Steph's Green Space

Chum Riep Sueh (Hello)!

2012-02-13T00:00:00.003+08:00

I spent five days in Cambodia last week, which was my second visit to this former French colony. The first time was in 2007 when my hubby and I visited our missionary friends in Kampot. This time round, we helped in a training for the Cambodia Missions & Services (CMS) leaders in Baray. While there we also enjoyed some fun activities offered by the Khmer Homestay.

We watched the sunset after a short bullock cart ride thru' a massive paddy field. I was told that Cambodians prefer white cows.

Looking out from the wooden hall where the training was held, I noticed that trees were not chopped down to make way for the homestay chalets but instead incorporated into its architecture... cool!

An aquaponics set-up was seen at one part of the homestay...

The ornamental plants growing there were similar to what we have here in Malaysia. They also have hibiscus, sunflower, cordyline as well as some pretty roses...

A few exceptional plants include the Alternanthera that blooms attractive flower heads. Though the plant also grows wonderfully in Malaysia, I have not come across flower heads from this plant as pretty as these...

The other plant that caught my attention was the Euphorbia millii. Most houses/places I passed by have this plant which somehow grows so beautifully there.

This plant below (which I do know the name) looks like a weed but I have never seen a weed so pretty before ;-)

The plant was used as a border plant at the Solar Cafe, the eatery operated by the Khmer Homestay.

They have beautiful Oleanders there as well and I saw orange and double pink ones...

Portulacas and Madagascar Periwinkles were profusely blooming everywhere...

While visiting the beneficiaries of some concrete ring wells and toilets (implemented under a community project), a lady suddenly appeared, speaking to us in English which is a rarity there. She told us that she had worked as a helper in the home of one of our friends back in KL some ten years ago (hmm... a coincidence or a divine appointment?).

The house in the background of the pic below was built using the money she earned. Though she had worked in Malaysia for only about two years, she managed to pick up English and still speaking it fairly well even after so long! Btw there were two pigs below the house :-)

On the last day, we spent a day shopping (yippee! :-D) in the busy city of Phnom Penh before flying back to Malaysia.

Chum riep leah (goodbye), Cambodia!

PS: Thanks Asha Ram for the Liebster Blog award :-D

Warm Greetings

2012-01-29T19:11:00.002+08:00

I was away for a few days during the recent Chinese New Year celebration and the almost-daily evening rain was a real blessing for my plants. They were all looking pretty and happy when I came back :-)

And thanks again to my friend who has helped me take care of my plants in my absence :-D

My Hoya (I think it's a H. Pubicalyx) that I have been growing for about two years is producing its first flowers! Excited (!) but at the same time I have to wait really patiently for those little buds to take their own sweet time to bloom. Oh... please open faster!

On the other hand, this Pilea species grows and flowers freely and quickly. Just a few cuttings will set the plant growing more and more dark green leaves and tiny flowers :-)

Next to the Hoya is this Little Queen Alocasia which I have recently added to my garden (same time as the Pilea above) and I am so glad that this division has rooted well and now growing... slowly but steadily.

A little further from the Little Queen Alocasia, into the shade, is my white Azalea. The plant has been rewarding me with its wonderful blooms.

The Capsicum Cherry Time seeds that have sprouted earlier in this small pot seems to be growing well. But I got to discard a few of them (out of this little pot) before they grow bigger.

The little Fuchsia that I had posted earlier has, unfortunately, dried up fast and withered. Gosh... the plant is super fussy! Got a bigger one to replace it and seems to be doing well.

These are little flowers of my Lemon Basil. They resemble the blooms of the Chinese hat plant, hehe...

Happy gardening and Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my Chinese friends!

Cheers To Year 2012 :-D

2012-01-17T00:38:00.000+08:00

This brand New Year 2012 (now two weeks old!) is promising lots of sunshine :-D It has been really warm and hot here in past weeks and my plants are definitely getting all the much needed sunlight they were depriving of for the past months.

Here is one of the first flowers of my pale yellow Fountain Plant. It has taken me months to get this plant to reach flowering stage. Perhaps due to the lack of sunshine, hehe...

And I have to thank a dear friend for parting the stem cuttings to me. At that time I was hunting high and low for a small plant but couldn't find one as most of those at the nurseries are sold in big pots/plants (meaning they are expensive!) and they are usually in the common red.

The tips of my Aloe Vera spikes of flowers meanwhile are drying up fast. Hence, the flowers did not develop as nice as I expected them to be... sigh :-(

But my Fittonias are looking incredibly good these days! Earlier, they were like wilting away due to over-watering. Now I am glad the foliage has re-grown in vigour and I have the opportunity to be able to feel its healthy, stiff leaves again.

Meanwhile the Mexican Plume has blossomed a few flowers from its bracts... ta da... voila!

As for the Geranium... all the leaves are gone after the earlier non-stop rain. I hope the sun will bring back some of them. For now, the plant is surprising me with a few flowers...

The Celosia Flowers are feathery and bright and they have grown slightly 'thicker' since I brought the plant back from the nursery. A marvellous plant to have indeed. I placed it in shade in hope of prolonging the life of the flowers ;-)

I have killed some precious Fuchsias before. I hope I won't do the same for this one. I love the plant's pendent flowers. They are gorgeous!

Hope you have had a great start in this brand New Year. Cheers!

Year-End Bonus

2011-12-24T00:32:00.002+08:00

I think my Lantana does not mind hard pruning at all. Two months ago, I gave the plant some hard pruning and it is now flowering. I even saw butterflies coming for the nectar but didn't manage to snap a shot. Here is just the blooms...

Unlike the Lantana, I find that the Polka Dot plant does not like to be pruned after it has grown leggy and the leaves became small. So for this precious little rooted stem cutting, I just used a stone to press down the stem to the soil. It seems to be growing some larger leaves now :-D

At last I was able to get hold of a pot of Yellow Columnea. This plant has so many bright yellow tubular flowers growing out from its stems. And it has been looking like this for weeks!

A number of flowers on my Brinjal plant have not been able to set fruit. Each time the flowers bloomed, the rain came. I really feel sorry for this poor plant... it has been really productive in flowering but the weather makes it hard for the plant to flourish fruits.

I have only managed to harvest one fruit thus far. I stir-fried it with some baby corns and garlics. Tasted alright but next time I think I will grow those long brinjals instead... for more texture. This round brinjal is too smooth to my liking ;-)

A flower stalk just grew out between the Aloe Vera leaves last week...

I hope I will not kill this Red Iresine this time. I got this last plant from my sis-in-law.

And finally... one of the Sundew seeds that Aaron sent me (last year I think) and which I have re-sown (in March this year) has germinated. The sight of this little plant (either Drosera Intermedia 'Cuba' or Drosera Tokaiensis) makes me so happy! Glad I didn't give up watering this pot and I have been watering these sphagnum moss for a long, long time, haha... :-D

The other sweet surprise is that the Hibiscus Swamp Mallow that had dried up after flowering a while ago has re-grown and produced a number of flower buds... yay!

The Mexican Plume plant meanwhile is slowly re-blooming. Glad to see its orange bracts returning and I am so looking forward to seeing its tiny blooms again.

Another plant that blooms like Mexican Plume plant is the Green Ice Crossandra in the pic below. They have wonderful little blooms :-D

Have a blessed Christmas and hope that you will also receive your "year-end bonus" after having worked on your garden all year long :-)

Adaptable Plants

2011-12-05T23:13:00.000+08:00

Overall, I must say that my garden looks really bad nowadays. Most plants are not in the best of health and vigour. But for some I must say they are doing exceptionally well in spite of the bad weather we are experiencing.

My neighbour has been admiring my Oxalis more than I do. She loves the leaves and says that they look like butterflies. As for me, the plant is growing really slow this time round. Nevertheless, I love its dainty pink flowers that look really bright and cheerful during the day :)

Gloxinia flowers broke the record of lasting for weeks. I am so pleased! :-D

The Pilea Involucrata 'Norfolk' shrunk in size a while ago and is now returning to grow more and bigger leaves after I moved it further into the porch. Does your Pilea plant has the same reaction towards the sun or it is normal for the plant to shrink and regrow that way?

Succulents are easy if they are not over-watered. I almost killed the one with fine leaves below. Thank goodness there was one little stem cutting left at that time. Though it was rather limp already, it later regained its vigour and regrew. Otherwise my dear friend who gave me this plant will be disappointed ;-)

After my Sarracenia produced its first flower about six months ago, I am now seeing its second bloom...

I was so, so glad to see some seeds that Diana sent me sprouting. They were wetted by the rain in my mailbox which was not rain-proofed.

I can even smell Lemon Basil from its first two sets of true leaves! The rest of the seedlings in the collage below are Carnation Chabaud Mix and Cherrytime Capsicum. But the Pattypan Squash that I have sown at the same time has not germinated yet. Diana, thanks again for the seeds :-D

I am also happy to see my eggplant flourishing its first fruit! According to the seed packaging the fruit is going be round and black...

Well, December is a time to be busy... to prepare things for Christmas and relax and feast till the end of the year.

I hope you have a wonderful month.

Happy December!!

One And Only

2011-11-24T01:17:00.000+08:00

There are other plants that are in bloom in my garden but today, I would like to just highlight my Lemon Ginger. It finally bloomed a flower for me! Yay :-D

I bought this plant in October last year. This Lemon Ginger in bloom was propagated by myself. So now, I have two pots of the same plant. The original plant, placed in another spot, has never flowered.

So far I have only seen pics of the flower from a book and some pics on the Internet but not the real thing till now!

Have you planted Lemon Ginger before? I am curious to know whether by nature this plant rarely flowers or is it just my hot garden that is not so conducive for it to bloom well. Perhaps the reason why the plant blooms this time round is due to the cooler weather that we are experiencing of late.

By night, the flower is spent. Not sure when the next flower will show up... sigh!

Brighter Than The Sky

2011-11-15T22:58:00.001+08:00

There wasn't much progress in my garden as of last week. The weather was as usual, cloudy most of the time with occasional clear skies.

My African Daisy-Gerbera is always placed infront as it is a low growing plant. Together with other plants with similar height like the Ground Orchid (in the pic below) they cover the sight of pots that have vines and taller shrubs growing in them.

The Ornamental Sweet Potato Vines meanwhile are quick to fill up gaps here and there. More than that, these two vines with red coloured leaves are making the garden a little more interesting with their unique colour and leaf shapes.

The heart-shaped leaves of the Sweet Potato Vine below will sometimes change to another form. Also I find that it grows slower than the rest of the ornamental Sweet Potato Vines with other colours. But red is nevertheless the most attractive of them all... maybe because it is the newest colour ;-)

My eggplant is progressing well inspite of the rainy weather... yay! :-D

And this week I will most probably need to prune the Coleuses that I have planted in the container below - getting overgrown! I will definitely miss the dashes of pink on the hybrid Coleus as when the weather gets hotter and sunnier, this colour will disappear.

Here is a new addition... Variegated Pink Serissa. It replaced my old Vinca Periwinkle that was white and pink also.

Hope there is plenty of sunshine in your garden!

Pleasant Surprises!

2011-11-02T22:59:00.001+08:00

I am happy to see that some of my plants are appreciating the cooler temperature due to the frequent rain and cloudy skies that we are experiencing nowadays.

Below is a pic of my Thai Caladium that I bought in March. It has blossomed an inflorescence last week... much sooner than I expected as I recall my other Caladiums took longer time to flower, yay :-D

With blooms like Gloxinia coupled with the cooler than usual mornings I really feel like I am on holiday in a temperate country.

I must give "credit" to these flowers... just when I thought my Yellow Crossandra, Mini Bamboo Orchid and Gerbera Daisy are not going to bloom anytime soon, voila... they sent out flower stalks!

Top Left: Mini Bamboo Orchid Bottom Left: Yellow Crossandra Right: African Daisy - Gerbera

Nonetheless, I hope my Euphorbia 'Breathless Blush' will show more of its pinkish bracts... soon!

There have been lots surprises in growing Coleus thus far and I am still learning how to grow it better. When the plant is supposed to trail it didn't do so until the stem grew much lusher or the plant grew much bigger till it kind of fell over.

Coleus hybrid

Although the Coleus (in the pic on the most right in collage above) looks similar to another Coleus that I have (as shown in the pic below), its pink colour would only appear with lower light.

