My Nice Garden

Happy Chinese New Year 2012!

2012-01-22T06:03:00.013+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year 2012,

the year of the Water Dragon Jan 23, 2012 to Feb 9, 2013

新年快樂(Xin nian kuai le) - Happy New Year !
恭喜发财 (gong xi fa cai) - Wishing you wealth and prosperity !
8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 !

we also say:

万事如意(wan shi ru yi) - Ten thousand things (everything) go according to your wishes.
Ten thousand is a Chinese million.

出入平安 (chu ru ping an) - smooth journey wherever you go

龍馬精神(long ma jing sheng) - May you be as fit as a dragon horse.
What is a dragon horse or longma? - click here.
Longma or Ryuma in Japanese, is a mythical creature with wings, a horse body, dragon head and scales, like a Chinese pegasus.
It can walk on water without sinking.

心想事成 (xin xiang shi cheng) - May you achieve all that your heart desires.

龙精虎猛 (long jing hu meng) - May you have the vision and agility of a dragon and fierce ferocity of a tiger’s

My DIY Home Garden in Malaysia - 2012

2012-01-05T22:28:00.003+08:00

1. Pink Rose

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

Here are some pictures of flowers from my garden. It is really wonderful whenever my roses bloom. This time my blooming roses are the pink, deep pink, red, yellow, miniature and tri-colour. I love it whenever my roses bloom.

2. Deep pink rose

Last Christmas, in a moment of self-motivated bravery, I switched to Google+. It is suppose to give me free unlimited storage if photos are 640 pixels and below. Nothing else happened. Or did something happened? Maybe my luck just ran out. As if by magic, Blogger created new photo albums in my Picasa for each and every single day that I uploaded photos to my blog post. I shudder at the thought of having another 100 new web albums with thousands of photos this year !

This problem has not been resolved yet and l have since switched back to pre-Google+ mode with limited photo storage capabilities. I still prefer good old Google. I haven't converted to Blogger New Interface yet. Actually I chose Blogger over Wordpress because I find it easier to navigate their dashboard. I wonder why Blogger is now trying to look like Wordpress.

Anyway, thanks to Sean's good idea, I now upload the photos to Picasa before posting.

I am not blaming Google but each time they announce something new that I must use, there are shivers down my spine.

Roses are lovely, aren't they? Even when they fade, their petals are strewn all over my lawn like confetti or wedding toss. How romantic!

4. Angelonia

Anyway, life goes on. Early in the morning, I am at my happiest because I get to see the flock of cute little black birds who were born atop my lipstick palm tree now learning how to fly. They practiced flying techniques by darting from my palm tree to my neighbour's longan tree. When it was time to rest awhile, they chirped happily as though talking about me, observing me walking about in my garden watering my plants. This place which is my garden is also their home, haha. I don't have a DSLR camera nor zoom lens, so I can't capture their antics for you to see.

The above picture is a butterfly which looks like a moth. It flies very fast and likes to dart around just like Dash of The Incredibles. I have seen it a few times before and each time on my angelonias. Butterflies that looked like moths, moths that looked like butterflies, and butterflies disguised as other (another species of) butterflies. I have seen them all. Aren't they clever?

The above butterfly:

Scientific name: Potanthus omaha

Common name: Lesser Dart

Family: Hesperiidae

This fella fits the description of a butterfly with "wide head, large eyes and thick body".

“My Garden in Malaysia - 2012”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on 5th Jan 2012.

5. Papaya flowers

This papaya tree is grown from seeds of a store bought papaya. This time I was sensible enough to sow many seeds and saved a few seedlings but only one survived to adulthood. But this look like a female papaya flower! The last time I ever planted a papaya was many many years ago, i.e. before my children were born. I ended with a male papaya tree that grew very very tall with only flowers and no papayas. Mom said that was bad feng shui - meaning no progeny so I cut down the tree because I wanna get pregnant with children!

Now I have 2 questions:

1. Is this gonna be a female papaya tree?

2. Will a bug carrying pollen from the male/heterosexual pollen please come to pollinate it?

By the way, I have posted about papaya and papaya flowers (male, female and unisex), here.

6. Pink hibiscus Rosa-sinensis

7. Citrus lime

The 4 seasons citrus lime plant that I wanted to euthanize last year that didn't die.

Now it is bearing fruits again.

8. Pineapple

9. Arundina graminifolia

Orchid lovers say that orchid flowers look great even when it is fading.

10. Torch ginger Etlingera elatior

11. Cat whiskers - white flowers

12. Ylang-ylang

The dwarf variety produces lots of flowers non-stop and it is very fragrant in the late evenings.

13. Costus woodsonii

Costus woodsonii is nicknamed "hong yun dang tou" ( 鸿运当头)

meaning "you are blessed with lots of good luck"

Yay, I'll be crossing my 300,000 hits mark soon. Thank you very much to my 387 followers, 68,525 visitors from 186 countries! Now, what shall I blog about this year?

This is my entry for Fertilizer Friday, hosted Glenda for hosting it at Tootsie Time.

Oh Dear, I have a PROBLEM with my Picasa Web Album, but Happy New Year 2012 Anyway!

2011-12-30T06:43:00.015+08:00

I have just discovered that every picture I have uploaded from Blogger since 22 Dec 2011 is showing up in my Picasa Web Album in its own album, instead of my blog photo album. Now they keep adding new photo albums which are classified by DAY which means I am going to have many albums. Prior to this, all uploaded pictures automatically went into my related blogs' albums.

Check your Picasa Web Album. Are you having the same problem when you upload photos to Blogger ?

How do you revert back from Google+ to good old Google?

Actually I broke my promise "to see you in 2012" as per my last Christmas post, but because of this Google present, I'm here again. So I'll be patient and wait for Google to solve this problem.

Meanwhile, let's look back at Year 2011:

And at the stroke of midnight, lets celebrate together!

HAPPY NEW YEAR ....

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

TO ALL MY FRIENDS EVERYWHERE,

IN FLESH, IN MEMORY AND IN CYBERSPACE.

Samoans - For the first time in history, you are the first to celebrate. Samoa and Tokelau shall make a great leap forward by 1 day i.e. from Thursday 30th to Saturday 31st (thereby skipping Friday) to welcome 2012. Congratulations!

Lyrics of the Happy New Year song by ABBA:

No more champagne

And the fireworks are through

Here we are, me and you

Feeling lost and feeling blue

It's the end of the party

And the morning seems so grey

So unlike yesterday

Now's the time for us to say

Happy new year

May we all have a vision now and then

Of a world where every neighbour is a friend

Happy new year

May we all have our hopes, our will to try

If we don't we might as well lay down and die

You and I

Sometimes I see

How the brave new world arrives

And I see how it thrives

In the ashes of our lives

Oh yes, man is a fool

And he thinks he'll be okay

Dragging on, feet of clay

Never knowing he's astray

Keeps on going anyway

Happy new year

May we all have a vision now and then

Of a world where every neighbour is a friend

Happy new year

May we all have our hopes, our will to try

If we don't we might as well lay down and die

You and I

Seems to me now

That the dreams we had before

Are all dead, nothing more

Than confetti on the floor

It's the end of a decade

In another ten years time

Who can say what we'll find

What lies waiting down the line

In the end of eighty-nine

Happy new year

May we all have a vision now and then

Of a world where every neighbour is a friend

Happy new year

May we all have our hopes, our will to try

If we don't we might as well lay down and die

You and I

Merry Christmas, Winter Solstice 2011 and Happy New Year 2012!

2011-12-20T00:03:00.020+08:00

Christmas is forever, not for just one day,

for loving, sharing, giving, are not to put away

like bells and lights and tinsel, in some box upon a shelf.

The good you do for others is good you do yourself...

~Norman Wesley Brooks, "Let Every Day Be Christmas," 1976

My Blooming Native Orchids - GBBD Dec 2011 Part 2

2011-12-16T10:48:00.007+08:00

1. Dendrobium Sonia 'Royal Pink'

Today the skies are quite clear in the morning, so I seized the opportunity to snap some pictures. This is my purple Dendrobium orchid, the same stalk of flowers that appeard in GBBD Oct, Nov and today, hence it has been blooming for more than 2 months already! I mean the same stalk of flowers. It certainly has amazing staying power.

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GBBD Dec 2011

2011-12-15T16:45:00.009+08:00

1. Purple Cattleya (skinneri?) orchid

Today, for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for December 2011, I have my beloved cattleya orchid giving me some "twin happiness" with twin blooms, i.e. 2 stalks with 3 flowers each. This orchid had been quite inactive for a long time, growing only roots and shoots and babies. It has not bloomed since 2009. Can you imagine this - no blooms for the whole of 2010 and most of 2011?

Despite being so unpredictable and an eccentric, this 'temperamental' orchid is my favourite. It is the only plant I 'talk' to in my garden. It had made me laugh and it had made me cry and want to pull all my hair out in desperation of getting/waiting for it to bloom but when it blooms, I'll be in seventh heaven! It may be ordinary but it is my most precious orchid and is the inspiration for the start of My Nice Garden, both at home and in cyberspace (blog).

Now, finally a pleasant surprise to help me end my year with a BANG!

More orchids:

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Purple Roses - Wise Words Wednesdays

2011-12-07T06:03:00.007+08:00

A single rose can be my garden...

a single friend, my world.

..... Leo Buscaglia

Lavender roses carry the message of enchantment and love at first sight.

Rossa 'Chaldogro' - Have you heard of this rose?

2011-12-03T06:18:00.002+08:00

The plant label at Floria 2011 says that the rose variety is Rossa 'Chaldogro' but I am unable to find any information about it on the internet. A Google search came out with zero results.

Have you heard of this rose?

Chain of Love and Tears of The Bride for Wildflowers Wednesday

2011-11-23T17:03:00.008+08:00

The plant I am going to blog and brag about is full of LOVE. Yes, every leaf, every flower, every petal and even the seed pods are heart-shaped and love-shaped! This plant is full of LIFE, LOVE and PEACE. See the peace sign shaped tiny little tendril in the picture above?

If you look at their many common names later in my post, soon you'll see what I mean.
Just to let you know, all the pictures here were taken from a vacant plot of land by the roadside.

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - GBBD Nov 2011

2011-11-15T16:43:00.018+08:00

1. Pentas

Here's my lineup for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - November 2011. Currently I am still trying to familiarise myself with Bloggers New Interface. Yours truly still prefer using the good old Google Dashboard but I know the following:

a) You can click any one of the 19 photos in this post to see the full slides layout view, or
b) To view my blog in Blogger Dynamic Views (Sidebar / Classic / Flipcard / Magazine / Mosaic / Snapshort / Timeslide), type the "view" beside my URL as follows:

http://www.mynicegarden.com/view/

Note: If you are using an old computer with earlier versions of operating systems that does not allow you to upgrade to Internet Explorer 9, you may experience problems opening pages and viewing Blogger blogs. You can download Google Chrome for FREE. The pages load quite fast and the screen is wider.

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A Tawny Affair at The Rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

2011-11-09T10:23:00.004+08:00

1:37pm

I was trying to photograph some tiny damselflies when suddenly something fell right into the pond in front of me. Splat! What's that?

It looked like a butterfly drowning so I extended a hand, hoping that I could help. It willingly crept onto my finger.

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Ovipositing Butterfly - Word for Wednesday "Ephemeral"

2011-11-02T20:43:00.013+08:00

1.12 pm

Ephemeral is the Word 4 Wednesday, a meme hosted by Donna at Garden Walk Garden Talk Blog. The definition for Ephemeral is "having a short life cycle or existence, not lasting".

Turnera ulmifolia (Yellow Alder) flowers open in the morning. Such beautiful blooms, so rich in nectar but it is only for a few hours. By mid-day the flowers would be closed. At the Rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama lives some Tawny Coaster butterflies that feed on the nectar from these flowers.

This flower was just about to close when I chance upon a lone tawny coaster butterly flipping its wings and darting about from flower to flower, leaf to leaf, plant to plant.

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Rossa China White Rose

2011-11-01T07:26:00.005+08:00

I have seen white roses being used in bridal bouquets but have never received one.

How do you use white roses? When do you send them?

