Crimson blooms in May (rose garden)

Choon's roses, crimson red, now bloom healthily after 2 months of care; deep fertilizing, liquid and pellet fertilizing, frequent pruning and sufficient watering daily.

In early April, it gave a good sign - a wonderful sight of two healthy succulent stems growing upright from the middle. Stood straight & tall. Gesture of confidence, perhaps? http://jaimeboey.blogspot.com/2009/04/burst-of-freshness.html

Further back a month ago, roses had thin stems with couple of brownish blooms, was given and destined to be transplanted into a terracota pot, 3x the size of its original white pot. http://jaimeboey.blogspot.com/2009/03/gardeners-itch.html

Well, it's a good start for month of May; starting with Labour's Day and Wesak day in the 2nd week. Almost everyone in the neighbourhood took long vacation, away from home.

I did some research, found close resemblance to Rosa 'Hope for Humanity' (Shrub Rose) - classified as a true red, the fragrant, ever-blooming, double, 1.5- to 2-inch fragrant, blood red blooms are quite outstanding. A smaller shrub of only 2-4 feet in size creates an ideal perennial garden or border use. Prefers full sun. http://www.alaskahardy.com/results.php?category=Rose

Herbs! A cook's best friend

Gift from Suat.

Pot, on the left, contained 4-5 variety of seedlings from Suat's garden and mini-nursery. She grew them in pots, thriving well in afternoon sun and heat. Pot, right, doing well after; 2 days since transplant and suffered in an envelope (was at the car wash) for half an hour.

These herbs used during cooking. Right now, I'm pretty confused with their names - will get its description from Suat one day. One of them is the aromatic bay leaf.

“The herb that can't be got is the one that heals” Irish Sayings quotes

“I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is an herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?” by Willie Nelson (American country western singer)

Episcia has grown bushier as compared to a month ago http://jaimeboey.blogspot.com/2009/03/pretty-blooms.html

Pic below, the same pot of Episcia taken on Apr 2.

Baby Episcia bloomed! It's a good sign - this Episcia will blossom like it's "mum".

Checkout Baby Espicia, 3 months ago at http://jaimeboey.blogspot.com/2009/02/cny-7th-day.html

Green Leaf restaurant's (in Subang Jaya) attractive pot of Desert Rose, as many as 5 blooms and 8 buds, a welcome statement - I couldn't take my eyes of it. So hard to let go and leave the place, plus they provide delicious food servings.

Their desert rose planted in dark organic soil. So I decided to fill my pot with dark organic soil at the bottom and top up the surface with brown burnt soil mix sand.

This soil mix is heavier (than organic soil) and doesn't lift easily during watering.

Upclose & personal with the hatchlings

Update Jun-13,'09: It is Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), not Long-tailed Tit - typically found in shrubs and gardens. Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed (the edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or spider's web to make a cradle) in shrubs. It lays 3–5 eggs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Tailorbird

Busy pair of Long-tailed Tit (excited parents) (refer Update Jun-13,'09) flying to & fro - in every 5 minutes average, each bringing food (small insects) to feed their young hatchlings. Starting wee hours of morning until sunset. Phew! It's a tiring work!



A close-up of one of the hatchlings, with formed wings (hatched a week before), tried flapping in restlessness, while its eyes still closed. Ever-hungry and waiting anxiously for food.

We're guessing the growing hatchlings could learn to fly in another 2 weeks.

Update Jun-13,'09: Wonder what it is like at night? This guy is superb; he videotaped its nest at night. Watch how quite & still the Tailorbird on video 'Tailorbird Nest III'. Spooky eh? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5fH4znW6t0

Tailorbird @home with Us

Update Jun-13,'09: It is Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius), not Long-tailed Tit - typically found in shrubs and gardens. Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed (the edges of a large leaf are pierced and sewn together with plant fibre or spider's web to make a cradle) in shrubs. It lays 3–5 eggs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Tailorbird

Tailorbird grows to about 13 cm (about 5 in) in length and feeds primarily on small insects. Its characteristically stitch leaves together with plant fibers to make nests - stabs the edges of one or more broad leaves with its needlelike bill, threads vegetable fibers through the holes, and draws the leaves together, making a cuplike pocket. The nest is lined with grass or other soft material. The female typically lays three to six eggs. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761587895/Tailorbird.html

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A close up of Tailorbird returning to its nest-in-making (Apr-4). We're updating its name, suppose to be Common Tailorbird instead of Long-Tailed Tit (Jun-13).

Spotted a couple of eggs, size about sen 50 - (Apr-6)

If you're wondering, a month ago, we've spotted a couple of Long-Tailed Tit (size 2-inch body with a tail 3-inch long) (refer Update Jun-13,'09), makes the loudest chirps - equivalent decibels to the ringing from an old fashioned alarm clock. It's amazing to think that loudness coming from a minute bird.

Long-tailed Tits (refer Update Jun-13,'09) are found in deciduous woodlands with significant undergrowth. This is a restless species, constantly on the move as it searches for insects and other small food items http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-tailed_Tit

This monogamous pair decided to nest amongst our shrubs (2-3 feet tall); stealing our coco-peat from our "Sui Mui" (Water Jasmine) pot - see video up-close with Long-Tailed Tit (refer Update Jun-13,'09)

It guards its nest by distracting suspected predators (or any moving objects, e.g. human being like myself) towards itself. Chirping ever loudly from a distant tree. It certainly wakes up the neighbourhood street!

We're so excited having newcomers (baby Long-Tailed Tit (refer Update Jun-13,'09)) yet it can be so annoying when I am weeding and clearing the flower-beds for hours.

Long-tailed tits join top ten in RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch survey http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article5970549.ece

Close-up of a bird perched (on our front fence) for as long as 30 minutes - observing, listening, twitching, scratching, etc. Emmotions shown through its head actions. Such a darling!

I wished to know the name of this bird.

Update Jun-13,'09: It is called It's called Yellow-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus goiavier). Somehow we couldn't tell if it has a yellow bottom on this video clip *grins.

It is found in a wide variety of open habitats, but not deep forest. It is one of the most common birds in cultivated areas. They appear to be nomadic, roaming from place to place regularly.
The Yellow-vented Bulbul builds a well-camouflaged but fragile, loose, deep, cup-shaped nest from grass, leaves, roots, vine stems, and twigs. The nest is untidy on the outside, but it is neatly lined with plant fibers. it may be built in a wide range of places from low bushes to high trees. This is a species adapted to humans and may even nest in gardens. The Yellow-vented Bulbul lays 2-5 eggs in February to June. They eat berries and small fruits. They also sip nectar, nibble on young shoots, and some insects.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-vented_Bulbul

"Spring would not be spring without bird songs" - Francis M. Chapman

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song" - Chinese Proverb

"Use those talents you have. You will make it. You will give joy to the world. Take this tip from nature: The woods would be a very silent place if no birds sang except those who sang best" - Bernard Meltzer