The Coleus (in the pic below) has all its colours (the same colours) whether in full sun or partial shade ;-)

Coleus blumei

After more than six years of growing the Agave below (Agave Colorata, I think), it is finally sending out a little pup :-D

It however has yet to flower.

Of all the pink flowers that are blooming, I love the pink Azalea the most. This time, the flower is huge and long lasting. Although the Verbena had earlier stopped flowering, it is now again providing some colours to the garden with its dainty blooms.

Top Left: Azalea Top Right: Desert Rose Bottom Left: Little Bird Plant Bottom Right: Impatiens and Verbena

I hope there will be plenty of pleasant surprises in your garden as well!

Bittersweet Blooms

2011-10-26T00:38:00.002+08:00

While it is all gloomy (cloudy and rainy... oh, what's happening!) for the past one week, my Hibiscus Red Shield flower buds begun to take turns to bloom. There were lots of buds on the branches, so the blossoming were prolific for a number of days. On those mornings, I was greeted by these sweeties but very little foliage ;-(

I noticed from pics found in some sites that Euphorbia hybrid 'Diamond Fizz' has plenty of nice white bracts. Mine however always stop right here...

Azalea is the plant I am loving most at the moment. Although the pink one has sheded some leaves, the little bush is still giving a few flowers at a time. The white one suffered less stress, it shows in blooming also - always more flowers than the pink one.

The Copper Leaf Plant takes time to mature and flower. When the plant is in bloom, that is when they shine :-D

It is amazingly to see this Sarracenia flower never fading and lasting so long. The flower showed up in May and it's still there!

My non-stop-flowering Tacca can look a litte scary and weird to some people, hehe...

The sky here has been really cloudy and often rains. Fortunately, there is no flooding in my vicinity. My heart goes out to those in Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam whose houses are in water and who have lost their loved ones. I hope that the water will recede soon and there would be enough food and necessities to go around.

Have a blessed day!

Splashing Colours

2011-10-16T23:08:00.000+08:00

These little Amaranthus Torch seedlings stayed small for some time. I hope they will show more progress now that the weather is getting hotter and sunnier.

I see flowers already forming at the top and have transplanted two plants out of this pot to make room for growth. So grow little fellas!

This Amaranthus Yellow Fountain came as a surprise. Earlier, I have already given up on some seeds that had failed to germinate. When I spotted a little plant sprouted in one of the starter pots, I didn't know what it was till I transplanted it to the garden...

Below is a little Amaranthus Illumination that was self-sown by its mother plant...

Mosaic plant leaves glistens even more when the plant is growing healthily...

I came across some Four O-Clocks that were growing by the roadside. Probably a garden escapee. Below is the seedling from a seed that I plucked and sowed into a small pot.

My dear Hydrangea has been infected with scale bugs. I am afraid I have to give the plant a heavy prune. I think it's the best way to get rid of the bugs, right?

The Mexican Flame Vine has finally blossomed its first flowers and only in my garden here I think ;-D

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS:

Some of you have left messages on my chat box enquiring where you can find certain plants featured on my blog. Some plants that I grow are actually not easily available in Malaysia (perhaps that's why you were asking!).

Well, if you are from the Klang Valley (Malaysia) and would like to have some of these plants, please let me know by sending an email to mygreenfinder[at]hotmail.com. I will let you know if it is possible for me to part a rooted cutting for you for which I will charge you a (premium) fee - to cover the efforts I have put in to grow the plants as well as to raise funds for a dream trip :-)

Enjoy all the plants that are in your garden and have a great day!

Short Clear Sky

2011-10-09T20:19:00.000+08:00

I see very little progress in my plants for the past few weeks. The sky has been rather cloudy with a very short window of clear sky.

I kept pruning my Chinese Hatplant due to its scraggly growth habit that's quite hard to control. Thank goodness the plant still flowers ;-)

My Lantana is still flowering profusely with a little surprise from the Rain Lily. The trumpet flower emerged from behind to add more pink into this patch of plants.

Gladiolus taking turns to blossom. Still, I am letting the spike of flowers to fade in the garden. No intention to cut the flower and bring into the house yet ;-)

The blooms of my Plumeria have never stopped blossoming from the same flower stalk since mid-July. Meanwhile, I see three branches growing out from the trunk.

And the plant that's in front of the Plumberia is Allamanda. I think this woody vine is going to grow much taller than the Plumberia :-D

No flowers can warm up the garden like what Hibiscus flowers are able to. Their big cheerful flowers are real smile-makers :-D

Hope sunshine is on your way!

White Prosperity

2011-09-27T23:47:00.001+08:00

Last week, the first Gladiolus flower spike that grew over 5 feet tall opened. The long flower spike of Gladiolus 'White Prosperity' began blossoming at the bottom before the remaining flowers took turn to open... one to three blooms at a time.

However, I have to stake the flower spike as it tipped over after five blooms have opened.

The other plant that has white showy flowers blooming at the same time is my Azalea. The flower looks like a corsage on the little dark green bush.

My Double Pearl Tuberosa flower stalk has unfortunately bent down due to the heavy rain. I cut and placed the stalk of flower into a little vase in my kitchen. The flowers release a wonderful scent. I think they smell like Gardenia.

Meanwhile, my Oxalis gave me a litte surprise. The plant bears more flowers than leaves!

And my Hydrangea flourished 'stray' flowers from its stem. This is the first time I see this happening to this plant. Btw the tip of this same stem has flower buds opening as well.

Returning blooms are always a delight. My Spider Tresses flowers are back to add some exotic appeal to the garden :-D

While the leaves of this Geranium have a pungent smell, its flowers have no scent. I have 'killed' two Geraniums before this one. Keeping my fingers crossed this time round!

I am always pleased to report about my Coleuses. They are doing pretty well. Anyway they are actually really easy to grow here, so nothing to be proud of I guess, haha...

Just wanted to find ways to grow each one better :-)

And I have some Cockscomb and Eggplant seedlings growing for some time. The Cockscomb seedlings have been growing rather slowly though...

Eggplant seedlings show faster growth. Anyway, I hope to transplant them soon :-D

Have a great gardening day!

Making Standards

2011-09-19T00:23:00.002+08:00

I have repotted a few plants last week. I realised that as they grow bigger, repotting is not so easy anymore.

Still I could handle the Hibiscus Red Shield easily as the plant is still small/light and in a small pot. However, before I could repot this Hibiscus, I have to repot my Plumeria first as I am re-using its container to grow the Hibiscus. The Plumeria unfortunately gave me some trouble during transplanting though.

Below is an upright growing Coleus that I have been trimming into a standard (or lollipop). I have just pruned the tips of the branches last week. I hope the plant will grow lushier and more importantly, continue to look good :-)

Below is a Euphorbia Milii plant propagated from a stem cutting of the mother plant that was rotting away few months ago due to the prolonged rain. Hmm... I wonder if I could make a standard from here...

I am so glad to discover that my interest to make standards allows me to cram more plants into my garden ;-)

In the pic below... Plumeria at the rear, soon to be the tallest plant in my garden, is able to 'stretch' out its new branches without any problem.

My Hibiscus plants allows more space for the Aloe Vera and for the rest of the shrubs that are at the foreground to 'expand'. In any case, I hope they are not going to 'suffocate' hehe... ;-) Hope you too will enjoy making standards in your garden!

On a different note, I hope to see my Double Pearl Tuberosa and Gladiolus flower soon.

See ya!

Holiday Blooms

2011-09-07T22:48:00.005+08:00

It was one long, busy period as people across Malaysia celebrated two major occasions (Merdeka Day and Hari Raya) last week.

I was out of town for a few days and attended a short conference upon coming back. Was quite tired but now I am really glad that I can go back to writing about my usual stuffs :-)

My Balsam and Lantana produced lots of flowers...

I am experiencing a happy problem with my Lantana this time round. I just couldn't find the right time to prune the plant to make it shorter. It kept fourishing flowers :-D

Notice the imperfect leave in above picture? It was probably chomped by a grasshopper. This insect is the current menace in my garden. It loves to eat flowers as well :-(

Fortunately my yellow Hibiscus flowers were spared...

My Rex Begonias were also flowering. Their yellow centres look like the yolk of a sunny side up egg... cute right?

Meanwhile I'm glad that I was able find time to check out some nurseries too. I found a cheerful Smooth Aster and a fascinating Green Shrimp plant...

Hope you have had a great holiday/week too. Happy blogging... and happy Merdeka Day and Selamat Hari Raya!

Tough Greens

2011-08-25T23:19:00.006+08:00

Although most plants with green foliage are easy to grow, it is not necessarily so for some. Below is one of the oldest plants in my garden... a Homalomena species I believe. Anyone has grown this plant before?

For me, this is one of the hardest-to-grow green foliage that I have encountered. Although the plant is almost 7 years old, as you can see it has not grown much. I have only divided the plant once. So now I have two of them in my garden and I have forgotten which is the mother plant. Most of the time, its older leaves easily turn yellow and the leaves are much smaller in size.

If this Polka Dot plant is on the shelves at any gardening shop today, I think nobody would want to take it home. After pruning the top, I was hoping that the plant will grow lushier. Unfortunately it didn't! And I wonder why the plant is so skinny...

But my Satin Pothos is different. I have never encountered any serious problem with this plant. Its pretty leaves are quite forgiving even when it's over-watered. It never gave any serious yellowing leaves or has any 'leaves disappearing' problem and is very easy to grow.

In fact, earlier when the plant was not so bushy, the leaves were really big. The only problem is that the creeper sends out new foliage pretty fast. So I have to keep training the vines back to the pot ;-)

The Polycias Dwarf Variegata in my garden has been growing well in this little pot for months now. Its leaves dropped at the beginning, right after I transplanted it to this pot. But now it seems to be pretty happy. I hope its long roots wouldn't mind the tight space, hehe...

After the Moon Cactus flower has spent, I transferred some of my little cacti and succulents into a pot. On the same rack with my cacti are the English Ivy and Variegated Peperomia. All are very water sensitive!

Hope your green plants are doing well :-D

Eau de Jardin

2011-08-18T22:59:00.001+08:00

The fragrance of these huge flowers of Chalice Vine can be smelt throughout the entire garden in the evening. And they look really cheerful in the morning :-D

It didn't occur to me that my Plumeria has such strong smell till I took this shot. For me, the fragrance adds value to the plant's ordinary looking flowers ;-)

I have to thank my friend, Hannah for advising me to stop watering my bougainvillea for about 5 days, for flowers to flourish. It did! Thanks, Hannah!!

Also, I am pleased that the flowers stood up well to the heavy rains that happened last week. Only a handful of them dropped off from the bush. The rest are still intact... yay!

However, the pruning result is not as I had expected it to be as the ball-shaped top is not as round as I had hoped...

I plucked a Balsam seed pod from a nearby house about a month ago and planted the seeds. Only one seedling was able to take off well. Although the plant is short, it has started to flower!

I love its sweet pink colour against the bright green foliages :-)

Earlier, I pruned the entire Gloxinia plant when it re-grew as it wasn't growing so well earlier. I over-watered it but fortunately, the tuber was strong and didn't rot!

As for my Azalea... the flower buds unfortunately have not been forming properly for months as they will just dry up and fall off the stem. Probably attacked by some pests... sigh! Now the plant seems to have recovered though. But it's just flowering one or two at a time with the bloom slowly turning single-petaled.

Happy growing and have a great weekend!

Mostly Red...

2011-08-10T00:09:00.000+08:00

I have finally managed to do some weeding in my garden over the weekend. And here are the recent blooms...

Trailling succulent, Ice Plant, the plant grows pretty fast. Right after this bunch of flowers have spent, I cut this long stem and used it to propagate more plants.

Moon Cactus, the plant is even prettier when a flower opened. But surprisingly, the flower is pale pink. I thought that it would be a bright one as the cactus is bright orange.

This month I am really happy that my Gerberas are re-blooming just like how I bought them many months ago...

I thought of discarding this Gerbera earlier. I am glad I didn't!

Lantana... the plant likes some pampering - a little pruning and a little feeding.

Canna Lily and Pentas, I love their bright colours...

Here is the brightest of them all... red Desert Rose ;-)

Dwarf Snapdragon's returning blooms, not prolific as you can see from here...

Rudbeckia returned with only one bloom and smaller in size...