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Flower Street at Little India Klang - Part 3 Cut Flowers

2011-10-29T23:33:00.004+08:00

When I buy cut flowers for prayers, the most popular choice is chrysanthemums. For this purpose, my favourite colours are yellow, white and red.

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Flower Street at Little India Klang - Part 2 Flower Garlands and Bermuda Grass

2011-10-26T00:03:00.007+08:00

Flower Street in Little India Klang is like a florist centre. Besides jasmine flowers, we can also find cut flowers, bouquets, wreaths and other types of flower arrangements. It is indeed an enjoyable experience walking along the sidewalk and in and out the stores. For me, it is a valuable experiential lesson about Indian/Hindu culture and traditions.

The wreath above is made of multi-colour chrysanthemums, roses and ferns. Probably this wreath is for a celebration, e.g. opening ceremony?

“Flower Street at Little India Klang - Part 2 Flower Garlands”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 26th, 2011.

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Flower Street at Little India Klang - Part 1 Jasmine

2011-10-24T00:03:00.154+08:00

On this October 26th 2011, the Hindu community of Malaysia will be celebrating Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, signifying the triumph of good over evil.

In Klang city where I stay, the Tengku Kelana Street, nicknamed "Little India" is all abuzz with activities. There are many stores selling lots of colourful items such as clothes, provisions, foodstuff, decorations, bling-bling, you name it-they have it.

The above is the Flower Street of Little India Klang. It is opened for business everyday.

“Flower Street at Little India Klang - Part 1”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 24th, 2011.

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Coral Peach Roses

2011-10-23T00:03:00.014+08:00

Peach coloured roses signifies gratitude, appreciation, admiration, modesty and sincerity, also sympathy. When peach coloured roses are given, it carries the message, "Let's get together."

I am just a beginner when it comes to growing roses, so come learn about roses with me. Teach me if you can!

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White Rose with Pink Edge

2011-10-22T00:03:00.007+08:00

Are you growing this rose?

Do you know the cultivar name of this white and pink rose that looks like a dahlia flower?
The name is Magic Carousel*.
It's common name here is "Appam" (a type of steamed pancake made from rice flour)

The rose was photographed at Floria 2011 flower show.

Pink and white coloured roses signifies everlasting love.

“White Rose with Pink Edge”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 22nd, 2011.

Updated on 23 Oct 2011
*My grateful thanks to Linda and Exoticmatahari, my facebook friends who helped me with the ID of this rose.

Floribunda Shocking Blue Rose

2011-10-21T09:27:00.003+08:00

These roses are from Floria 2011. The Floribunda Shocking Blue Rose bloom abundantly in sprays (inflorescences) and clusters with an intense fragrance.

“Floribunda Shocking Blue Rose”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Oct 21st, 2011.

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Evolution and Evolve - Word for Wednesday

2011-10-19T10:22:00.008+08:00

Sunset along the highway

When I was little, I remember asking about the origin of my life with this question "Where did I come from?" Mom told me I came from her stomach. Grandma told me I was picked up from the streets, so whenever I was naughty, she will threaten to send me back to my 'family' which happened to be any beggar or fierce looking person she could point her finger on. Anyway I found the answer in school because sexual reproduction was a lesson we learnt in Science class.

Here's what 'Evolution' and 'Evolve' means to me:

A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg.

..... Samuel Butler

Now, I know that I too, came from an egg.

“Evolution and Evolve - Word for Wednesday”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 19th, 2011.

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - GBBD Oct 2011

2011-10-15T09:43:00.008+08:00

Welcome to My Nice Garden! This was a birthday gift from my darling daughter last month. I think it's a doe that looks like Bambi. The little garden helper with the Welcome signage shall be my companion while I am all alone tending to my garden, standing in for my DH, the non-gardener.

“Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - GBBD Oct 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 15th, 2011

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Floribunda Rose - Eternal Flame

2011-10-07T09:23:00.005+08:00

I have a confession to make. I have fallen in love with ROSES!

From this month of October 2011 onwards, I will be posting roses from Floria 2011 on an off. The roses I have selected for my blog posts are based on those with proper labels.

As I learn more and more about roses, I'd like to share the knowledge with you. You are also invited to share your knowledge and experience with me. Please feel free to point out any mistakes or error I have made.

“Floribunda Rose - Eternal Flame”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on October 7th, 2011.

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Images of Repose - Word for Wednesday

2011-10-05T07:20:00.014+08:00

Australian willow tree and Osmoxylon lineare (Green Aralia) bush

This is my favourite spot at the rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama, my weekend hideout cum retreat. I like to sit here and contemplate or just listen to the soothing sounds from the mini-waterfall. The air is cool and fresh. Sometimes I get to enjoy a whiff of fragrance from my favourite blooms and occassionally a busy bee whizzes by.

The above picture is my entry for Gardening Gone Wild's Picture This Photo Contest - October 2011. This month's theme is "Fill the Frame".

When I am lucky, I can hear a bird singing. It may be just a little chirp or twit but the sounds can be very uplifting and therapeutic. Looking up at the sky, I see many things nice.

What does "Repose" mean to you?

“Images of Repose - Word for Wednesday”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Oct 5th, 2011.

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Modern Rose - Benson and Hedges Gold® (Wordless Wednesday)

2011-09-28T00:03:00.010+08:00

“Modern Rose - Benson and Hedges Gold® (Wordless Wednesday)”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 28th, 2011.

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Modern Rose - Benson and Hedges

2011-09-25T06:48:00.008+08:00

During this year's flower show Floria 2011 at Putrajaya, I had the chance to view many different types of roses. The theme was "Roses Are Forever". For someone like me who hardly ever grow roses, it was indeed a great learning experience.

“Modern Rose - Benson and Hedges”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 25th, 2011.

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My Simese Twin Hibiscus moscheutos - Illumination

2011-09-22T21:13:00.016+08:00

I am late but this is my first time in participating Word for Wednesday hosted by Donna of Garden Walk Garden Talk. The word this time is ILLUMINATION.

Click on the picture to have a look at Lightbox View - Blogger's NEW present to us, the blogspot owners.

“My Simese Twin Hibiscus moscheutos - Illumination”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 22nd, 2011.

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Blue Roses at Floria 2011

2011-09-20T19:45:00.012+08:00

Have you seen a blue rose, I mean a really real BLUE ROSE?

As I know, blue roses do not exist naturally. I have read that this is the only colour that plant breeders have difficulty in getting. A blue rose is rare indeed.

Blue, blue, my rose is blue .....

“Blue Roses at Floria 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 20th, 2011.

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Twin Hibiscus for Malaysia Day 2011

2011-09-16T00:03:00.029+08:00

1. Clock Tower of Sultan Abdul Samad Building

Today, we Malaysians will be having a double celebration:

(a) Our country's 54th year of independence, and

(b) Malaysia's 48th birthday.

This 40m high Clock Tower with the shiny copper dome is draped in our national flag called the "Jalur Gemilang" (Stripes of Glory)".

“Twin Hibiscus for Malaysia Day 2011", a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 16th, 2011.

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - GBBD Sept 2011

2011-09-13T23:11:00.007+08:00

Here's my parade of flowers for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day 2011. The pictures are taken from 16 Aug - 13 Sep 2011. The first in line is Desert Rose, double flowers cultivar 'Santa Claus'.

“Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - GBBD Sept 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 13th 2011.

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Mid-Autumn Festival 2011 - The Hare / Jade Rabbit

2011-09-12T06:03:00.015+08:00

Today, the 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the Mid-Autumn Festival also known as Mooncake Festival or Lantern Festival.

I'd like to wish everyone who are celebrating this festival, a Happy Mid-Autumn!

Many of us are familiar with the lanterns and mooncakes during this festival. Last year, I wrote about pomelo fruits, water caltrops, lotus seeds and mooncakes:

Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 - Pomelo Fruits (link here)
Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 - Water Caltrops, also The Old Man of the Moon (link here)
Mid-Autumn Festival 2010 - Lotus Seeds and Mooncakes (link here)

In my 2009 blog post, I have wrote about the the origin of mooncakes and the legend of the Moon Fairy, Lady Chang'e (the link is here). Do you know that she has a companion, the Jade Rabbit?

“Mid-Autumn Festival 2011 and The Hare / Jade Rabbit”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 12th, 2011.

"The brilliant light of the moon shines upon the earth."

The 10 Types of Hibiscus in My Container Garden

2011-09-09T17:22:00.013+08:00

1. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Brilliant Red'

Currently, I have 10 different hibiscus plants in my garden. All are grown in pots.

The above hibisus is Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Brilliant Red', the National Flower of Malaysia. It is the 2nd hibiscus I planted in my garden. A family member won this lucky draw prize, now it has become my prized possession.

It is the most dependable hibiscus plant in my garden - it can live on its own without any extra fertilizer or watering from me
it is ever-flowering - it gives me flowers every day, the whole year through.
the flowers attract butterflies, even bugs in love - to see Grasshoppers Mating post, click here.
flower buds can be eaten, even my pet tortoise, Blastoise loves it. (See here).
sunbirds love to perch on its branches.

By the way, do you notice anything unusual about this flower?
Well, there are 2 superimposed flowers here!

“The 10 Types of Hibiscus in My Container Garden”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Sept 9th, 2011.

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A Double Celebration and My 3rd Google Adsense Money

2011-08-29T16:18:00.016+08:00

1 - A typical kampung house with bamboo fence, terracota pots and attap roofs

Today the streets of Kuala Lumpur will soon be deserted with the mass exodus of people out of the city. We call this 'balik kampung' where we go back to our villages and hometowns where we were born and grew up in. It is time to visit our old folks, parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, maybe childhood friends and sweethearts, to join in the holiday fun. In many places in the rural areas, family members patiently and longingly await the arrival of their loved ones for a happy reunion.

In Malaysia, we have a double celebration:

Independence Day or Hari Merdaka as we call it falls on 31 Aug 2011
Eid ul-Fitr - In Malaysia we call it "Hari Raya Aidil Fitri", a grand celebration for muslims which may fall on 30 or 31 Aug.

For the rest of us who are not muslims, we shall be enjoying a few days to a week break. Our muslim friends will hold 'open house' parties to invite other races to join in the festivities in the spirit of camaraderie.

Google Adsense sent my 3rd payment on 24th Aug via Western Union Bank, so I went to the bank to collect USD 111.51 cash.

“A Double Celebration and My 3rd Google Adsense Money”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on August 29th, 2011.

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Hibiscus mutabilis - A single flower variety that doesn't change colour

2011-08-28T21:06:00.005+08:00

Hibiscus mutabilis flowers usually open white in the morning and changes colour to pink as the day gets warmer in the late afternoon. However, this variety with single flowers that is currently grown at the Secret Garden of 1-Utama does not change colour but stays the same the whole day.

“Hibiscus mutabilis - Single Flowers”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/

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Hibiscus mutabilis - Changeable Rose Hibiscus (Double Flowers)

2011-08-26T00:03:00.014+08:00

These is a Hibiscus mutabilis double flower variety. The flowers of H. mutabilis open white in the morning and later change to pink and then a darker pink as the day gets warmer.

“Hibiscus mutabilis - Changeable Rose Hibiscus (Double Flowers)”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Aug 26th 2011.

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Hibiscus schizopetalus 'Pagoda' - Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T00:03:00.018+08:00

“Hibiscus schizopetalus 'Pagoda' - Wordless Wednesday”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Aug 24th 2011.

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Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Cooperi Alba' - A Hibiscus Chimera I Almost Murdered!

2011-08-20T13:33:00.013+08:00

This is a collage of the photos I took of the hibiscus chimera that I almost murdered. It was my first ever hibiscus plant at My Nice Garden.

I went looking for Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Brilliant Red' which is our National Flower, the Bunga Raya. The nursery owner gave me this. I was assured that it is indeed Bunga Raya.

“Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Cooperi Alba' - A Hibiscus Chimera I Almost Murdered!”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on August 20th, 2011.

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - GBBD Aug 2011 and my Favicon

2011-08-15T00:03:00.029+08:00

There are 3 colours in this rose - pink, white and yellow.

