ohiPPo's backyard

Piper @ Rochester Park - 3 Dec 11

2011-12-11T10:28:00.001+08:00

On the Patio... 8 Dec 11

2011-12-11T10:20:00.004+08:00

Platycerium Elephantotis - 8 Dec 11

Ferns, Tillandsias, Lycopodium and Platycerium on the Patio - 8 Dec 11

Lycopodium Nummularifolia - 8 Dec 11

Tillandsia - 8 Dec 11

Begonia - 2 Dec 11

Beautiful neon green veins....

Cane Begonia - 8 Dec 11

Blechnum Gibbum - 8 Dec 11

Nepenthes et al - 2 Dec 11

2011-12-11T10:17:00.002+08:00

Christia Vespertilionis - 2 Dec 11

2 Dec 11

Green Hookeriana - 2 Dec 11

Red Hookeriana - 2 Dec 11

'Gardentech' (N. Ventricosa x Ampullaria) - 2 Dec 11

Caladium, Alocassia and Begonia - 2 Dec 11

2011-12-11T10:08:00.003+08:00

Caladium - 2 Dec 11

Caladium 'Sub Som Boon' - 2 Dec 11

Begonia U400 - 2 Dec 11

Alocassia Hi-Lo Beauty - 2 Dec 11

Backyard - 2 Dec 2011

2011-12-11T09:58:00.004+08:00

Episcia 'Blue Nile'

Finally able to capture the colour of this flower. All thanks to the Canon S95.

Episcia 'Blue Nile' - 2 Dec 11

Episcia ['Sliver Skies'?] - 2 Dec 11

Interesting little creeper... 2 Dec 11

Ficus - 2 Dec 11

The long forgotten and often neglected ficus appears to have found a new lease of life with regular fertilising.

Patio - 11 Sep 11

2011-09-11T09:43:00.009+08:00

Little purple flowers quietly blooming in the patio

Snapshots - 11 Sep 11

2011-09-11T09:40:00.003+08:00

Variegated Polyscia

Episcias

Begonia - U400

Caladium - 11 Sep 11

2011-09-11T09:35:00.002+08:00

Hi-Lo Caladium

Pitchers - 11 Sep 11

2011-09-11T09:30:00.003+08:00

New pitcher - Hookeriana (Rafflesiana x Ampullaria)

Nepenthes Bicalcarata - Distinctive 'fangs'

Gardentech (N. Ventricosa x Ampullaria)

Hoi An - May 2011

2011-09-10T11:45:00.002+08:00

Street corner of Hoi An

Hanging Bouquets

Flourishing Caladium

Piper's Swimming Day

2011-09-04T15:07:00.003+08:00

Piper's swimming day at Pasir Ris Farmway 1.

Piper - Mar / Apr 2011

2011-04-09T22:44:00.007+08:00

2 Apr 2011

27 Mar 2011

Piper - 20 Feb 2011

2011-02-21T21:16:00.000+08:00

Dogs for Adoption

2011-02-21T21:13:00.002+08:00

2 lovely dogs up for adoption:

Cola - 2 year old, female cross terrier

"Humper" - 5 year old male Shih Tzu

Piper & Ellie - Weekend of 12 Feb & 13 Feb 2011

2011-02-14T10:48:00.002+08:00

Piper & Ellie - 12 Feb 2011

12 Feb 2011

"I want to play Fetch." - 12 Feb 2011

13 Feb 2011

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-12T12:14:00.003+08:00

Puppy Love...

Ellie in 7 minutes

2011-02-12T12:01:00.005+08:00

Ellie the Watchdog

11:36:21 AM, 12 February 2011

Ellie the Almost-Sleepy Dog

11:37:16 AM, 12 February 2011

Ellie in Zzzzz land

11:37:34 AM, 12 February 2011

11:41:05 AM, 12 February 2011

11:41:17 AM, 12 February 2011

11:41:33 AM, 12 February 2011

11:41:50 AM, 12 February 2011

11:42:21 AM, 12 February 2011

11:42:54 AM, 12 February 2011

11:43:15 AM, 12 February 2011

Samantha The Outdoorsy Girl - 7 Feb 2011

2011-02-12T11:57:00.002+08:00

Piper -27 Jan 2011

2011-02-09T20:55:00.002+08:00

Piper with bandaged paw post toe-amputation on 25 Jan 2011. Piper with bandaged paw - 27 Jan 2011

Piper playing with Chimi's toy - 27 Jan 2011

Piper with shoes on front and back paws - 27 Jan 2011

Piper & Friends - 5 Feb 2011

2011-02-09T20:51:00.001+08:00

Three attentive beagles - Kanook, Kiri & Piper - 5 Feb 2011

Chimi the Chihuahua - 5 Feb 2011

Princess - 5 Feb 2011

Samantha - 6 Feb 2011

2011-02-09T20:44:00.001+08:00

Backyard - 3 Feb 11

2011-02-09T20:34:00.003+08:00

3 Feb 11

Caladium - 3 Feb 11

Sweet Basil - 3 Feb 11

Christia vespertilionis - 3 Feb 11

Staghorns - 3 Feb 11

Episcias - 3 Feb 2011

2011-02-09T20:29:00.000+08:00

Backyard - 27 Jan 11

2011-02-09T20:10:00.011+08:00

Caladium 'Sub Som Boon' - 27 Jan 11

Looking through my old photos, I realised that this caladium has been with me since August 2009, and it is still putting out beautiful good sized leaves.

