Aaron's Gardening Blog

Busy as a Bee

2013-06-14T03:25:00.002-07:00

Sorry for the long absence again, since I've been simultaneously busy and lazy haha. Starting from July onwards, I'll be embracing a new life as a college student studying for his A-levels. Everything will be a new experience for me; a new living space in the dormitory, new friends, new knowledge to gain, etc. I'll be busy packing stuff and getting ready for college soon, and I'm not sure whether I'll be able to blog in college again. Hopefully this isn't the end of it haha.

But the bees have been far busier than I am (and far more consistent too). They are great to have around as they pollinate my plants, ensuring the production of fruits and seeds in my plants.

Water lilies (Nymphaea sp.) are bee magnets. They never fail to capture the attention of these busy bees. This black bee appears to be a stingless bee, perhaps Heterotrigona itama, as IDed by a beekeeper friend.

This bee appears to be of the Ceratina genus, often known as the Small Carpenter Bee. It has nice yellow markings on its face.

2 bees using the same flower as a source of nectar. I'll never run out of water lily seeds as long as the bees keep visiting.

My Damask rose is also pretty attractive to the bees, and to me as well. The bees hover from one fragrant flower to another, collecting sweet nectar and pollen. However, I'm not sure of this bee species though.

Orchidaceae

2013-04-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

The humongous family of flowering plants collectively known as orchids have been one of my favourite families of angiosperms since childhood, though I've only started collecting them since 2 years ago. With hundreds of genera and thousands of species in the widespread Orchidaceae family, orchids come in a plethora of shapes, sizes, colours, and growth habits.

These Dendrobium hybrids are very easy to grow, capable of taking full sun. They flower quite frequently compared to other orchids, and the flowers are relatively long-lasting. Usually, Dendrobium orchids will produce new offshoots after flowering ends, while the mother plant slowly dies. These offshoots grow quickly to flowering size and the process repeats.

This is an unknown Vandaceous hybrid. It is a very vigorous grower and blooms every month without fail. Sometimes, new flower spikes are produced even though the old ones have not faded yet. It is a very hardy plant, able to take the scorching heat and neglect without problems.

This beige Phalaenopsis (Moth orchids) was a gift from my mother. The venation and colour of the flowers is rather unique compared to other Phals, which are often shades of purple, white and orange. These are much more finicky than the other orchids though, since they dislike direct sunlight and excessively wet medium. They are slow growers and usually take a year to rebloom.

This Oncidium (Dancing Ladies) is also an easy plant to grow. It is very free-flowering and the cute yellow blossoms do resemble their namesake. Unfortunately, snails love munching on the flowers, so I have to hunt them down at night to prevent them from leaving holes in the blossoms.

Spathoglottis (Ground Orchids) are one of my favourite genera of orchids. They produce many colourful and long-lasting blossoms frequently, are hardy and problem-free, and can be grown in normal soil. While the flowers themselves are rather short-lived, the flower stalk will continuously produce new ones daily for months.

This white Cattleya is also a favourite orchid of mine. While it grows rather slowly, though faster than Phalaenopsis, the flowers are worth the wait. The huge, white blossoms produce a lovely fragrance, but only last for a few weeks.

On a separate note, I'll be going to college to further my studies this Jul, so I may cease being active again. I'll miss my plants a lot haha.

Some Like It Wet

2013-04-02T07:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence from blogging. I've been both busy and lazy, waiting for my SPM results and spending more time in Facebook gardening groups. Nonetheless, I'm back and hopefully will be active again.

Recently, I've been interested in growing flora of the aquatic kind. I've always dreamt of having a lily pond and thanks to a generous fish-rearing friend of mine, I've acquired a pretty large, used tank to fulfill my fantasy. Thanks to my parents and gardening friends too, I've got quite a lot of aquatic plants from my recent trip to Kuala Lumpur and Sg. Buloh nurseries.

Water lilies (Nymphaea sp.) are a must-have for any pond, with their lovely, colourful flowers and iconic lilypads. These are tropical day-blooming water lilies, with flowers that open in the day and close in the evening. They produce a mild fragrance and are attractive to bees, which have help pollinated some of my flowers. Once pollinated, the flower stems will sink into the water and the flower heads will curve upwards. In about a month, the fruits will burst to release hundreds of tiny seeds to the water surface.

