Count Your Blessings!

With love and passion, everyone can have a nice garden...Elaine Yim

Count Your Blessings!
Count The Garden By The Flowers, Never By The Leaves That Fall.
Count Your Life With Smiles And Not The Tears That Roll.
..... Author unknown.

Knowing me, Knowing you..... Aha.....!

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Malaysian Flora USDA Zone 11
Welcome to our exotic world of everlasting summers and tropical rainforests!

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Guided Tour of the Rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama on 6th December 2015


1.
Here are some pictures of what's blooming at the rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama. The first photo is a scenic view of the residential area of Petaling Jaya taken from the giant water lily pond. In the foreground is the Australian willow tree.

The photos were taken during the guided tour of the garden on 6 Dec 2015. Enjoy!

2. Crytosperma lasiodes - Spiny Swamp Arum

Can you guess the names of the plants and flowers posted here?

Visit this post again in a few days time while I update the pictures with their correct names. I hope you enjoy the views!

“Guided Tour of the Rooftop Secret Garden of 1 Utama on 6th December 2015”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on 8th Dec 2015

3. 
Typhonodorum lindleyanum is also known as the Water Banana or Madagascar Tree Arum

4.
Scientific name: Lophanthera lactescens
Common name: Golden Chain Tree

5.
Liberica coffee (Coffea liberica) berries

6.
Tabernaemontana divaricata 'Flore Pleno'
Common names: Pinwheel Jasmine, Fragrant Asian Rosebay
This cultivar produces fragrant double flowers.

7.
Cosmos sulphureus, the Yellow Cosmos or Sulphur Cosmos native to Mexico

8.
Combretum constrictum aka the Powderpuff Combretum, native to Africa

9.
Scientific name: Phaleria capitata
Common names: Ongael, Phaleria Jack
Origin: Southeast Asia

10
Robusta coffee (Coffea robusta) flowers

11.
Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) coffee flowers.

12.
Mulberries

13.
Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) flowers

14.
Colocasia hybrid

15.
Scientific name: Baccaurea angulata
Common name: Tampoi belimbing, belimbing hutan, wild starfruit, jungle starfruit


16.
Scientific name: Strophanthus gratus
Common names: Climbing Oleander, Cream Fruit, Indian Rubber Vine, Strofantus Ungu

17.
Scientific name: Clerodendrum x speciosum
Common names: Glory Bowers, Pagoda Flower, Red Bleeding Heart, Java Glory Vine, Heart Vine

18.
Scientific name: Musa beccarii, the ornamental banana

19.
Scientific name: Tapeinochilos ananassae
Common names: Pineapple Ginger, Indonesian Wax Ginger
Native to Malaysia, Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia

20.
Rooftop view of the residential area of Petaling Jaya.


Wishing everyone Merry Christmas!
and a Happy New Year 2016!

Monday, November 9, 2015

Free Guided Tours at the rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama

1. Gardenia sp
Free Guided Tours are now available at the rooftop Secret Garden of 1-Utama (for a limited period only) on every first Saturday and Sunday of the month beginning 6th and 7th June 2015 and the following dates:

July 4 and 5
August 1 and 2
September 5 and 6
October 3 and 4
November 7 and 8 
December 5 and 6

The pictures here were taken mainly with my mobile phone during the Guided Tour on 8th November 2015.

2.
Brazilian Whiskers (Schaueria flavascens)

3. 
Golden Chain Tree (Lophanthera lactescens)

4. 
Dancing Lady Orchid

5. 
Canna Lily (Canna x generalis 'Sunrise')

6. 
Blue Butterfly Bush 
(New name: Rothea myricoides
Old name: Clerodendrum ugandense)

7.
Mini Variegated Caladium (Caladium humboldtii)

8.
Cardinal Creeper (Ipomoea horsfalliae)

9.
Golden Cosmos (Cosmos sulphureus)

10.
Aerial views sunny skies from the rooftop.

11.

12. 
Ripe berries of Arabica Coffee (Coffea arabica)

13.

14
Sword Bean (Canavalia gladiata), also known as Kacang Parang in Malay

15
Bengal Clock Vine (Tunbergia grandiflora)


16.
Asian Foxtail (Uraria crinita)

17
Giant Water Lily (Victoria amazonica)

18
Australian Willow (Leptospermum brachyandrum)


19.
Campari Lime Tree (Citrus myrtifolia)

20.
Entrance to the Secret Garden of 1-Utama 
located at Upper Roof of 1-Utama Shopping Mall in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia



The Secret Garden of 1-Utama is reputed to be the largest rooftop garden in Southeast Asia.
There are about 500 species of plants which include ornamentals, herb, food plants, cactus and succulents, fruit trees, palm trees, orchids, rare and endemic plants, foliage plants, ferns, temperate and highland plants.

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Royal Floria Putrajaya 2015 has started!