Persian Shield - 27 Jan 11

Episcia with pink flower - 27 Jan 11

A gift from a neighbour. Very happy to see that it has flowered.

Episcia - 27 Jan 11

Hi Lo Caladium - 27 Jan 11

U400 & Caladium - 27 Jan 11

Lemon Balm - 27 Jan

Fittonia; Caladium Humboldtii - 27 Jan 11

Fittonia - 27 Jan 11

Fern - 27 Jan 11

The Single Man

2011-01-13T10:56:00.001+08:00

"The Nazis were obviously wrong to hate the Jews. But their hating the Jews was not without a cause… But the cause wasn't real. The cause was imagined. The cause was FEAR.
Let's leave the Jews out of this for a moment and think of another minority. One that can go unnoticed if it needs to.

There are all sorts of minorities, blondes for example, but a minority is only thought of as one when it constitutes some kind of threat to the majority. A real threat or an imagined one. And therein lies the FEAR. And, if the minority is somehow invisible……the fear is even greater. And this FEAR is the reason the minority is persecuted. So, there always is a cause. And the cause is FEAR. Minorities are just people. People……like us.

Fear, after all, is our real enemy. Fear is taking over our world. Fear is being used as a tool of manipulation in our society. It's how politicians peddle policy and how Madison Avenue sells us things that we don't need. Think about it. Fear that we're going to be attacked, fear that there are communists lurking around every corner, fear that some little Caribbean country that doesn't believe in our way of life poses a threat to us. Fear that black culture may take over the world. Fear of Elvis Presley's hips.Well, maybe that one is a real fear. Fear that our bad breath might ruin our friendships… Fear of growing old and being alone."

-- The Single Man

Ambling Around

2010-12-22T17:32:00.001+08:00

"A lot of one's pleasure in a garden comes from just ambling around in it, without any special purpose." Anna Pavord, The Curious Gardener

Blue Garden

2010-12-22T16:48:00.003+08:00

Wouldn't a blue garden be a mystical place to visit? As I have just learnt, there is indeed a Blue Garden in Lotusland, a 37-acre estate and botanic garden situated in the foothills of Montecito to the east of the city of Santa Barbara.

From 1941 until 1984, Lotusland belonged to Madame Ganna Walska.

What a legacy!

Safety First

2010-12-21T13:55:00.006+08:00

Two families who live nearby and whose raised voices are either directed at their rambunctious children (I know the names of two boys now even though I have not actually been told their names by the parents) or at their barky dog (again, I know his name very well by now) have been away these couple of days.

Unknowing to them, their absence is an advance Christmas gift of audio space (if there is such a thing) to me. But alas, soon they will return. So am getting myself this signage for Christmas:

Alexander Graham Bell

2010-12-21T13:39:00.004+08:00

"Part of the reason we garden and vist gardens is to escape: from ugliness to beauty, from tension to tranquility, from noise to peace. The mobile phone is changing all that." Anna Pavord, The Curious Gardener

I cannot agree more with Anna Pavord.

Whilst gardening, my two pet peeves are first, having to watch the clock, and second, being bound to attend to a ringing mobile phone or house phone. I fail to understand why one has to make oneself available at anytime simply because one has a phone.

Isn't the point of the phone to allow ourselves the option of being contactable when one wants and chooses so to be?

Why is there an expectation that the person on the other side of the phone must pick up its call immediately (or immediately soon after) when the phone rings?

Surely one is entitled to the freedom of engaging in other matters (less pressing as they may seem to you)?

From "The Curious Gardener" by Anna Pavord

2010-12-14T13:58:00.006+08:00

Picked up this kindle book after having read a brief review of it on The New York Times.

"... I also realised how completely I had missed the point as a child. Gardening was not necessarily about an end result. The doing was what mattered."

"Optimisim is an essential tool in the gardener's kit. Much more important than a strimmer. And quieter."

"I don't feel I have to burrow around in my subconscious for reasons to garden. Fortunately, nobody else seems to feel the need either. Psychologists and psychiatrists leave us alone with our happy mania. My own theory about this (you have to have a theory in the psych-business) is that the act of gardening itself is what keeps you out fo the hands of the shrinks in the first place."

"Gardens are shaped essentially by soil and climate. The gardener contributes a signature scratched on the surface of the contours. The only signatures likely to last are those made by gardeners who work with rather than against the prevailing conditions."

"The real point of a garden is to increase the value of our lives. It gives us the best chance we have of fitting ourselves back into a world that cities make us forget. A garden locks you into the slow inevitable rolling out of the seasons, cycles of growth and decay, the lengthening of days and shortening of shadows."

"A garden gives pleasure, instils calm, grafts patience into your soul. Gardening slows you down, masks worries, puts them in proportion. A garden teaches you to be observant and how to look at things. You become less inclined to leap to quick conclusions. Or to jump on the latest bandwagon. A garden hones your senses. You can hear the sound of dampness creaking through the soil and smell it hovering in different guises over the compost heap. In a garden, you never feel lonely."

"Take time to admire the way a seedling pushes through the earth, its back humped into a croquet hoop with the effort. Even if it's a seedling of a weed like groundsel, it's still a miracle of tenacity and endurance. Grow something from seed yourself. If it's something useful - basil, coriander, rocket - so much the better. Plant a tree. Train a clematis."