Finally, after about 5 years, my crimson night-blooming lily (Nymphaea 'Red Flare') have bloomed. The lilypads have toothed edges and are bronze in colour. The fragrant, crimson blossoms open at night and close in the morning.

The lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), a sacred flower in Buddhism, is also a popular aquatic plant with edible tubers and seeds. After a long battle with voracious caterpillars, both my pink and white lotus are flowering again. The large, round leaves are superhydrophobic and attractive in a way too.

The water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is a very invasive and fast grower which floats on the water surface. They have extremely tiny and drab flowers, but the lettuce-like leaves are the attractive parts. They reproduce asexually very quickly, so I have to toss some away from time to time to prevent them from crowding out the pond. However, they are beneficial since they remove excess nutrients from the water, thus limiting algae growth.

The mosaic plant (Ludwigia sedioides) is another aquatic plant with attractive foliage. The leaves float on the surface of the water and are arranged in a mosaic-like pattern, hence the common name. They have yellow flowers, but mine has yet to produce them.

Marginal water plants produce a nice contrast with water lilies and other floaters. The bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia) on the left have elongated leaves and small white blossoms. The water canna (Thalia geniculata) on the right have canna-like leaves and grows very tall flower stalks with cute, purplish flowers.

Here's my tank, which I've spent days arranging and adjusting the plants in. I'm also rearing red swordtail fish inside the tank to prevent mosquitoes from breeding. They've even bred and produced plenty of fries. Seeing them swimming around the plants, I feel tranquil and relaxed.

Until next time!

A Sticky Situation

2013-01-24T03:49:00.001-08:00

I've always been an avid collector of carnivorous plants, since I've been fascinated with them since I was a child. While the spectacular Nepenthes have always been a focus of mine, sundews of the genus Drosera are also one of my favourite plants.

One of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, sundew species can be found worldwide, with sometimes pretty jarring differences between species, as they are extremely variable in terms of shape, size, colour and growth habit. The glistening dewdrops that give them their common name sparkles in the sun, attracting unsuspecting insects with sweet secretions and leading them to a very nasty surprise. As the prey struggles to escape, it gets stuck in more sticky mucilage, and finally dies from either exhaustion or asphyxiation. The plant then digests it and absorbs the nutrients for growth.

Drosera intermedia, a very easy and fast-growing sundew. It tends to produce plenty of seeds and offshoots that it may end up being a weed in collections. Recommended for beginners.

Drosera spathulata 'Pok Fu Lam', also a very hardy and vigorous sundew. Like Drosera intermedia, it is also recommended for beginners due to ease of cultivation.

Drosera capillaris 'Long Leaf', yet another vigorous grower that is easy to cultivate.

Drosera tokaiensis, also a good plant for beginners due to its hardy nature and fast growth. It tends to become a weed in collections too.

Drosera filiformis var. tracyi, a green and tall form of Drosera filiformis. It produces tall, upright leaves and are good at trapping flying insects. The new leaves unfurl like fronds of a fern from the base of the plant.

Drosera burmanii, an annual tropical sundew that is easy to grow. It is one of the fastest sundews, with tentacles that can curl around a prey in a few seconds. In cultivation, with enough nutrients, it may behave like a perennial instead.

Drosera adelae, a sundew endemic to Queensland, Australia. While it is easy to grow in the tropics, it is quite susceptible to mealybug attacks.

This isn't a sundew, but rather a rainbow plant (Byblis liniflora), though it certainly does resemble them. It is an annual plant, thus producing tons of seeds before they die. The seeds are difficult to germinate as germination is triggered by bushfires in it's natural habitat. However, diluted bleach can be use to dissolve the seedcoat instead to stimulate germination.

By the way, I've been busy with driving lessons for the past few weeks, and now I've finally received my driving license. No need to pester my parents if I want to go anywhere anymore, haha.

Cleaning Up For A New Year

2012-12-25T06:13:00.001-08:00

Can't believe it's Christmas already and 2012 is coming to an end. Guess the world didn't end after all, haha. 2013 will be a whole new year, and a whole new experience for me since I've finally finished school. Since my SPM results will only be announced in March 2013, I have 3 months of freedom before having to decide on my future. Hopefully I can still find time to blog and garden after that.

Also, sorry again for the inactivity for the past few weeks since I've been busy rearranging and cleaning up my messy roof garden. It's tough work, but the results are worth it.

This is how it looked like before.

And this is what it looks like now.

