vine and a relative of snail vine.


For Macro monday, visit Lisa's Chaos

Trees of Parkinsonia aculeata, Pterospermum acerifolium and Erythrina suberosa

Here are some of the trees which are native to my city lahore (Pakistan) and blooming right now. First one is Parkinsonia aculeata also known as Vilayti kikar. It is a roadside tree covered in yellow flowers. It is also called Jerusalem thorn due to its thorny stems.






Erythrina suberosa also called as Coral tree. Tree looks spectacular when in bloom.




Pterospermum acerifolium with local name kanak champa, a fragrant tree native to india, Pakistan and other south asian countries. Fragrant flowers although leaves are very large. Flowers emit fragrance at night. Another common tree in india and Pakistan.


Visit Today's Flowers for more beautiful flower posts all around the world.
For Macro monday, visit Lisa's Chaos
For mosaic monday, visit Little red house
For Mellow yellow monday, visit Mellow Yellow monday

Flowers of gazania, aquilegia, crape jasmine and millettia

Talking of spring flowers annuals, only few are flowering right now. Heat is coming in fast and only drought tolerant plants are blooming. Some annuals in the shade are also showing their flowers. I would call it the remnants of spring. The first one is gazania. A drought tolerant plant which blooms till mid summer here.


This aquilegia is in shade in my soil bed and only gets few hours morning sunlight. Columbine flower is an annual in lahore though some gardeners manage them as perennials.


This is Tabernaemontana divaricata, crape jasmine which is called chandni locally. A perennial, it blooms almost all summer enduring summer heat. Sadly neither the single flowers nor the double ones are fragrant. But i heard that there are some fragrant crape jasmines as well.


Talking of trees, here comes another species of millettia. It is probably millettia pinnata also called pongam tree native to india, pakistan, japan , thailand, malaysia.  It another variety of sheesham having beautiful flowers. Flowers clearly show they are from Fabaceae (pea) family.
This is the close up of flowers.


Flowers clearly show they are from pea family.


Tree is covered with flowers and leaves are none or very few making it very beautiful tree.


For other beautiful flowers blooming all around the world, visit Today's Flowers

For macro monday, visit Lisa's Chaos

Spring trees millettia ovalifolia and butea frondosa in bloom

There are lot of trees in bloom right now. The spring annuals have started fading but trees are just warming up. Here are some of the trees in bloom right now in lahore. I am intended to capture at least 50 trees in my blog this spring.

First one is butea frondosa also known as Flame of the forest. Bees and butterflies just love it. The hundreds of flowers on a single tree look so pretty. A common tree in lahore. This is a closeup of flowers.


And this is how it looks like a panorama view.


The next one is millettia ovalifolia with local name villayati shisham. A subtropical legume tree. There are more than one millettia species blooming right now but i will share the remaining in next post.
These are buds not flowers.


This is closeup of flower buds. Look like capsules


And this is how flowers look like. Somehow they appear to be pea like.


And last but not least the front view of this beautiful tree.


This post is included in Today's Flowers so don't forget to visit it and enjoy blooms from around the world.

For more macro flowers posts, visit Lisa's Chaos
For Mosaic monday, visit Little red house.

Flowers of sophora, ranunculus and california poppy

California poppy is favorite among bees as well. It is a drought tolerant as compared to iceland poppies. Most common color is this yellow one.

And they look great in masses.


Sophora secundiflora with synonym Calia secundiflora also called shama here. One of most fragrant flowers i have ever come across. Fragrance is just like grape sode and resembles hyacinth. Bees love it too. Fragrance wafts in the air. A slow growing plant, it takes some time to reach flowering height. The other species common in lahore is sophora tomentosa with yellow flowers but with no fragrance. This Shot is taken in lawrence gardens lahore.


Ranunculus grown from corms/tubers. Blooming right under my neem tree.


Just another bee trying to get inside this blue flower. Any help with the ID will be appreciated.


To see other flowers from around the world, visit Today's Flowers

For other macro monday posts, visit Lisa's Chaos
For other mosaic monday posts, visit little red house

To view other posts of yellow mellow monday, visit Yellow mellow monday

Flowers of Sweet pea, linum, anemone and gaillardia

Spring has just started and flowers have started to bloom all around. Weather is still not warm enough to sow morning glory seeds though. Here are some of flowers blooming in my small garden.

This is some hummingbird moth i captured in lawrence garden bagh-e-jinnah lahore. Any identification would be highly appreciated.

Anemone has started blooming in pots as well. The ones in ground are yet to bloom.

Sweet pea also blooming right now. It is called phool matar locally.And what a magnificent fragrance it is. I sowed two types this year. Heirloom miss willmott and second one the fragrant spencer types. Will show you more blooms next week.

Then comes linum grandiflorum. There is another variety of linum with culinary use but with smaller flowers. This one is grandiflora with large flowers. Seeds were gifted to me. Will save seeds for sure.


If there is any plant in lahore which can bloom year round all 12 months, it is none other than gaillardia. Sadly it does not attract much butterflies here.

To see other wonderful flowers from all around the world, visit Today's Flowers.

For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
For Mosaic Monday Visit Mosaic Monday

Spring blooms of dahlia, yellow jasmine and clerodendrum

To view flowers blooming from all around the world, visit Today's Flowers

For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
For Mosaic Monday Visit Mosaic Monday

Larkspur, petunia and calendula flowers

It is Spring knocking at our doors here in zone 10. Here is what is blooming right now.

Larkspur botanic name delphinium consolida. Easy to grow from seed. The one i got required staking. I am also growing perennial variety of delphinium (perennial in hilly areas only and not in plains) delphinium elatum and grandiflora but not in bloom yet. Growing them in 10 inches clay pots.

Then comes calendula officinalis locally called Gul-e-Ashrafi one of the earliest spring bloomers along with dahlia.

And last but not least, the lime petunia.

To see other flowers from around the world, visit Today's flowers
For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
For Mosaic Monday Visit Mosaic Monday

Aloe Vera blooms

Flowers of Aloe vera. It's local name is Kawar Gandal. Shot in Model Town Park, Lahore. Famous for its medicinal properties, it also has culinary uses. There are many plants growing wild in lahore. Some of them are outside the barni garden in lahore near Governor house.

There are many other flowers blooming all around the world. To see them visit Today's flowers.

For Macro Monday Visit Lisa's Chaos
For Mosaic Monday Visit Mosaic Monday

Blooms of hibiscus and Cherry tomato

Hibiscus


Flower of Cherry tomato


Visit Flowers from today for other flowers around the world