In order not to slow down the loading time of this post, the rest of the 27 more pictures of my blooming flowers has been uploaded in My Nice Garden Facebook Page. To view them, you can click on my sidebar or use the link here.

You also view and comment on the photos later but you need to "like" my facebook page before you can type in your comments there. You can also post your garden and flower pictures on my facebook page for discussion/querry.

At first I wanted to do a Picasa Wel Album slideshow or collage but it takes up a lot of time. Loading pictures to Facebook albums is almost instantaneous with the flexibility that readers can view them immediately or at a later date.

“Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - GBBD Aug 2011 and my Favicon”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Aug 15th, 2011.

Hibiscus syriacus - Purple Rose of Sharon with Single and Double Flowers

2011-08-12T00:03:00.015+08:00

This is a double flower purple Rose of Sharon. I photographed this during a visit to the Seen Hock Yeen Chinese temple in Chemor, Perak.

“Hibiscus syriacus - Rose of Sharon Single and Double Flowers”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Aug 12th, 2011.

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Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivars - Multicolour Delight

2011-08-10T05:33:00.004+08:00

1. Sultry Beauty, a Red-White Hibiscus

“Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivars - Multicolour Delight”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on August 10th, 2011.
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Hibiscus tilaceus dwarf - A Beach Hibiscus with Colour Changing Flowers

2011-08-06T09:00:00.008+08:00

During my visit to The Hibiscus Garden of Kuala Lumpur last month, I have come across a dwarf variety of the Hibiscus tilaceus. What I like about this plant is the changing colours of the flowers and the compact size that can fit into our small gardens.

Last year I have posted about the Hibiscus tilaceus that grows to a small tree at the rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama here.

This month-end of August is special because in Malaysia, we are having a double celebration of our Independence Day and also Hari Raya or Eid-ul-Fitr. Hence, I shall be posting about the Hibiscus family of plants for Aug 2011. I think this is most appropriate because the common name for Hibiscus is "Bunga Raya" in Malay, our national language. It means "Big, Grand" and "Celebration".

“Hibiscus tilaceus dwarf - A Beach Hibiscus with Colour Changing Flowers”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on August 6th, 2011.

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A Bougainvillea Chimera I Murdered

2011-08-05T10:54:00.022+08:00

I hope you still like me after reading this. Early this week, Andrea wrote a post titled, "Have you heard of the chimera? which made me think back about some of the things that I had done wrong. I was preparing a post about a hibiscus chimera that I had almost killed when she posted her chimera post ahead of me.

The picture above is a much LOVEd bougainvillea chimera which has been with me since the time I started a garden in my new home. The seller assured me that the sapling was a 'normal' bougainvillea.

“A Bougainvillea Chimera I Murdered”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on August 5th, 2011.

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Carmen's Garden - Desde Puerto Rico con el amor

2011-07-29T17:32:00.026+08:00

Hola, amigos!

Early this month, I was extremely delighted to receive an email from Carmen who gardens in Puerto Rico. Carmen is a university professor with 2 lovely granddaughters. Like me, Carmen is also a fan of the torch ginger (Etlingera elatior) plant. She is not a blogger and she has sent me these beautiful photographs of her magnolia and torch ginger flowers, along with her warm 'Saludos' and 'Abrazos' which made me feel very nice.

I am very thankful to non-bloggers like Carmen who send me mails/messages and sharing with me their wealth of gardening experiences. This post (and your comments) is for Carmen.

“Carmen's Garden - Desde Puerto Rico con el amor”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 29th, 2011.

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Help! Somebody wants My Nice Garden name

2011-07-29T09:35:00.001+08:00

This bouquet is from Floria 2011 - for Cina, my first commenter.

I wonder if you have experience what I am experiencing. If you do, can you please share with me how to deal with this?

If you have not, maybe you can also learn from my experience.

Today, I have just received an email (spam or not - I don't know) that reads like this:

Dear Manager,

(If you are not the person who is in charge of this, please forward this to your CEO,Thanks)

This email is from China domain name registration center, which mainly deal with the domain name registration and dispute internationally in China and Asia.

On July 25th 2011, We received (Company Name) Ltd's application that they are registering the name " mynicegarden " as their Internet Keyword and " mynicegarden .cn "、" mynicegarden .com.cn " 、" mynicegarden .asia "domain names etc.., It is China and ASIA domain names. But after auditing we found the brand name been used by your company. As the domain name registrar in China, it is our duty to notice you, so I am sending you this Email to check. According to the principle in China, your company is the owner of the trademark, In our auditing time we can keep the domain names safe for you firstly, but our audit period is limited, if you object the third party application these domain names and need to protect the brand in china and Asia by yourself, please let the responsible officer contact us as soon as possible. Thank you!

The above email dated 28 Jul 2011 was signed off by somebody with a first name as the General Manager, Shanghai Office (Head Office) Address in Shanghai 200070, China with Tel, Mobile, Fax and website.
The sender's company name is not mentioned anywhere in the email.

Note: The real names has been left out to protect their privacy in case it is genuine.

Now, what should I do?
My dear readers, Autumn Belle needs your help!

Updated on Aug 11, 2011

The sender is among those listed in a post about "Domain Name Scams" by Firetrust a website selling anti-spam softward, the link is here. It seem to me that several other domain owners had also received such emails. If it happens to you, check out the sender's details at the link provided.

At the moment, it looks more like a SCAM as we can't verify the authenticity and/or good intentions, etc. Hence, be cautious not to reveal your personal details or bank account numbers.

Penang Butterfly Farm P6 - Love On The Butterfly Swing

2011-07-23T09:03:00.017+08:00

1. Idea leuconoe - Paper Kite/ Rice Paper/ Large Tree Nymph

Do you remember I visited the Penang Butterfly Farm in December 2010? I have already written 5 posts about the beautiful butterflies there. Hey, I'm not done yet!

Well, this 6th post is about The Butterfly Swing that is filled with LOVE; love among the romancing butterflies and also love written all over a wild vine!

If you'd like some soothing instrumental music by Brian Crain, please go to the bottom of this post and click play.

“Penang Butterfly Farm PBF P6 - Love On The Butterfly Swing”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 23rd, 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 8 - Cosmos and Coreopsis for Todays Flowers #152

2011-07-17T05:47:00.006+08:00

1 - Yellow coreopsis

Today I have the honour to be guest friend of Today's Flowers # 152. My grateful thanks to TF team Santilli, Denise, Pupo and Sandy Carlson. To participate or view other beautiful entries around the world please visit Today's Flowers, the link is here.

These flowers are from Floria 2011. If you know how to differentiate between cosmos and coreopsis flowers, please teach me.

“Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 8 - Cosmos and Coreopsis for Today's Flowers # 152”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 17th, 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 7 - Hydrangea Highlights

2011-07-16T06:55:00.002+08:00

I have the blue hydrangea at home. These pink and red hydrangeas at Floria 2011 are really lovely.

“Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 7 - Hydrangea Highlights”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 2011.

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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - GBBD July 2011

2011-07-15T13:56:00.009+08:00

Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day for July 2011. Leading my parade of flowers today are the roses I had purchased from Floria 2011 at RM 10.00 (USD 3.32) each. I love their fragrance.

I love the dark pink rose the most because it looks quite 'happy-go-lucky' with its ruffled and wavy edged petals!

“GBBD July 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 15th, 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 6 - Charming Chrysanthemums For Good Fortune

2011-07-14T20:45:00.008+08:00

1 - Rolled petals, purple inside, paler shade on the outside

At Floria 2011, there are some chrysanthemum flowers in lovely shades and colours that I like. Chrysanthemum flowers are used to decorate my home and also for prayers. We regard chrysanthemums as auspicious fengshui flowers signifying success, longevity and the spiritual.

“Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 6 - Charming Chrysanthemums for Good Fortune”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on 14th July 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 5 Golden Annuals - Rudbeckia, Coneflowers and Black Eyed Susans

2011-07-13T21:19:00.010+08:00

1 - Black Eyed Susan

At Putrajaya Floria 2011, the glitterati / glitterazzi is at Growers Gardens. This post focuses on the gold and yellow beauties of the Annual flowers on parade.

“Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 5 Golden Annuals - Rudbeckia, Coneflowers and Black Eyed Susan ?”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 13th, 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 4 - Dream Lilies at the Temperate Garden

2011-07-12T21:09:00.009+08:00

It was like a dream come true the moment I stepped into the Temperate and Highlands Section of the Growers Garden at Floria 2011. I am really delighted to see these exquisitely gorgeous blooms of daylilies, my favourite flower.

“Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 4 - Dream Lilies at the Temperate Garden”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 12th, 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 Part 3 - Desert Roses (Prosperity Flowers) at the Garden Bazaar

2011-07-11T22:39:00.011+08:00

1. Single Flower Adenium obesum - Desert Rose King 'Red Prosperity'

At the Garden Bazaar in Floria 2011, there are many varieties of Desert Rose plants for sale. The prices range from RM 8.00 (USD 2.66) to a few hundred dollars. There are single, double and triple flower varieties and cultivars. The triple flower ones are the most expensive.

“Putrajaya 2011 Part 3 - Desert Roses at the Garden Bazaar”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 11th, 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 - Part 2 The Show Has Begun (A Visitor's Guide)

2011-07-10T23:55:00.011+08:00

The Floria 2011 Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival has started! I am so excited to see this entrance. I can spend the whole day here. Like what my family members teased me, if I enter this expo, I won't leave until all my memory cards are full or my camera battery is empty. Hehe, I must admit that it is true. There are plenty of learning opportunities here - plants, flowers, herbs, landscaping and photography.

For those who are visiting Floria 2011, I hope this preliminary information will help you plan your visit there. For my friends who are outstation, overseas or not able to visit, I'd like to share with you my adventure/experiential learning opportunity.

“Putrajaya Floria 2011 - Part 2 The Show Has Begun" , a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 10th, 2011.

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Putrajaya Floria 2011 - Part 1 A Prelude to Roses Are Forever

2011-07-08T19:55:00.014+08:00

Floria 2011 Putrajaya Flower and Garden Festival 9-17 July 2011 is an annual event organised by Perbadanan Putrajaya. It is into its 4th year and the details are as follows:

Venue: Waterfront Precinct 2, Putrajaya
Opening hours: 9am - 10pm (Mon - Thurs) and 9am - 12 midnight (Fri-Sun)
Admission: FREE
Theme: ROSES ARE FOREVER

Today I had the chance to pop in for a visit and I am so delighted because roses are my favourite. Now, I'm back from my blog holiday!

“Putrajaya Floria 2011 - Part 1 A Prelude to Roses Are Forever”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on July 8th 2011.

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Raindrops On My Roses and Blog Rest

2011-06-30T00:03:00.036+08:00

Tears of joy are like the summer rain drops pierced by sunbeams.

~ Hosea Ballou

I love to photograph my flowers after the rain. To my naked eye, the raindrops that collect on the leaves and petals look like colourless crystals and pearls. But through the camera lens, they are transformed into magic mirrors from where I get a beautiful view of the world above.

Can you see the sun's rays on the raindrop?

“Raindrops On My Roses and Blog Rest”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 30th, 2011.

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The Garden at Hotel Equatorial Bangi - Putrajaya Part 2

2011-06-28T00:03:00.013+08:00

There is a beautifully landscaped or should I say award-winning garden at Hotel Equatorial Bangi-Putrajaya. In Part 1 of my post, I have already featured the Japanese Koi Pond cum Rock Garden. Here in Part 2, we shall take a stroll along the meandering pathways of lush tropical greenery.

This looks like the perfect setting for a wedding reception and photography session.

Some of the features here include:

Well manicured lawns, trimmed hedges and tall swaying palms.
Beautifully designed arbors decked in luxuriant green foliage
Lovely blooms of the everflowering Bauhinia kockiana intertwined with Tristellateia australasiae
A pergola lined a whole walkway beside the Japanese styled koi pond and it leads to the entrance of a free-form swimming pool where one can watch beautiful, romantic sunsets in the evenings.
The sounds of running water from the bubbling fountains and mini waterfalls soothes and calm the soul.

“The Garden at Hotel Equatorial Bang-Putrajaya Part 2”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 24th, 2011.