I've tried to divide the plants into a few sections to make it neater than the jungle it was before.

I've moved my hibiscus plants and edibles to this corner. The freshly filled pots will be used to germinate more edibles and annuals.

Here's the orchid section, reserved for my growing collection. It's shadier and less exposed to the elements, so I can easily control the growing conditions of the more finicky orchids.

This section is for a more exotic look, so I'm filling it with vines and shrubs, such as hoyas, the nong nooch vine and datura. There's still room for more haha.

Here's my new lily pond, complete with fish, shrimps and a frog. Currently there's only 2 juvenile waterlilies, though I'm hoping to add more aquatics. Behind the lily pond, is a new rack for my nepenthes. My collection is gradually recovering, and hopefully stays that way.

This section is reserved for my carnivores, a shelf and a minibog. It's still kind of messy, but I'll be arranging them soon. The sarracenias are growing nicely though the pitchers are drooping due to the heavy rains filling them to the brim with water.

This shelf will be reserved for foliage plants, bromeliads and tillandsias, and ferns, since it receives more shade than the other areas.

Last but not least, here's where I place the miscellaneous plants, mostly sun-loving plants, since this area receives a lot of direct sun.

By the way, I'm wishing all my blog readers and fellow bloggers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Have a wonderful time.

Until next time!

Freedom

2012-11-27T21:05:00.000-08:00

Finally, all those sleepless nights are over! I'm done with my SPM examinations (technically, still left with an Art paper, but that's relatively easy) and I can get back to full-time blogging again. Blogging and gardening would also be a good way to stop me from worrying over my results haha.

Also, I've been nominated by Kimberly of Garden in Paradise for a Beautiful Bloggers award. Fortunately, I'm free enough to accept the nomination and blog about it now. Well, here goes the 10 questions:

1.What would you do if you won $10,000 tomorrow? Remodel my garden and buy more plants, and save some for my education.

2. Best lifetime moment? My best lifetime moment was when I had the opportunity to go to Sg. Buloh, a haven for plant enthusiasts, 2 years ago. Still waiting for another chance to visit again.

3. Are you happy? At this moment, I'm over the moon!

4. Do you prefer Facebook or Twitter? Facebook, hands down. I don't even have a twitter account.

5. If you could change something in your life what would it be? My social awkwardness haha.

6. What is your biggest vice/habit in life? Plants, of course. I can spend more than an hour in my garden just looking at them.

7. What is a good point about you? When I feel like doing something, I strive for perfection. A negative point? I tend to procrastinate sometimes, haha.

8. What is your most embarrassing lifetime moment? Too many! Anytime I have to do something with lots of people watching, I'll tend to mess up and feel embarrassed, like when performing a piano piece.

9. What is your favorite flower? Orchids, especially the exotic ones! Still waiting for the day where I get to grow a Paphiopedillum or Grammatophyllum successfully.

10. What's your biggest love in life? Gardening has been my passion since childhood, and I intend to keep that passion burning forever.

Now, time to nominate others for this award.

James Missier of Garden Chronicles

Stiletto of STileTTo
Andrea of Pure Oxygen Generators and Andrea in this Lifetime
Stephanie of Steph's Green Space
Barry Parker of A Sense of Place
Bangchik and Kakdah of My little vegetable garden
lotusleaf of Indian flowers and herbs and gardentropics
Rohrerbot of Las Aventuras
Sunita of The Urban Gardener
Autumn Belle of My Nice Garden

Nominees, if you choose to accept this award, here is what you need to do:

1. Include the award logo somewhere in your blog.

2. Answer the same 10 questions I did, for fun, if you want to.

3. Nominate 10 to 12 blogs you enjoy. Or you pick the number.

4. Pay the love forward: Provide your nominees' links in your post and comment on their blogs to let them know they’ve been included and invited to take part.

5. Pay the love back with gratitude and a link to the blogger(s) who nominated you.

Anyway, here are some photos of my garden to share:

My carnivores are flourishing under this rainy weather. The high humidity and low temperatures at night are very optimum conditions for their growth. (Clockwise from top left: A Heliamphora flower, Byblis liniflora flowers, Sarracenia rubra hybrid with Sarracenia x Scarlet Belle, and a Nepenthes inflorescence)

A plethora of blooms from my garden. They always brighten up the garden, and my day, whenever they bloom. (Clockwise from top left: A white Melastoma malabathricum locally known as Senduduk, a white lotus, a Kampung Rose, and half-opened Hoya carnosa blossoms.

