Success with Pentas

Remember Egyptian Stars (Pentas Lanceolata) propagating project in Oct? Thanks to James Missier, these beautiful cutting survived (100%) and replanted into flowerbed. Now they're budding!

Look at the colour-variety of Pentas that you could choose. They looked like little trumpets hehe :D

Pinks and Whites arranged next to Joyweed (Alternanthera Dentata 'Purple Knight') for contrast. Darker reds enhance bright light colours to glow. I'm advised frequent trimming Joyweeds to adequate height because as they grow taller, its stem at base becomes hollow and weak. Guess they'll have to stay short *grins*. Oh by the way, Joyweeds easily propagated.

Will wait out till Pentas filled up the flowerbed for a good picture. The bed is highlighted at the ends with bright purple Globosa and bright oranges; Zinnia (right) and Gerbera Daisy (left).

Need help to identify the plants below.

Chinese favourite Joyweeds for being 'forever red' (red symbolize auspicious). The new orange flower 'forever prosper' and the evergreen plant 'forever live'.

"Loving someone is like caring for a garden, love it too much or too little and it dies, but love it just right and it will live forever." - Anonymous

Cross-breed?

I blogged in my last post about pulling out the old leggy Zinnias and Marigolds from the flowerbed. For months I've tried sowing its seeds to grow, I think 4 or 5 batches - I couldn't remember now. Seedlings grew to a foot tall then they all dried up so easily - perhaps from over-watering?

I replaced these flowers with Pentas. And what-da-ya-know? Spotted this lovely bright orange Zinnia, taking up the backstage right corner. Now we've planted its parents in the front row so I was amused that this shy seedling preferred otherwise.

What a minute ... I was just flipping those the old blogs and couldn't find . I had Zinnias 'Yellow Flame' and 'Pink' planted in June. They grew above 3 feet tall and became leggy with smaller blooms. I find it hard to grow their seeds. In Nov, I bought dwarf-looking Orange narrowleaf zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) to replace them. Dreadful rainy spell destroyed all before I could plant them into ground and snap photos.

Could this be a "cross-breed" ? Wow.

Sweet smelling 'Bunga Kerak Nasi' or 'Kesidang' (and many more other local names) before and after bloom. This pest-free flowering vine plant bloomed a few times in Nov and Dec. They enjoyed the rainy spell :)

Lovely bright yellows (Turnera) glows in the gloomy and wet mornings. It has spread out a lot since Sep. 

A cutie moth (to me, but hubby insist it's a butterfly, what do you think?)

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum spp.). It does looked somewhat like an Anthurium in white. I love having Anthuriums, they look exotic like Orchids and blooms could stay on over a month. In fact I bought Pink anthuriums twice, tried in sunny and cooler locations, without much luck.

I'm told that Peace Lily requires filtered sunlight or else its leaves will burn easily.

Desert Rose's bud 2 weeks later (Adenium Obesum).

In succesion

Spotted little flowerheads of Gerbera Daisy's (Gerbera jamesonii) late Aug, pic showing a week later.

Couple days later, 2nd Gerbera grew matching petals, catching up with the 1st. Oh look! 3rd petiole a peekaboo (left)!

 

2 weeks since late Aug, 1st Gerbera bloom is getting tired.

Closeup on 1st and 2nd bloomer. Notice the center called 'capitulum' contains tiny floret bud. You will know the daisy will fade, when all the florets bloomed and petals wilting. 

Pic left, 1st bloom starting to fade and 2nd has its florets blooming halfway on right.

Left pic, 3rd bloom and next our 4th a peekaboo baby.

Amazing Gerbera Daisy, they bloom in succession hence seemingly endless. A fun to be prying into its masses of huge leaves everyday, on lookout for little petiole with a flowerhead. I call them peekaboos :)

I think Gerberas will flower beautifully & vibrant in filtered sunlight although its label (when purchased) instructed "in full sun". Coral coloured Gerberas took 2 months to establish in the flowerbed, yet to see signs on our Yellow coloured Gerberas (which is our keen interest *fingers crossed*).

Meantime, I'm having a field time at snapping fat swelling green caterpillars. Counted today, 4 noticeably large and 1 skinny caterpillars. Will post their pics soon.

Buds greet Happy Mid-Autumn

Chinese celebrates Mid-Autumn, according to the Lunar Months so happens falls on Sep-28 until Oct-3. It is when the moon is especially big, round and very bright. This period with busy activities for the Chinese, such as; prayers with happy offerings, visits bringing mooncakes, renunions with a good meal, weddings, etc. The final day is usually celebrated in full swing. There are quite a few legendary stories of the 'Moon Day'.