"The point of gardening is the doing of it, not having got it done. It's the process that matters, through it is of course directed towards an end result."

- Anna Pavord, "The Curious Gardener"

Episcias

2010-12-12T13:33:00.001+08:00

Episcia - re-potted into a bigger pot - 12 Dec 2010

Episcia - 12 Dec 2010

Staghorn Ferns, Moss, 'Wandering Jew' - 12 Dec 2010

2010-12-12T13:08:00.004+08:00

Purple Wandering Jew stem cuttings - 12 Dec 2010

Platycerium - 12 Dec 2010

Moss - 12 Dec 2010

Purple Wandering Jew - 12 Dec 2010

Cut Flowers

2010-12-12T13:00:00.003+08:00

Happy Flowers - 12 Dec 2010

White Lilies - 12 Dec 2010

Begonias - 12 Dec 10

2010-12-12T12:50:00.006+08:00

Begonia 'Palomar Prince' - from AMK - 12 Dec 2010

Cane Begonia cuttings - 12 Dec 2010

Begonia rhizome cuttings - 12 Dec 2010

Begonia - U200? - from Terrascapes - 12 Dec 2010

Begonia Chloroneura - from Terrascapes - 12 Dec 2010

Begonia - from Terrascapes - 12 Dec 2010

Begonia brevirimosa var brevirimosa - from Terrascapes - 12 Dec 2010

White Costus

2010-12-12T12:46:00.001+08:00

12 Dec 2010 - White Costus - from AMK

Caladiums & U400

2010-12-12T12:39:00.005+08:00

Caladium 'Pink Symphony' - from AMK - 12 Dec 2010

Caladiums 'Pink Symphony' - from AMK - 12 Dec 2010

Caladiums - 12 Dec 2010

8 Dec 2010 - Caladiums & Episcias

8 Dec 2010- Begonia U400

8 Dec 2010 - Caladium Humboldtii "Mini White" - from World Farm

Sweet Basil

2010-12-12T12:34:00.003+08:00

12 Dec 2010 - Sweet Basil - re-potted

12 Dec 2010 - Sweet Basil re-potted

8 Dec 2010 - Sweet Basil - grown from seeds

Carnivorous Plants - 8 Dec 2010

2010-12-12T12:28:00.003+08:00

'Garden Tech' (N. Ventricosa x Ampullaria) - mother plant - 8 Dec 2010

'Garden Tech' pup - 8 Dec 2010

8 Dec 2010 - Rafflesiana

8 Dec 2010

Shooting Star Hoyas

2010-12-06T22:34:00.003+08:00

Hoya Multiflora ("Shooting Star Hoya") - 12 Dec 2010

Hoya Multiflora ("Shooting Star Hoya") - 5 Dec 2010

Hoya Multiflora ("Shooting Star Hoya") - 5 Dec 2010

Hoya Multiflora ("Shooting Star Hoya") - 5 Dec 2010

Ferns

2010-12-06T22:25:00.004+08:00

5 Dec 2010

Platycerium - 5 Dec 2010

Left: Asplenium Nidus (Bird's Nest Fern) from Ji Mei - 5 Dec 2010

Right: Blechnum Gibbum from World Farm - 5 Dec 2010

Blechnum Gibbum from World Farm - 5 Dec 2010

Blechnum Gibbum - from World Farm - 5 Dec 2010

Festive Colours

2010-12-06T22:22:00.001+08:00

It's Christmas time once again...

Poinsettia - 5 Dec 2010

Fittonias - in pink and red - 5 Dec 2010

Assortment of Plants - 5 December 2010

2010-12-06T22:14:00.006+08:00

5 Dec 2010

Caladium Humboldtii "Mini White" - from World Farm - 5 Dec 2010

Nepenthes Harlequin - 5 Dec 2010

U400 - 5 Dec 2010

Silver Jewel - 5 Dec 2010

Wrightia Religiosa from Eden - 5 Dec 2010

Episcia - 5 December 2010

2010-12-06T22:10:00.002+08:00

Episcia - Stolons - 5 Dec 2010

Different Faces of Piper, the Tri-colour Beagle

2010-11-27T02:06:00.019+08:00

Piper, the tri-colour beagle, loves food and being the front seat dog. Rescued by kind-hearted volunteers from a dog mill, she now enjoys a fairly comfortable life with yummy food from Food Mama's kitchen, frequent walks with Food Mama, health checks with Dr. Ling, socialising under Woofy Nanny's loving care and choice of two doggy beds lined with bath towels for slumber.

"You are kidding me right? - 10 Dec 10

"What's wrong??" - 10 Dec 2010

@Botanic Gardens on 8 Dec 2010

"You are not taking more photos if I ain't got no more food." - 5 Dec 2010

"What's all the excitement about?"- 5 Dec 2010

"BoRiNg!" - 28 Nov 10

Lazy Stretch of the Jaws - 28 Nov 10

Sunbathing on the deck - 28 Nov 10

"Something interesting's going on here..." - 28 Nov 10

"No more food??" - 20 Nov 10

Piper in car - 13 Nov 10

Groggy Piper - 13 Nov 10

Sleepy Piper - 13 Nov 10

"Yeah, yeah! More food, more food!" - 17 Nov 10

"Ready to go when you are!" - 17 Nov 10

Nose to the floor - 17 Nov 10

"More food pls?" - 20 Nov 10

Peanut butter in Kong - 20 Nov 10

Backyard - 21 Nov 10

2010-11-27T01:46:00.005+08:00

Group Shot - 21 Nov 10

Background: Episcias

Foreground: Gorgeous red caladium - 21 Nov 10

Sweet Basil seedlings - 21 Nov 10

Aloe Vera - a gift from another gardener - 21 Nov 10

Caladiums "Fest" - 21 Nov 10. Could not resist picking up 8 pots of these old school caladiums from Corona Nursery on Sat, 20 Nov 10.

