Impatience Niamniamensis

This is impatience niamniamensis or congo cockatoo balsam.  A cutting was given to me many years ago and I have since been passing on cuttings.  It is easy to strike but if neglected in summer it will die. It needs to grow in part shade as direct sun would easily kill it.

The flowers look like an exotic bird.  The plant is said to have originated in tropical Africa.

choko

This is the most vigorous of my three choko vines.  I have been picking the choko shoots to cook and that has caused the plant to send out more shoots.

The delicate choko shoots, which is good steamed or stir fried.

The choko flowers are tiny.

It might be a month or two before I can pick these choko fruits.

haemanthus lily

This low growing flower of the South Africa haemanthus lily shoots up from the fat bulb, being no more than 10 centimetres high.  It is not attractive but the flower and leaves, which appear after the flower dies down, can be a talking point in any garden.

The strange looking leaves of the haemanthus appearing over the dead flower.

Last of the sunflowers

This is the last of my sunflowers.  I planted the seeds after Christmas, which is a bit late but here it is, enjoying the autumnal sunshine and feeding the bees.  Banana grove in the background.

Not easy to see but there are a few bees enjoying a meal on the sunflower.  There were a few more but when I got closer they flew away.