Category Archives: Wild flowers

Jim Hill Nature Walk

Posted on by
Reply
ablogIMG_2391

Jim Hill view towards Five Cays…….such calm turquoise waters today.

What an awesome  day it was today. One look at that turquoise, flat calm water and a quick trip up Jim Hill ended up being a good two hours. There was an abundance of glorious wild flowers in full bloom after the rains of last week. The Turks and Caicos Islands are blessed with so much natural beauty.

blogIMG_2121

The wispy, dried and twig like Broom Brush has undergone a transformation and now has white delicate flowers.

Most of the year, the Broom Brush goes un noticed as it looks withered and dry most of the time. The rains of last week created the greening of the branches and an abundance of delicate white flowers. The Broom Brush is endemic to the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas.

blogIMG_2182

Jacquemontia Havanensis is a twining vine and the flowers on this one had pretty pink highlights.

Many of the shrubs were covered with this little vine with star shaped flowers. Many were white but there are variations with pink and light blue colours.

blogIMG_2272

I love the scent of the Bahama Strong Back which is similar to jasmine.

This shrub provides food for birds and insects and the fragrant flowers are a source of nectar for butterflies and the Bahama Woodstar Hummingbirds found in the Turks and Caicos. And when you boil the twigs and leaves making it into a tea, it relieves back pain and has medicinal properties. I’ve heard it is good for tummy problems too.

blogIMG_2303

This Old Man Cactus is about to burst out with a beautiful flower……..it generally blooms at night.

blogIMG_6374

Blooms are extraordinary…….satin like and with a cloying scent.

The Old Man Cactus flower is attractive to insects and butterflies and its bright red fruit is loved by our local birds.

blogIMG_2336

The Wild Senna has beautiful bright yellow flowers.

blogIMG_2396

The Candlewood when not flowering looks like a miniature holly bush.

IMG_3959

The Candlewood has bright spikey orange flowers with four longer stems that look like candles, thus the name.

 

blogIMG_2415

Encyclia Altissima, our beautiful wild orchid

blogIMG_2417

I don’t know what this is but it was a pretty little daisy like weed.

blogIMG_2487.JPGa

Just love this one with its delicate seeds and turquoise sea background.

blogIMG_2519.JPGa

Sea Sage has to be one of my favourites with its multi pink and yellow cluster flowers.

blogIMG_2529

Heading down Jim Hill towards the marina and Harbour Club Villas.

blogIMG_2547

How I love the Wild Passionflower vine and this one was in full bloom….. check out the little caterpillar.

blogIMG_2552.JPGa

A little snail on the Sea Grape bush.

blogIMG_2568

Pretty butterfly hovers above the passion vine.

blogIMG_2581

The lovely Melochia with its’ pinkish purple flowers

A beautiful day, a wonderful photographic excursion to enjoy our local wildflowers.

Look around you as you enjoy our beautiful by nature islands.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Evening Stroll at Harbour Club Villas

Posted on by
1
blogIMG_3648

Zenaida Dove perches on the back stone wall by the pool area at Harbour Club Villas

A beautiful, still and calm evening for a stroll around Harbour Club’s grounds and down to the Marina. An over abundance of opportunities as I wander around taking photos of the flowering plants, animals and sunset views. Here’s a selection and I hope you enjoy seeing them.

blogIMG_3633

The pool at Harbour Club Villas in the late afternoon. Look at the flowering desert rose.

blogIMG_3121

A perfect bridal bouquet of orange island honeysuckle favoured by the hummingbirds.

blogIMG_3660

Pesky woodpecker that’s drilling holes in our coconut palms…….he’s a yellow bellied sapsucker.

 

blogIMG_3626

Cankyberry, a species of nightshade found on our islands with its sharp prickles.

bloglizIMG_3604

This little anole lizard was perched high on my frangipani licking I don’t know what off the budding flowers.

blogIMG_3617

A bright yellow spiny orb weaver. Quite pretty really even though I don’t really like spiders.

blogIMG_3769

Neighbours out for an evening sail coming in to the Marina at dusk.

blogfbIMG_3774

This little anole was curious and posed for the camera.

blogIMG_3786

The sunset glow of golden colours is so amazing looking towards Five Cays from Harbour Club Villas and Marina

blogaquaIMG_3716

Aqua TCI divers boat gently rides out the evening in the Marina, ready and waiting for another great dive day in the waters of Provo.