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The Japanese Koi Pond at Hotel Equatorial Bangi-Putrajaya Part 1

2011-06-24T00:11:00.009+08:00

1 - Calm and Tranquil

I love to watch these koi fishes swimming gracefully beside the man-made waterfall. This Japanese Koi pond belongs to Hotel Equatorial Bangi-Putrajaya.

While I was there during lunch after a meeting, I had the opportunity to take some shots.

The purpose of the first picture is to capture the cool, 'carefree' serenity of the pond as a contrast to the second picture. Because I used the normal mode, you can see the silky blur motion of water splashing onto the pond.

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Spanish Needles Bidens pilosa for Wildflower Wednesday

2011-06-23T15:33:00.006+08:00

At the rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama, there is a planter box filled to the brim with flowers that looked like wild daisies. These Bidens pilosa flowers attracted many bees and butterflies, the beneficial insects.

At first I thought they were the more beautiful and bigger version of Tridax procumbens, a weed which we can find everywhere by the roadsides in Malaysia.

“Spanish Needles Bidens pilosa for Wildflower Wednesday”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 23rd, 2011.

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GBBD June 2011

2011-06-15T00:03:00.015+08:00

1. My Nong Nooch Vine (Petraeovited wolfei)

- Creamy white blooms protruding out of the yellow bracts.

It was love at first sight when I first saw the Wolfei vine at the Secret Garden of 1-Utama. I waited almost 2 years before I found the sapling at a nursery in Sg Buloh. It is a native plant of Malaysia.

My 2009 post about this plant is here.

“GBBD June 2011, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 15th, 2011.

Aeschynanthus lobbianus - The Lipstick Plant

2011-06-12T17:53:00.011+08:00

With a fanciful botanical name that is a mouthful to pronounce, I just love its common name, the 'Lipstick Plant'. I'm sure you'd understand too. As you can see here, the bright red flower buds protrude out from dark maroon calyses like lipsticks emerging from their cases.

Quite often, lipstick colours are named after plants e.g cherry red, strawberry pink, etc. but this plant is named after the lipstick!

“Aeschynanthes lobbianus - The Lipstick Plant”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 12th, 2011.

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Skywatch from the Rooftop

2011-06-10T00:03:00.007+08:00

I saw this unusual arrangement of hibiscus flowers at the rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama last month. It looks like they are parading in an arch. At that time, there were dark nimbus clouds above, as though it was going to rain soon. What I like most about the hibiscus is the unique way in which the stigma and stamens are beautifull arranged along the style. In the photo above, a light breeze had caused them to sway in different directions.

I often have this feeling of being on 'Top of the World' when I am here at the rooftop. At other times, I have a weird feeling - Can you imagine there are traffic jams and people busy working, shopping, dining or watching movies below my feet ?

“Skywatch from the rooftop”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 10th, 2011.

This is my entry for Skywatch Friday, Season 4 Episode 48 and the link is here.

Cassia fistula - The Golden Shower Tree (Wordless Wednesday)

2011-06-08T00:03:00.007+08:00

1 - Kayu Rajah (wood King) in Malay

“Cassia fistula - The Golden Shower Tree (Wordless Wednesday)”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 8th, 2011

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Bauhinia x blakeana - The Hong Kong Orchid Tree

2011-06-05T16:33:00.011+08:00

A Hong Kong beauty in Malaysia!

Just to let you know, this is not a repeat of my previous post. Bauhinia blakeana flowers do look like B. purpurea flowers but they are not the same species!

The Bauhinia blakeana is the floral emblem of Hong Kong. It is depicted as white in the Hong Kong SAR flag. B. blakeana is thought to be the natural hybrid of B. purpurea and B. variegata.

'Blakeana' is named in honour of Sir Henry Blake, the British Governor of Hong Kong from 1898-1903. The tree was discovered around 1880 by French missionaries who found a singer tree growing near the ruins of a house in Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong. They took cuttings of the original plant and the cuttings rooting successfully. A speciman was given to the Hong Kong Botanic Gardens.

This plant is only known in cultivation and all cultivted trees are thought to have originated from the one at the HK Botanic Gardens.

“Bauhinia blakeana - The Hong Kong Orchid Tree”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 5th, 2011.

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Bauhinia purpurea - The Butterfly Tree

2011-06-03T11:33:00.005+08:00

The Bauhinia purpurea is an ornamental tree that is grown for its beautiful orchid like flowers and butterfly shaped leaves. The flowers are fragrant.

Although it is commonly called the Hong Kong Orchid Tree, this is not the flower depicted in the Hong Kong flag. The emblem flower of Hong Kong is the Bauhinia blakeana, which is a natural hybrid of B. purpurea and B. variegata.

The genus 'Bauhinia' is named in honour of the Bauhin brothers who were Swiss-French botanists.

“Bauhinia purpurea”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 3rd 2011.

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Bauhinia acuminata - The Snowy Orchid Tree

2011-06-01T17:33:00.011+08:00

Thanks to your clues, smart observations and comments on my previous post "UFO on UFO", the flower and the bug has been identified.

The flower is Bauhinia acuminata while the bug is Amata huebneri. Both the flower and the bug are natives here.

The flowers of the Bauhinia acuminata is about 3 inches in diameter. Each flower has 5 petals which are a bright white in colour. When in bloom, they look like snowflakes on the branches and they also exude a nice fragrance with a hint of the scent of roses. You can use them as cut flowers.

The leaves are shaped like ox-hooves.

“Bauhinia acuminata”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on June 1st, 2011.

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UFO on a UFO

2011-05-31T08:54:00.003+08:00

There is an Unidentified Flying Object (UFO) on this leguminous Unidentified Flowering Object (UFO). The photographs are taken at the Rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama.

“UFO on a UFO”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on May 31st, 2011.

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3 Amazing Asystasias - Pick Your Favourite

2011-05-29T15:33:00.003+08:00

1. Asystasia sp (Common Asystasia) - A scrambling plant with slender wiry stems

“3 Amazing Asystasias - Pick Your Favourite”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on May 29th, 2011.

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Asystasia gangetica - A Chinese Violet from Mafia Island

2011-05-27T08:18:00.006+08:00

Asystasia gangetica flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Some cultivars are sweetly scented.

The flowers have a diameter of about 1- 1.5 inches.
They are white, yellow and purple flower varieties.

“Asystasia gangetica - Chinese Violet from Mafia Island”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on May 27th, 2011.

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Torch Ginger Flower Seeds Germination

2011-05-20T06:33:00.022+08:00

I have a Torch Ginger Plant (Etlingera elatior) which we call 'bunga kantan' in Malaysia. Though it takes up a lot of my garden space, I have never regretted growing this native plant for I love its beautiful blooms. Once started, it never seems to stop blooming. This is the plant that has won me many new friends from far and near. It is the 'ice-breaker' and attention grabber in my garden.

This is my 9th blog post about the plant. My article about "The versatile bunga kantan plant" appeared in the New Straits Times on March 27th, 2010. The link is here.

Torch Ginger has many other common names, e.g. Ginger Flower, Ginger Lily, Torch Lily, Wild Ginger, Stone Rose, Combrang, Bunga Siantan, Philippine Wax Flower, Xiang Bao Jiaing, Indonesian Tall Ginger, Boca de Dragón, Rose de Porcelaine and Porcelain Rose.

"Torch Ginger Flower Seeds Germination”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on May 20th, 2011.

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Nelumbo nucifera - The Sacred Lotus

2011-05-17T00:03:00.016+08:00

First, I'd like to wish all Buddhists a Happy Wesak Day!

The lotus is one of my favourite flowers. It is so beautiful no wonder many Chinese girls are named after this sacred and lovely flower. They have this word, 'Lian' or 'Lin' in their middle or first name. We regard it as an auspicious flower that is holy and pure. It is also the devine symbol of Buddhism

The pink and white lotus is the national flower of India and Vietnam.

“Nelumbo nucifera - The Sacred Lotus”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on May 17th, 2011.

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - May 2011

2011-05-15T15:33:00.007+08:00

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day for May 2011. Leading the bloom parade is my bread flowers (Vallaris glabra) which we locals call it Kesidang. It is difficult to photograph the flower as they always seem to be drooping downwards. Well, this vine just loves to climb high. Whenever it flowers, we will first sense the fragrance, then we look up or around us, we shall see the sweet, starry blooms.

It has the scent of Pandan, our favourite aromatic herb and also that of 'nasi lemak', our favourite coconut flavoured rice. Many Malaysians who grew up in a 'kampong' or countryside will have fond childhood memories associated with this plant. The fragrance is very pronounced in the mornings and evenings. A whiff of pandan always reminds me of home cooked food.

Rumphius (1628-1702) wrote about it as one of the perfumed flowers which the peoples of the Malay Archipelago were fond of using back in the old days, once upon a time, long, long ago.....

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A Tribute To Trees

2011-05-14T09:55:00.004+08:00

A tree is home to other plants

“See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence;
see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...
we need silence to be able to touch souls.”

- Mother Teresa

Help! There's a Bird Nest on My Hydrangea Plant!

2011-05-10T08:33:00.004+08:00

On the Friday morning of May 6th this month, while my friends in the USA were still in timezone 5th of May, celebrating Cinco de Mayo, I noticed an untidy mass of straw among the leaves of my hydrangea plant.
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Asystasia intrusa - Useful Wildflower or Noxious Weed?

2011-05-06T00:13:00.022+08:00

Asystasia intrusa is a common weed in Peninsular Malaysia. You can find them along roadsides, in rubbish dumps, vacant residential lands, wastelands and open areas along jungles. This one that I photographed is growing beside a drain in Ipoh. It looked like some people are growing it in flower pots for their own use?

It grows prolifically, has high shade tolerance and produces many seeds. Once established, it spreads rapidly. It can become extremely invasive and difficult to control or erradicate, hence it is regarded as a noxioius weed by orchards, oil palm and rubber plantation owners where chemical pesticides are needed to deal with the problem. It is a major problem here where it competes with the main crops for soil nutrients, affects yield and increases crop management costs.

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Ensete perrieri, The Madagascar Banana and A Banana Beauty Contest

2011-04-30T22:01:00.011+08:00

Scientific name: Ensete perrieri

Common name: Madagascar Banana
Family: Musaceae

Category: Ornamental banana

Origin: Madagascar

Photo taken at: Floria 2010.

This unique banana species is native to Madagascar. It looks lik a banana plant and has a waxy bluish trunk that bulges at the base. The leaves have yellowish midribs and are held on by very short stalks. The crown looks like a shuttlecock.

Musa velutina, The Self-Peeling Hairy Pink Banana

2011-04-29T08:03:00.001+08:00

Scientific name: Musa velutina

Common name: Royal Purple Banana, Self-Peeling Banana, Hairy Banana, Baby Pink Banana

Family: Musaceae

Category: Ornamental banana

Origin: India and Southeast Asia

Photo taken at: Floria 2010.

“Musa velutina - The Self-Peeling Hairy Pink Banana”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on April 29th, 2011.

'Velutina' is a Latin word meaning 'velvety'. The bloom and fruits are covered with tiny hairs which gives it a velvet texture. Unlike the other ornamental bananas that bear green to yellow fruits, the fruits of the Musa velutina are strikingly special in that they are pinkish purple in colour. When ripe, they self-peel and open to reveal the white banana flesh underneath. The bunch of fruits looks like another beautiful flower. The plant can reach a height of 2 m.

Earth Day Reading Project Blog Meme 2011

2011-04-21T00:03:00.013+08:00

As a tribute to Earth Day this year which falls on April 22nd, 2011 (also Good Friday), The Sage Butterfly in her Earth Day Reading Project - Blog Meme post has invited me to participate. The rules as detailed in her website are as follows:

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A Wine Coloured Blood Banana and My Google Adsense, Nuffnang Money

2011-04-19T00:33:00.004+08:00

Scientific name: Musa zebrina

Common name: Blood Banana

Family: Musaceae

Category: Ornamental banana

Origin: Sumatra, Indonesia

Photo taken at: Floria 2010.