In Malaysia, bakeries and restaurants would be selling their mooncake delicacies to woo appetites everywhere. This year, our Mid-Autumn just after Hari Raya. Our Malay neighbour were delighted when we brought halal mooncakes to their 'Raya open house'. A favourite feast for their sons.

A week after we spotted Gerbera's flowerheads, one of the four, grown 4-inches tall today. I was amused as flowers in the same plant, and/or similar phase, has different growing behavior. The tallest of the four, develop petals covering its shy face, perhaps to shield from the intense sunlight. It is a Coral-coloured Gerbera plant but yellowish petals? Hmm ...

This cutie here however prefer to stay low but has a wider maroonish face, yellow petals growing from the sides.

Adenium's new buds, this time from my neglect as I spent more time on Roses and Hydrangea and worry about Kesidang. This will be our 3rd blooming time.

This pot of Sui Mui (Wrightia religiosa), my 1st bonsai experiment - obviously an amateur, decided to bud and bloom after 7 months! Oh how nice! It is fragrant so I can't wait to have the first sniff!

 These are buds from Kesidang (Vallaris Glabra). I'm thinking perhaps, or maybe, Kesidang's fragrance awaken our Sui Mui to bloom? Both plants with buds, so I'm so excited when they bloom filling fragrance in our porch.

Interesting, don't you think so? New leaves formed at the tip of the stem. It is a rare sight for me.

My sis-inlaw loves this plant. Really easy to grow Episcia and blooms in partial shade areas. Wonderful blooming plant to have for small garden or limited space.

It may look like a creeper but it isn't. It'll grow lush with coloured leaves, interesting to look at even when it is not blooming. Over-watering can cause root to rot easily so be warned ;-)

Gerbera jamesonii

Spotted little flowerheads. Coral coloured Gerbera Daisy's (Gerbera jamesonii) second round of blooming after planted in my flowerbed end Aug.

Flowerheads grew from the middle of the plant, less than an inch taller in 5 days.

They looked like mini sunflowers to me.

Top view of Gerbera daisies in my flowerbed.

Gromphrena Globosa's seedlings growing and filling up the spaces in the bed nicely. Seeds germinated in mid Aug and planted into this bed two weeks later.

The last yellow Marigold amongst the orange, like the 'The Last of the Mohicans'.

Little blue bug wants to be in this picture. Unfortunately, it was getting dark and my camera zoom didn't do justice.

Hydrangea flowering

Can Hydrangea bloom twice on the same bloom? This puzzles me more. See flowers at top; those cute round balls in the center of 4 petals are buds! Flowers at bottom had their little buds bloomed. Has 2 stamen-like with shining silver tip. Plan to get a closer look tomorrow during the day.

I think it has sweet nectar because tiny crawlies (smaller than house ants and whitish colour, could they be 'aphids'?) moving upwards and downwards on this plant. I might not have exact recipe as Homemade Aphid control; but will try spraying with a solution of cooking oil, water and dish drop [1:1.5:0.24 cup].

Update Sep-30: I've added two pics (top and left) closeups on the blooms.

My bougainvillea blooming in bunches. Wonderful!

It bloomed well initially until I moved it next to a wall for creeping.

Then it was growing variegated leaves until it relocated back here.

Seems to be saying, "I'm lovin' here, so quit movin' me!".

Interesting Hydrangea Annabelle

Hydrangea Annabelle (Arborescence) bloomed fully after 3 weeks since planted into flowerbed.

Blue tinged or am I dreaming of Hydrangea Endless Summer (macrophylla) ? A quick check, my hydrangea's petals doesn't have sharp edges like Macrophylla. Rounded petals resembles closely to Annabelle.

A week later.

Heat is too great for Hydrangea, notice the middle (tallest) section wilted brown. On the bright side, less blooms means lighter weight so I needn't worry putting more support.

Strange hue, varying between blue and pink. Pic taken a month after planting. This is queer because Annabelle is naturally white and will not change color in response to soil pH and typically white flowering varieties can not be made to flower blue.

Hydrangea Annabelle proves more hardier than Hydrangea Macrophylla. An interesting site with tips to resolve Hydrangea Annabelle's droopy blooms.

Update Oct-6: My hydrangea has finished blooming, here's a snapshot of young hydrangea growing rapidly beside the mummy-plant.