Foldable Plant Support

A wonderful contraption, your garden accessory. It's called 120cm Foldable Plant Support, priced RM22.50 from One-Stop Home Centre (Kota Kemuning). Much better looking than my innovative sheet suppport.

This new plant support c/w flexible horizontal wires; you can shift the wires according to the height of plant or as you wish. Comes in green that camourflage with the surrounding. I highly recommend this to Periwinkle-lovers.

Wrightia blooming profusely.

Pretty Episcia, grown bushier as compared to a month ago;


Madagascar periwinkle, grown 2-3 inch above soil level after 2 weeks.

It is now 4-inch tall above soil level, to see 2 weeks ago at http://jaimeboey.blogspot.com/2009/04/gardening-humbling-experience.html

Burst of freshness - Roses Revival

Sprout of new growth - Choon's roses, while we were away. Transplanted 2 months ago - pic.3 scraggly and cramped in a white pot before the transplant.



Perhaps a bigger terracota pot, sufficient fertilizing, waterings during early mornings and late evenings, and trimmings; to nourish it to better health.


A month had passed, yet it stayed the same, scraggly, with 1 or 2 discoloured blooms at a time. Wondered if we over-fertilized?


I was about to give up hope, 'lo and behold', a delightful sight of succulent fresh green and sturdy stems branching out its marroonish leaves (larger than its existing leaves). A burst of freshness.

Mum's miniature roses blooms wild; 11 blooms and spotted 2 buds.

Penang's Song River & Gurney

"Ann-Chua? Ho-Boh?" (Greetings, how are you?) The familiar greeting amongst local Penangnites.

Captivated by Evergreen Laurel's landscaped garden, more so the manner of display of shrubs; e.g. Ever-red shrubs against the greens, bright-striking heliconias, silver-leaves shrubs and vertical fan-palms. It all glow colourful during full sun exposure (UV rays) - so tidy and well-trimmed. Now this is what I call - a 'picture perfect'.

Gurney Hotel's Single Suite c/w a study overlooking Gurney Drive (Persiaran Gurney).

Our room catches the sunrise. It's a dream working in such ambience!

An ambience of the old grandeur while fine-dining. They only accepts reservation so be warned!

Penang Food? At 'Song River' Restaurant (5 minutes walk from Gurney Hotel) - must try Char Koay Teow (we had it everyday!), Honey-glazed BBQ Chicken, Hokkien Mee (known as Prawn Noodle in KlangValley), Fried Oh-Chien, Otak-otak and Roti Babi (ranked in order from best to not-too-bad, had 6 dishes in one night before returning to KlangValley). This place can't compete the food variety as compared to Gurney Square (25 minutes stroll) but it's gastronomic and satisfying value for money. Next door to the square is the Gurney Plaza; coincidentally there was a Padini Clearance Sale. Fun!

However, we recommend Gurney Hotel's Hokkien Mee that comes with spicy and tastier (prawn stock) broth/soup. This hotel offers excellent Room Facilities, F&B and Concierge services; also a variety of recreational activities; e.g. beach volleyball, swimming in "infitity" pool, child-care, table tennis, open-air gym, archery (free lesson from 4-6pm), etc.

Unfortunately we had to leave so soon and Ghee Hiang's Tambun biscuits "tau sah peah" (豆沙饼 in Hokkien) were sold out!

Gardening a humbling experience

Tis' how Lantana Camara buds looked before blooming (Pic 1 & 3). Pic 2, a close-up of Lantana's berries, 3 of them, spotted today. In pic 3, when Lantana finished blooming leaving the stems as seen far left-bottom.

"Find the seed at the bottom of your heart and bring forth a flower".- Shigenori Kameoka

Die-hard coleus in the midst of Heliconia. "Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are."- Alfred Austin

Die-hard!!

Pic above: Seedlings of Madasgascar Periwinkle, barely an inch above soil level - seeds in millions, 50% are germinated and next 25% survives the growing stage. Conclusion: it is not that easy!

[Update May-1,'09] A month later, seedling grown 4" tall. I'm guessing seedling will reach to a foot tall mid-June and matures. Perhaps its first bloom in July.

"A good gardener always plants 3 seeds - one for the bugs, one for the weather and one for himself."- Leo Aikman

The 4th batch of Episcia, 3 x 5" black pot - recent cuttings transplanted; currently in a mini-nursery for 2 weeks with limited waterings, minimal sun exposure. Crispy and sturdy leaves, new growths from its main stem and new buds signifies survival (usually a month after repotting). Later, these matured Episcia will be transplanted into a planter-box to decorate the window-sill. [Updated May-2, 2009]

Pic of the mama-plant, Episcia. Blooming non-stop with eye-catching red, backed by its dark varied-coloured leaves.

Recounting the previous transplanted batches;

• 1st-watched closely as landscaper transplanted it but my over-watering killed it in a week.
• 2nd-made poor choice on cuttings in Nov however one cutting survived, 2 months later it bloomed.
• 3rd-gave away 3 pots in Feb, leaving one which didn't seem to do well at first, progressing slowly. [Update May-1,'09] It finally bloomed!
• And lastly the 4th-a plan to fill up the window-sill spot.

"Gardening is a humbling experience."- Martha Stewart