My DIY Home Garden in Malaysia - GBBD March 2012

1. Native Plant - Red Ixora

Today, for Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2012, here are some blooming flowers from my DIY home garden in Malaysia.

First in the line-up is my teenage (more than 10 years old) Ixora plant, butterflies big and small love this plant.

2. Native Plant - Purple Cat Whiskers

Cat Whiskers plants are good ground covers. They are easy to grow and propagate, very helpful as a deterrent for pests, and need very little care and maintenance. I find that there are less pest attacks on my Jasminum sambac and Wrightia antidysenterica jasmines with these cat whiskers plants nearby.

Fresh or dried leaves can be used to make an infused drink called Java Tea. Some people use the flowers, stems and leaves to boil herbal soups for health.

3. Gerbera Daisy

Red gerbera daisies are used to brighten up a dull corner of  my garden. Any tips on how to care for gerbera daisies and to prevent their heads from drooping?

4. Marigold

I wanted to use marigolds to deter pests, but it seems that they themselves are frequently subjected to pests attack! Well, something is eating away the leaves. I wonder who is the culprit - snails or grasshoppers?

I find that those purchased from nurseries are difficult to self-seed eventhough the blooms are large, bright and beautiful.

5. Tibouchina mutabilis

This Tibouchina mutabilis was purchased a long time ago under a special offer (cheap price) because it was out-of-season stock. Now it is starting to rebloom. I like to search out the 'best-buys' items whenever I go shopping at nurseries. I don't really care about the presentation or packaging but the plant must be healthy. This method also brush up my selection skills, well, I learnt a lot from my mistakes!

This tibouchina grows more slowly and is shorter than my Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana).

6. Native plant - Torch Ginger

Now the edible torch ginger flower looks like a lotus flower. I often see olive-backed sunbirds coming over but the torch ginger flowers have never set seed. I have been advised to hand-pollinate the flowers, tiny little red ones almost hidden among the large pink bracts. How, I've been wondering - should I use a tooth-pick to do this?

“My DIY home garden in Malaysia - GBBD March 2012”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on March 15th, 2012.

7. Hibiscus

This single flower is my favourite among all my hibiscus at moment. I just love this delicate pastel pink shade.

8. Japanese Honeysuckle - Lonicera japonica

My Japanese Honeysuckle has rebloom for the first time. The flowers open white and change to a sweet creamy yellow the next day. They have a pleasant mild fragrance.

9. Pineapple

This budding pineapple inflorescence has just been spotted today.

10. Tussock Moth (Orgyia detrita)???

A colourful but scary looking creature with many fine hairs that make me feel very itchy by just looking at it. By this 'evil-looking' appearance, it is sending out the message, "Hey, I'm dangerous, so don't touch me!"

I found it at late evening today. I wonder who's the mother? What plant/leaves is it targeting?

Which of the above is your favourite?

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden on the 15th of every month. To participate and/or to view what is blooming in gardens around the world, please visit the link here.

This is also my entry for Fertilizer Friday hosted by Glenda at Tootsie Time, link here.