morning sickness

Is morning sickness finally over? I really hope so.

I've been missing in action for awhile :P ... nausea overwhelms me throughout the day, it's depressing! I just could not be in the garden hence leaving all gardening duties to 'mother nature'. Hubby and MIL helps with waterings only on hot consecutive days. Terribly grateful having garden maintenance last month to weed, remove weak and old plants, trimmings and thinning everywhere, fertilizing and pesticides.

Suddenly I developed a keen sense of smell. Moths been laying eggs and caterpillar more frequent (weekly) leaving pungent feces and chewed Periwinkle leaves.
 

So we replaced the 6 feet tall Periwinkle with our beautiful grown Wrightia antidysenterica, now reaching 3 feet tall. The foldable support helps to give it a lift from those heavy downpour.

 

 

Planted Peace Lily on Wrightia's old pot, will post it soon. Its other names are Spathe Flower, White Anthurium, White Sails (Spathiphyllum spp.). Perhaps the 'white sails-like' attracted MIL as she loves the sea, ocean. Has air purifying properties, removing toxins from surrounding atmosphere. Love the deep green shiny broad leaves. Made sure its caterpillar-free :P

We've replaced our potted Periwinkles with newer flowering plant, yet to find out its name. Coming soon.

Pretty pink bloom, despited heavy downpour and wet season, and neglect. It's sustaining well compared to Red Christian Dior now naked (leave-less) brown stem. Seeing it about to bloom, gave natural fertilizer (recommended by Rose Nursery).

Desert Rose is budding too :)

Surprised really from the neglect and wet days, and its budding. Mother nature is helping :)

Desert Rose accompaniment with Bougainvillea and Sui Mui for the sunny (sunset) spot. Sadly Bougainvillea losing out most of its leaves from insufficient heat, as if hibernating. Sui Mui, more and more leaves.

Will be posting soon on our revamped flowerbed - design to weather the wet season and daily heavy downpours.

Thanks for visiting :D

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe!

Lipstick red roses. We believed it's Cameron highlands breed from the size, colour and texture of its leaves compared to the localised environment. Weather in Cameron Highlands lower by 10 deg C (50 deg F) day and night compared to the low lands - that is a lot of difference!; makes a wonderful vacation for families and friends to get away from the hot, humid and polluted cities.

For Roses, a different matter. Many argued that it is impossible for it to thrive or home gardeners to create full sunlight at cooler temperatures. Perhaps it could grow in East facing homes? Or to plant in areas with East sun and shaded from West sun - which is what we did. Noticeably this Cameron highlands rose will bud and bloom at year end during the cooler season.

The China Rose (Cramoisi Supérieur) or a Bourbon Rose (Louise Odier) tiny bud bloomed this morning, sweet fragrance for Deepavali. Wonderful to be at home.

Counting in Malay, Chinese, Indian. I used vowels for languages Chinese's PinYin and Indian's Tamil.

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,

Catch a tiger by the toe.

If he hollers make him pay,

Fifty dollars every day.

courtesy of children's counting rhyme

Photos 2 days later, beautiful petals fall off :(

Was careful when watering, not to knock the pot but the wind beat me to it.

I didn't trim the flowerhead yet cos it still looked good and slight fragrant.

Seeing Pink

I see "pink" this October.

Desert Rose (Adenium Obesum) buds are blooming.

Haven't a clue if it is China Rose (Cramoisi Supérieur) or a Bourbon Rose (Louise Odier). Anxious to a whiff of it as soon as it blooms, I'm thinking tomorrow, soon. To savour its fragrance again.

Bachelor Buttons (Gomphrena Globosa) thriving well in this humid weather. It's purple (giggle) well it does blend with the pinks, ya?

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 ;-)

Pink Raya (Part 2)

Buds spotted a week ago and bloomed today.

Well it isn't exactly a perfect bloom like the ones from nursery Rose Specialist, Sg Buloh.