5Rs To A Gardener's Sustainable Living 2011 and April 2011 GBBD

2011-04-15T00:03:00.045+08:00

Etlingera elatior, edible Torch Ginger flowers

In conjunction with Earth Day which falls on Friday, April 22nd, 2011, Jan Doble of Thanks for Today blog is hosting the 2nd Annual Gardeners' Sustainable Living Project 2011. It is also time for April's Garden Blogger's Bloom Day and Fertilizer Friday!

While displaying April's blooms from my garden, I shall also write down some of the things that I have been doing and plan to do towards a sustainable lifestyle.

Musa beccarii N.W. Simmonds - An Exotic Wild Banana Beauty From Borneo

2011-04-08T15:33:00.007+08:00

It has a name that reminds me of champagne and Ferrari.

This small and slender ornamental banana has erect inflorescences with bright red bracts that are yellow and green at the tips. It can be grown in a container or on the ground where it can reach a height of about 3-3.5 m tall. The leaves are bright green, narrow and oblong. The fruits also appear upright and in groups of 2-5 hands, each hand having 1-3 fruits. The blooms last a long time and suitable as cut flowers.

Read more »

A Bronze Banana Named Musa laterita Cheeseman - Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-06T00:03:00.009+08:00

Musella lasiocarpa - A Chinese Dwarf Banana That Looks Like a Lotus

2011-04-01T06:03:00.010+08:00

This is no April Fool's Day joke! This plant is not a true banana but a relative of the banana. The erect yellow flowers looks like a golden lotus which is a sacred flower in Buddhism. Sometimes, it is marketed as an auspicious Chinese New Year plant. The foliage is grey-green in colour. The plant is only about 3-4 ft tall.

Read more »

UTAR Convocation 2011 - A Malaysian Graduation Experience

2011-03-27T19:33:00.018+08:00

Picture 1 - Morning has broken over KL city - It's a bright new day!

Today, I shall put aside my gardening tales to share with you a memorable occasion in my life. Please click on the video at the end of the post to listen to the selected song. I hope you like this song too.

Read more »

Asystasia sp

2011-03-25T08:03:00.012+08:00

To me, Asystasia sounds like the name of a pretty lady or fairy princess from a distant land.

Asystasia sp is a scrambling plant with slender, wiry stems. It is best grown when mixed with other plants that can help hold it up. It should be pruned back whenever it begins to smother neighbouring plants. A free-flowering plant that should be grown in full sun. Propagate by cuttings. (Source: Tropical Horticulture and Gardening by Dr. Francis SP Ng).

Read more »

Graduation Flower Bouquets and Gifts Ideas - Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T00:03:00.005+08:00

Christia vespertilionis The Red Butterfly Wing

2011-03-20T21:55:00.010+08:00

It was love at first sight when I saw this plant at a nursery. It has leaves that looked like purple butterflies in flight. I really liked it. I place the flower pot next to my blue daze and peace lily plants. I enjoyed its beauty for about a week or so before it suddenly dried up and left me for good, taking with it my 3 peace lily plants too. I think it died from some kind of disease because I find white spots on the soil.

GBBD March 2011

2011-03-16T22:33:00.005+08:00

1. Miniature roses

For March 2011 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, I have miniature roses.

Can you see the sun reflected on the water droplet?

2. Costus woodsonii

When the tiny flowers appear in this Costus woodsonii plant, it usually attract a lot of ants with its sugary liquid. The flowers are edible. This hairy caterpillar seem to have cut open the defensive wall of orange bracts that protect the yellow flowers and shifted in. The critter seems to eat the flower but not the leaves of this plant.

I wonder which butterfly/moth this baby belongs to?

“GBBD March 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ for Autumn Belle on 16th March 2011.

3. Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivars - double petaled vermillion red.

4. Tawny coaster butterfly on a palm tree.

This tawny coaster butterfly was drying its wings when I found it near my vegetable plants in the late evening. It walked on to my fingers and momentarily rested on my palm tree just before taking off in its maiden flight.

5. Blue throated sunbird

This looks like a blue throated yellow breasted, olive-backed sunbird sitting on my neighbour's longan tree.
Do you know its name?

6. A Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivar - single petal yellow with pink veins.

7. Turnera ulmifolia or yellow alder flower.

8. A pair of pigeons/quails on my neighbour's same longan tree. One was posing like a supermodel while the other one was very shy and somersaulted away when it saw me pointing my camera. I guess he doesn't like the paparazzi!

9. My azalea is still blooming.

Malvaviscus arboreus

10. Malvaciscus arboreus flowers are always half-opened and pointing upwards. The leaves remind me of grape leaves.

11. Heliconia 'American Dwarf'

12. Anyone know the name of this bug on the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis plant?

My grateful thanks to Carol of May Dreams Garden for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. To view what's blooming around the world, visit here.

Prayers and Support for Blotanists friends - Japan Earthquake 2011

2011-03-13T07:03:00.014+08:00

Many of us have watched in horror at the massive destruction and tragedy in relation to the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11th, 2011.

From our Blotanical community, we have 5 garden bloggers who are residing in Japan. They are ok now, but if you wish to convey your heartfelt messages of support to them, the following are their details with links attached.

Mr Lrong - PotagerY and Malaysian in Japan (Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture)
Mr Fer - My Little Garden in Japan (Yokohama)
Mr Takaedo - Small Vege Garden in a Suburb (Osaka)
Mr Nakashima Akira -Garden Life (USA City, Oita)
Mr Adekun -Adekun's Japan Blog

This is another defining sad moment in our lifetime, so shocking no words can describe. I spent most of my free time watching CNN, BBC and NHK and I can't help thinking about the Hollywood movie 2012. What is happening to our world now? Is our Mother Earth sick and distressed?

I hope in this trying time, we could find strength in adversity, faith and hope. It has been proven so many times that during a crisis, the whole world can unite and stand as one, to offer assistance, prayers and help those affected.

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” ..... Ryunosuke Satoro.

We can check with our country's NGOs and main news websites on ways we can volunteer / make donations. GOOGLE' s website has resources, emergency aid contact numbers and Google Person Finder on their homepage.

Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) The Largest in the World? PBF Part 5 - Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T20:03:00.012+08:00

“Atlas Moth (Attacus atlas) The Largest in the World? PBF Part 5 - Wordless Wednesday”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on March 9th, 2011.

To participate and/or view other entries, please visit Wordless Wednesday website here.

The moth has been sighted in John & Jacqs home garden in Malaysia. Her post is here.

Updated on 22 Aug 2011:

A pair of mating Atlas Moths

The male is on the left while the female is on the right. The female moth is larger, heavier but sexually passive. She does not stray far from her chrysalis but stay perched at an angle where the air currents can best carry her powerful pheromones. Male moths are smaller in size with more tapered wings. They are more active and they fly around nocturnally. Their large bushy antennae are equiped with chemoreceptors to help detect pheromones from several km away. This helps to track down their mate. Once mated, the female starts to lay eggs and hence begin another new life cycle of the Atlas Moth. The process of mating and oviposition can happen on the same day she is born!

Their life span is very short i.e. only 1-2 weeks and it seems that they live for the sole purpose of propagating the next generation. Such is the beauty of Nature!

There's a saying,

"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough".

~Rabindranath Tagore

Note: The image above has been published with permission from Ker Ai Choo. My grateful thank you very much.

Rajah Brooke Birdwing, The National Butterfly of Malaysia - PBF P4

2011-03-08T05:53:00.028+08:00

Male Rajah Brooke Birdwing (Trogonptera brookiana albescens)

At the Penang Butterfly Farm, I was very lucky to view and photograph this magnificient beauty. The Rajah Brooke Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana albescens) was discovered in 1855 by Alfred R. Wallace. He named it after Sir James Brooke (1803-1868) who was the first white Rajah of Sarawak. Sarawak is a state in Malaysia located in the island of Borneo.

The Rajah Brooke birdwing is the national butterfly of Malaysia.

This gorgeous red-head has been nicknamed, the 'Prince/Princess' of butterflies. Their wing span is about 15-17 cm or 5-7 inches. They are found mainly in the tropical rainforests of the Thai-Malay Peninsular, Borneo, the Natuna archipelago and also Sumatra.

Male butterflies have velvety black wings characterised by 7 tooth shaped electric green markings which make them look very elegant. The one in the picture above is perched on a yellow mussaenda flava plant.

Female Rajah Brooke Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana albescens)

The wings of the female birdwings are browner and there are prominent white flashes at the tips of the forewings and base of the hindwings.

Rajah Brooke Birdwing, The National Butterfly of Malaysia - PBF P4”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on March 8th, 2011.

Underside of male Rajah Brooke Birdwing (Trogonoptera brookiana albescens)

Sightings of these butterflies are rare and we can only find them at butterfly farms and certain protected areas. The Rajah Brooke Birdwing is listed as an endangered species under Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). It is also protected under our country's Protection of Wild Life Act 1972.

It was reported here in January 2010 that the removal of a historical pipeline in Gopeng for scrap metal have destroyed the largest site for Rajah Brooke birdwings in Ulu Geroh. Ulu Geroh is located in Ulu Kinta Forest Reserve and it is a major tourist attraction for viewing these butterflies in their natural habitat. The group of butterflies that congregate here may number as many as 100! In the past, the harvesting of this butterfly for sale as preserved specimens, gifts and souvenirs have led to declining populations. Our government is educating the local villagers around the area to act as stewards in looking after the butterflies and make a living from eco-tourism instead of catching them for sale.

I think that with the wonderful invention of the digital camera, many of us can take photos/videos for rememberance, thereby waiving the need for catching them alive and harming them in the process.

These butterflies feed on nectar from flowers of certain plants such as the bauhinia, mussaenda, ixora and lantana. Newly emerged males need to get potassium and sodium minerals to activate adult behaviour, hence the male butterflies will gather in a large group to sip nutrients from wet soil or mud puddles.

The above video, sourced from YouTube, shows a congregatory of male Rajah Brooke birdwings exhibiting their unique 'mud-puddling' behaviour . For more information, you can also visit the following sites:

Learn About Butterflies Site by Adrian Hoskins, here
The Star Online report, here.
The Malaysian Nature Society article, here.

While I am not an activist, environmentalist, scientist or conservationist, I do hope that you will get to know more about this national treasure of ours afer reading my post. Their numbers are fast declining due to specimen collection and destruction of their habitats by deforestation and rapid development. We can also do our little part by not catching or harming them so that the butterflies will be prevented from extinction. Let our future generations enjoy the privilege of seeing them alive, fluttering and swirling around. What an unforgetable experience it shall be.

Specimen picture of male and female Rajah Brook Birdwing from Wikipedia

Question: What's the difference between the first 3 pictures and this one?

Answer: The last picture are dead specimens. If the butterfly becomes extinct, our future generations will not get to see the Rajah soaring to new heights but rather with their wings pinned up!

"We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." ~Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732.
and,
"Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us." ~Henrik Tikkanen

Do you have a rare/protect/endangered species of butterfly in your country and which one is it?

And to all the ladies out there,
HAPPY 100th INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!

This is my entry for My World Tuesday, the link is here.
My grateful thanks to Mr Andy Loke, staff of Penang Butterfly Farm for explaining to me the differences between the pictures of a live, resting birdwing and that of a dead specimen.

The Life Cycle of Butterflies - Penang Butterfly Farm Part 3

2011-03-04T15:55:00.026+08:00

This post is about the life story of a butterfly. The photos I use here are taken from a few types of butterflies and not from a single type. I am very glad that visitors are allowed to take photographs at the farm. As I had only 2 hours to spare at the Penang Butterfly Farm, I took many photographs for knowledge and rememberance. A picture does speak a thousand words and from the photos, I would later be able to find more information from the internet and from books.

I would like to dedicate this post to Ms Carol Duke of Flower Hill Farm blog. Her post titled, "A Royal Begining ... The Metamorphosis of a Monarch Butterfly" and the subsequent posts thereafter had inspired me to know more about the butterflies of my own country and make my garden more wildlife friendly.

Blue Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides) with hair pencil on a misai kuching (cat whiskers) plant

Remember this guy from my last post with this weird thingy? Well, as Mr Andy from Penang Butterfly Farm pointed out, this structure is actually the 'hair-pencil' of a male butterfly for use in courtship and self-defence.

