April Blooms Day

 

The garden is now looking pretty good at 6 months  (most blooming plants were put in 4 or 5 months ago). But its still too young for huge masses of blooms.  

The bougainvillea on the front wall is looking pretty:

 

Pink and orange zinnias. I don't have too many annuals but plan to sow more

 

 Since I started growing it, I just love flowering purslane/portulaca

This is the old fashioned one from childhood, known as "jump up and kiss me"!

Above: with Chinese violets (Asystasia gangetica.  A  really easy vine here I am trying to get the yellow/cream flowered types.

 Grevillea

Blooms in the rock garden and succulent planter

 

lavender bougainvillea

Two wild plants-below is the native lantana and above is Summer Poinsettia, Mexican Fire Plant (Euphorbia cyathophora) which grew for itself in several places. I am keeping the ones that grew in suitable areas.

 opuntia

 Aloe maculata

Wat Sisaket

First built in 1551 AD by King Phothisararat Wat Sisaket was rebuilt by King Anouvong Chao Anuvong, the last king of the Lan Xang Kingdom, in 1818. It is the oldest surviving original wat (or temple) in Vientiane.

There is a cloister that surrounds the central sim, that contains small niches that house tiny silver and ceramic Buddha images. These were made between the 16th and 19th Centuries. Sitting on long shelves below the niches are over 300 mostly Lao-style Buddhas.

Naga Trough, used in the annual festival

Old (pillars and front) and new (back roofs)) architecture

 Flying dragons!