Caladiums - 21 Nov 10

Cane Begonia - 21 Nov 10

Persian Shield - 21 Nov 10

Background: U400 - 21 Nov 10

Foreground: Episcia cuttings; Fittonia; Creeping Rosemary

U400 - 21 Nov 10

Backyard-13 Nov 2010

2010-11-27T01:38:00.005+08:00

Persian Shield - 13 Nov 10

Martin's Mystery - 13 Nov 10

Garden Tech (N. Ventricosa x Ampullaria) 13 Nov 10

Caladiums - 13 Nov 10

Fragrant Flowers - 13 Nov 10

Polyscia - 13 Nov 10

Snapshots of the backyard on 13 Nov 10

Plants on the Patio

2010-09-05T12:06:00.005+08:00

Asplenium Nidus ("Bird's Nest Fern") - 5 Sep 10

Lycopodium Nummulariflolia - 5 Sep 10

Aglaonema - 5 Sep 10

Moss - a heavyweight purchase (literally) at Singapore Garden Festival 2010 - 5 Sep 10

Hoyas in bloom

2010-09-05T11:56:00.006+08:00

Hoya Multiflora ("Shooting Star Hoya") - 5 Sep 10

Attraction

2010-09-05T08:25:00.001+08:00

"Have you ever noticed that when your mind is awakened or drawn to someone new, that person's name suddenly pops up everywhere you go? My friend Sophie calls it coincidence, and Mr. Simpless, my parson friend, calls it Grace. He thinks that if one cares deeply about someone or something new one throws a kind of energy out into the world, and "fruitfulness" is drawn in."

-- Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Love for Reading

2010-09-05T08:12:00.002+08:00

For a long time now, I have stuck to physical books. But, having recently came into possession of an iPad and having had my curiosity piqued about the latest Kindle 3, I have in the past week moved on to electronic books. And at the moment, it looks like I ain't gonna look back. Whilst I love physical books, limited storage space has driven me to give away a number of my "collection" either to the Salvation Army or to my friends. So for me, e-books is the way forward.

One of the first few kindle books that I have bought for re-reading is Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows' The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. An extract from the book below:

"That's what I love about reading; one thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you onto another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment."

Flaw

2010-09-05T08:08:00.001+08:00

"Don't you know?" he asked gently. "The flaw is the thing we love."

-- Gail Caldwell, Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship

Caladiums

2010-06-21T21:59:00.002+08:00

20 June 2010

New Plants

2010-06-21T21:49:00.003+08:00

Spotted Begonia - 20 June 2010

Rosemary - 20 June 2010

Fragrant Flowers

2010-06-21T21:43:00.002+08:00

20 June 2010

Persian Shield

2010-06-21T21:27:00.005+08:00

Newly acquired and re-potted Persian Shields.

20 June 2010

Plants in their new home

2010-06-21T20:56:00.003+08:00

Snapshots of the rest of the collection - 21 Mar 10

2010-03-21T19:03:00.004+08:00

Colocasia - 21 Mar 10

Aloe Vera - 21 Mar 10

This pot of aloe vera needs to be re-potted.

Rosemary - 21 Mar 10 - loving the sunlight and heat in the past weeks

Sundew - 21 Mar 10

Backyard - 21 Mar 10

2010-03-21T18:59:00.001+08:00

Backyard - 21 Mar 10

Back Stairway - 21 Mar 10

Old School Caladium - 21 Mar 10

2010-03-21T18:52:00.001+08:00

Whimsical colours of the caladium.

Begonias - 21 Mar 10

2010-03-21T18:36:00.007+08:00

Stingray Alocasia - 21 Mar 10

Rex Begonia - 21 Mar 10

Strawberry Begonia - 21 Mar 10

Iron Cross - 21 Mar 10

Cane Begonia - spotted - 21 Mar 10

Cane Begonia - 21 Mar 10

Lycopodium, Episcias and Fittonias - 21 Mar 10

2010-03-21T18:26:00.003+08:00

Lycopodium nummularifolia - 21 Mar 10

Flowering episcias - 21 Mar 10

Episcias - rooted in thumb pots - 21 Mar 10

Fittonias - 21 Mar 10

Nepenthes update - 21 March 2010

2010-03-21T18:14:00.005+08:00

Brunei Red - 21 Mar 10

William's Red - 21 Mar 10

Hookeriana (Rafflesiana x Ampullaria) - 21 Mar 10

Gardentech (N. Ventricosa x Ampullaria) - 21 Mar 10

Vintage Car Sighting

2010-03-19T23:38:00.001+08:00

Love this car - wish I had a garage for a vintage car like this.

First Post(card) for 2010

2010-01-23T18:08:00.003+08:00

Just got these in my mailbox today!

What better way is there to start my first post for 2010 then an educational postcard on the life and death of the agave.