1. 
Royal Floria Putrajaya 2015 was officially launched on Saturday, 30th May 2015. This is the 8th Floria which is an annual flower and gardening festival held in Malaysia. The venue is at Anjung Floria, Precinct 4, Putrajaya, Malaysia. The period is from 30th May - 7th June 2015 which coincides with the Malaysian school holidays.

For details of the daily program activities, please click here.

2
Starting this year, there is an entrance fee charged.

Tickets cost is as follows:
Malaysian: Adult (RM 5.00) Senior Citizen and Child (RM 1.00)
Non-Malaysian: Adult (RM 10.00) Child (RM 5.00)

You can also buy the tickets online but there is an additional charge (online fee) of RM 1.00 per adult: (Click here). The extra online charge can be summarized as follows:
Malaysian: Adult (RM 1.00) Child (FREE)
Non-Malaysian: Adult/Child (RM 1.00)

“Royal Floria Putrajaya 2015 has started!”, a copyrighted post, was written for My Nice Garden blog by Autumn Belle @ http://www.mynicegarden.com/ on 31st May 2015


3.
What's NEW this year is the Spring and Winter Gardens. There is a separate charge of RM 3.00 per person for entry to the Spring and Winter Gardens. At the time of writing this post, I have no photos to share about the Spring and Winter Gardens. I have already purchased the ticket but decided to postpone my visit to another day due to the extremely long queue.

Updated on 2nd June 2015: Winter Garden Show



Spring Garden Show:




Other highlights include the followings:
1. Feature Gardens - Pinwheel Garden, Galleria D'Floria, Fantasy Garden, English Garden and the permanent Malaysia-China Friendship Garden.

2. Special Gardens - PPJ (Perbadanan Putrajaya) Garden, Royal Garden, Spa Garden, PJH (Putrajaya Holdings) Garden, Cats Pavillion

3. Government & Corporate Gardens - Melaka Landscape Department (Visit to Melaka), Brightmark Sdn Bhd (Fancy and Vibrant, Whimsical Garden), Famcon Strength Sdn Bhd (Bucolic Garden of the Hobbits), State Governments of Johor (Outdoor Activities) and Trengganu (Marine Life), Tourism Malaysia (back to wilderness and Glamping), DBKL, MBPJ, MPSP, PKNS, Wetlands PPJ, Alam Flora, MARDI, Etc.

4. School and University Gardens
5. Designer Gardens by local and international designers and architects.
6. Garden Bazaar & Hortimart and Arts and Craft Pavilion


4.
Royal Floria Putrajaya 2015 was officially declared open by Her Majesty Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Hajah Haminah on 30th May 2015. Here she is taking a walk around the Royal Garden which is a replica of the Istana Seri Menanti palace of Negeri Sembilan featuring Minangkabau architecture.

The entrance to this garden features a pair buffalo horns (tanduk kerbau). This garden is landscaped with palm trees, native plants and ornamental shrubs. Highlights include a water fountain with the royal crest of Negeri Sembilan and replicas of the Panca Persada or Balai Bersiram and the Tahta Rencana or Royal Carriage.

5.
The booth representing Embassy of Ecuador at the Indoor Floral Pavilion.
The words "ama la vida" is Spanish meaning "Loves Life".
This simple Spanish phrase is the national slogan of the nation of Ecuador.

The International Orchids Competition is held indoors and located just next to (and connecting to) the Floral Pavilion.

6.
 Representatives from Latina Farms promoting Ecuadorian Roses at the booth of The Embassy of Ecuador.

Ecuadorian Roses are among the finest roses in the world.Ecuadorian These roses are exhibited for the first time at Floria Flower and Garden Festival at Royal Floria Putrajaya 2015. Don't miss the chance to see the world famous Ecuadorian Roses at Putrajaya Floria. View them here inside the Indoor Floral Pavilion along teh Embassy Booths. The roses are not available for sale at Malaysian florists yet, and are all imported. 

7.
 Ecuadorian Roses

8.
Ecuadorian Roses 

9.
Hippeastrum Lilies in many colours are on display.
Some flowers are quite huge, the size of the palm of my hand!

10.
Members of Liliaceae are the hightlight of Floria 2015, theme "Tapestry of Hues"

How to go there:
1. When using WAZE, type Anjung Floria Precinct 4, Putrajaya
2. When driving, enter via the KLIA expressway and you should reach Jambatan Saujana which is right next to Floria site.
3. Public transport - bus/train from KL Sentral to Putrajaya Sentral, thereafter feeder buses to Floria site. Train - take KLIA Express train from KL Sentral. The train fare is RM 9.50. Stop at Putrajaya/Cyberjaya train station which is connected to Putrajaya Sentral Bus Station. Look for the Floria bus at Platform 4, the bus fare is RM 0.50.

Additional information or enquiries, please visit Royal Floria Putrjaya website here or facebook here.

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