{Our Exotic Epiphyllum 'Antique Gown' Blooms}

It was March of 1990, when we both did consulting for Pond's India Ltd. We stayed at one of the TAJ Hotels in Ooty; the Savoy Hotel. With very nice colonial style cottages that were built between 1834-1865. The India Hotels and Resorts describes that the building once was a school for European children. From its garden we did bring home a tiny starter of this beautiful 'Antique Gown' Exotic Epiphyllum...

From the book Epiphyllum: The Splendor of Leaf Cacti by Marga Leue (see link below post) I did find its name. To my knowledge it resembles the 'Antique Gown'.

Husband Pieter in the garden of the TAJ Hotel Savoy in Ooty, India. We both fell in love with this exotic bloom!

Photo that we took from the Savoy Hotel in Ooty.

This is situated in the Nilgiri district of Karnataka state in India.

The dining room has rosewood paneling... 

We always have been pampered by the companies we worked for!

You can find a great photo from the Savoy hotel, Ooty on line, just click this link.

So this is the history of our great 'Antique Gown' Epiphyllum.

On April 18, the day before we traveled by plane to Miami, on our way to Curaçao on the 20th, we spotted these buds! We were hoping that we would not miss  them... Photo taken at 9:00 o'clock.

Our return was on May 1, and this photo is taken on May 3.

We made it back in time! Due to very cool weather I guess... and lots of rain.

There were now three buds, one on top and two hanging down...

Our Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus is sitting on the same plateau to the left... They both were inside the greenhouse till spring.

On May 5, I could make this photo from the first bloom!

Majestic is this 'Antique Gown'; don't you think so?

Highly fragrant too; it can't come any better than this.

On May 6, the second bloom at the bottom opened up!

May 6, the second bloom with the third one budding out...

This photo I took at 18:30 o'clock.

Detail of 'Antique Gown' on May 6.

On May 11, at 16:00 o'clock I finally could capture the baby of those three 'Antique Gown' Epiphyllum blooms! Quite a show. 

It's sister from May 6, already hanging her 'Antique Gown' down... 

So for about one week we could enjoy this splendor. 

Hope you enjoyed them with us! 

 To my best knowledge, after consulting our book by Marga Leue, we thought this to be the 'Antique Gown'.

Color varies between sunny days and clouded ones and even the time of the day gives a different hue to those blooms.

By the way, I nearly fainted when I spotted the pricing on Amazon.com for this 1987 book.

Guess we paid about $ 40.00 for it... New  one is now $ 479.77! 

One never knows how certain things go up in value...

Related links:
Epiphyllum: The Splendor of Leaf Cacti [Hardcover] book by Marga Leue 1987
{Night Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) Orchid Cactus} | previous post by me
{Did YOU Ever Touch Baby Elephants?} | previous post by me
{Silk and Wool Birds as Gift from Pond's India} | previous post by me
{Birds as Artwork, we bought in India} | previous post by me
{White Indian Jasmine the Queen of Flowers} | previous post by me

{Curaçao Vacation was also about Going Back in Time}

For my husband Pieter it was the 5th time that he went to the Island of Curaçao in the Caribbean. For daughter Liz it was the 3rd time (in December 1973 and again in 1978 from July 3–24)). Also for me the 3rd time and 1st time for Liz's husband Hans. Husband Pieter gifted them both with a flight from Amsterdam, The Netherlands to Curaçao.

With Google it is great for looking up former places where you have been. When I did scan old slides I did come across this one from December 1973, where Liz is sitting on the terras of the bungalow where she stayed with her Parents. It was than called Arthur Frommer and the crew from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines used it as well. Close to the airport and along Piscadera Bay. When we did rent a car and Liz driving us around the island, we literally did go back in time. It no longer is under the same name, but now it is the Floris Suite Hotel and it is designed by the famous Dutch designer Jan des Bouvrie. We did visit and had a cup of coffee near the pool. Liz could remember by the smell that it was the very same place where she stayed twice before. Indeed, we could hear a plane on the runway nearby and we also did pass on the way over the former Shell Oil Refinery that now belongs to a Venezuelan company since 1985. The very first trip Pieter made to Curaçao was on behalf of the local government. They asked him to do a feasibility study for growing mushrooms on the island of Curaçao. For that he also went by boat to Venezuela where they would have to purchase the straw. Long story short; it was not feasible mainly because of lack on ingredients. Pieter and his family did go back one more time on vacation, together with his best friend Harry and wife Suzette. Harry passed away at the age of 59 and his wife Suzette is suffering from cancer. Just talked to her and shared some fond memories...

Here Liz(zy) is sitting on the patio of the bungalow. The house number looks like 51 when enlarged...

Typical Agave and other tropical Curaçao vegetation.

From the staff we learned that still a few of those bungalows were there... So we did snap these photos and the one on the left has house number 52. So probably the one to the right was the 'old' one with number 51!

It looked like not much had changed! 

On the car parked next to number 52 is written: bluehelicopters and we had no idea you could have such fabulous helicopter tours over the island!

Have you ever gone back in time during a favorite vacation with loved ones?

Related links:
{Comment about Killer Legs - Daring to Pose in my Escada Hot Pants} | previous post with photos taken in Curaçao
{Curaçao Airport on Coronation Day King Willem-Alexander} | previous post by me
Santa Barbara Beach & Golf Resort Curaçao | Where we were last year and again this year (formerly Hyatt)
{Flora from our Curaçao Vacation} | previous post by me
{Our Curaçao Vacation II} | previous post by me
{Back Home from Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Our Curaçao Vacation} | previous post by me
{Hyatt Regency - Santa Barbara Plantation Curaçao} | previous post by me
{Trupial or Orange Breasted Oriole - National Bird of Curaçao} | previous post by me

{Amaryllis Stargazer Blooms in Our Wood Garden}

Coming home from tropical Curaçao we found several exotics blooming in our own garden. Across the creek, in our wood garden the Amaryllis Stargazer was showing off some great blooms. Just click the hyperlink to go to White Flower Farm, where we purchased it from, some 15 years ago as an indoor bulb. After it bloomed, we did plant it into the garden. Come join me for a Mariette's Back to Basics Garden Tour...

• They are HUGE! But appear very happy and healthy.

• Don't they look majestic...?

• Four blossoms in this photo from two different plants...

Do you have any Amaryllis; either as a forced bulb or out in the garden?

Related link:
{Amaryllis White Nymph in Our Garden} | previous post by me