Have a great day and happy planting!

Green Bulbs

2011-07-29T01:02:00.002+08:00

I last updated about this plant, Silver Squill, some two years ago. The plant has since grown steadily and more foliages have sprouted after I have moved it to a shadier spot. The plant has however never sent out any flowers thus far :-(

At the begining of this year, one bulb (not these two in the pic below) sent out a flower stalk... but the buds just dried up before they get to open.

So I am crossing my fingers for these Hyacinth flowers to blossom well. They were re-chilled and re-rooted after they failed to grow anything the last time I took them out from the fridge.

I hope these Gladiolus 'White Prosperity' bulbs will forgive me for squeezing so many of them into one pot as I am really running short of space! Thanks HS for the bulbs :-D

I have been growing these Peruvian Lilies (Eucrosia bicolour) since February. The flowers just faded when I bought them. I wonder how long I need to wait for their next blooms. It's already July now...

Gloxinia is the easiest to re-flower. No need pre-chilling whatsoever... easy peasy ;-)

My Oxalis flowering and flourishing its beautiful purple leaves freely after a months of dormancy...

Bulbous plants are tough and often bring surprises. Don't you think so?

Colours In The Garden

2011-07-19T23:46:00.002+08:00

I love colourful foliages. One of them is Coleus and I am glad to have a few in my garden. This time round, their leaves are in their best colours.

In the pic below is a Coleus (the same one as in the centre of the pic above). The plant is definitely not an upright grower and I am trying to grow this Coleus to drape down the pot. Strangely even with frequent pruning, their stems tend to grow upwards and not downwards. Have you encounter similar problem?

Meanwhile I am trying to make the Coleus in the pic below to trail also. The other thing about this variety is that its light pink pattern in the centre of the leaves only appears when planted at a partial shade area.

The pic below shows my Mock Strawberry... nice to look at only ;-)

At last! The first flowers of my Plumeria have opened. My neighbour likes the bright colours. So do I. But I wish there will be more flowers to form a nice bouquet. Don't you think so?

My Hoya Diversifolia pink flower clusters are taking their turn to open. Hmm... definitely not blooming as spectacular as the mother plant (click here to see).

A close up view of the small and compact flower cluster...

Anyone knows what's happening to my cactus?

A yellow African Daisy - Gerbera about to open...

Both flowers and foliages are important to add vibrant colours to the garden. Which do you grow more?

Happy gardening!

Shining Stars

2011-07-03T00:50:00.000+08:00

Hoya kerrii gave me a big surprise with its flower! I must have too many plants in my garden nowadays coz I didn't even noticed it was there till I saw a fully blossomed flower a few days ago...

The Hoya Diversifolia that I posted in earlier post has however not blossomed yet. But I saw many other flower buds flourishing one by one and I am so happy about this result. This hoya was propagated using its stem cutting about one-and-a-half years ago.

I have been constantly triming my bougainvillea (pic below) into a ball shape. I can't wait for it to flower! And I hope it will flower before another prolonged rain. Else, the leaves might start to disappear again...

I found a healthy looking Maranta last week. I hope the pattern will not disappear like the Keampferia in my rather hot shade garden ;-)

My dwarf Plumeria turned out to be a giant! It was grown from seed in October 2009. Now I have to tie it to the fence to prevent it from tumbling down during windy days. Planning to re-pot it after the plant flowers. Anyway I saw a stalk of flowers buds already :-D

Also I am glad to see my Chalice Vine re-growing lushier foliages after the plant sheded all its leaves last month after a prolonged rain.

I love to see returning blooms. They make the garden really lively.

Top: Desert Rose | Bottom left: Dwarf Canna Lily | Bottom right: Gerbera Daisy

Have a wonderful day looking out for 'shinning stars' in your garden!

Garden Charms

2011-06-26T23:44:00.004+08:00

It is fun to watch how Amaranthus takes on new colours. Its foliage colouration change a little from day to day. When it was a tiny plant, the leaves were green, then they turned bronze and now the new leaves are turning red and yellow.

Little flowers with pretty colours here and there makes my garden not so boring.

Left: Garden Balsam | Top Right: Portulaca | Bottom Right: Verbena

I am surprised that my Oxalis started to produce several blooms. The plant seems to has just woken up after a long rest...

Next to the Oxalis is a Pilea Involucrata, which I now realise is as striking as the former.

I marvel at the sight of this green Acerola as I just spotted its fruit (pic below). I must have missed seeing the flower earlier!

This short strand of yellow bracts and flower of Nong Nooch can be a good inspiration for a craft project ;-)

I have waited this moment for a long time... my Hoya is going to flower soon :-D

These are tiny white blooms of Sweet Basil. Funny to find ants there. The flowers must be really sweet, hehe...

My Polka Dot Plant with its pretty leaves meanwhile has grown much taller since I bought it. I place the plant near my kitchen window once in a while or when the plant looks dull. Otherwise, the plant is placed in my living hall. But I wonder why its new leaves crinkle up?!

My Tacca has been doing pretty well except that its old leaves tend to turn yellow and its flowers kept growing sideways.

Some plants are just not the same as they look in pictures on the Internet. I hope this Tacca plant will give me an upright stalk of flower soon ;-)

Special Effects

2011-06-13T23:24:00.002+08:00

This agave has been in my garden for more than four years already. However, I am still very intrigued by its patterned leaves each time I see the plant. And now that I am growing it in the full sun, the spiky leaves are not facing downwards anymore. They have all grown upwards.

Eventhough this Amaranthus Illumination is still short and small, its foliage has now started to show its red colour. The plant grew from a sproutling about two months ago. The name 'Illumination' is so befitting. The red colour is really illuminating the plant!

At one corner of the garden, my yellow Desert Rose has blossomed a flower. The pic below showed how the flower looks on the second day with its colour having faded a little. The plant really has good survival spirit. Every time when it rains and rains, it will lose all its leaves but once the sun is out again the leaves will grow back and flower also.

Next to the Desert Rose are my herb plants. I am happy that they love the sun and don't mind the rain. And I love the wonderful aromatic smell every time I am near or watering the plants. At the foreground is Sage. Sweet Basil and Rosemary are in the background.

In front of the Desert Rose is my orange Hibiscus. Its textural flower add not only colour but also visual contrast to my garden. The shrub has not many leaves now but I am so glad to see the flower even if it is only one...

Another flower that's going to add the same effect as the hibiscus is the inflorescence of my dwarf Heliconia. However, its colour and form is much more striking and bold in colour and form. The plant has taken about five months to produce a new stem and an inflorescence since the last flower.

Here are little flowers of my Nong Nooch Vine and Verbena. They seem to be living happily together, hehe... I hard-pruned the Nong Nooch Vine more than a month ago. Now the plant is flowering again... 'resting' on the Verbena and looking delicate.

My Persian Violet's dainty flowers are now blooming in profusion again. Its mild scent is sweet smelling... like the flowers :-D

These flowers of Episcia are striking and it has rough leaves. The flowers brighten up the shade while the leaves feel coarse to the touch.

In the pic below you can see what I meant earlier when I said the hibiscus has not many leaves, like a sparse bush. I wish the weather to be sunny consistently. Otherwise, the leaves of some of my plants (like the hibiscus) will turn yellow and drop off due to prolonged wet soil.

Happy discovering the different things that your plants bring to your garden :-D

Sunshine Bliss

2011-06-05T21:08:00.000+08:00

The sun is back! So are some of the flowers that are in my garden :-)

I want to specially mention my little Balsams. They were started from seeds. The first batch of Balsams were more than 1 foot high and all red flowers. They reseeded and now the flowers come in more colours but they are much shorter. Here is a pink one...

A white Balsam...

Of course the original red Balsam...

And in the pic below you will be able to see how short they have became. The first batch of Balsams were taller than the Coleus. Now they are much shorter. Mini Balsams?

My Ixora and Plumbago are forever blooming and they really stand out in the sun.

In this pot, I have mixed two Plumbagos - white and blue. I took the pic below in the morning coz when the sun is shinning brightly, you will not be able to see the two colours.

These hydrangea blooms... they will be pink shortly and then turn green in the last stage.

Guzmania is looking radiant with its glossy maroon bracts. I love the fact that the bracts are very long lasting.

Here is a combo that I started with Ice Plant and Coleus cuttings, and two young Calliope Hybrid Geraniums (one is flowering).

I hope they will grow well together ;-)

Enjoy the sun everyone!

Cutieful Bloomings

2011-05-29T00:36:00.001+08:00

Last two weeks, I was enjoying the sight of some tiny blooms that appeared in my garden. This Verbena started flowering two weeks ago. The little blooms are so delightful and it is the brightest little gift that I have ever received... thanks to a special friend ;-)

I spotted a tiny fruit from my little Acerola bush. This cute little fruit took more than a week to develop (grow in size) but it only took about a day for it to turn totally red. The fruit dropped after a heavy rain.

The fruit tasted a little sour. I am glad the bird did not get to it first!

I was happy to notice this bunch of Angel Wing Begonia flowers while watering a pot of plant that was placed on the floor. These flowers were growing below the leaves. To get a full glimpse of the flowers, I have to look at them from below...

This was the smallest flower of the week! My Cryptanthus gave me a surprise with its tiny white blooms. I didn't expect to see them as the plant wasn't showing any sign that it will flower earlier. These white flowers just appeared out of a sudden.

My Copper Leaf Plant meanwhile has not been growing healthily for so long. I am happy that the plant is finally flowering.

Persian Violet... I love its cute flowers and glossy foliages. The mildly scented flowers are quite remarkable eventhough the size is small.

This is another happy find... Ice Plant. Its variegated leaves are as attractive as the red flowers :-D

My Clematis grew again and now flowering after I had pruned the plant about a month ago. The old vines did flower but attracted some pest, which was why I pruned the plant earlier. But does Clematis bloom on new vines only?

Lastly, here is a pink Dahlia plant in full bloom. It's a new plant in my garden! I brought home this plant while waiting for my dwarf Dahlia to re-flower.

Happy growing flowers of all sizes!

Grunge

2011-05-14T12:34:00.001+08:00

The colours and forms of certain flowers can be very challenging to describe in words. Let me start with my Spider Tresses flowers... they bear maroon appendages which can grow to about a feet long.

Interestingly, eventhough the appendages do get twisted with each other, they will always look nice dropping down from the flower and will not get really messy.

The other flowers that are as intriguing is the Rudbeckia. I thought the flowers will be washed out by the days of big drops of rain and scorching hot sun. They didn't! Its flowers did not even drop a single petal and their colours are still as vivid as when I bought it two weeks ago... amazing!

I love the sight of my Calla hybrids (thanks to a good friend!) which their rhizomes I planted in early April. The Calla Mango (the top flower in the pic below) was the first one spotted...

This was then followed by the Calla Black-Eyed Beauty.

Here is another flower with fascinating bloom. I have waited for about two weeks for its flower bud to open. And when it opened I was stunned by it. A spaceship?

Hehe... it's actually my Sarracenia. I have seen Sarracenia flowers at the nurseries that have very long flower stalk. In fact the stalk of flower was taller than its pitchers. But mine is only about 15 inches in height and it's shorter than the pitchers which are about 22 inches tall.

The cutest flowers of the week were the pair of 'loves birds' from my Little Bird Plant. Perhaps they were admiring my Siam Tulip ;-)

I am glad the pink bracts and flowers of the Siam Tulip is even more vivid than before...

Have a great 'green' week!

Blushing Plants

2011-04-30T17:44:00.000+08:00

My Neoregelia Tangerine's top foliages were red when I bought the plant a year ago. Then it turned green.

After withholding fertiliser for many months, I see a little blush but I am still not sure if the foliage will ever turn red again or will it flower. Anyone has had similar experience with this type of bromeliad before?

The Sarracenia in my garden meanwhile takes forever to develop its flower. Although the stalk of flower has grown much taller over two weeks, the bud has still not open yet!

After many days of rain, I was thrilled to see a stalk of pink flower bud emerging from the pot below. Welcome back, Siam Tulip!

My new Rain Lily came with two pretty blooms. Love the cheery sight of the flowers :-)

Although it has been cloudy and rainy in the afternoon for the past one week, the Hibiscus Red Shield doesn't seem to be affected by the bad weather at all. Its soft pink flowers never fail to capture my attention.