Question: How do butterflies mate?
Answer: From the internet

Male and female butterflies release pheromones into the surroundings. Pheromones are chemicals that acts as sexual stimulants or natural aphrodisiac for insects such as the butterflies. A male butterfly can detect the female's pheromones from a far distance and he can also seek out the females by sight. If they like each other, they will embark on a courtship flight which may last an hour or so or even overnight.

During courtship a male butterfly will flap his wings very fast and release a cloud of tiny scales just above the female's antannae. These scales contains pheromones. Some types of male butterflies have hair-pencils inside their abdomens which are released out when courting. The hair-pencils fans the female with pheromones. If Mr and Miss Butterfly like each other, they are ready to mate.

“The Life Cycle of Butterflies - Penang Butterfly Farm Part 3”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on March 4th, 2011.

A pair of New Lacewings (Cethosia cyane)

Love is like a butterfly: It goes where it pleases and it pleases wherever it goes.

~Author Unknown

Both butterflies are usually linked tail to tail and facing opposite directions when mating. The male butterfly passes a sperm packet or spermatorphore to the female. It then fertilizes each egg as it passes down the female's egg-laying tube. The butterflies can be in flight during the mating process but most often they choose to remain stationary.

1. Caterpillar's poo-poo of the Lacewing butterfly*

A female butterfly can lay the same batch of eggs on a variety of different plants. These are the plants that will provide food for the caterpillars of that particular butterfly. In their natural environment, the survival rate is normally about 2%. The egg stage is the 1st stage in the life cycle of a butterfly.

I'm so sorry, I didn't get to photograph any butterfly eggs at the farm so the above picture is actually the caterpillar's poo-poo. My grateful thanks to my learned friend, Andrea for pointing out that the above picture is caterpillar excreta.

By looking at the excreta, experts eyes can identify what stage of the instar or what type of butterfly.

2. Newly hatched caterpillars - 1st instar*

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.

~Richard Buckminster Fuller

The eggs will hatch into caterpillars who will feed on the leaves. This 2nd stage is called the larva stage. Caterpillars have a huge appetite as they are in their body building stage. They will molt or change skins about 5 times as they grow bigger and their body is also undergoing some changes.

*A caterpillar between molts is called an 'instar':

Egg --> 1st instar --> 2nd instar --> 3rd instar --> 4th instar --> 5th instar --> chrysalis --> imago

3. Caterpillar of the Paper Kite (Idea leuconoe)*

The caterpillar does all the work but the butterfly gets all the publicity.

~Attributed to George Carlin

This caterpillar is black and white banded with red spots, is a larvae of the Rice Paper Butterfly (Idea leuconoe) aka Paper Kite, White Tree Nymph.

4. Pupa of Blue Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides)*

When the caterpillar has grown big enough, it attaches itself to a safe place. It sheds off its skin to reveal a pupa or chrysallis. The outer layer of the pupa will harden to protect the developing butterfly. This is the 3rd stage of the life cycle. It is the most dangerous and vulnerable stage, having little or no protection from predators, and relying mainly on mimicry and camourflage. It takes about 1-2 weeks for the pupa to mature into an adult butterfly.

5. Pupa of the Local Tree Nymph (Idea hypermnestra)*

At the Penang Butterfly Farm, there is a Pupa Station where visitors can see the real live eggs, larvae, pupa and different types of butterflies emerging from the chrysallis. There is also an information centre and exhibition center where one can view preserved specimens.

6. Dark Blue Tiger (Tirumala septentrionis)

The 4th and final stage is when the adult butterfly emerges from the chrysallis. Adult butterflies live for a few days to a year depending on the species. Their main mission in life is to reproduce their future generation. Some butterflies can mate and lay eggs on the same day that they emerge from the chrysallis.

This place looks like a maternity or birthing centre for butterflies!

It is my first time watching butterflies emerging from their chrysallis. Also, my first time experience with a butterfly perched on my shoulder. In my home garden, I have seen the eggs, caterpillars and chrysallis. I have even seen newly born butterflies a few times and held them on my fingers but never once have I witness the birth of a butterfly.

7. Common Sailor (Neptis hylas papaja)

Seeing their whole life cycle and watching these creepy crawlies turn into such gorgeous butterflies gives me a feeling of rebirth. It's like starting life anew as a completely different individual. I also have this strange feeling.

Does this butterfly know or remember the part of its life as the caterpillar it was before?

8. Indian Yellow Nawab (Polyura jalysus)

Beautiful and graceful, varied and enchanting, small but approachable,

butterflies lead you to the sunny side of life. And everyone deserves a little sunshine.

~Jeffrey Glassberg

Can you see lots of hearts/love shapes on the edge of its wings ?

Note:

This post has been updated on March 5th, 2011. My grateful thanks to Mr Andy Loke, staff of Penang Butterfly Farm for providing the information marked * and the identification of the caterpillars and butterflies.

Some related posts by wildlife friendly gardeners:
1. Andrea - Philippine Butterflies - Butterfly pictures from a butterfly enthusiast.
2. Sunita, "The Butterfly Farmer" - Raising butterflies in a high rise apartment
3. Rhonda - "Caterpillar Club - Raising butterflies in a fish tank
4. Jack - Monarch Butterfly Feeding Station - Preparing for the return of migratory Monarchs

I am linking in to Fertilizer Friday this week, grateful thanks to Tootsie for hosting it here.

Common Malaysian Butterflies - Penang Butterfly Farm Part 2

2011-02-26T15:33:00.015+08:00

The Penang Butterfly Farm in Teluk Bahang, Penang Island is home to 3,000 living specimens of over 50 species of rare and exotic butterflies, frogs, scorpions and other insects. Some of the features here include a lily pond, rock garden, tunnel, bubbling mud pool and artificial waterfalls. There is also a garden enclosure, breeding area, laboratory, exhibition area, souvenir shop and information centre, e.g. The Museum of Asian Artefacts which houses an Insect Museum, an Art Gallery and a Gallery of Asian Artefacts.

“Common Malaysian Butterflies - Penang Butterfly Farm Part 2”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on February 26th, 2011.

The following are some of the pictures of Malaysian butterflies that I took during my visit on 9th December 2010. As soon as I know their correct scientific names, I shall update this post accordingly. Meanwhile, anyone can make a guess. Your help shall be greatly appreciated.

Chocolate Pansy (Junonia iphita / Precis iphita)

Batik Lacewings (Cethosia biblis) butterflies at bottom
and Great Egg Fly (Hypolimnas bolina) on top.

Thank you very much, Andrea for getting the Hypolimnas bolina right!

3. Sexy lady clad in a batik sarong - a Batik Lacewing (Cethosia biblis)

4. The colour of autumn leaves - New Lacewing (Cethosia cyane)

5. Love is in the air for this pair of New Lacewings (Cethosia cyane).
The female is paler in colour compared to the male.

6. Yellow Birdwing aka Common Birdwing (Troides helena)
this beautiful orange-red flower is the zebra plant (Sanchezia speciosa)

Thank you very much to Lotus Leaf who successfully identified the plant!

7. Yellow Glassy Tiger - Parantica aspasia

8. A female New Lacewing - Cethosia cyane

9. This is the same gal as no. 8 but in a different pose.

10. Chocolate Albatross (Appias lyncida)

11. Dark Blue Tiger - Tirumala septentrionis

feeding on the flowers of Chinese knotweed (Polygonum chinensis)

12. Blue Glassy Tiger (Parantica agleoides)
This one has something extra at the tip of its abdomen.
I wonder what is this thingy for - laying eggs?
Well, one thing's for sure, it is not for hitting golf balls!

* Answer:*

The structure is actually called a hair-pencils. Male butterflies in that family (Danaidae) will have the a pair hair-pencils hide inside the abdomen. they will only show it during courtship (to brush the scent from scent scale on the hindwing to attract female) or threaten (the hair-pencils will emit strong odor scare off the enemy).

I am amazed by the many varieties of live butterflies I can see here. All the photos were taken without using the camera's flash lights. It was indeed a great learning experience for me. I hope you have learnt something too.

My next post is - Pupa Station.

Note:
*This post has been updated on Mar 2nd, 2011 with the correct scientific names of the butterflies.
My grateful thanks to Mr Andy Loke, staff of Penang Butterfly Farm for helping me identify all the above butterflies and explanation about the hair-pencil.

White Bat Lily, Tiger Whiskers, Devil's Flower - Penang Butterfly Farm Part 1

2011-02-24T18:12:00.011+08:00

Tacca integrifolia

During my visit to Penang Butterfly Farm in December 2010, I came accross this very unique plant that has bat-shaped flowers and long flowing 'whiskers'. The plant I photographed here is a white bat lily flower. It has several white bracts lined with purple veins above the cluster of purplish black flowers. The leaves look like those of peace lilies.

The words, bizzare, extraordinary, rare flora, exotic and alien have been used to describe it and many are mesmerized by it while some others have even fallen in love with this unusual plant.

This plant can be found deep in our Malaysian jungles. Tiger Whiskers is a good environmental indicator since it is very sensitive to environmental changes and will not thrive in areas where there is pollution.

“Bat Lily, Tiger Whiskers, Devil's Flower - Penang Butterfly Farm Part 1”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on 25th February 2011.

Tacca integrifolia

Scientific name: Tacca integrifolia

Common name: Bat Lily, Bat Flower, Tiger Whiskers, Devil's Flower

Chinese name: 丝蒟蒻薯 si xu ju ruo shu (Source: Flora of China, here)

Malay name: Misai harimau, janggut adam, belimbing tanah, keladi murai, kelemoyang air (refer here).

Family: Discoreaceae / Taccaceae (yam family)

Origin: Southeast Asia e.g. Malaysia

Tacca integrifolia

The whiskers can be as long as 28 inches. The bat-shaped flowers are as wide as 12 inches across. The plant is about 4ft tall. Propagation is by division and from seeds but seed germination may take 8-12 weeks.

Tacca integrifolia

Additional notes, extracts from the book, "Tropical Exotics" by Horace Freestone Clay, James C. Hubbard, Rick Golt:
- a jungle plant that grows best in shaded garden retreats where its large leaves are protected from damage by wind, rain or falling debris. The flowers are striking, once seen, they are not forgotten. Tacca is the vernacular name for a number of species native to the Malaysian archipelago-peninsular.

Additional information from University of Florida can be found here.

Tacca integrifolia

Anyone growing this plant in your garden?

My next post will be about the butterflies which are the star attraction at Penang Butterfly Farm, their website is here.

This is my entry for Fertilizer Friday hosted by Tootsie at Tootsietime, here.

Feb 2011 GBBD

2011-02-18T18:33:00.011+08:00

Catharanthus roseus, torenia, yesterday-today-tomorrow, blue daze

Here's my flower parade for February 2011 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

My pale lavender coloured Catharanthus roseus (vinca/periwinkle) looks like a mixed breed. The plant had sprouted from seeds scartered naturally on the ground. My YTT plant was subjected to some harsh prunning last month and it is responding well to treatment, flowering in clusters now.

A torenia plant has anchored itself on my potted hibiscus plant. It is blooming profusely now.
Can you see a garden visitor on the blue torenia?

Azaleas, adenium, bougainvillea

The azaleas are still blooming after 2 weeks. My desert rose has just started with a single flower.

Cape honeysuckle, lantana, citrus lime, spider

I grow this orange cape honeysuckle plant to attract mealy bugs so that the bugs will leave my roses and hibiscus alone. The citrus flower is from my 3-year old plant. The spider looks like those we love to catch and play 'spider fighting' games of long ago.

“Feb 2011 GBBD”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on February 18th, 2011.

Kalanchoe, pineapple

When I purchased the kalanchoe, the nursery assistant advised me to select one that has lots of unopened buds in it. Now, it is blooming profusely. Kalanchoes do have lots and lots of tiny little flowers.

The baby pineapple is about 2 weeks old now.

Pussy willows blossoms

I can't find any petals. Can you tell which are the pussy willow flowers?

Dendrobium crumenatum orchid

My dendrobium / dove orchid does not bear flowers in clusters, but only one flower to a stalk.