My sister writes: "According to the Garden Tour Guide, the Agave's flower stem shoots up just as the Agave plant is about to die. And after the flower blooms at the top, the Agave dies. It is like the plant's final surge of energy."

Cute cacti magnet from my mum and sister in Arizona.

Flower - Sarracenia

2009-12-20T21:15:00.002+08:00

Sarracenia flower - 18 Nov 09

William's Red

2009-12-20T20:53:00.001+08:00

William's Red - Red Peristome

William's Red

Basal Rosette - 6 Dec 09

William's Red

Basal Rosette - 3 Nov 09

Postcards from Hong Kong

2009-12-20T20:48:00.002+08:00

View of Hong Kong island

Promenade - Stanley Market

Herbs and Flowers for sale in Stanley Market

Flowers on Alcatraz Island

2009-12-20T20:30:00.008+08:00

During my recent trip to San Francisco, I had the pleasure of enjoying a few flowers and succulents on the short walk up the hill on Alcatraz Island. Unfortunately, the weather did not hold out for a walk on the Agave trail...

View of Alcatraz Island from the ferry

Flowers on Alcatraz Island

Succulents on Alcatraz Island

View of San Francisco from across the Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge

Begonia - U400

2009-11-02T21:43:00.001+08:00

Fittonias

2009-11-02T21:31:00.002+08:00

Two New Pots of Cephs

2009-11-02T21:24:00.002+08:00

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of sharing my joy of gardening and plant shopping with one of my neighbours. Whilst at the nursery, I couldn't resist picking up two pots of cephalotus.

Frangipani

2009-10-18T22:23:00.002+08:00

Love the fragrance of the frangipani flower.

11 Oct 2009 - Gorgeous foliage

Basals!!!

2009-10-18T22:16:00.004+08:00

Basals have developed in the William's Red ampullaria pot!! I can't wait to see a rosette being formed. Basal rosettes are, to me, one of the key attractions of growing nepenthes. I just cannot get enough of pitchers popping up from their growing media.

17 Oct 2009

garden - October 2009 update

2009-10-18T21:55:00.009+08:00

Snapshot of the garden in October 2009. Of significance are the departure of a flourishing pot of thyme as well as a pot of mottled red coleus.

17 Oct 2009 - Backyard

17 Oct 2009 - This caladium remained small for awhile and has recently been on a growth spurt.

17 Oct 2009 - This caladium has finally regained its colours after I held back on watering for three days.

17 Oct 2009 - Alocasia x Amazonica

17 Oct 2009 - Episcia 'War Paint' cutting

17 Oct 2009

17 Oct 2009 - Iron Cross

17 Oct 2009 - 'Oil Painting' - with more leaves

17 Oct 2009 - Sweet Basil leaning towards the sunlight

17 Oct 2009 - the Hi Lo Beauty has put out an even bigger leaf than before.

17 Oct 2009 - These caladiums went dormant for awhile and are now back with new leaves.

17 Oct 2009 - Mini Portulaca - flowering

Periwinkle

2009-10-18T21:47:00.004+08:00

I was starting to miss the multiple blooms on the periwinkle, which had suffered a trimming earlier this month. Over the weekend, I was pleasantly surprised to see a new bloom and a few other buds.

17 Oct 2009 - Periwinkle

Live Sphagnum Moss

2009-10-18T21:38:00.003+08:00

About 3 months after these live sphagnum moss were brought into my backyard, they are slowly finding their grounds and creeping out of their pots...

17 Oct 2009 - Live Sphagnum moss co-existing with the hookeriana

17 Oct 2009 - Live Sphagnum in hookeriana pot

17 Oct 2009 - Live Sphagnum Moss in N. Viking pot

17 Oct 2009 - Live Sphagnum Moss in another N. Viking pot

Sedums Sedums Everywhere

2009-10-18T21:14:00.007+08:00

Sedums are such hardy and sun-loving plants requiring minimal care.

17 Oct 2009 - Mixture of Sedums

21 Sep 09 - Sedum Mexicanum

17 Oct 2009 - Sedum Mexicanum flourishing in the growing tray

17 Oct 2009 - Sedum Mexicanum and Sedum Sexangulare in a pot of caladium

17 Oct 2009 - Sedum Sexangulare in a HiLo Beauty pot

17 Oct 2009 - Sedum Sexangulare and Sedum Mexicanum in another HiLo Beauty pot

17 Oct 2009 - Sedum Mexicanum in the Thai Basil pot

Episcia - Pink Heaven

2009-10-17T21:20:00.007+08:00

Growing episcias is a fulfilling endeavour.

19 July 2009 - 2 small cuttings.

17 Oct 2009

17 Oct 2009 - Second bud

17 Oct 2009 - First flower

FAQs

2009-10-06T18:38:00.002+08:00

Q: How did you get started on gardening as a hobby?

I started gardening because I wanted to have at my disposal various herbs, in particular the sweet basil. This was in November 2008. So I grew only culinary herbs for a good six months before I started getting distracted by the carnivourous plants, followed by begonias, orchids, alocasias and caladiums. Recently, I have also been attracted to cacti and succulents.

Q: What do you grow in your garden?

Due to space constraints, I grow mainly plants which do well in container pots. Broadly speaking

Q: Have you grown any plant from seeds?

I have only ever grown two plants from seeds – one is the sweet basil and the other is the pak choy.

Q: What plants have you propagated?