And last but not least, my orchid collection, which is growing at a steady rate. I love it when they bloom together in unison to produce a spectacular show of vibrant colours. Some of the orchids is this photo are Dendrobiums, Vandas, Arundinas, Kagawara and Spathoglottis.

Until next time!

Orchids Abound

2012-11-15T00:51:00.000-08:00

I'm back (temporarily) after such a long break from blogging. Currently, I have an 11 day (down to 4 days already) break from my stressful SPM examination, so I finally have an opportunity to update my blog. Hopefully this exam would be over in a flash, and I can get back to my regular lifestyle and schedule. I really miss blogging and my fellow bloggers. Well, just 6 more papers to go before I'm free at last.

Fortunately, things are going quite well in my garden, and I am able to balance between gardening and revisions of my exam subjects. Right now, my orchid collection is taking the weird weather well, with hot sun from morning to afternoon, and heavy downpours from evening to night. Watching them bloom puts a smile on my face, especially after a tiresome day of studying for the exams. Here they are, just in time for the GBBD.

To all Malaysian gardeners (though international gardeners are welcomed too), there is a new gardening group on Facebook, Malaysian Gardeners where gardeners from Malaysia and a few from overseas share knowledge and experience in all matter flora, thanks to the effort of Sherynn Ooi. Feel free to join the group as everyone is welcomed.

Until next time!

Finite Time

2012-10-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

It seems as though January was just yesterday, and yet October has arrived so quickly, it's shocking. And now I'm left with less than 30 days to revise and remember the tons of facts that I've learnt for 2 years. I admit that I'll probably have to allocate a large fraction of my free time to studying and revising, so I won't be able to blog often until my exams are over at the end of November. To all my readers and fellow bloggers, thanks for your support throughout this year, and I hope to be able to continue blogging as soon as possible. This is probably going to be my last post until then.

Here are some pictures to share.

My Orange Jessamine (Murraya paniculata) tree is in bloom right now, probably triggered by the rain spell not too long ago. It fills the night with a lovely fragrance, and unsurprisingly I find moths seeking nectar in the flowers.

This particular dendrobium is a favourite of mine. I just find the veins and colour of the flower to be captivating.

My hoya carnosa never stops producing new blossoms. The tiny star-shaped flowers look so artificial but cute. The fact that it's a fast grower is certainly a bonus.

These 2 slow-growing carnivores are finally looking established since their rate of growth have gradually increased. I'm happy that my heliamphora has survived for so long since they are disgustingly finicky and have a bad reputation as hard to grow. My nepenthes lowii x campanulata (a hybrid between a difficult lowlander and also a difficult highlander) is growing larger pitchers now. I wonder how long it will take before it reaches its full potential.

Until next time!

Countdown

2012-09-21T08:46:00.004-07:00

I'm back after yet another period of inactivity. Finally, my SPM trial examinations are over, though I will still have to prepare for the real deal. Judging from my rather lackluster results, I guess I still have much to study if I hope to score with flying colours. I just hope I don't suffer from a week of indigestion, stomachaches and nausea like during the trials when I sit for the real examination haha (seriously though, really bad time to be ill). 45 days left to revise before the knowledge I've gained since 2011 will be put to test.

Also, I'm happy to say that I have passed my piano examinations. Not really outstanding, but still my days and nights of practising until my fingers hurt paid off.

Anyway, here are some random photos of my garden plants.

My carnivorous plants are doing quite well. My sarracenia has finally blossomed. Maybe it thinks that it's spring due to the rather cool weather not long ago.

Until next time!

Surprises

2012-08-18T22:40:00.003-07:00

Now that I'm on holiday for a week, I get to spend more time at home and in my garden. After a tiresome day of reading, studying, and web browsing, a stroll in the garden is a wonderful remedy for a throbbing headache. Maybe it's the pleasant colour of green, or the abundance of essential oxygen, but either way, it's still a great place to relax and clear the mind.

Recently, I've bought a few more plants for my roof garden, and there were also a few pleasant surprises which definitely lightened up my day.

My roof garden, still in the process of weeding and rearranging some plants. It's a real improvement since I first started it months ago.

Just got these two hoya vines, probably H. carnosa (white) and H. pubicalyx (maroon). I love the clusters of small star-shaped flowers.