My Guzmania will be sending out its stunning flower bracts soon...

Happy watching your plants grow!

Glad I Didn't Missed It

2011-04-20T00:05:00.000+08:00

Guess what's the little red flower that's at the top right corner of the pic below.

It is my old miniature Rose! The plant was growing weaker and weaker before I decided to do without it. Instead of chucking it into the bin, I just planted it at a corner of a pot. As I was checking on my plants, I was surprised to see something red appearing behind my Pentas. Now I am so glad I had not just tossed it away!

The other kind of rose (but not really a rose!) in my garden is the Desert Rose that is in bloom as well.

Although the sun is sunnier these two weeks the weather is still quite bad. Anyway, I am happy to see their cheery flowers all blooming together.

The Balsam has been flowering since Chinese New Year in February. I love its long blooming habit :-)

I am really proud of the bi-colour Impatiens flowers below which have irregular patterns. It's the first two flowers since I started this plant from a cutting in mid-February.

My other Impatiens grew much taller and is still sending out blooms...

The Ruellia and Blue Daze in the pic below are the closer shots of their blooms...

Water thrifty plants meanwhile always amaze me. Victoria Fern is the latest addition to join these group of plants. It's a fern that needs less light and less water then the other ferns that I have.

Hope your plants give you some surprises today!

I contributed a post on nasi goreng (fried rice) on Wendy's new blog on Asian food, Wai Sek. It's fun to see my post published there. Hop over to find a simple fried rice recipe :-D

Amazing Week

2011-04-11T15:27:00.000+08:00

I was so thrilled to see my Sarracenia finally sending out a little stalk of flower bud from the bottom of the plant! I have seen the flowers at the nursery before but I am still excited to see how it looks on my dear Sarra. This is the first time the plant is flowering since I bought it about one-and-half years ago :-D

Equally thrilling is my red Aranda. This spike of orchid has more than 20 blooms and quite big in size. Its presence make other flowers that are in the garden look small.

Ruellia, Angelonia and Pentas have been really adaptive to the bad weather. They flower no matter what happens. Below are glimpses of the plants.

Angelonias are bigger in size now and have multiplied more stems.

My red Pentas is going to be in full bloom soon...

The Calla Lily bulbs are progressing well in spite of the strong sun and heavy rain. Those two speckled leaves kept me hoping for the flowers.

I just love the sight of white blooms here and there in the garden. But they can be glaring to the eyes during the day ;-)

Have a great week!

Patience I Must Have...

2011-04-05T23:52:00.000+08:00

This week, I'm just keeping a record of some of the seeds and bulbs that I have planted for easier reference later. I must confess that I do not have a detailed record of my garden plants. I just jot down in a notebook the date I have sown the seeds.

So far, only Amaranthus Torch and Amaranthus Illumination have germinated.

Calla Lily hybrid bulbs (Mango, Majestic Red and Black Eyed Beauty) rooted really fast but the leaves are growing slowly. The pic below shows the plants after about two weeks of planting the bulbs...

The Arisaema Speciosum that I have planted at the same time as the Calla Lily hybrds has not shown any sign of growth yet. I wonder if this bulb requires a lot more time to grow...

And these bulbs, Nectaroscordum Siculum and Fritillaria Lutea, I have rooted them in the fridge for about four months. And ten days later, while I see that the tip of one of the Nectaroscordum Siculum bulbs has turned green, I didn't see any sign of growth from the Fritillaria Lutea yet.

This is my first time planting bulbs. I have no idea how fast or how slow they will take. I just hope that they are still alive ;-) In fact, one of the Fritillaria bulbs has rotted in the fridge.

In the pic below is the one that has rooted but no sign of growth yet. Have you any experience in planting Fritillaria or any of the above-mentioned bulbs? I would love to know your experience.

Last week, I was surprised by the Hibiscus Red Shield. I saw its seed pods! It has not even happened to my other Hibiscus plants (Rosa-Sinenses) before. I'm glad that the pods hang on to the plant really strong. Weeks of rain did not smashed them :-D

My other highlight was an Aglaonema plant gift which came complete with the pot. The nursery owner who gave me this plant told me to have this plant placed at home (blog) so that I will always remember him ;-)

Below is a pic of my Verbena. The blue is so striking. Even my neighbour noticed the striking flowers :-)

Happy gardening!

Green, Green... Greens

2011-03-29T00:07:00.001+08:00

Now that the sunny blue sky is back, my plants look happier ;-)

The above is my Pentas and below is a variety of the Zigzag plant. Their bright green foliage put a smile on my face also :-D

Weeks of cloudy skies and rainy days have resulted in my Peacock's Fern (Selaginella Wallichii) growing so wonderfully. In fact, its fronds have overtaken the whole pot (pic below) leaving the Alternanthera Dentata 'Brazilian Red Hot' fighting for their lives, hehe...

But if the sky continues to be sunny, the situation may be reversed though ;-)

Also, I am glad to see a tip cutting of Christmas Kalanchoe growing some new leaves.

I added a new cactus (No ID) to my garden. I found it at Tesco. I like the price (cheap!) and its thornssss...

A good friend told me about Dracaena Reflexa 'Song of India'. I thought I should get one for my garden also. Nice, right?

The flowering plant that captured my attention is Cyclamen. It's funny to see its flower petals not reflexing...

I hope there will be lots of warmth and sunshine heading your way too. Then, we shall enjoy many wonderful flowers and fresh green foliage.

Happy watching your plants grow!

Just Say A Little Prayer...

2011-03-21T16:33:00.118+08:00

Firstly, many thanks to Beba, HS and Diana for their 'gifts'. I am now prayerfully looking forward to seeing the seeds that I have planted last week sprout and grow. They have made my gardening experience a lot more exciting :-D

For a number of new bulbs which I have planted also, I hope that they don't end up like my Hyacinth. It just stopped growing. Maybe an air-cond room is required for flowers to open nicely?!

Meanwhile, the spike of orchid buds that I have been waiting and waiting to blossom for the last three weeks has finally opened its first flower! Anyone knows the difference between Mokara, Aranthera and Aranda orchid? Please help to identify...

Pic updated on 22 Mar 2011

For some time, I thought the Siam Tulip was dead. This week, when I spotted a new shoot growing out from the soil, I was so happy! Check out the collage below. The pic on the left is the new Siam Tulip shoot while the one on the right is a new Allamanda Indonesian Sunset.

Since my friend loves the plant so much, I took cuttings from the mother plant I have written about earlier to propagate a new one for her.

Purplish flowers are my 'heroes' for the past week. They shine even when it rained so much! Below are the pics of the dainty flowers of Kaempferia Pulchra (top left), trailing Verbena (bottom left) and Bear's Ear (right).

The other flowers that were in bloom and as lovely as the purplish flowers were the white mini Azalea and trailing Vinca...

And below is the cutest of all, the first flower of Snapdragon grown from cuttings ;-)

Happy sowing seeds and growing plants!

Sage Tales

2011-03-16T00:17:00.000+08:00

Scarlet Sage is a short little shrub that has made my garden really pretty last month with its brilliant red flowers. What I like most about this plant is that the spike of flowers make up half the height of the plant - very showy indeed!

Now the flowers are all gone. I hope the plant will regrow and reflower as I would love to plant it together with a Garden Sage later. Not only because they are from the same genus, Salvia, but I think they can look nice growing together. Garden Sage has rough, pebbly-textured, grey-green leaves that will probably make the Scarlet Sage flowers shine even more.

Btw, anyone heard of this folklore before: "He who would live for aye, must eat sage in May" Hmm... how come in May only? For me, it's nice to have sage in the garden, harvest a few leaves, cut them into small pieces and add them to the omelete in the pan when the egg is about done... yum, yum!

This petite Water Lily grew and blossomed rather quickly. My sister-in-law passed me the tubers last month. Leaves quickly sprouted, followed by this first flower, a sun loving one...

Like my dwarf Dahlia, Gerbera Daisy's bloom also opened unevenly. Perhaps the bad weather has caused them to grow this way...

I love the sight of my Sarracenia now. Since I discarded a number of dried pitchers weeks ago, new pitchers are crowding the pot again...

I am still waiting for my Hyacinth and Orchid's flowers to bloom. Hope to see them soon. Have a great week!

Red Pops!

2011-03-09T21:58:00.000+08:00

I was away over the weekend and on Monday morning, I was delighted to find my Desert Rose blooming again! This is only the second time the plant is blooming :-)

The first flush of flower buds didn't open fully as they were all crushed by a heavy rain a few months ago. I was quite dissappointed as I didn't have the chance to see the actual colours of the flower. But now for this second flush of blooms, I am glad they are alright!

When I bought the little plant more than a year ago, I just hoped by faith that the flower will not be a common pink one as I already have Desert Rose in common pink and yellow... and now a red one, yipee :-D

My Gloxinia and dwarf Dahlia meanwhile are back to grace the garden! I love to watch how their little buds grow to form double flowers. Their tubers don't seem like they require 'rest' here. They re-grew and re-flowered after cut back (Gloxinia cut back to the soil level and Dahlia to one-third of plant height after they finished flowering) almost immediately.

The flowers of the pink miniature Azalea (pic below) used to be like the white ones - ruffled tissue paper. Now, its petals are bigger, rounder and open up to reveal stamens of its flower. I hope the white flowers will do the same later - they will be prettier ;-)

Christmas Kalanchoe flourish better in the bright shade even if the plant receives a few hours of direct sunlight. I planted one out in the open. Our hot sun and heavy rains prove to be too harsh for the plant. However, when the plant is placed in the shade, I have to be really careful with watering!

And these Hyacinth and Orchid flower buds... not much progress after two weeks of waiting for the flowers. I was told the blooms are going to be red. So, please blossom soon...

I always forget to mention about these plants: dwarf Ixora, Euphorbia Milii and Dianthus. They are ever-blooming flowers :-D

Have a great week!

Coloured Foliages

2011-02-28T23:42:00.001+08:00

These ornamental sweet potato vines are a special gift from a dear friend. They grow very fast, trail and look especially gorgeous when the sun is shining brightly. I am so amazed by their colours and forms. In the pic below, you can see their black, bronze and green leaves in various shapes.

Ipomoea Batatas 'Blackie' & 'Bronze'

Ipomoea Batatas 'Margarita'

Ipomoea Batatas 'Black Heart'

Only the Ipomoea Batatas 'Blackie' has been flowering since I started growing these Ipomoeas four months ago.

The other foliages that also look really outstanding during the day are Alternanthera Dentata and Cyathula Prostrata. They add texture and colours when grouped together with my other potted plants. Over here, they are used widely in public parks and building landscapes. Bring a cutting or two back, they will root and grow easily for you ;-)

Main Pic: Alternanthera Dentata 'Brazilian Red Hot' | Left Inset: Cyathula Prosrata | Right Inset: Alternanthera Dentata 'Purple Knight'

These Begonias are special to me also. They have beautiful foliages and pretty flowers.

Begonia 'Hot Tamale'

Dark Leafed Begonia (No ID)

Begonia Rex Cultorum hybrid

One thing that strikes me about begonias is that their flowers all look the same! These are some of my begonia flowers that have sweet pink shades...

Main Pic: Begonia 'Hot Tamale' | Top Inset: Begonia Rex Cultorum Hybrid | Bottom Inset: Begonia NOID (Dark Leafed)

I can't wait to see these sprouts of flower buds blossom - an Orchid that had never bloomed for me since I planted it more than a year ago, a Hyacinth that will bear double flowers ('Hollyhock') and returning Gloxinia.

Main Pic: Orchid NOID | Left Inset: Hyacinth Orientalis 'Double Hollyhock' | Right Inset: Gloxinia

Hope to show you their blooms in a future post. Happy gardening :-D

Update @ 18 July 2011: The plant is not Cyathula Prostata but Iresine Purple Lady.

First Blooms

2011-02-22T23:44:00.002+08:00

Hibiscus Red Shield flower is not big in size but it's certainly big in attraction with its light pink colour that is quite different from other brightly coloured flowers of Hibiscus plants in my garden.

I am pleasantly surprised that its flowers blossom just about 3 months after sowing its seed. The growth rate is same as my Hibiscus Swamp Mallow.

But the flower shows its 'displeasure' once the sunray hits on it. The bloom is shortlived as it closes by afternoon...