Costus woodsonii

Costus woodsonii is a popular plant during this Lunar New Year of the Rabbit. When two yellow-orange flowers appear at the tip of the bright red flower spike, it looks like rabbit ears. In Chinese (Cantonese) this plant has a nickname, "hoong one tong tow" meaning good fortune has arrived.

When the flowers appear, the bright red cone also oozes a sweet syrupy liquid that attracts the ants. I wonder if we can suck on it?

Psyche (Leptosia nina malayana)

This green butterfly seems to be missing something. It may look quite weird with only the head and thorax visible, without the abdomen. But if you look more closely, you'll notice a sexy head and graceful pose. This reminds me of the legendary Marilyn Monroe and her skirt blown by the wind.

Anyone know the name of this butterfly?

Post update: I have found the name of this butterfly from the internet. It's scientific name is Leptosia nina malayana from the Pieridae family (sulphurs, yellows and whites). Common name is Psyche butterfly, also known as Wandering Snowflake, Flip Flop and Wood White. For more information, visit
a) Learn about butterflies
b) Wikipedia

Hydrangea

My hydrangea is getting too top heavy. The head almost got blown off by a gust of strong wind.

Etlingera elatior, bunga kantan

The Etlingera elatior ginger flower buds were not eaten but allowed to bloom.

Etlingera elatior, Bunga kantan

When tiny red flowers appear among the glossing pink bracts, sweet juice oozes out and a couple of ants came over for a Valentine picnic. Looks like they are kissing anyway.

A vegetable plant has sprouted perhaps from the seeds that has fallen on the ground. I wonder what is this - cucumber or bitter gourd?

Christmas poinsettia

My Christmas poinsettia has not lost all its red colour yet. Some new shoots have sprouted. I have place this plant under the shade of my palm tree.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is hosted by Carol of May Dreams Garden, her link is here.
This is also my entry for Fertilizer Friday hosted by Tootsie at Tootsie Time, the link is here.

Blotanical in Malaysia Home & Decor Magazine

2011-02-14T06:13:00.002+08:00

Firstly, I would like to wish everyone A Happy Valentine's Day !

Today, I shall present yellow roses from my garden and hey, growing roses is not difficult after all.

"To love someone deeply gives you strength.

Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage."

..... Lao Tze

"At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet."

..... Plato

"Absence diminishes little passions and increases great ones,

As wind extinguishes candles and fans a fire."

..... Francois de La Rochefoucauld

4.
"A man falls in love through his eyes,
A woman through her ears."
..... Woodrow Wyatt

5.
"But love is blind, and lovers cannot see
The pretty follies that themselves commit."
..... William Shakespeare

I have very delighted that My Nice Garden has been mentioned in the February 2011 Home & Decor Magazine, Malaysia edition. It is my honour to be listed among bloggers Bangchik of My Little Vegetable Garden from Malaysia and Gardening With Wilson Wong from Singapore.

And I am so proud to be a member of Blotanical. Cheers to Blotanical!

Thank you very much to Malaysia Home & Decor Magazine!

Alvin, my boy will be turning 16 this February 15th. He used up all his 'ang pow' (Chinese New Year red packet) money to buy this gift and sacrificed 2 days of his game time making this gift wrap with many many hearts. He will not reveal to anyone what is inside this box. Well, not even to me, his mom. It makes me worried and I wonder WHO (???) is the special someone who is going to receive this gift.

Alvin my boy,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STRONG SIXTEEN!

Son, you are growing up fast, going through all the stages that leads to maturity,
We'd like you to know that we shall always be there to share you joys and sorrows, triumphs and failures.
For 16 years and more to come, you are the source of much joy and happiness.
This special day for you is also very special to us.
We love you!
..... mom and dad.

Gong Xi Fa Cai and Happy Birthday!

2011-02-02T06:33:00.006+08:00

Today is Chinese New Year Eve, a day for family reunions.
Tomorrow, February 3rd, 2011 is Chinese New Year Day, the first day first month of the lunar calendar.
The day after, February 4th, 2011 is Lichun, the first day of spring according to solar calendar.

Here, in Malaysia, we are have been having unusually cool temperatures in the northern states since Dec 2010 and experiencing a long rainy spell. Some of the southern states in Peninsular Malaysia e.g. Johor; were flooded a few days ago and water had gone into people's homes. Usually, it is a hot and dry season during this time. I hope the weather will change for the better soon.

To everyone,

Kung Hei Fatt Choy and Happy Holidays!

May you have a safe journey home.

May you have a wonderful time with family, friends and loved ones.

May you receive lots of blessings from heaven and lots of 'Ang Pow' red packets !

To my dear friend HC Gooi aka Mrs Goh whose English birthday falls on Chinese New Year Day,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Wishing you the best of health, wealth and happiness because,

You are special!

'Mei Hua' Plum Blossoms for Chinese New Year 2011

2011-01-30T17:08:00.020+08:00

Artificial plum/cherry blossom flowers at a store in Kuala Lumpur Chinatown.

There is a special flower that we associate with the Chinese New Year that no matter where we are and what our climate zone, you will find them in almost every home during the festive season. Just like poinsettias are for Christmas, plum blossoms are important for Chinese New Year.

Have you seen the real plum blossoms?

As I live in tropical equatorial Malaysia, I have never seen real plum blossoms. Every year I use artificial ones to decorate my home during this occassion. I just found out that there are real blossoms on display at Sunway Pyramid shopping mall in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia! So, I'm really excited and I shall be dashing over there as soon as I am free because I wanna see, touch and smell for the very first time what the real plum blossoms are like. I can hardly wait for this to happen.

Pink plum blossoms

In my previous post here, I posted about my wish to see plum blossoms this new year. I am so very happy to have the pictures of these lovely flowers in my blog post today.

The pink blossoms pictured here are published with permission from Lynn Rogers at 'From Lynn's Garden' blog in her post on 19 Jan 2011, titled, "Plants for Winter Blooms". I was doing a google search for blooming plum blossoms. It was my first visit to her blog and when I left a comment in her post, she replied to me with 3 photos attached! This just shows what a wonderful person she is and how lucky I am.

The flowers are blooming in her garden in Arkansas, USA now. Lynn, thank you so very much for this delight.

White plum blossoms

Coincidentally, Prof Lrong Lim of Potager Y in Japan blog, wrote a post titled, "Japan Plum Flowers, Winter Roses" on 23 Jan 2011 with a picture of the white plum blossoms. Now, with his kind permission, I am able to publish this photo in my blog. These flowers are blooming in the garden of Lrong in Japan now. Prof, my very grateful thanks to you and your lovely wife, Y, for this delight.

So you see, it is 'double happiness' for me!

Guess what? They really bloom in winter where everthing else appear 'dead and gloomy' and in the absence of any green leaves or shoots. In fact, the flowers appear before the leaves. They are so many pretty blooms against the bare branches, such a beautiful scene. I wonder, how they'll look when covered with snow.

Have you seen snow/frost on the flowers?

Scientific name: Prunus mume

Common names: Chinese plum or mei hua (梅花), Japanese apricot (ume), Korean maesil

Family: Rosaceae

Origin: China

“Mei Hua Plum Blossoms for Chinese New Year 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on January 30th, 2011.

I understand that Prunus mume is grown more for their flowers than the fruits. Based on my google search, these are the information I obtained:

They bloom in late January to early February.
Plum blossom festivals are held at certain cities in China, Japan and Korea.
There are some ancient trees in Hubei, China aged more than 1,600 years old that are still flowering

You can find plum blossoms depicted in poetry and art as in silk paintings, calligraphy, embroidery, in traditional garments such as kimono, cheongsam and in jewellery.

Plum blossoms are symbols of nobility, beauty, courage, resilience, longevity and hope. They also represent strength in adversity, e.g. people who excel when faced with difficulties or find opportunities in the presence of threats. Though plum trees bloom in winter, they are regarded as a harbinger of spring.

So, what's the difference between cherry, plum and peach blossoms? It is the fruits produced of course and they have different blooming periods. Cherry trees (Prunus serralate) or Sakura bloom in late March for about 2 weeks. The cherry fruits that we eat comes from another species Prunus avium. Peach trees (Prunus persica) bloom in early spring.

They all belong to the Rosaceae or rose family of flowering plants. The cherry, plum and peach blossoms look quite similar, hence they are sometimes collectively called 'cherry blossoms'. I used to be confused over this classification.

For feng shui believers, peach blossoms (flower of romance) and peonies (flower of lust and passion) are used to enhance love, affection and relationship luck while plum blossoms are for nobility, longevity, achievement and strength. Hence, their applications are different eventhough all 3 relates to beauty. It is important that they know the differences between the different flowers in order to apply the principles correctly.

Note:
For a picture of the real peony flower, please visit Beth's Plant Postings blog here.
For a picture of peach blossoms, please visit Ami's Southeast Florida Garden Evolvement blog here.

Buying Auspicious Indoor Plants for Chinese New Year 2011

2011-01-26T17:51:00.010+08:00

Chinese New Year Bonsai

This post is about the various types of auspicious indoor plants we can decorate our homes with. Those of you who live in high rise apartments and rented homes with little gardening space will find it useful. Anyway, for those of us who have outdoor gardens, many of us like to decorate our living rooms with live plants to transform our interiors into instant 'blooming' gardens. With a little imagination, tiny office spaces turn into pretty table-top/miniature gardens.

This is the 3rd and final post about the plants at Ah Chui Nursery.

Chinese New Year Bonsai

A bonsai decorated with ribbons, mini lanterns and ornaments with auspicious words, all in colours of red and gold. Potted bonsais like these resemble the pine trees you see in Chinese art and calligraphy and pine trees symbolise longevity.

Besides being a spring festival, the Chinese New Year Day which falls on the first day of the first lunar month of the Chinese Calendar also marks the changeover of luck for the better. We have an ancient legend where a monster 'Nien' used to terrorised the people on New Year Eve. The nien was successfully overcomed and chased away with very loud noise and the colour red which it hated. So, that is why Chinese New Year is often celebrated with loud noise created by the sound of firecrackers and beating of drums and cymbals. During this season, we also go 'over-the-top' with the colour red.

Just like you make new year resolutions, we'd like to look at our new year with renewed hopes and aspirations.

“Buying Auspicious Indoor Plants for Chinese New Year 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on January 26th, 2011.

Lucky Bamboo

Bamboo is a symbol of longevity, endurance and protection. Bamboo plants stay evergreen throughout the coldest winter to the hottest summer and they live through all the 4 seasons. They can weather the storm and return to life. Under strong winds, they do not break easily but could bend with the flow. They spring back up when calm returns.

The lucky bamboos I bought from this nursery last year is still thriving in a jar of water until today. Usually they only last a few months when grown indoors in small vases.

Lucky Bamboo

A lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) twisted into spiral shapes with a bird on top. The leaves grow upwards and the bamboo are arranged in a rising hierarchy symbolising personal advancement. We believe that birds bring good news and wonderful opportunities for success and advancement. Some people are very particular on their placements in the home, i.e. whether they want the birds to fly in or fly out.

Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo in mini ports with hanging red packets and gold ingots resting on gravel. Can you see the rows of dangling miniature gold ingots hanging from the red ribbons? The pot is shaped like a peach, the fruit of longevity and immortality.

You can also find lucky bamboos at the hypermarkets like Ikea, Carrefour, Giant and Tesco.

Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboos are also called ribbon plants or Belgian evergreens. The spiral ones are called 'dragon bamboo' while the one in the centre is 'lotus bamboo'. These are flower pots with auspicious drawings. The leaves are allowed to grow upwards to symbolise a successful climb to the top.

We have bamboos in our homes, potted or grown on the ground and even in paintings to bring good health and longevity for our aged parents and also the patriach (breadwinner) of the family. A potted bamboo plant in the office attracts good luck and 'staying power' in our work and career.

These look like Pachira aquatica plants. Pachira aquatica are also known as Malabar chestnut, money tree, Guiana chestnut, provision tree or saba nut. This plant thrives well indoors, even under artificial lighting and when looked after well, they bear showy yellow flowers that open at night and produces nuts that are edible. Their palmate leaves which are 5-7 lobed are considered auspicious.