I have progapated various plants through stem cuttings – episcias, nepenthes Viking, artemisia scoparia, sedum mexicanum, spearmint, kala mint, lemon balm, citronella and rosemary. Martin’s Mystery is easy to propagate via rhizome cutting.

The aloe vera is an easy plant to propagate – via separation of the rooted pups.

Q: What is your first favorite plant, and is it still your favorite? Do you have favorites that come and go, but one all-time favorite that you've always loved?

My favourite first plant was the spearmint for its boundless life-force and its ease of propagation.
My current favourite is hi lo beauty alocasia.
Sweet Basil and Rosemary shall the position of being my all-time favourite.Q: What's your favorite gardening chore?My favorite gardening chore is propagating plants / re-potting plants which have outgrown their pots. Q: And your least favorite?Treating diseased plants.

Q: What have you learned from gardening?

Life is a miracle.
Plants are hardier than they appear.
Local growing conditions matter.
You won’t know if a plant can grow under your care until you have tried growing it.
Some plants are pest-magnets.
Some plants are high-maintenance.
Most, if not all, plants require sunlight in order to grow healthily. But some plants love the sun.

Q: Are you trying out anything new this year?

Growing cacti and succulents.

Q: What is your current wish list of plants?

Begonia Brevirimosa ‘Edinburgh’
Agave
Brugmansia – white flowers

Gardener's List

2009-10-01T08:50:00.006+08:00

As no garden stays stagnant, there are always chores. My current list of "chores" reads as follows:

Trimming:
1. Trim the periwinkle which is fast growing out of its pot. DONE!
2. Trim the stolons off the two pots of ‘war paint’ and propagate these.
3. Trim the stolons off the pink episcias in the kitchen and propagate these. DONE!

Repotting:
4. Re-pot the pink episcias which have been grown in smaller pots into one big (hopefully) bushy pot. DONE!
5. Repot two nepenthes into sphagnum moss.
6. (Deep breath - Dare I do it?!) Repot the two pots of cephalotus into deeper pots and in sphagnum moss. DONE!
7. Repot the hydrocotyl into two pots.
8. Repot the hilo which is sitting in a shallow pot into a deeper pot to encourage the growth of bigger leaves. DONE!

Propagating:
9. More friendship plants - mexicanum sedums, episcias and artemias. DONE!
10. Take a few cuttings of Martin’s Mystery for propagation in one or two small hanging pot.
11. Separate the fittonias into two pots.

Removal
12. Remove one strangly pots of mint. DONE!

Purchase
13. Purchase another metal rack so that another three pots of “coral” ferns can be placed out into the sunlight. DONE!
14. Purchase a bag of burnt earth. DONE!
15. Purchase a bag of perlite. DONE!

On-going maintenance:
1. Anti-mossy granules to be topped up into the pitchers and water trays: Beginning of each month.
2. Every weekend: Diluted phostrogen.
3. Anti-fungus treatment on the frangipani: Beginning of each month.
4. Neem treatment: Beginning and middle of each month.
5. BE-1 treat: Middle of each month.

Garden - September 2009 update

2009-09-20T21:02:00.013+08:00

Rather unexpectedly, I have found strength and encouragement from the growth of the plants in my backyard. For this, I am thankful for life's miracles (however little they may be).

Left: Syngonium Podophyllum 'Imperial White' - 21 Sep 09

Commonly known as the Arrowhead.

Right: Aglaonema Nitidum var. curtsii - 21 Sep 09

Thai Red Basil - 20 Sep 09

Hydrocotyl - 20 Sep 09

This plant started off rather small and strangly. But having been moved to a more sunny location, it is flourishing and putting out runners to the ground.

Coleus - mottled red - 20 Sep 09

Periwinkle - 20 Sep 09

Thyme - 20 Sep 09

Mini-Portulaca - 20 Sep 09

Bright pink flowers which fade within the day.

Sweet Basil leaf - 20 Sep 09

This is one of the biggest sweet basil leaves. Measures about 7.5cm in length.

"Coral" Ferns - 20 Sep 09

These ferns are re-establishing themselves now that they are out in the sun.

Begonias

2009-09-20T20:56:00.006+08:00

Left: Cane Begonia - 21 Sep 09

Right: Leaf Begonia - 21 Sep 09

Bottom Right: 'Silver Jewel' - 21 Sep 09

'Martin's Mystery' - 20 Sep 09

This small pot of Martin's Mystery did not do well in the hazy/rainy weather. But with the sun returning, this begonia is fast establishing itself in the little hanging pot.

Leaf Begonia 'U400' - 20 Sep 09

Pitchers - Babies and Toddlers

2009-09-20T20:45:00.003+08:00

Mirabilis x Viking - Young Pitcher - 21 Sep 09

Garden Tech - baby pitcher - 21 Sep 09

Nepenthes Viking - young pitcher - 21 Sep 09

Nepenthes Distillatoria - pink pitcher - 21 Sep 09

Nepenthes Distillatoria - baby pitcher - 21 Sep 09

Garden - 20 Sep 09

Foreground: Coleus cuttings which have made it thus far.

The hookeriana is also putting out new pitchers.

Nepenthes Bicalcarata - 20 Sep 09

A pitcher in the making.

Viking - 20 Sep 09

This was propagated from a stem cutting on 12 July 2009. More than 2 months later, this viking is starting to develop a pitcher.

Sarracenia Update - Sep 2009

2009-09-20T20:40:00.003+08:00

For a while now, I have not paid the sarracenia much attention. I only realised the weekend past that the sarracenia has out done itself by putting out yet taller tubes.