The following plant is commonly known as Brown Spiderwort or Bear's Ears. The plant has wonderful 'furry' foliage and purple flowers. As it is not a popular plant, it was not easy for me to find its name! The plant is native to Eastern Brazil... sounds exotic?

I got this plant last November. It has been doing fine in the bright shade. A few weeks ago, I moved it to a spot in the deeper shade. The plant does not like it.

Just a week in the deeper shade, some of its leaves in the centre turned yellow. Hence the plant is less bushy now. The flower in the pic is its first bloom after growing this plant for about three months. What's your experience with this plant?

I stumbled upon this Purple Velvet Plant last September. This plant also has furry leaves! The pic below was taken in late January. The plant requires clipping quite frequently as the vine tends to grow leggy pretty fast.

Recently, all its stems and leaves just went lifeless, so I cut back the plant. I am keeping my fingers crossed for the plant to bounce back although the chance seems pretty slim. I think underwatering was the cause of the problem.

On a hindsight, I should have grown another plant using its cutting. Earlier, I had propagated new plants (but in the same pot... sigh!) using its discarded stems. They grew easily.

Here are some flowers that are blooming in my garden... Gazania, Begonia Fibrous, Scarlet Sage, Pentas, Hydrangea, Angelonia and Blue Daze.

I am begining to love the Gazania more than Gerbera Daisy as it reblooms faster and nicer. Gerbera Daisy reblooms slower and when a flower bud is opening during cloudy/rainy days, the bloom will end up looking 'under-developed'.

Happy gardening!

Garden Fancies

2011-02-15T00:41:00.003+08:00

I was happy to have found these two little pots with cute faces as I was looking for such pots for some time already. I planted Pilea Depressa into them. Plants with tiny leaves can actually be the hair!

In the pic below, the little pink watering can is just a small container. I used it to propagate some Snakeskin (Fittonia) plants using their tip stem cuttings. No need to do any repotting later, hehe...

Of all the plants in my garden, the Hoya Kerrii has the prettiest foliage :-D

Its lovely succulent heart-shaped leaves are adorable. But soon I will face problem training the vine. The plant turned out to be bigger than I imagined it to be. Any suggestion on the type of trellis to use for this small little pot? This trellis will soon be too small...

Propagating Hoya Kerrii requires lots of patience! The hoya above was propagated using a cutting with two leaves in October 2009. It took about five months to root (no new leaves for several months!) and another five more months to slowly grow a few leaves. After that, when the vine grew longer only more leaves started to fluorish a bit more rapidly.

The total green Hoya Kerrii leaf (pic below) was propagated at the same time as the one above. No new growth sighted yet... sigh! The leaf at the back of the total green one is a Sweetheart Hoya Variegated leaf. It was purchased around Valentine's last year ;-) So far both are looking happy...

Two Sweetheart Hoya Variegated leaves had unfortunately died on me earlier, after growing them for about one-and-a-half years! One has its side/part of leaf touching the wet soil, resulting in it rotting. Another just dried up itself.

The pic below shows another of my treasured plants. Last April, when I first saw this plant - a total green Hoya Kerrii - it was growing in a hanging pot and looked like it was withering away.

I didn't have any system for a hanging pot in my garden, so I transfered the plant into a small pot and used two upside-down, U-shaped bamboo stakes to hold the tough vines. Slowly the leaves turned greener, nicer and grew bushier. Last month, new vines started to grow... yippee!

I notice both my total green Hoya Kerrii plants are a little different, in terms of leaf's appearance. Anyone knows if there are different cultivars of Hoya Kerrii for just for the total green type alone?

Happy displaying your pretty plants... they can surely make you proud :-D

Ha Xuan, so glad you mentioned that hoya plants can be revived. TQ!

Goody Goodies

2011-02-08T23:45:00.004+08:00

How has your week been? Well, thanks to my friend Julia who has helped me water my plants while I was away during the CNY break... otherwise many plants would have been dead already, hehe...

The first thing I noticed was my dwarf Dahlia. A flower has blossomed! And it is bigger than when I first bought it :-D

I was thrilled to see the first flower of Angelonia. Earlier, the plant was yellowing at the bottom as it was raining non-stop. I am glad that it survived!

Growing next to Angelonia, and in the same pot, is Balsam. The plants grew so fast! They took only about a month to grow from seeds to flowers :-D

I brought home these two Azaleas. They are in the shade now as I learnt that they do not like the sun. I just hope that they will be able to adapt well in my rather hot shade (any tips?). The flowers look like they are made of tissue - soft and nice!

Hibiscus Red Shield is about three months old now and has grown to about two feet high. The little flower bud signals that flower is on the way ;-)

The plant has only one branch at the moment. I plan to discard the top (after flowering) to make way for more branches and foliages. But I hope the plant is not too short to be pruned. Should I wait till it's taller?

Here is a big dark begonia. I didn't realise the leaves can grow to be so huge when I first got it (it was just a little plant then!). This begonia loves the shade. Anyone recognise this begonia?

This is the cutest little shrub - Poinsettia. The plant has regrown since a cut back and now looking very green, hehe...

Plants are simply delightful!

Bloomings

2011-01-30T22:46:00.005+08:00

The Year of the Rabbit is just around the corner! Very soon it will be a week of feasting and good break from my normal schedule.

But right now, some the flowers in my garden seem to remind me of things that I need to get! Orange Hibiscus flowers made me think of mandarin oranges. They are juicy and good to have after munching loads of crunchy cookies.

Meanwhile these returning red Verbena blooms have so few flowers and leaves. Hopefully my pocket would not be like that after I have put some money into the angpow packets to be given away... hehe.

Notice the yellow Nong Nooch flowers draping next the bunch of blue Thunbergia flowers in the pic below? Their yellowish golden look reminds me of gold nuggets... haha, I am a dreamer for everything that glitters :-D

Hmmm... I'm suddenly inspired to wear a gold bracelet :-)

Oh, here are the sweet fragrance of Narcissus and Hyacinth. Well, for the Hyacinth, I have to put the flowers close to my nose to be able to have a sniff of the scent. Nonetheless, they remind me of the good hospitality of my in-laws... they not only cook well, they are my gardening sifus (teachers).

This link provides information on Chinese New Year. Have fun reading :-D

Mandarin orange is called kam in Cantonese, a homophone of 'luck' and 'fortune'. Red packets or lai see (in Cantonese) is passed out from married couples or the elderly to unmarried juniors. Elderly also gives red packets to those younger. Gold meanwhile is another symbol of good fortune during Chinese New Year.

And getting flowers to add to the decor of one's home is one of the common practices. Some people say that if your Narcissus blooms on Chinese New Year, you will prosper throughout the year... haha.

To all my Asian friends, enjoy the holiday and to my Chinese friends, blessed Chinese New Year!

Surprise, Surprise!!

2011-01-24T23:28:00.000+08:00

Currently I am enjoying some surprising blooms. The Chrysanthemum plant, bought before the New Year is slowly fading and its mild scent is gone. But I am delighted to see that its faded colour (light purple) is just as gorgeous as the original burgundy :-)

My Cyclamen is reblooming after its first flush of blooms last month...

I have been hiding my Kaempferia behind some pots and hoping to see the leaf's beautiful patterns but instead, the plant sends out flowers one after another :-)

I am pleasantly surprised by the Clematis Avant-Garde also... the dainty blooms are flowering for the second time. They look wonderful!

Out in the open, the Desert Rose is flowering as well! It has been not so sunny these days though.

I just love the long staying Pentas, Bunny Rabbit and China Aster flowers. They look really pretty during sunny days.

And the biggest surprise is served by my dear Impatiens... I found out that I have propagated the wrong plant when the bloom appeared! I had actually taken the cutting of the dwarf variety instead. The normal size one was rotting away, hence I searched for a good cutting to root. And now I realised I took cutting from the wrong plant which was the dwarf one planted in the same pot. Anyway the cutting rooted only last month and the little plant is flowering now...

It is a delight to be surprised by our plants, isn't it?

They Are Happier Now

2011-01-17T23:30:00.001+08:00

My Kalanchoe plants were always planted in the bright shade.

However, under the shade, they grow really slow and easily rot due to over-watering. I find it hard to adjust watering schedule due to the unpredictable weather we have. So, after the above kalanchoe (anyone knows the ID?) rotted, I decided to place my Kalanchoes in the open - under the full sunlight and subject to 'full rain'.

At first I mixed vermiculite, perlite and gravel to use as the growing media. But later I realised that vermiculte and perlite are not really necessary. Now, I just sit my Kalanchoes in gravel after washing off most the soil and leaving only some soil attached to the rootball.

I was also able to propagate more Kalanchoes by using its leaves and stem cuttings in gravels. The Kalanchoe Fedtschenkoi plants below were grown using a stem cutting I received from my neighbour in September. Now it has multiplied and grown much bigger! And the Kalanchoe Orgyalis above... I used its leaves to propagated new plants. For both leaves and stem cuttings, I just poked them into the gravels.

With this new growing media, they are watered daily. Also, the pot has to be placed on secure places so that the pot will not tumble easily.

I find cactus respond well to this method also. But for other succulents like Echeveria, its leaf breaks easily under the rain.

Happy discovering what your plants love!

Gloomy Blooms

2011-01-09T15:07:00.001+08:00

It has been raining and cloudy the whole week. Somehow, my mood towards my garden became likewise and I begun to look at my plants that are with growing issues...

I bought this Anthurium about ten months ago. The growth of the plant is rather funny. About two months ago, it fluorished a pink spathe and now mixed colours of red and green. Also I notice a second spathe. Hmm... now I wonder what would the final double spathe bloom be like...

The kalanchoe leaves have turned red. Probably it's a tan from the sunny sun a week ago. This second flush of blooms is defintely not as spectacular as the first one though.

The flower of this dwarf Canna Lily never last long, the most a few days only. If it rains, the blooms will surely fall to the ground. If the sun is too hot, the colour of the blooms will fade. I can't bring the plant into the shelter as there will not be enough direct sunlight for it to flourish well.

I find the Chalice vine flower loves the rain and cooler temperature. It always flourishes beautiful blooms during gloomy days.

Some of you may recall my earlier Begonia Headache post. Titania and Garden Girl mentioned that it's probably a hybrid that will revert. And I think this is actually the case. The pic below is the Begonia when I first bought it last March. The plant has a nice pink on its foliage. After growing the plant for a few months, it lost its pink.

Today, the plant still show no sign of pink (see the top pic in collage below). I even propagated a plant using its leaf but still no pink (see bottom pic in collage below). Now I just have to treat this type of Begonia as an annual or seasonal plant.

Meanwhile, my Impatiens (see earlier post) has rotted and wilted. But managed to root a stem cutting and now the little plant looks quite promising...

Hope all your plants in your garden are doing well... regardless whether its a gloomy or sunny day!

What's Up?

2011-01-03T15:07:00.002+08:00

It has never occurred to me that this African Violet, which normally flourishes white blooms, can put on a blueish shade. I'm not sure if this is due to the current cooler climate (cloudy and rainy) or is it due to the plant's state of health. So far, African Violets do not fair well in my garden - heat and white alphids problems kept bothering the plant.

My little bird plant is showing off its pretty blooms again. Next to it, I have planted another Pedilanthus, the Zig Zag plant.

They both blush in pink :-D

The Peace Lily took about a year to grow more corms and foliage to crowd the whole pot. Only recently the plant started to bloom...

I am so happy to have found this Begonia Angel Wing. Few months ago, I bought a rooted stem cutting from a nursery. Now I am happy to see the plant flowering!

Past few weeks I have been sowing some seeds. Sadly only the Balsam germinated. Nevertheless, I am now so looking forward to see these little plants flower in this new year.

The Chinese Hatplant in my garden meanwhile never fail to surprise me with its dainty blooms. I hope to see the plant fluorishing prolificly soon.

My red Amaryllis' third and fourth blooms from the same flower stalk has just spent. As I was snapping pics, I was surprised that it actually smelt quite sweet :-D

Happy 2011!

Good Tidings

2010-12-19T23:08:00.000+08:00

I thought this new Amaryllis would be a pink one but it turned out to be red. The flower buds were pink at the nursery but when I brought the plant home, it developed into a much darker colour.