All this in a casual evening stroll around Harbour Club Villas and Marina. Love the peaceful quiet as the sun sets over our islands.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Flora and Fauna at Harbour Club Villas

Posted on by
Reply
blogfanoleDSC_6946

An anole lizard wards off visitors on Harbour Club Villas’ office deck.

Another week of photographing some of the critters wandering through the gardens at Harbour Club Villas along with our beautiful wild orchids that have just started to bloom. I came home the other day to this anole lizard guarding our deck. He wasn’t too pleased to see me but did pose long enough for me to snap a photo or two.

blogfanoleDSC_6977

Cute anole and he had the most gorgeous colours on top of his little head.

 

blogfermitIMG_9315

A pretty shell house for this little hermit crab……..he didn’t want to go to the pool!

We often find hermit crabs also know locally as soldier crabs ambling on through. Sometimes we even help them by giving them a choice of a new home. There’s also been some strange houses such as PVC pipe, an old film canister and basically they’ll use whatever they can find in the moment. This one had a very pretty shell.

blogfIMG_9314

We often find hermit crabs and I’m sure I’ve photographed many of them.

blogforcIMG_9395

Here’s a gorgeous Encyclia Altissima wild orchid.

The wild orchids are blooming all over Providenciales. Found our first Encyclia Altissima orchid today just starting to bloom and what a beautiful scent they have.

blogforcIMG_9428

A cluster of wild orchids in the bush by Harbour Club Villas

blogfrogIMG_9363

A Cuban tree frog ……….. look at those suction pads.

This little Cuban tree frog is not native to the Turks and Caicos Islands but they are spreading rapidly throughout.

blogfrogIMG_9372

Pretty amazing to see how far they can jump!

blogfwoodIMG_8507

A yellow bellied sap sucker………this is a new bird for me and really exciting to see.

blogfwoodIMG_8542

Here he is pecking holes in our coconut palms.

blogfwoodIMG_8612

A row of old holes and then the new ones.

It was thrilling to catch sight of and photograph the yellow bellied sap sucker. Definitely not easy to do as they are very shy birds and hard to get a photo of them.

Hoping we can show you some of the local critters around Harbour Club Villas…lots of birds, lizards, geckos and some beautiful flowering plants and shrubs.

Marta

Railroad Vine

Posted on by
Reply

Flowering railroad vine with delicate purple with magenta flowers.

Off to the beach we went yesterday and what a beautiful sight…….a profusion of purple flowers stretched out towards the sea.  Ipomoea pes-caprae is the official name but it is more commonly known as the Railroad vine, goat’s-foot vine or beach morning glory. Seems to me that August is the best month and when you see a carpet of flowers spread out before you.

Raindrops from a passing shower on the flowers.

The flowers open late in the evening and look their best early in the morning. On this day, we had to wait in the car for the rain shower to stop and the flowers were a little flattened but still gorgeous. When
fully opened they expose a purple star pattern throughout the center. The flowers usually fold and fade by the afternoon.

A carpet of railroad vines cover the sand as far as the eye could see.

 

Vines creep along the sand with showy purple flowers

The main pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, wasps and ants and the sap from the leaves has been used as a first-aid treatment for jelly fish stings.

A dark pink star evect appears in the centre of this gorgeous flower.........and what a backdrop of turquoise water!

And so another spectacular beach day and always something special to photograph.

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Lignum Vitae Tree of Life

Posted on by
Reply

A profusion of purple-blue flowers..........the Lignum Vitae trees are in bloom.

All of a sudden after the heavy rains recently, my Lignum Vitae tree has burst into bloom. I then started seeing these beautiful trees in the bush on a recent trip to the grocery store.