Sarracenia - 21 Sep 09

Sarracenia - 20 Sep 09

I need to bring along a longer ruler for the next photo session.

Colocasias and Alocasias

2009-09-20T20:26:00.008+08:00

Colocasia 'Green Shield' - 21 Sep 09

Colocasia - No ID - More established leaf - dark green in colour - 21 Sep 09

Colocasia - No ID - Young leaf, light green in colour - 21 Sep 09

Hi Lo Beauty - 21 Sep 09

Note: It seems however that the hi lo beauty has been re-classified as a caladium.

Hi Lo Beauty - 20 Sep 09

After re-potting this plant into a much deeper pot and placing it out in a sunny location, it has started putting out some very big leaves.

This leaf is even bigger than my hand!

And using the metric ruler, it looks like this leaf measures about 14cm across.

And erhmm well, this 15cm ruler has more than met its match. The Hi Lo leaf clearly towers above the 15cm.

Alocasia x Amazonica - 20 Sep 09

The newest and biggest leaf put out by this plant thus far.

Episcia - 'War Paint'?

2009-09-20T20:14:00.008+08:00

The episcias pictured here started their lives in my garden on 12 July 2009 as three somewhat unremarkable stem cuttings. By and by, without my paying too much attention to them, they have all grown into lovely plants. The biggest leaf thus far measures about 11cm in length (pictured below).

I love the almost velvety feel of the leaves. Whilst I am not able to identify this episcia, it is clear that these episcias have distinguished themselves from the other smaller leafed episcias in my garden.

The biggest leaf thus far measuring about 5cm in length. 20 Sep 09

This is the second largest leaf measuring about 9cm in length.

Episcia - 20 Sep 09

Caladiums

2009-09-20T19:59:00.006+08:00

Fancy Caladium - 21 Sep 09

Caladium - 21 Sep 09

No ID for the moment. I call it 'White Heart'.

Caladium - 21 Sep 09

Old School Caladium - 20 Sep 09

This caladium is a gift from a plant lover. By the looks of its big leaves (the biggest leaf is about 18cm long and 10cm wide), this caladium looks like it has settled nicely into my backyard.

Old School Fancy Caladium - 20 Sep 09

Fancy Caladium - 20 Sep 09

Caladium - No ID. I call it 'Blush' - 20 Sep 09

This caladium has taken its time to settle in and looks like it is now happily nestled amidst the mint plant and the artemisia.

Caladium - Oil Painting - 20 Sep 09

This caladium has taken a bit of time to settle in and is finally putting out a leaf that is capable of showing its beauty.

Caladium - Oil Painting - 20 Sep 09

Succulents-Part 2

2009-09-20T19:52:00.007+08:00

Clockwise from top: Sinocrassula Yunnanensis; Kalanchoe Tomentosa "Panda Plant; Gasteria bicolour

Succulent collection - 20 Sep 09

Haworthia Cooperi var. Cooperi - 20 Sep 09

Haworthia Cooperi var. Cooperi - Side View - 20 Sep 09

Succulents-Part 1

2009-09-20T19:20:00.012+08:00

Haworthia Cymbiformis - 20 Sep 09

Left: Haworthia Coarctata - 20 Sep 09

Right: Haworthia Attenuata - 20 Sep 09

Bottom: Haworthia Viscosa. I call it the "Staircase Succulent".

Left: Haworthia Coarctata - 20 Sep 09

Right: Haworthia Attenuata - 20 Sep 09

Bottom: Haworthia Viscosa. I call it the "Staircase Succulent".

Haworthia Viscosa - 20 Sep 09

Left: Frithia Pulchra "Fairy Elephants' Feet" - 20 Sep 09

Right: Haworthia Limifolia var. Limifolia - 20 Sep 09

Kalanchoe Tomentosa "Panda Plant" - 20 Sep 09

Gymnocalycium Ragonesi - 20 Sep 09

Echinocereus pulchellus var. amoenus - 20 Sep 09

Sinocrassula Yunnanensis - 20 Sep 09

"Dark Porcupine"

Scent bringers

2009-08-21T23:13:00.004+08:00

An update on the scent bringers of my little garden...

The third pot of bellina which is supposedly a cross between a (bellina x iris) x bellina. Got this on 16 August 2009. I am taken with the lovely colour of the flower.

The second pot of bellina which I got on 24 July 2009 with one bloom. Whilst the first bloom has faded away, the second bloom is still going strong with another spike to follow.

The first pot of bellina in my garden. Got it on 18 July 2009 with a single bloom plus a spike. One month down the road, another flower has bloomed.

Postcards from Arizona

2009-08-18T23:10:00.005+08:00

During my sister's recent trip back from the US, I had asked that she take some photos of the plants in Arizona, where she is currently residing. A few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised to see a whole bunch of photos which my dear sister had diligently taken. As she put it, she had to brave the scorching sun to take these pictures at mid-day. Seeing these photos perked me up almost instantly, especially since I had recently taken to growing succulents. Here are some of the photos from Arizona.

Lovely flowers in bloom. It is amazing how these plants find the energy to blossom in the blazing summer heat of Arizona.

My sister calls these yellow-leaved cactuses "watermelon cactuses". Not sure if it is a sign of her thirst?

More "watermelon cactuses".