I've also got a new purple vanda orchid, a white gerbera and two dianthus. Hopefully they'll thrive here and fill my garden with lovely blossoms.

Finally, after almost a year of rest, my medinilla decided to send out not one, but three inflorescence. Maybe moving it to my roof garden, where it's more humid, sunny and have a higher temperature drop at night triggered the blooming. Anyway, I'm glad it finally flowered again.

And this uninvited guest to my garden surely surprised me. Luckily I noticed it before I drenched it with water. I think this is an Oriental Bay Owl (Phodilus badius), a nocturnal owl native to Southeast Asia. It was around 6 pm when I saw it, so maybe it just woke up. I think it's adorable, staring at me as I watered the garden.

Until next time!

Focus

2012-08-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

Finally, I'm back again after a month of inactivity. I feel as if a great burden had been lifted from my chest, as my art project, piano exam and school exam are history now. However, I can't celebrate so soon as this period of rest is transient and I have to prepare for my trial exams for the SPM (a major exam from November to December) during this calm before the storm. I guess I have to make the most of my time to revise a whooping 10 subjects in the following weeks. I hope my absence hasn't made you all lose interest in my blog, as I still hope to continue and interchange knowledge and experience with all of my fellow bloggers. I just want to say thank you to my consistent readers and fellow bloggers for putting up with my intervals of absence.

But enough talk, here are just some pictures to share.

Some of the carnivores growing in my garden.

Assorted flowers currently blooming in the garden.

My rabbit looking rather confused at the camera.

Ascending Numbers

2012-07-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

This month is going to be a very busy ordeal for me. Honestly, I've never been so stressed up in my laid-back lifestyle. Piano exams, school exams and my art project's deadline are all happening this month, so I'll have to really manage my time properly. In any case, I'll try to find some time to tend my garden and blog about it.

Like I have mentioned in my previous post, "Collectibles", I have a few collections of various plants, such as orchids, tillandsias, carnivores and the like. I've just added a few numbers to my current collections yesterday. It was a pleasant surprise as I was not expecting to add more plants to my collections until my final exams have ended (which is in December). Passing by a nursery in Kluang, Johor, my mom decided to stop and take a look. Who would have known that I'll get more plants, considering the fact that my mom has put a stop to my collecting spree until my exams have passed.

Since my mom loves orchids, my collection has been growing rapidly. She's handpicked a few orchids in that nursery, such a the yellow cattleya and the dendrobiums. The cattleya has a wonderful fragrance.

Another Madagascar Periwinkle has been added to my minuscule collection. The pure white compliments the luscious pink ones. I love how free-flowering they are, never without blossoms and so hardy to boot.

And a new nepenthes enters my collection. This is N. rafflesiana, a hardy but beautiful specimen among my other CPs.

And now something else. I've been told this is Centella asiatica or Pennywort. Locally known as pegaga. It's growing like a weed across my lawn, but I just leave it there since it's a cute and useful herb.

Until next time.

Collectibles

2012-06-25T04:18:00.003-07:00

Every gardener and plant enthusiasts will understand the pride and joy of maintaining a large, lush and beautiful collection of flora, be they common or rare, exotic or mundane, expensive or affordable. Virtually any plant can be a collectible, determined by how the grower groups them together. A magnificent collection of verdant specimens is surely a dream of plant collectors and a sight for sore eyes.

Well, personally I love collecting any species of plants I find attractive. I have a small, unimpressive collection of tillandsia species (air plants) which I have no plans to expand.

Then, there's my new collection of orchids. In addition to the usual dendrobiums and vandas, I've added a couple of unique species, including brassia rex, gongora claviodora and bulbophyllum lepidum. I hope to get more additions to my modest collection in the near future.

But my main and largest collection of plants are carnivores, which I have started collecting since 4 years ago. It's been my family's pride and joy, and they enjoy showing my collection to guests. Unfortunately, my carnivores suffered a great decline during my neglectful and busy period throughout last year. Now that I have my own section of my house allocated for my gardening activities, and my more efficient schedule, I'm restarting this collection. Hopefully it'll go back to it's former glory.

So, what collections do all of you have or hope to have?

Heatwave

2012-06-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

It's been extremely hot around these parts for almost a week now, with no rain at all. I've been feeling really tired in this heat, especially with sleep deprivation (can't sleep, piano exams too close for comfort). Anyway, I still have some free time to care for my plants, especially now with all this heat. I have to water and mist them daily to prevent the more delicate and carnivorous plants from dying.