And when I look around my garden I was happy to see other red flowers also. I spotted Episcia flowers instantly as its little blooms look really outstanding against its dark foliage. And both pots of this Episcia are in bloom at the same time :-)

Bunny Rabbit Plant is currently in full bloom. I am totally taken aback by its prolific flowering. However, the plant needs lots of water to strive in our weather. During good sunny days, I have to water the plant twice a day - the leaves will tell you so :-)

The plant is placed in the shelter and receives a few hours of afternoon sun daily.

These 'claws' look yummy... hehehe. Currently, the height of the plant is only about 10 inches from the soil line to the tip of the bloom. Its flower bract shoots out like a bromeliad. Btw anyone know the ID of this heliconia?

Meanwhile, Poinsettia blooms' flaming red colour is fading away but still look fine from afar... unless when you put a new one besides it ;-)

Good tidings of joy to you and your family this Christmas!

Perils in the Garden

2010-12-12T15:17:00.001+08:00

I place my Impatiens at the most outer part of my porch. When it rains heavily, some rain will fall into the pot. Hence, some parts of the plant look like rotting away. Later, when the sky is clear, the sunray is so strong that the weak stems would begin to look frail.

I have just cut back the plant earlier and now have to keep discarding weak stems. The first pic in the collage below is after the cut back. Probably it would have been better if I had repotted the plant instead.

Anyway I am glad that my Snakeskin plant or Fittonia plants have bounced back as many months ago, they were wilting. Before that, they were looking really healthy... check out the second pic in the collage below.

In the past, I have had bad experiences with this festive plant, Kalanchoe. I have bought one that has no roots at all! Last week, I bought a new one. I hope this one will survive well...

After growing this Begonia for three months, the size has doubled. Now I am not sure if I should cut the plant back as I didn't want this plant to end up like my Impatiens. For now, I am just discarding the flower stalks that have grown quite long...

Coleus is often very pretty looking. But when they grow tall, their shape usually will not look so great anymore...

What do you think of these plants?

Meanwhile, my Poinsettia is now growing green leaves already. I bought it four weeks ago. I am glad that only a few leaves at the bottom have turned yellow. How's yours doing?

Happy making preparation for the year-end holidays!

Latest, Greatest, Smallest...

2010-12-04T14:17:00.001+08:00

Hibiscus Swamp Mallow bloom is the biggest flower in my garden thus far. The flower is bigger than my palm!

While the bud takes a number of days to form, the flower closes fast after opening in the morning. By late morning, once the sun is bright, the bloom will begin to close.

Hydrangea flower bracts are the most long lasting. They can last for about three months. The colour will be light purple at first (the pic below shows the latest bloom) and will slowly turn light pink.

At the last stage, the flower bracts will turn light green with a pink blush. I am glad to report that the plant has not stopped blooming since it started flowering in September :-)

The smallest bloom is from my Poinsettia. They add beauty to the flower bracts. However, no more is left this week as they have all dropped off already :-(

Recently, I have added Bougainvillea to my garden. After some pruning, the bracts quickly grew back. However, after a few heavy rainfalls, all its white with pink blush bracts are gone...

Another fast blooming plant is the Petunia. Earlier the blooms have more white in its flower... probably due to the recent rainy days and cooler than usual evenings, the flower has more blue than white.

Ipomoea Blackie... its foliage is as attractive as its flower, a sure winner in any garden!

Meanwhile my Guzmania bloom looks like it can last for another month :-D

Btw in the first pic above is my Aloe Vera, the biggest succulent in my garden ;-)

Have a great December!

Give Thanks At All Times!

2010-11-27T19:11:00.003+08:00

Some of you may be very familiar with this plant, Clematis. I would never have imagined myself seeing a Clematis in real, let alone planting one!

This fast blooming vine gets a few good hours of hot sun daily but undershaded ;-) Its dainty flowers are cute and pretty and I love how the purplish sepals open up to reveal white pom-pom-like petaloid stamens.

Also, I am glad some of the seeds that Beba has kindly gifted me are growing well! Thunbergia Salmon Shades and Maurandya Magic Dragon were sown about four months ago. I hope to see their flowers soon :-)

Hibiscus Red Shield seed's a tricky one for me. At first I thought I needed to nick the seed first before soaking it, as I did for my Hibiscus Swamp Mallow. But for this particular one, nicking is not needed. I think I have actually killed about 4 or 5 seeds before successfully germinating one a few weeks ago.

As for the other seeds like Thunbergia Blushing Susie, Melianthus Major and Rhodochiton, I have unfortunately failed in my attempts to germinate them :-(

Anyway I forgot about the Dwarf Red Caesalpinia seeds that came together. Hmm... I must try to sow one soon. Nonetheless, I should still give thanks in all circumstances... regardless whether the seeds germinate or not :-D

Early Christmas Cheer

2010-11-21T23:45:00.002+08:00

I was overjoyed to see this first bloom from one of the three Amaryllis bulbs that I have taken out from the fridge about five weeks ago (click here to see the bulbs). Earlier, the bulbs were 'put to sleep' in the fridge for about two months.

Ha Xuan, at last... here is my Amaryllis :-) Thanks again for sharing how to force Amaryllis to bloom. The method has worked for James' Amaryllis bulbs and mine!

When I bought this Amaryllis plant (most probably a Hippeastrum Vittatum hybrid) last June, the flower stalk was not even this tall. I am so amazed by the height that I even took measurements.

The flower stalk is about 15" tall and the flower about 3" wide. The funny thing is that the size of this bulb/Amaryllis is actually quite small. It's about 1¾" wide only. Hmm... probably a Grade 'Z' bulb as compared with those Grade 'A' Hippeastrum bulbs that can be as big as an apple ;-)

Poinsettia is now selling at the nurseries already. I brought one home to brighten up the garden.

I hope these two plants will still flourish with their wonderful flowers till Christmas. What tree or plant do you intend to get for Christmas?

Some like pretty colours...

Some prefer a cool colour...

Some will add an interesting colour...

Some will just stick to the traditional red and green...

Have fun preparing and decorating your home for the year-end holidays!

Odd Odd Plant

2010-11-16T00:21:00.000+08:00

I planted this young Black Bat Flower plant (shown in slides below) last month. Few days ago I spotted a flower growing out from the lower part the plant that is just above the soil. It's in a 'resting' posture and looks 'under-developed'.

I hope when the plant grows older the flower stalk will grow taller and upright just like those I have seen in pics from some websites.

Currently this Black Bat Flower plant is grown in a bright shade and gets some afternoon sun. Also, I have been keeping the soil moist all the time. Save for the flower, the plant seems to be doing fine.

Nonetheless, enjoy growing odd plants!

Tough Cookies... Don't Give Up!

2010-11-09T23:41:00.001+08:00

It was so wonderful to see the returning blooms of my yellow Gazania. But the joy was shortlived as I discovered some mealy bugs on the newly formed buds... so sad. I had to discard them in order to save the plant and have to be contented with just three blooms.

The same mealy bugs love my Hibiscus buds also. It has been an on going battle against this 'joy killer' but for now, I just hope they won't attack the Desert Rose and Bunny Rabbit flower buds.

The flower bracts of my Hydrangea have taken on a 'blush' and slowly turning to green after flowering for two months. As for my new Cyclamen and my old Desert Rose and Dianthus, they are flowering amazingly well this week. These blooms however are not going to be as long-lasting as Hydrangea :-(

The missing Cryptanthus you see in the pic below has been eaten by a wild squirrel that visited my garden one day. Fortunately, the squirrel didn't gobble up everything but left me two leaves in the pot and probably some roots. I continued to water the plant like usual and was happy to see a little plant growing now!

In the past, wild squirrels have eaten my Ground Orchid tubers. Now I just hope it don't come back for my dwarf Ground Orchid!

I consider my Gloxinia a strong plant as it is able to thrive even when attacked (mildly) by white aphids. Also my hot garden has not been a deterring factor for the plant to re-grow and re-bloom.

Enjoy your garden blooms and may they all be 'tougher' than you can imagine them to be ;-)

Bells Ringing... Trumpets Blowing!

2010-11-02T09:07:00.005+08:00

I am so amazed by this variegated purple oxalis. The plant is grown from just roots given by a friend. Its leaves and flowers sprung out from the soil all within a span of two weeks only! I attribute this success to the strong and healthy roots.

Meanwhile, the other oxalis-looking plant that I have (that I consider as a weed!) grows in a few of my potted plants. I just leave this weed alone as it makes a wonderful campanion. Sometimes I even see tiny yellow flowers blossoming.

Meanwhile my Chinese Bellflowers have returned. After the first flush of blooms, the plants just dried up. The plants re-grew and flourished marvellous blooms. But this light pink one looks a bit shy, hiding behind some dianthus flowers...

The sizes of the double-blue Chinese Bellplant below including the flowers shrunk to about two-third of the original size though. Perhaps not enough nutrients, he he...

Trumpet-shaped Petunia flowers have sticky surface. Also, many times I had mistakenly cut off new buds instead of spent flowers. Now the plant is down to one-third its original size (the branches grown so long... crazy!). I hope to see it returning to bloom soon :-D

As for my Verbena, it's growing wonderfully in the full sun but on one super hot day, the flowers were 'bleached' out by the strong sun ray :-(

Well, I learnt that verbena means 'pray for me'... hence is a flower to give to request for prayer or perhaps like the bells at the church, to call for all parishioners to pray! The flower also means 'herb of the Cross' or 'holy herb' as the flowers were believed to have been used to stop the bleeding from the wounds of Jesus.

Hearing any 'bells' or 'trumpets' yet?

Beba's Garden

2010-10-26T00:27:00.000+08:00

Whenever Beba sends me pictures of her garden, I will always admire them for some time. Her plants are not only healthy but are arranged together to create very extra-ordinary effect - glorious! The pics you see here are of different years of the balconies on the West side of her house.

Beba does not blog and is really humble about her garden. Already a grandmother but still maintaining an active lifestyle by gardening, painting, working and a responsible owner to Zara, her dog.

Beba is passionate about growing vines and plants of both native and exotic to her country, Slovenia. The climate where she stays is equivallent to Zone 6 in the US.

All the plants are grown (with lots of hard work!) within a season.

Also, she has been sharing with me the fertiliser she made out of comfrey and nettle. And recently she is following bokashi composting. All these are still new to me but I hope one day I could do likewise.

Currently, one of Beba's favourite plants is the Nong Nooch vine. I was influenced to have one in my garden too...

Thanks Beba for such a beautiful garden that's so inspiring!

Wake Up, Please

2010-10-19T23:00:00.001+08:00

This Dahlia is a dwarf variety. The plant produces attractive fully double flowers that are orangy red and yellow in the centre. The flowers however tend to face downwards...

When the sun is bright, Begonia Fibrous succulent leaves glistens up! The surface looks like there is a layer of wax. Be gentle when watering the plant... the leaves are 'crispy'! As for its flowers, they are as magical... gorgeous and outstanding! The pics below were taken in the morning but you can still see the sheen on the leaves.

My friend from Slovenia, Beba told me she was given Begonia Tuberous as a gift when she purchased plants from a garden centre there (Btw Beba, thanks for alerting me to water these bulb plants sparingly!). Here, the price for one is pretty expensive.

As for the one in my garden, the flowers did not open as fully and the colour not as red. When I first got it from the nursery a month ago, the flowers were like a red rose. In my warm garden, unfortunately the outer petals tend to dry up quickly.

They are all bulb plants! I am finding them really interesting.

Last week, I brought out the three Amaryllis bulbs that I had 'put to sleep' in the fridge two months ago (see my earlier post). They are now potted in small containers after I left them sitting on water for a day. I hope to see flower scapes grow out from the bulbs soon... keeping my fingers crossed :-)

The book, Bulbs for All Seasons by Kathy Brown gave me further insights on bulbs. I must say that I am fortunate to have gotten hold of it in a local bookshop (it was the only one left!). I especially love all its detailed illustrations.

Although the content is more applicable for gardeners in temperate climate, I picked up a number of great tips that are useful for my tropical garden e.g. charcoal 'sweetens' water - charcoal keeps water fresh and untainted. This tip is really useful whenever I sit plant or root plant in water.

Fiery Blooms

2010-10-12T00:40:00.002+08:00

It has been raining almost every evening this past three weeks. I count it a blessing whenever there is a window of sunny sky for all my plants except one...