Flowers have five purple-blue petals and are a favourite of insects and nectar drinking birds.

The Lignum Vitae is also known as the “tree of life” and ironwood because the wood is incredibly hard and is so dense that it does not float. It is found throughout the Bahamas and in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Lignum vitae wood is exceptionally heavy and was used around the Caribbean for ballast in ships.

The Lignum Vitae had medicinal value and was considered the penicillin of the time. The bark was used as a cathartic, the fruit as a vegetable and the flowers as a laxative. In the Turks and Caicos Islands, the resin (locally called rosin) was collected for boiling in water to make a tea to treat muscle and back strains, particularly for men with lower back problems. Another use was to collect branches several inches in diameter which were honed down into heavy, smooth batons called “conch bruisers”. These were used to tenderise conch before cooking.

Teas prepared from all parts of the lignum tree were used for everything...to treat boils and swollen glands, fevers, aches and pains.

The ‘wood of life’ apparently derives from the tree’s medicinal qualities rather than any physical prowess.

A canopy of blue-purple flowers....beautiful.

Beautiful by nature, the lignum vitae has an honoured place in these islands. Take a look as you travel our roads and you will see a blue-purple haze on certain trees. The tree of life, Guaiacum sanctum or Lignum Vitae is spectacular when it is in bloom.

 

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

 

 

 

Orchids at Sunset

Posted on by
Reply

Wild orchids blooming at Harbour Club Villas over looking the sail boats in the Marina.

We enjoyed our first sunset of the first day of the new year in our favorite spot overlooking the marina. I had to include a beautiful Encyclia Altissima (orchid), the sun setting and some sail boat masts. Perfect end to a perfect day!

Hope 2012 is a great one for all!

 

Marta

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Ipomoea Christmas Vine

Posted on by
Reply

It must be that time of year again! I just saw my first Christmas Vine with its' stand out red flowers creeping over some native bush along the Venetian Road and near the villas at Harbour Club.

Every year as we head into December, I search the bush for these spectacular, showy red flowers. Sure enough there it was today…..the Ipomoea Microdactyla, also known as the Christmas Vine or Hog Potato Vine. Look around you as you are sure to sight it too.

 

Marta

 

 

http://www.harbourclubvillas.com

Rainy Day Walk in the Bush

Posted on by
3
Oh so pretty.....the bush is alive with a mass of purple flowers.

Oh so pretty.....the bush is alive with a mass of purple flowers.

We’ve had so much rain this past week and the liquid sunshine has created an abundance of flowers in the bush surrounding us here at Harbour Club Villas. I took a guest out to show him some of my favourite spots for bonefishing and discovered the rain had revived the parched bush.

The flowering Prickle Bush was everywhere with it's long trailing branches more like a vine than a bush.

The flowering Prickle Bush was everywhere with it's long trailing branches more like a vine than a bush.

Heavy cloud cover and just a few rain drops but still that wondrous turquoise ocean

Heavy cloud cover and just a few rain drops but still that wondrous turquoise ocean

The bush was alive with all kinds of flowers and of course new growth everywhere.

The bright yellow flowers of the Wild Senna bush were a stand outfrom amongst the greenery.

The bright yellow flowers of the Wild Senna bush were a stand out from amongst the greenery.

Pinkish Sea Sage with a yellow eye at the centre is a favourite attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Pinkish Sea Sage with a yellow eye at the centre is a favourite attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

I caught a glimpse of something white and there it was, a beautiful passion flower.

I caught a glimpse of something white and there it was, a beautiful passion flower.

You may have noticed a dried twig like low bush........what a transformation as the rains bring out a mass of delicate white flowers.

You may have noticed a dried twig like low bush........what a transformation as the rains bring out a mass of delicate white flowers.

A heavenly scent as the Frangipani or plumeria flowers appear in clusters.

A heavenly scent as the Frangipani or plumeria flowers appear in clusters.

If you have a chance, look around you at the beauty and colours in our native bush right now. How lucky we are to see the many wild flowers and flowering bushes and vines.
Marta
http://www.harbourclubvillas.com