Some nepenthes growing nicely. They mostly love the heat and sun (for the lowlanders anyway), yet supplemented by constant watering and misting. (Clockwise from left: N. x dyeriana, N. mirabilis var. globosa, N. x gentle)

My carnivorous mini-bog has been doing quite well and has overgrown rapidly since I first made it (which was months ago). I should probably trim them and separate the offshoots and plantlets. One of my Venus Flytrap has gone into dormancy though (which is a risky situation here in the tropics since we don't have the 4 seasons.)

My vines are also making the most out of this heat, provided that the water supply is sufficient. The scarlet passion flower (passiflora coccinea) has gone into a blooming spree after a long time as just leaves. The mandevilla is also producing lots of flower now. I'm not sure whether the Madagascar periwinkle is a true vine, but mine sure does acts like one. It's so free-flowering, I'm tempted to buy more. My variegated bleeding heart vine is also starting to send out blossoms.

Also, I've recently been nominated for the Versatile Blogger award by both Bernie from Bush Bernie's Blog and James Missier from Gardening Chronicles. Bernie is an experienced gardener with an extremely variant collection of plants in her beautiful garden. James is quite the knowledgeable fellow in gardening, and is a good source of information regarding tropical plants. Thanks, both of you!

Here are the rules upon accepting The Versatile Blogger award:

Thank the person who gave you the award.
Include a link to their blog.
Select 15 bloggers that you follow or have just discovered who you would consider fit the bill of a 'versatile' blogger.
Tell 7 random facts about yourself.
Include this set of rules in your post.
Inform each of your nominated bloggers of their nomination.

15 is a difficult number for me, since I can't really maintain a large number of blogs to follow, with my busy schedule and all. I guess I'll just make it 8 then. Also, some blogs may have already been nominated, but I don't really have much choice to select from haha.

1. Andrea/Kalantikan from Pure Oxygen Generators and Andrea in this Lifetime. She's an incredibly informative blogger, especially regarding tropical plants and nature.

2. Autumn Belle from My Nice Garden. She's an extremely versatile gardener, and her blog is very entertaining to read. She's very passionate in her hobby of gardening.

3. Bangchik and Kakdah from My little vegetable garden. Their blog is very informative regarding tropical vegetable, fruits and herbs and their gardening methods.

4. Lotusleaf from gardentropics and Indian Flowers and Herbs. Her blog is a wonderful source of knowledge on tropical and exotic plants.

5. Orkid La from Orkidla. Orchids are his specialty, and his blog is filled to the brim with marvelous photos of them.

6. Rohrerbot from Las Adventuras. His blog is very informative regarding flora and fauna, particularly those from

7. Becca from A Southern Garden by Becca. I enjoy reading about her garden and the various plants she grows.

8. Noel from A Plant Fanatic in Hawaii. His blog is always a fun read, and a very good source of information regarding tropical plants of Hawaii.

7 random facts about me:

1. I'm currently preparing for both SPM (a major and very important exam in my country's education system) and Grade 8 piano exams (I'm not really confident this time since I lack time to practice. Maybe I'll try again next year if I fail).

2. I enjoy making and animating 3D models, as well as papercraft (building 3d models from paper), but I'm currently sacrificing these hobbies to prepare for my exams.

3. I enjoy art, so I'm taking Visual Arts as a subject and is currently completing the compulsory assignment (in which I chose carnivorous plants as an inspiration).

4. I love playing video games and browsing the web like any other teenager.

5. Plants, gardening and botany has always been my interest since I was still a child in primary school, and I hope to further my studies in plant-related fields such as agricultural science or plant biotechnology.

6. I love to please people and set a good impression. Unfortunately, this causes me to fear other people being disappointed in me. This is one of the factors contributing to my stress as my teachers and parents have high hopes and I fear of not meeting them.

7. I have the bad habit of studying at the last minute. I can procrastinate until a few days before the exams, and then burn the midnight oil until 2-3 am in the morning. So far, my results are OK but I really need to change this attitude of mine before the final exam on December.

Until next time!