Rain or shine, my Impatiens never stop producing its pretty flowers. Although the plant loves to be in the shade, some sun is good for its health.

One day, in the late morning, I relocated my Guzmania for a dabble of sunlight. I took a nap and the flower got burnt :-(

The sky suddenly opened up in the afternoon and the blazing hot sun scorched one of the flowers! Since it was my fault I hope to redeem myself by ensuring that the other bloom behind this one will turn out perfect.

My friend from Slovenia told me that this plant is called Bunny Rabbit plant. The flower resembles the mouth of a rabbit. From my reading, in some countries, the same flower is also called Snapdragon or Lion's Lips. Aside from red, the blooms come either in yellow, orange, purple, white or bi-colour. This plant seems to be fine with the rainy weather.

Here is the second flush of Verbena blooms. The flowers need warmth/sun to open. I took the pic (left) in the morning and by afternoon, more flowers have opened (right). Love the look of these pretty flowers and the fact that the plant tolerated the earlier prolonged rain.

I hope you have some flowers in your garden that will be able to warm your heart even when the temperature drops or when the sky seems to be gloomy.

Have a wonderful week!

Unusual Forms

2010-10-04T23:23:00.005+08:00

The blooms below may look spooky to some, he he... They will first grow its long 'tresses' then only the flowers. And as the flowers age they will turn slightly yellow.

These flowers release a mild fragrant, grow in clusters and look really extraordinary compared with other 'prettier' blooms in my garden.

The Spider Tresses plant below meanwhile took a couple of months to send out its vine, climbing up to about two feet high on the bamboo trelles. The plant is grown in full sunlight and it seems to be fine with that.

The other plant that has amazing form in my garden is the Butterfly Plant. Their leaves look like butterflies in flight...

I am growing this plant in the bright shade whereas my mother-in-law grows it in full sunlight. The plant seems to like both conditions. The soil has to be kept moist all the time and away from dry wind, else those pretty 'butterflies' will just dry up and fall to the ground. When this happens, I prune the stems and let it re-grow.

These two plants were given by my mother-in-law in June and I am glad that they are growing well :-D

Sunkist Blooms

2010-09-27T23:26:00.000+08:00

My orange hibiscus has finally bursted its first flower. Earlier I sheared the branches as the plant was heavily infested with mealy bugs. Now it is just a short shrub. The plant was propagated from stem cuttings I asked from a stranger (see my earlier post).

One thing that I like about this hibiscus is that the colour changes by the hour. I like the orange shade best when the sun is shinning brightly in the afternoon. That's when the colour looks pastel.

I am seeing more and more Chinese hatplant blossoms already! I have been re-constructing its look a number of times. Now I have erected an upside down 'A' system using bamboo sticks (flat like an espalier) for the vines to grow. The plant seems to like this system better.

Gaillardia is my one of the latest additions to my garden. The petals do not hold up well to the heavy rain but love the sun.

Caught a bee (not sure if they are two?) in my portulaca flower...

Petite gerbera has been constantly blooming her cheerful flower...

Have a great day and enjoy the blooms that are in your garden!

Water Vessel

2010-09-22T22:11:00.000+08:00

My hydrangea flowers (which I didn't know the colour earlier) turned out to be light pink and purple...

It's true that Hydrangea colour follows the pH level of the soil. The flower bracts will be pink when soil pH is between 6.0 and 7.0. To get blue flowers, the soil's pH has to be between 4.0 and 5.0. I tested the soil and the reading show that the current soil's pH is about 6.5.

About two months ago, I repotted the plant to a much bigger container and used really loose and well draining soil. After that, I was delighted to see flower buds sprouting and now... the soft-looking flower clusters.

Hydrangea Macrophylla loves water. This is probably why in Greek, hydrangea means hudōr (water) + angeion (vessel).

Below is a picture of the plant when I first bought it. The plant has always been placed in the bright shade.

Would adding some rusty nails or peat moss to the soil be able to change the colour of the flowers to blue? Coz I couldn't find any blueing tonic here ;-(

Now I wonder if it is better to just get a full grown one instead of a young plant as I had waited for about a year for the flowers to flourish! Nonetheless, the flowers are definitely sweet rewards :-D

The Flowers I See

2010-09-18T00:10:00.001+08:00

These small Euphorbia Milii blooms are modified leaves called bracts. The true flowers at the centre are tiny and inconspicuous.

Thunbergia Laurifolia is not only a fast growing vine but also quick in producing its striking blue flowers. Nonetheless, it's a plant that has been declared a weed in Queensland, Australia.

Dianthus Chinensis is often acknowledged for its edible fowers benefits. The flowers have sweet nectar and clove scent.

Cuphea Hyssopifolia, the whole plant adds a soft texture to a garden. Its foliage role is as important as its tiny flowers.

Coleus flowers do not stay long as they would be pinched off in order to keep the plant growing and grow bushier.

The Hydrangea flower clusters, which are also bracts, grow bigger and colour deepens by the days; from light pink to purple.

This little plant, Acerola, hopefully a bonsai-to-be, burst delicate pink flowers even when the cutting has just flourished leaves.

Regardless, just enjoy the blooms in your garden ok :-D

Bonsai Anyone?

2010-09-13T21:35:00.005+08:00

I spotted this beautiful plant at a bonsai nursery recently. It has a price tag of RM780... expensive? Yes it was! But I really liked it very much as the plant bears beautiful little red fruits and cute pink flowers at the same time.

Did I buy it? Well, yes... but just a small rooted stem cutting that I could afford... at RM15 :-D

Nonetheless, it was not a perfect cutting as the nursery owner honestly told me that the cutting has difficulties growing. She even gave me some 'kapur' (chalk) to treat the stem :-(

Also she told me to get a small brush to scrap off the black growths on its stem... which I am still figuring out how to go about doing it.

After treating the plant, I just left it out in the open at a spot that receives full morning sun daily. Thirteen days later, I was happy to see more leaves and even flower buds growing!

I was glad that the shop owner offered me this cutting eventhough it was not a 'good' one. Now I really hope this plant, Acerola (Malpighia Glabra) will continue to flourish well in my garden :-D

Lesson learnt: Shop for bonsai only when I have a 'deep pocket' (which probably never happen anytime soon...) as it is not everyday that I could find/buy a cutting like this one ;-)

Flower Power!

2010-09-08T22:30:00.002+08:00

These three flowers have shown me what 'flower power' really means.

Earlier this flower cluster drooped due to the hot afternoon heat/sun. But the very next day, I see a gorgeous hydrangea again...

These Gloxinia flowers have been blossoming gracefully. The flowers are all able to put on a good show due to the rainy days and cloudy sky. But on the eighth day, the sky suddenly opened up with a clear blue sky and the temperature was definitely high. The flowers 'melted' and drooped. The next day when I thought I needed to cut them off, the flowers came back to live!

Impatiens also tend to droop in the afternoon. More so when there is sunlight shinning over the plant. However, again and again the plant will just 'straighten' up once the temperature drops in the evening. Amazing right?

'Flower power' really means 'great tolerance towards heat' for these three :-D

Have you any flowers in your garden that can stand the test of heat and that will look gorgeous again the next day?

PS: The flowers in the pics above were taken at the same time, the day before (left) and the day after (right). However, please note that the temperature of the day before was were really hot. The temperature was about 34°C or 93°F. But the day after it was raining and cloudy with a temperature of 26°C or 79°F.

Rosemary & Mint

2010-09-05T21:30:00.002+08:00

The more I prune this little rosemary bush, the more dense is the foliage. Rosemary loves the sun. I love to water this plant in the evenings. The needle-like leaves release very nice invigorating scent :-D

The pruned stems are used to propagate more rosemary bush.

My other herb, mint plant, is not doing that well. Earlier its stems grew thicker and harder. The leaves grew less and turned so small. So I pruned most of them away and now the plant is just too tiny. I just couldn't toss the plant away yet as earlier it has grown so well for me (love its aromatic scent also! I can even smell it while snapping these pics!).

Is the sun too much for this little guy? What can I do?

I do not know the variety of this mint, which was passed to me by my sister-in-law. Anyway although with so few small leaves you see here, the scent is really great :-)

How's Your Garden Doing?

2010-08-24T23:30:00.002+08:00

I just love the Impatiens (most probably a Walleriana variety) that's in the centre of a planter in my garden. It has grown so big in just a month. On the left is another Impatiens, of the red/white dwarf variety, and on the right is a fuschia New Guinea. I just couldn't prune the centre one yet as the flowers are still blooming profusely... sort of like 'over-powering' the rest!

Below was how they were like one month ago...

It's such a joy to see this gerbera flower opened. I picked up this dwarf African Daisy (Gerbera) from a nursery in May at a very reasonable price since only one miserable flower was left on the plant. Later it has bloomed a few more flowers. But none of them was as big as this one :-D

The pic below shows how the plant was at the nursery in May...

Amaranthus Flying Colours plants were not very pleased with the prolonged rain. They have withered away quickly a week ago. They showed its beautiful colours for about one month only. Its lifespan from seed was just about three months.

Finally, my Guzmania foliage is taking on another colour in the centre of the rosette. And Hydrangea started to flourish its first flower buds. I can't wait to see their flowers! I have been growing them for about one year already.

These are some updates from my garden. So how is your garden doing lately?

Happy gardening!

Siam Tulip

2010-08-21T00:00:00.000+08:00

I kept thinking about this ginger plant after I left the nursery and I was glad that I made that U-turn to get it :-D

Later I found out that the plant is called Curcuma Alismatifolia.

Commonly known as Siam Tulip, this plant has light pink/green bracts and white/blue true flowers. As the bracts unfold, the true flowers grow out one after another at the base.

The true flower will open and spent within the day itself while the inflorescence/bracts can last for weeks.

I was told by the nursery attendant to put this plant in the shade and water moderately. Have you any experience in growing this plant? I am not sure if I should move the plant out to the open as the rain might 'smash' the flowers!

The plant has been in this bright-shade spot for weeks and the inflorescence/bract is still looking good... interesting!

Gesneriad Cousins

2010-08-16T17:15:00.004+08:00

When I bought this plant, I asked the nursery owner if this is a Guppy Plant, and he quickly said, "No, I don't know." Shortly after that, however, he blurred out, "Goldfish!"

I thought that he gave me a really spontaneous and clever answer. Yup, the flowers really look like goldfish. When I got back, I double-checked the plant ID. He was right... the plant is indeed also called 'Goldfish'!

Copper Leaf plant or Sunset Bells in the pic below came with one given plant. I dug out the little plant (that tagged along with larger given plant) and repotted it into a separate container. The plant took off really well... fast growing and quick to produce attractive 'bells' (flowers).

The plant is not fussy at all and could withstand more light and more water than other Gesneriads I have. It's another wonderful flowering plant to be placed in the bright shade!

Gesneriad family of plants have very interesting growth habits and attractive flowers. They are so appealing. Hmm... now I wonder if there are more plants from this family that I shouldn't miss out on. Please recommend ok ;-)

Else, you can share which plant from this family you love best or growing well in your garden. I love to hear from you!

Pleasant Surprises

2010-08-11T23:30:00.002+08:00

After the rainy days, one inflorescence grew from a caladium that's in a planter box together with a Mexican sunflower...

These 'dancing ladies' brought some joy back to this nook of my garden. The earlier spike of flowers that grew out was broken due to the heavy raindrops. Then later the sun dried up the spike :-(

But now I am seeing two other new flower spikes growing out from this little orchid!

The bloom of this dianthus lasted for a number of days. This little plant started from a stem cutting ;-)

It is always wonderful to see plants re-blooming. This red gerbera daisy is one of them. Although the size shrunk, the flower looks as cheery as before and lasting.

Cactus Zinnia meanwhile is still blooming but this flower has less petals than the earlier one.

My Little Bird plant has grown to about three feet high now. The bracts have never stopped producing 'birds'!

My red and white Gloxinia has been flowering for 4 months already...

These are the recent surprises from my existing plants. I hope yours are flourishing well also. Have fun gardening!

It's a Pilea Species!

2010-08-10T11:13:00.009+08:00

Earlier, I have published a post to identify the plant below.

The plant is most probably Pilea Depressa.
Common name: Miniature Peperomia, Shiny Creeping Charley, Giant Baby Tears

Many thanks Steven :-D

Preparing for the Year-End Season

2010-08-06T21:30:00.001+08:00

I have just dug up my Amaryliss bulbs to kick-off the 'forcing the bulb to bloom process' since they have not shown any new flower stalks for more than a year (Ha Xuan, thanks again for the details of the process!).