Thankfully the scent is the same. Place your nose 3-inches from the rose, a sniff of wonderful sweet smell like red syrup. Yumm!!

I'm guessing it's Cramoisi Supérieur (or China Rose or Agrippina). A quote by Soulgardenlove "In my garden September 26, 2007 LOVE IT!! :) Cramoisi Supérieur is sweet!."

Yesterday, it looked like this. We had really strong winds after midnight followed by heavy downpour that lasted a few hours.

So I was pleasantly surprised by it beautiful bloom this morning.

Or it could be Louise Odier, a Bourbon Rose. Davy's Lousiana Gardening mentioned how easy to grow this rose, blooms year-round and like an evergreen. I just hope I got this rose named right!

Elegant bright lilac pink rose - don't you agree?
Very fragrant of raspberry and deep Damask rose. More of these blooms, its fragrance could fill your garden 2 feet away.




The center of the rose is quartered framed by outwardly folding petals, which form an intricate lacing of concentric circles (see pic). This rose can grow up to 8 feet high on Dave's garden.

It can be vulnerable to blackspot and mildew, so precautions may be necessary. Dave suggests to plant Louise Odier as center stage in your garden, void of other bright plants so that the rose's fine features can be accentuated.

Next to China Rose or Bourbon Rose (I seriously don't know which)

is the 'Christian Dior' rose bloomed together with it. I'm getting Dior blooms half the original purchased size. It is a medium red Hybrid Tea rose with large flowers. The scent not as strong, perhaps the size of bloom carry the strength of its scent? But with both roses in bloom, I could sniff them 2 feet away!

Update Sep-24: It was time to fertilise the roses, I was manouvering my 20 liter watering-can and ...  Ack! China Rose or Bourbon Rose went into pieces, all petals fell. Gosh! So delicate?

Leaving solo Dior Rose bloom.

Beautiful Desert Rose blooms

Desert Rose (Adenium obesum) bloomed today! OMG a success story, oh-joy!

It hasn't re-bloom since June, this majestic flowered plant we've bought at a nursery near Hicom mid-May. It has been growing lush green leaves, and more leaves! At least I'm watering less correctly, otherwise result to yellowing of leaves which eventually drop off.

Folks say "Fu Gui Fa" (plant's name in Cantonese) blooms in the hands of lucky people; so if it doesn't bloom it is fated. I could not accept that because it had 7 or 8 buds in the nursery and bloomed in our garden - so it has to be something that I'm not doing right.

Patiently waited. 2 months passed, unhappy with the result; I surfed the internet to research, read blogs, sight-seeing neighbour's Desert Rose; to understand "why" some blooms and some don't.

I find most bloggers and forums discussed about "prunning" the plant. The best illustrated demonstration on pruning back a Desert Rose by Mickeys Rose.

Early August, I replanted to lift its cauldex, trimmed some roots and pruned away 4 stems (had the heartache doing all 6 stems). 2 weeks later, tiny buds appeared on 2 pruned stems while leaves on the rest. Growing buds takes 2 weeks before finally bloom.

I snapped the swelling buds this morning. The largest is bigger than my index finger.

Later that evening, when we reached home after a day's outing, we were pleasantly greeted by blooms.

Ahhh ... perfect.

*** No pain, no gain. Do not be disheartened by minor losses, for they may lead you to major gains.

Gleeful Surprise

A morning surprise to see an unusual growth on Desert Rose's tip of its stem - usually we'd get new leaves but this time, our fingers crossed, could it finally be new buds?















We counted 3 on separate stems. Our Desert Rose underwent pruning and replanting process 5 days ago.














































We will patiently wait while our Desert Rose's surprise unfolds.

Glimmer of hope for our mini roses. Dutifully giving them specialised time-release fertilizer pellets on every 2 weeks.