I have a similar one in my garden. It was given to my by my late father who told me that mine was 2-3 trees knotted together to signify a closely knitted family. He also told me that 2 trees can be joined together to symbolise very loving/close partnership as in husband-wife relationships. It is only recently that I found out that this tree is also used as a money tree.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia, the ZZ plant

A ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) with hanging God of Prosperity and 'fu' ornaments. 'Fu' signifies the blessings from heaven. The ZZ plant is also known as the Zanzibar gem, Jian Qian Shu (“金钱树”) or gold coin plant) or fortune plant. It is used as a money plant because its leaves resemble a string of ancient Chinese coins which is very auspicious. I have been growing mine in the porch for years and each stalk of leaves last for months, some even as long as a year!

This planter box is loaded with gold ingots, strings of gold coins and even a golden pineapple. The name of this plant is Euodia ridleyi, common name Evodia. The green leaves turn a golden yellow when exposed to the sun. Its auspicious name is "A bucket of gold" (一桶黄金 or yi tong huang jin).

As you can observe by now, flowers and plants play an important role in our new year celebrations:

We buy live plants and flowers to grow in our outdoor garden
We buy live plants and flowers to decorate our home interiors
We buy artificial plants and flowers for interior decor, and each type of plant/flowers has a special meaning
We use flowers for prayers and cleansing rituals
We visit flower markets on New Year eve

Finally, a million apologies to my friends and commenters if I have not visited you yet as I am currently very busy with my festive preparations, e.g. cleaning, decorating, prayers...

I wonder what are the popular Chinese New Year plants in your respective countries?

Thank you very much for visiting My Nice Garden.

This is my entry for Fertilizer Friday, thanks to Tootsie of Tootsie Time, the link is here.

Buying Plants and Flowers for Chinese New Year 2011

2011-01-21T17:13:00.025+08:00

Ornamental pineapple plants

Chinese New Year is a spring festival (春节). Flowers and plants are significant during this season as they represent the joy of reawakening of nature after the long winter gloom. Live plants signify rebirth and new growth and first we must have flowers before the fruits can form. Therefore, when plants in our garden start to bloom and bear fruits, we believe that it is a good sign that our efforts will bring forth rewards. We have a saying "Hua Kai Fu Gui (花开富貴)", meaning, "When Flowers Bloom, Prosperity Comes", hence we fill our gardens with blooming plants and decorate our homes with auspicious flowers like the lotus, chrysanthemums, peonies, orchids and plum blossoms.

This is Part 2 of my visit to Ah Chui Nursery. I am preparing this fun post for general knowlege and I hope you learn something about our culture. I myself learnt new things as I was preparing for this post.

The above is a picture of ornamental pineapple plants bearing fruits. If you look closely, you'll notice that the pots are covered with gold wrapping. There are also no thorns on their leaves. The pineapple is called "ong lai" in Hokkien dialect which translate to mean the arrival of good fortune.

Sometimes, bromeliads such as gusmanias are used for the same purpose. Gusmanias are nicknamed "pineapple flowers" in Chinese.

Poted pussy willows

These are Pussy Willows (Salix caprea) grown in pots. They signify the arrival of prosperity and growth in prosperity. We grow them for their catkin flowers. You can buy those with lots of unopened buds and place them in the coolest area of your home, e.g. under the shelter of the porch or verandah. The silky soft blooms are silvery grey in colour. The blooms elongate as the tiny flowers open in cylindrical clusters but they don't seem to have any petals at all.

Pussy willows are called "Yin liu" (银柳) in Chinese which sounds like money flowing in. They are also sold as cut stems tied in bundles. We can place the stalks in beautiful porcelain vases and decorate them with auspicious ornaments to turn them into mythical money plants.

We want the pussy willows to bloom and send out green shoots as an indication that spring has arrived.

Mini pot of mandarin oranges

This is a mini potted mandarin orange (tangerine) plant. The fruits look like gold nuggets. Notice that the leaves are allowed to grow upwards and not pruned off at the top, perhaps to denote rising succcess ( 歩歩高升 or bu bu gao sheng) ?

“Buying Plants and Flowers For Chinese New Year 2011”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on Jan 21st, 2011.

Cherry Chilli - Solanum pseudocapsicum

This is Solanum pseudocapsicum which we call the cherry chilli plant. Its other common name is Christmas cherry, winter cherry or Jerusalem cherry. The fruits which are inedible and poisonous, changes colour from pale green to yellow to orange to red which make them look like precious gems of jade, gold and rubies.

Ornamental red chilli

These are ornamental chilli pepper plants. The fruits are firery red when ripe. Red is the colour of prosperity and happiness. Chilli is 'la jiao' (辣椒). 'Jiao' sounds like 'zhao' in the New Year wishes for wealth and prosperity 'zhao cai jin bao' ( 招财进宝), so it is used to ursher in wealth and prosperity.

Jade Plants

These jade plants (Crassula ovata) are symbols of wealth and abundance. They are also called money plants as the leaves resemble precious jade.

Kalanchoe

This is a kalanchoe plant but I'm not sure which species or variety, maybe Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi ? Kalanchoe is a genus with hundreds of species, the most common here being Kalanchoe blossfeldiana with masses of tiny star shaped flowers in red, purple, orange, yellow and white. In temperate countries, Kalanchoes bloom in late winter / early spring.

Kalanchoes are called "wan zi qian hong" ( 万紫千红 - million purple thousand red) which translates to an abundance of wealth and prosperity. In Cantonese, 'zi' for purple colour also sounds like money (银纸 - ngan zhi). The pronunciation of "wan zi qian hong" also rhymes with "a million offsprings, a thousand fame and honour".

Azalea

Azalea is called 映山红 (ying shan hong) or 满山红 (man shan hong) which means a mountain of red.

Azalea is the symbol of happiness, harmony and balance in life. It is used to foster and strenghten relationships. Azaleas are warm temperate plants that bloom in spring and the flowers last a few weeks. They like the shade and acidic soil. Choose one that has lots of unopened buds but before that you need to view 1 or 2 opened blooms to choose the colours that you like, e.g. pink, red or white and pink. However, as the new year day draws near, you can choose those partially open ones. It takes about 2 weeks for azalea buds to open fully, otherwise your plant may only start blooming after the first 15 days.

You will notice that during the Chinese New Year season, some temperate plants like narcissus, hyacinths, azaleas, chrysanthemums, pussy willows are brought into our warm equatorial country of Malaysia. For cut flowers, we can find many varieties of the scented and lovely asiatic lilies or star gazer lilies too. This is the time to try them out. I do enjoy my once a year love affair with these gorgeous temperate plants, eventhough they do not last long.

Do you wonder why the gorgeous roses are not the highlight of this season? It is because most of them have thorns which is regarded as poison arrows which we wish to avoid.

Always remember, you do not need to overspend. Many choices are availble to suit your budget. It is not advisable to spend lots of money on a new plant with an auspicious sounding name invented by the growers. What's the use if we are not familiar with the new plant and it dies soon under our care. Even if you do not buy any, it is important to keep your plants alive and healthy, the garden lush and green.

Just to let you know, I have purchased 2 calamondin lime trees, a pot of budding pussy willow, a Kalanchoe, a flowering jade plant, 2 pots of azaleas and a bunch of lucky bamboos. I intent to buy some chrysanthemums as the New Year Day draws near.

This is my entry for Fertilizer Friday, thanks to Tootsie of Tootsie Time, the link is here.

I am joing Fer of My Little Garden in Japan blog in the Jan 2011 World Garden Blog Carnival, the theme is Gardening for the New Year - My gardening plans for this year? For now, it shall be to make my new additions last for as long as possible especially the temperate plants. To join in the fun, click on the link below:

Visit New Year Gardening Resolutions Blog Carnival

at my little garden in japan

Buying Citrus Lime Trees for Chinese New Year

2011-01-17T08:33:00.017+08:00

The Chinese New Year falls on February 3rd, 2011 which is equivalent to the first day of the first month according to the Lunar Calendar. This is a Spring Festival and it is the most important one. Many of us are busy making preparations, decluttering, spring cleaning, baking and decorating our homes to welcome the Year of the Rabbit 2011 and say bye-bye to the Tiger, another Chinese Zodiac Animal sign.

Just like you have Christmas trees for Christmas, we have the citrus lime trees. Eventhough the meaning may be different, both play an important role in our festive celebrations. We buy auspicious citrus lime trees to decorate our homes for good fortune and prosperity, also hoping that they will bring us lots of money luck. We usually buy them in pairs and place them near entrances for the multiplier effect. How nice if good luck and prosperity comes in multiple doses and superlative figures!

A few days ago, I visited Ah Chui Nursery to shop for citrus limes and other auspicious plants. Some readers have written to me asking about where to get the plants at reasonable prices, so I have provided the contact information and location map in My Garden Directory. You can click on the links provided to check them out. Please take note that this information is provided on a personal basis, i.e. honestly in my humble opinion, therefore you may not agree with me. I am not being paid anything for this.

Mandarin Oranges = Gold

The above 2 pictures are live mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata) plants which we called 'kum' meaning gold (金) in Chinese. This looks like a pot fully laden with gold nuggets! Now, that's what I call 'over the top'.

These plants have been made to bloom perfectly and the fruits are neatly held in place by wires or strings. If we like, we can request them to add some red and gold ribbons and auspicious ornaments. Alternatively we can decorate it ourselves just like how you decorate the Christmas trees. Can you see those leaves jutting out on top? I think it is to symbolize 'growing and rising' prosperity.

Citrus limes like calamondin, tangerines and kumquat are called 'kat' (吉) meaning 'auspicious'.

“Buying Citrus Lime Trees for Chinese New Year”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on January 17th, 2010.

Dragon Lime = Blessings from Heavan

This is called 'loong tam kat' (龙胆吉) or Dragon Lime in Chinese. It has a larger orange-yellow fruit that is oblong in shape but the flesh is coarse, less juicy and doesn't taste as nice. Mind you, this type is much more expensive than the calamondin type. After all, the dragon is a celestial figure, hence it is hoped that good luck and fortune will come from heaven.

This is a picture of a citrus lime tree decorated with auspicious red/gold ribbons.

Kumquats - Golden Auspice

Kumquats (Citrus japonica) are native to South Asia and Asia-Pacific. Kumquat (金吉) is a combinition of 2 fave Chinese words i.e. 'gold' and 'auspicious', hence it is regarded as extra auspicious. In short it means 'golden auspice'.

The edible fruits are either oval or round and looks like miniature oranges. Cantonese people e.g. in Hong Kong and China preserved them in brine as a cure for sore throat.

Calamansi (kat cai, limau kasturi, calamondin) = Four Seasons Lime for Everlasting Prosperity

This is Citrus x microcarpa, also called calamansi, calamondin or limau kasturi. Calamansi is thought to be a hybrid between the kumquat (C. japonica) and the mandarin/tangerine (C.reticulata). This is the cheapest and most common type.

It is commonly called 'kat cai' (吉子) meaning small auspice but during Chinese New Year season, nurseries give them a special name called, 'Four Seasons Lime (四季吉).' Therefore, the 'small auspice' takes on a whole new meaning, and it becomes 'never-ending prosperity'!.

When buying the citrus lime plants choose those plants which have healthy green leaves and laden with lots of semi-ripe fruits. Since it is still 2.5 weeks to the new year, you can select one with green fruits just like the picture above. Do not buy those with fully riped fruits and almost barren of leaves as we do not want the fruits to drop off one by one even before the season is over, or worse still if the plant dies during the first 15 days of Chinese New Year. Usually the prices will depend on the quality, type and size of the tree. Some potted trees are more than 6 ft tall.

The picture above is a comparison between the Dragon Lime (left) and calamansi (right).

See the difference?

To experience Chinese New Year with me in Malaysia, you are welcome to visit my 'Virtual Open House' at My Nice Garden Facebook Page which is accessible from my sidebar where I shall be updating it regularly. Open House is a unique Malaysian tradition whereby during major festivals, we open our doors to welcome our friends, relatives and even strangers (friends of friends) to our homes to savour our homemade food and experience our culture and traditions. We do it for Christmas, Deepavali, Hari Raya and all major festivals, the host is usually the person who is celebrating the occasion.