Kesidang's buds seem to be burned without blooming.

We relocated the thirsty and pouting tree beside our patio, the original position. We moved it thinking a sunnier spot will prevent Kesidang leaves to turn brown.

Pics of Kesidang leaf turning brown, here's 1st phase.

Starts to get tinge of brown in phase 2.

Uggh! Phase 3, the leaf falls off easily. One or two, perhaps I need to adjust to minimal watering. But everyday, we're get 2 or 3 brown leaves falling off at alarming rate. Gone are the lush green leaves we saw it at the nursery?

2 weeks ago, we moved the pot next to our porch for full sun from noon till 7pm. All leaves pouting by noon and for next 6 hours, dreadful looking. It has many buds, 30% of them seems to be burned brown and rest takes forever to swell to bloom.

Recently, we moved it back to the original spot today for 50% sunlight from 3pm till 6pm. Perky Kesidang leaves from morning then 6 hours later, unnoticeable pouting but looked agreeble - maybe today's cloudy weather? Will be monitoring for the next 2 weeks. Not to keen about plant on ground for now. It looks balance beside something vertical, i.e. porch, patio, wall, etc, so haven't decided which spot to plant on ground.

New leaves unfolds. Interesting indeed.

We're getting its wonderful fragrance, day and night. Buds bloom on differently days then fade, so it looks like a week long of  Water Jasmine (Wrightia Religiosa)'s fragrance.

Planned to start pruning and wiring when all flowers finished blooming.

"Shui Mei" (Wrightia Religiosa)

A close up on Gerbera Daisy.

A shot of two Gerbera Daisy's new buds. Left growing very tall but the right, a shorter, has a wider and open face.

This morning, the first bloom of "Shui Mei", in Mandarin (Wrightia Religiosa or Water Jasmine or Wild Water Plum).  A great delight in sniffing to my heart's content. I sure missed its fragrance since seven months ago.

White Sui Mui illuminates.

I tried lifting to get a closer look at the bloom. It has inflorescence of buds, in an umbel, takes turn in blooming. Bloom once before it fades and fall off.

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 ;-)

Bonsai - a pet that will outlive you

"Wrightias are very tropical plants and love the heat. When they are growing keep the soil moist and fertilize well. Wrightias bloom for a long time beginning in the spring and are fragrant." http://www.rareflora.com/wrightiarelsin.html

Mature plant Wrightia religiosa at an industry lot nearby in Ara Damansara. Business sells automatic watering system - their plants flourish without care 24/7.

We bought a small plant after falling in love with the overpowering sweet scent of Wrightia bonsai tree (3' high) in a nursery along Jalan Hicom. Our new plant is a starter kit as compared to the matured bonsai which, informed by the caretaker, is 4 years old! Difference is its leaves now seen as the original size, will grow new dwarfs leaves after frequent pruning and twigging.

Almost 2 weeks since, new shoots emerged after being pruned by the caretaker. We twigged using 2 thin wires on young branches so it'll take shape.



Although 4 years is a long way to go but nothing beats growing and nurturing your own compared to a ready-made bonsai. Will post its pic when it starts to flower - cluster of small drooping single white flowers that differs from the double-flower white Wrightia A. (Winter Cherry).

Water Jasmine (Sui Mui) - Wrightia religiosa most often used for bonsai in Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and in other Southeast Asian countries. Evergreen can grow up to 20' high and has medicinal qualities, tolerate moisture, and prefer as much direct sun as much as possible.

Propagation is easy since Wrightias sprout readily from seed contained inside a green bean-like pod. It is also easily grown from both branch and root cuttings. Flowers develop after the 3rd new leaf forms. The blooming period then lasts about two weeks. The flowers are white, pendulous, and fill a room with a very lovely fragrance. Long, green bean-like seed pods follow flowering if insects pollinate the flowers. http://www.bonsaihunk.us/Wrightia.html , http://www.bonsaimalaysia.com/html/wrightia.html

While surfing to research, there's a bonsai club organised in Kelantan. The guys' skills are awesome, working on cutting/growing from local trees. This hobby a favourite amongst Malay and Chinese.

Look! Young shoots grew an inch longer in 2 days!

"It is the slowest sculpture in the world, and there is, at times, doubt as to which is being sculpted, man or tree."--Theodore Sturgeon
More on bonsai quotes at http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/archive/index.php/f-84.html

Winter Cherry, arrival of Spring

Spring starting March 21 (in Northern Hemisphere). The National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorates the 1912 gift to the city of Washington of 3000 cherry trees from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo - the blossoming cherry trees symbolize the arrival of spring, is celebrated between Mar-28 to Apr-12. About the same time as the annual Japanese cultural festival. While Songkran festival is celebrated on April 13 for 3 days.




















Newly planted in a pot (replaced chrysanthemums) in our garden; Wrightia antidysenterica, also known as 'Winter Cherry Tree', 'Artic Snow', 'Milky Way', 'Snowflake', 'Sweet Indrajao', etc. There are about 23 species in tropical Africa, Asia, Australia; while six species in China. It was grown for medicinal value. This evergreen will grow up to 4' to 6' high (small tree/shrub nature) in full sun exposure and blooms non-stop year-round. Propagation through stem-cutting and seeds from pods.
It glows 'white' in the dark, like stars in the night. http://toptropicals.com/catalog/uid/Wrightia_antidysenterica.htm


This pic taken from an industry lot nearby in Ara Damansara.


Next, I'm looking out for Gardenia Jasminoides, evergreen shrub originate from China and blooms highly fragrant for a long period. http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Rubiaceae/Gardenia_jasminoides.html


























Pretties ... ;-)
L. Camara - Florida Mound Fuchsia (Magenta)
L. Camara - Gold Mould (Yellow)
Lantana Camara are mounded plants, can be weedy, have extreme heat and drought tolerance; low maintenance. Grown in full sun exposure. Lantanas (pics below), in myriads of colours, visited by butterflies everyday (planted 3 months ago).



Lantana is grown for its colours; it changes colours during different stages its life. All parts of lantana are poisonous, and the dark berries that form after each flush of flowers fades may appear - pruning of the berries will encourage flowering branches. http://home.howstuffworks.com/lantana-gardening-basics.htm




Did you know that Lantana bonsai exist? It is so beautiful! Check it out at http://www.artofbonsai.org/galleries/trout.php