Roses Challenge

Glimpses twice of a terraced-house, end lot, with huge garden by the side. Filled with roses inside and outside of compound. OMG! So breath-taking to see healthy blooms, variety of colours everywhere. Sunset filled the wide garden and roses glowed.





This proved the theory that roses can survive this heat & direct sun. The big question is how come? Here a pic of my disapointing rose, buried 3 pellets of specially formulated rose fertiliser 2 weeks ago. Hopeful when buds appeared 5 days later but they turned brown!




Suite101.com has some diagnosis for 'brown-edged Rose blooms', which could results from (a) Thrips or larvae sucking juices on new growth, (b) common condition called Baling caused by high-humidity or over-watering above the roses, (c) Heat Stress by new roses without a chance to adjust from partial sun/shade to full sun, (d) Botrytis - a fungal disease - proliferates during extended wet weather (check for brown-gray mold) or could be (e) Lack of drainage resulting brown-edge blooms, weak stems and sad leaves. Calcium deficiency common during hot weather in high-salt soils.


Why are my Roses turning brown on edges even while its budding? High humidity (too much concentrated chemical fertilizer) and insufficient water during periods of hot weather. Try using time-release fertilizer or fish emulsion in small amounts. Cut off the brown buds and wait for next cycle of bloom.





Here my Desert Rose, stop blooming since June'09. Notice the healthy green stems with abundance of leaves? Quite dissapointing as I wished to know how to have it bud & bloom. Tried fertiliser specially for its blooming, misting only in the evenings, shifting its pot to catch sun rays. Photos taken on Aug-2.

This evening, I uprooted the Desert Rose, trim the excess roots to raise its cauldex by half an inch above the soil level. Seems shaky after replant, wet & press soil downwards to hold it firmly.

3 days later, I pruned off 3 stems. Now it's wait and see.

Surviving in Malaysian heat

Across the globe, there are people wondering how to survive in the heat at 109 deg F (43 deg C). Already I'm wondering how to resist heat at 91 deg F (33 deg C).


Some tips on heat-survival is to wear light clothes and change often after sweating profusely. Adequately replenish your body with water, splash some water on face, rinse your hands & feet to cool down. Wear sun-protections if you do go out. Try to avoid the glaring sun from clear skies.

• Malaysia Feeling The Heat http://www.malaysia-wildlands-project.com/article-feeling-the-heat.html
• Dry Weather Hurting Malaysian Palm Output http://www.flex-news-food.com/pages/23658/Malaysia/Palm-Oil/dry-weather-hurting-malaysian-palm-output-2009.html
• Hot, hot, hot till September http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/5/11/nation/3876183&sec=nation

Pic above: Talinum P.'s after blooms now sets shiny gold seed. Common name 'Jewels of Opar'.

Pics below: Alisma (Common Water-plantain) bloomed this morning. This weed thrives excellently in this heat.

Recently I resorted to Chinese brewed tea, Fu-Cha (means bitter tea - it is exteremely bitter so be forewarned). If you're buying from a tea vendor, be sure to emphasise your requirement a) casual cooling down, b) ulcers/heaty or c) flu/cough.

Who should drink Fu Cha tea? What is Fu Cha? Nomadic Tibetans lives in extremely harsh climate every year and dietary intake consists high carbo-meats. They consume Fu Cha on daily basis. http://www.tnttea.com/index.cfm/aboutfucha/

Unsuccessful heat-reducing trauma after 3 rows of Fu-Cha, I visited a chinese physician (tabib cina) in SS15 for 5-day herbal prescription with strict dietary instruction. Off to the Chinese Medicine Hall, for 14 types of herbs - was intrigued by the shiny white powdery shavings (rhinocerous). These is so new to me. 2 days treatment, significant heat-reduction from my palms. Alleluia!

Notice the difference?

Close-up view of the Desert Rose's flower bract (left pic) and tiny growth on its stem (right pic). Each stem branches out, like a bract of 3 to 4 petals.