I am now drying the bulbs by hanging them upside down (like the pic below), for a week, before wrapping them with newspapers to be stored in the fridge about 8 weeks. Then, I would let the roots soak in some water for a day, afterwhich hopefully the flower stalks will show up in 5 to 6 weeks!

So if everything goes well, I would see their blooms in December :-D

Hmm... I wonder if I could do the same for my calla lilies. They have not shown any new blooms since I bought them two months ago. Some of their foliage have been scorched by the surprisingly super hot sunlight two days ago. Otherwise they were green and nice under the morning sun with light shade in the afternoon. Now I have just moved them away from the sun as I am afraid that the hot spell will come back.

Has anyone tried to freeze/force calla bulbs to bloom before? I appreciate some advice from you :-)

Would really love to see my callas bloom again. Their gorgeous flowers could last for at least a week!

Chinese Bellflowers

2010-08-03T10:30:00.003+08:00

Chinese Bellflowers or Balloon flowers are amazing. Although they come in small pots, the flowers are really big, comparatively.

The plant requires some attention, on deadheading, but its charming blooms flourish quickly.

The double-petaled blue one turned single-petal towards the end. Also the plant does not like prolonged wet soil at all. This plant absolutely loves to be placed at a spot that have the morning sun with afternoon shade ;-)

Begonia Headache

2010-07-28T13:30:00.003+08:00

Have you grown this begonia before? You might not recognise this one but the next one below.

Both are the same plant! I bought the plant in early March. Its new leaves do not have the beautiful blush anymore and have shrunk in size. Also I find that the plant is quite particular about its water requirement. No more blush, no more flowers... aged? how terrible it is, right?

I still hope that the plant will revert to its original look. Have you had similar encounter with this type of begonia? Help!

Anyway, my two other begonias are doing well and I am very pleased with them...

Sorry if I have bored you this time. Not everything grows well in my garden ;-)

Cheery Dark Plants

2010-07-24T10:30:00.002+08:00

I have recently added a few dark-coloured plants to my collection after being inspired by my new Chocolate Sunflower. Dark-coloured flowers and foliage are outstanding plants and they are interesting additions to a garden.

This dark purple Colocasia was the first one I bought. So far, the plant doesn't mind the sun at all. Moreover, the foliage looks even better when the sun is shinning brightly on it :-)

Next are plants that require shade... and fussy too! This dark purplish red cultivar sits very well next to my existing variegated green Peperomias.

The dark green-leaved African Violet, with pink double-petaled flowers, looks outstanding even when placed together with my Gloxinias that are much bigger in size. The nursery attendant was so kind to give me a special price for another two that were not in good condition - one with light green leaves and single-petaled white flowers (white bloom was what I was looking for in the first place!) and the other with variegated leaves but without blooms (I always like to give myself a surprise!).

I finally got hold of three African Violets...

And here is the darkest and tallest Chocolate Sunflower (about 5 feet high) among the three that I have. It has the most petals but the size is not much bigger though as the diameter of the flower is only about 4 inches.

Happy shopping for cheery dark plants for your garden!

Baby's Tears?

2010-07-20T23:00:00.000+08:00

Does anyone recognise this plant? It's a pretty bright green plant with dainty leaves.

Recently, I noticed that there were tiny greenish white flowers growing at the tip of a few stems.

I have tried searching for its ID. Closest match found is Baby's Tears (Scientific name: Soleirolia Soleirolii). Could you confirm this?

I grow this plant under shelter but with really bright indirect sunlight the whole day. Thrives really well when well-watered. It's a plant with lots of potential for plant base decoration, ground cover and hanging basket as the plant trails and creeps.

Plant Sitting in Water

2010-07-17T17:30:00.000+08:00

I dug up one crown from the pot of Calathea that I have been growing outside, washed the roots and put it into this pot, filled with just water and pebbles.

It's so clean and quite presentable too. Above all, I can now enjoy this beautiful tropical foliage in my kitchen as well ;-)

Meanwhile, I am glad that Bernie from My Dry Tropics Garden (thanks Bernie!) told me to put a plate of water with pebbles below the calathea. It has certainly helped my Calathea to grow well.

Chocolate Delight

2010-07-14T11:35:00.000+08:00

Planting Sunflower is really rewarding! This flower is the first to open and it's from the shortest of the three plants I am growing in a pot.

The flower attracted lots of ants.

My only regret is that I did not give enough thought on the staking. I mean a nice one. I just used a three-tiered tomato cage and a rafia string criss-crossing in the middle to hold the stems. I have tied haphazardly before a heavy downpour earlier. But it is definitely a secured stake for the plant's 'safety'. Nonetheless, I am glad that the heavy rain did not crush the skinny plant. Now that a flower has bloomed, I bring in the pot whenever the rain comes. I want this flower to stay forever... it's a cool sunflower to have :-D

Meanwhile, my Amaranthus Flying Colours have flaunt its striking colours. The new leaves are no longer green and chocolate brown. They are now yellow and scarlet. Suddenly the plants look so cheerie and bright :-D

Happy gardening!

Pretty Sweet in Pink

2010-07-11T00:05:00.002+08:00

Started this Episcia from a stolon that was given by my sister-in-law about six months ago. Now the plant is flowering for the first time. Its bright pink tubular flowers look really striking against the dark chocolate leaves.

The other plant that's in bloom at the same time is Lantana. When I bought it two months ago, there was no flowers. Later the plant grew a few umbels. After they have spent, I pruned the plant a little. Now, I am glad the plant has grown bushier and flourished more flowers.

It is also amazing to watch how the outer flowers open before the inner ones. Their colours first appear in white/yellow and slowly turn pink/orange later.

Although Lantana is a little smelly, their nectar is a sweet treat for butterflies.

Below is not a reflection of above picture. This morning, the same butterfly sipped nectar from my Vinca Periwinkle which co-incidently has a pink dot.

It has been quite an interesting day for me. Watching those little flowers blossoming and me, snapping pictures here and there. I hope your weekend/day would be a good one!

It's Bill!

2010-07-07T22:30:00.001+08:00

Billbergia Pyramidalis, native to Brazil, joined my garden about six months ago. Now its much awaited inflorescence has finally emerge from its rosette of green, smooth, hard leaves.

The cluster of bright red flowers that formed the flower head made the inflorescence look like a torch. When the three petaled flowers opened, I see blueish purple stigma and yellow stamens. The tip of the flower petals is purple as well.

It only took a few days for the whole inflorescence to grow out and flourishing its flowers. The flowers opened and spent fast as well. The whole flower head lasted only about a week.

Although this inflorescence is not so full of flowers compared with those I have seen from the Internet, I am hoping that the plant will grow lots of pups soon... its colour, red is really unusually striking!

PS: If you have any tips either on how to prolong the life span of the inflorescence or how to grow the flower head fully, please let me know. Thanks!

Pretty Sarra

2010-07-02T23:00:00.002+08:00

My Sarracenia has already been living in my garden for a year now... and the pitchers have been growing steadily.

The tallest pitcher is about 20 inches in height.

I feed the plant with grasshopper when I catch one (small ones that is!). Else, the pitcher itself attracts lots of ants to feed itself.

The plant has been always been in this pot that's located under my porch, which is a brightly shaded area. The indirect sunlight shines from the right side, hence you might notice that new pitchers tend to grow towards that direction. And if you look closely you may also see that the blush is on the right side.

((((( Help me grow flower faster! )))))

Thank you!

True Blue Gloxinia

2010-06-29T22:30:00.001+08:00

I bought this Gloxinia in September last year. I pruned off the whole plant in December after all the flower buds have opened. The first time the plant regrew, the leaves turned yellow due to over-watering. It then grew back the second time and the result is shown here.

Below picture was taken when the first two flowers began to open...

This one is propagated from the plant's leaf. I separated one plantlet from the rest of the baby plants. The plant grew and gave me the beautiful blooms in the pic below.

The result is satisfying!

And I love its gorgeous flower...

Here are my backups which I propagated using leaf cuttings.

The Cute And The Funny But No ID

2010-06-24T00:00:00.003+08:00

My little cactus gave me a pleasant morning surprise with this cute pink bloom. There were lots of ants in the bloom, so the flower must be really sweet! I am not sure if the scent I smelt that morning was from this flower (I didn't get close to have a sniff... silly me!) or from my neighbour's fresh laundry :-)

Do you recognise any of these cacti? I do not have their IDs.

The funny looking zinnia below is about 3 inches in diameter. Not really a big flower but the orange colour is really intense. The flower is obvious even from outside the house. One big part of its stem is resting on the soil due to the rain. The apparent stem is only about 1 foot above the soil line. I am glad that it didn't rain heavily when the flower was unfolding. Else the petals will be crushed even before it could fully open and the flower will look 'funnier' :-D

The seed was from Dirt Princess of Trials & Tribulations of a Southern Gardener. Just wondering if this is a cactus-type zinnia...

I hope you find them as cute and funny as I did :-D

My Little Plants

2010-06-20T23:15:00.001+08:00

Amaranthus Flying Colours... I am so excited about the progress of these plants. I am sure their real colours are going to come out soon. Till then, I hope the plants are not too crowded. I just couldn't find another place to separately place them now... there is simply no more space in my garden!

A sunflower that I am really looking forward to seeing the blooms... it's going to be chocolate :-)

My Fressias are growing so slowly... I do not know why but I hope they will continue to grow well.

Have you grown these plants before?

Climbers with Big Flowers

2010-06-16T01:00:00.000+08:00

I am so thankful that my mum managed to get a few cuttings of this beautiful vine from her neighbour's garden some months ago.

From this particular cutting, I had hoped to grow a bonsai-like plant. Not many leaves have grown over the four months though since I transferred the rooted cutting into this pot. This first bloom however came as a pleasant surprise. The flower is as huge as it could be, even when the vine is still short. The whole pic below is actually the whole vine!

The other vine that has big flowers is the laurel-leaved Thunbergia. This vine grows pretty fast and is very productive. The flowers kept appearing and it is really a delight to have this vine in my garden.

Due to their size (huge!) and colour (obvious!), I must say that both flowers are real show-stoppers :-D

Do you have vines that produce big flowers like these? Please share, I would like to know!

They Are Not True Lilies

2010-06-07T10:15:00.000+08:00

I am growing Canna Lily for the first time. The flowers are attractive. I just love the flowers' vivid colours but they really look like fake flowers that are made out of crepe paper. And, grasshoppers love the leaves. The new leaves are always 'disfigured' by them! My way of punishing those little creatures... they go right into the throat of my Sarrracenia pitchers once caught ;-)

This is my second attempt to grow a Calla Lily. The first one rotted and is gone. I hope this one will last longer and the heat will not 'melt' the plant.

True lilies or not, their blooms are really gorgeous. Wish me luck ok!

Plant Survival

2010-06-02T23:00:00.001+08:00

My hibiscus was heavily infested with mealy bugs. In fact, most of its leaves were gone. But I was so glad to see that the plant has re-bloomed although the flower is now much smaller in size. All in the plant took about 4 months to recover and rebloom!

The white flies that infested my Mexican Sunflower left. But below were the last few blooms...

Although not infested by white flies, the fate of my cosmos turn out to be the same.

Both the Mexican Sunflower and Cosmos Bright Eyes grew to be quite tall. Later when the old leaves dried up the plants did not look nice anymore. Hence, I discarded them to make room for new plants. Between the two, I like the Mexican Sunflower more as their flowers were really striking!

Incredible Mosaic Plant

2010-05-26T21:30:00.003+08:00

I was totally taken by surprise with this find... At a nursery that I patronise recently, I saw a pot of mosaic plants that looks really interesting. They have yellow flowers.

I wanted a small plant of it but the attendant said they do not have any and offered to give me a few stolons. Notice those stolons at the sides of the pot? He cut a few for me. He told me to just poke them into wet soil and the plant will grow. And it did :-)

Earlier, the stolons were lifeless and limp (almost cannot be held!) when I reached home (sorry, no photo). Overnight, the plant just sprung back to life. What an incredible plant!

So, the next time you are at a nursery and wanted to have this plant, you can try asking for a few stolons ;-D