Close-up shot of two yellow-leaved cactuses. Love the gravel that they are sitting on.

This cactus has a rather cute name. Grizzly Bear - can any cactus get a more huggable name than this?

I am not certain whether this is a cactus but it does have a dessicated colour and appearance to it.

Maranta leuconeura "Erythroneura" (tricolor)

2009-08-17T23:48:00.002+08:00

Maranta leuconeura erythroneuro or Red-Veined Prayer Plant, is a small tropical plant with broad oval leaves. The leaves lie horizontal to the ground and are patterned with a herringbone design of pink veins over the light green to olive green leaf blade.

Haworthia Cooperi var. Cooperi

2009-08-17T23:34:00.002+08:00

A gift from a kindred spirit.

Some other succulents

2009-08-17T23:25:00.004+08:00

Whilst picking up some lithops at a local nursery, I saw some fenestraria aurantiaca and pleiospilos nelii for sale. Couldn't resist and had to pick them up as well.

The flowers of the fenestraria aurantica bear some similarity to daisies.

Living Stones or Yummy Biscuits?

2009-08-17T22:57:00.005+08:00

Last week, I chanced upon a posting on GCS for the sale of lithops.

Curious as to what this was, I clicked on the posting and saw some curious photos of some rather curiously cute plants. But - are these plants or not? There are no leaves on them. And as my colleague puts it - they look more like biscuits than plants.

After doing some research, I found out that lithops (yes, used with the letter 's') is a succulent that is sometimes referred to as a "living stone".

Based on wikipedia, "Lithos" means "stone" and "-ops" means "like" in Ancient Greek; therefore "Lithops" means "stone-like". These plants are commonly referred to as living stones. The formation of the name from the greek "-ops" means that even a single plant is called a Lithops.

It seems the lithops do not take kindly to too much watering and are better suited to a drier climate. Whilst the odds seemed to be stacked against the lithops in humid Singapore, I have decided to try my hand at lithops-growing. It's been a couple of days now since I got the lithops (managed to get some from a fellow curio-plant grower as well as - surprise, surprise - from a local nursery which I am given to understand brings in lithops from time to time) and it has been a bit of a struggle trying to figure out how little / how much water to give to some of the lithops which have a slightly wrinkled appearance probably due to dehydration. I am still keeping my fingers crossed that the lithops will survive for some time. As a friend puts it, these cute little succulents are "for rent" in Singapore. In the meantime, I continue to count my blessings for everyday that the lithops remain alive.

A Tale of Two Coleus

2009-08-17T22:51:00.002+08:00

These two coleus were obtained from the same source round about the same time. They were given almost identical growing conditions - in terms of light, air, position and watering. Yet the results are vastly different. I have yet to fathom the reason for the vast difference in size of these two plants.

Whilst I am somewhat frustrated by the state of affairs, I can only take pride in the fact that there is at least one big and bushy pot of coleus.

Talking to my plants

2009-08-13T23:54:00.007+08:00

You see. I had this smallish pot of aloe vera (the ones with the faint white marks) growing in the shade in the kitchen. It received bright light with no direct sun rays on it. There were all these garden stuff - fertilisers, compost, perlite, spare pots all around it. One fine day, I decided that all these stuff surrounding the aloe vera may be cramping it in and also injuring its leaves and that I should allow the aloe vera more room to grow by placing it outdoors.

So I placed the pot on one of the racks outdoors, thinking that the aloe vera is like a cactus - sure to survive the direct sun. But when I saw the plant the next day, I was shocked to see that its leaves had turned brown. I thought it would recover the next day. But no. The leaves remained brown. So I brought it back into the kitchen and pleaded with it to the effect: “ok, ok, I put you back here. But please, don’t die on me ok.”.

By now the aloe vera has recovered somewhat and has regained most of its green-ness, I am contented. But I need to encourage it a bit more I think cos it’s not as lush it was before being “thrown” into the sun by me.

And ermmh... the water feature

2009-08-12T22:44:00.003+08:00

So here it is - the 40cm by 40cm water tank and its accomplices. I was never quite so keen on having a water feature encroach on my home space. But things took a slight twist when I realised that there are merits in maintaining a water feature. More plants can be had!

I have been told by my plant loving friends that a water feature is a great thing to have around plants generally as it maintains the humidity level. This was incentive enough for me to finally get my act together for a little water feature for the little space.

And now I finally do have a water feature in the house. Not a spectacular water feature by any measure but one cosy and little enough to sit around for a little cosy chat.

Over the National Day weekend, two little guppies were added. So far, they appear to have settled in all right.

National Day weekend

2009-08-12T22:18:00.013+08:00

This National Day weekend saw the addition of some more plants to the already very crowded backyard. Some beautiful begonias and some caladiums.

Blooms on the Bulbophyllum Lepidum. Seems this is a wild orchid which may still be found in Singapore, although less commonly so now.

New Pitchers

2009-08-03T22:43:00.005+08:00

New pitchers from a few of my neps.

Hookeriana (Rafflesiana x Ampullaria) - Green Peristome with red stripes - 31 July 2009

Fresh green peristome - 31 July 2009

Side view - 31 July 2009

Am delighted to see the 'baby' pitcher of the ampullaria x harlequin (below). A positive indication that this young plant has adapted to my backyard - 31 July 2009

Garden Tech (N. Ventricosa x Ampullaria) (below) - Newly opened pitcher right at the back - 31 July 2009