Dripping Wet

2012-06-04T07:18:00.000-07:00

My roof garden, being my pride and joy, has become a place for me to relax daily in the evening, particularly after a hectic and stressful day. The sight of lush and verdant plants, abundant in colourful blossoms and dense foliage is a wonderful remedy for a mild headache resulting from long hours of homework or computers. At least that works for me! That's why I find it a matter of utmost importance to always keep the roof garden moist and well-watered. I find that humidity is an important factor in growing many exotic plants, especially orchids, tillandsia and carnivorous flora. Therefore, I regularly mist my plants, and drench the whole garden while watering the plants, to keep the humidity levels high.

Carnivores are lovers of moisture and humidity. Keeping them in constant humidity (in fact, 100% humidity is optimum to lots of species) is a key factor in making the thrive. Nepenthes sp.(Tropical Pitcher Plants) are divided into 3 categories, the lowlanders, intermediates and highlanders. Some highlanders can actually thrive with enough humidity in the lowlands, though temperature still affects them. Same goes for heliamphora (Marsh Pitcher Plants), who are one of the finickiest plants I have ever grown. Temperate CPs (Carnivorous Plants for short) such as Sarracenia and Dionaea muscipula (Venus Flytraps) also enjoy high humidity coupled with bright sun.

I've decided to start and hopefully maintain a collection of orchids. Now that my dad can't limit my freedom in buying whatever plant I like, and with the support of my mom, who loves orchids, I can happily enjoy growing the orchids I have longed for. So far, I have assorted vanda and dendrobium orchids, as well as arundina (Grass Orchid), brassia rex, gongora claviodora, bulbophyllum lepidum and a cattleya hybrid. Hopefully it's include more species soon as I love variance in collections.

Two of my bulbous plants have finally flowered after such a long period of normal foliage growth, albeit very fast. Perhaps the fact that I kinda neglected them catalysed their rate of flower production? The foliage died back to the bulb, and now they are flowering nicely. Bulbs need such abuse before they decide to bloom.

More assorted blossoms after a nice watering and misting. The white hibiscus is the most vigorous hibiscus I have, constantly flowering even when my pink, yellow and red hibiscus are resting. The cleome is growing and seeding like a weed. It's certainly a weed I enjoy having in my garden though. The Madagascar periwinkle is also another fast grower, and free-flowering to boot.

Now with an abundance of flowers, I think I may need more colourful foliage to balance them out haha. Until next time!

It's Been A Long Time...

2012-05-29T23:18:00.000-07:00

Can't believe it's been more than 2 months since I last blogged. I'm sorry that I can't stay active consistently as my never-ending schoolwork and piano lessons take up a good deal of my valuable time. Not sure if anyone cares about my blog anymore, but I hope to reestablish my blog as an active gardening blog for gardening enthusiasts to enjoy and share experiences. especially regarding tropical and carnivorous flora. Nevertheless, I'll try my best to return to my active days of 2010 when I was still a happy-go-lucky, worry-free lad with great interest in all matters of flora, no matter locally or internationally. I hope I get to share and receive knowledge and experiences in horticulture with my fellow bloggers once more.

Anyway, while I neglected blogging again, I still took care of my garden. Can't afford to lose anymore valuable and exotic plants. Nowadays, I mainly focus on my backyard and roof garden where I get to enjoy the freedom of growing any plant I like, instead of following my dad's preferences for formality and foliage plants. Here are some photos of the roof garden, where I get to grow things, design and arrange as I please.

I've also gotten some orchids to brighten up the rather dull garden. Those currently in bloom included Dendrobiums, Vanda and Cattleya.

Plenty of other flowers are also growing well up here. Must be the humidity at night. Things do get pretty hot during the afternoon though.

The roses are thriving and budding vigorously. They have pricked me a lot while I was rearranging the roof garden though.

Madagascar periwinkles are healthier than ever, soaking up the sunlight and water on top of the shelves.

This was a pleasant surprise when it finally bloomed. It was a weed than randomly popped out of my hibiscus' pot, but I kept it because the leaves were attractive. Then it surprised me when it grew flowers far too beautiful for that of a common weed. Finally found out that it was Cleome species after searching online.

The carnivorous plants are also thriving nicely here, as they enjoy lots of sunlight and humidity.

My minibog is getting overrun by all those carnivorous plants growing out of control. But I just can't get myself to cut off those perfectly healthy leaves.

The Sarracenia plants are shockingly fast growers when given enough sunlight. They catch tons of ants and other insects daily, so that may explain the fast growth.

My utricularia (bladderwort) has finally flowered, with 2 developed flower spikes to boot! They are tiny, but cute and lovely.

Until next time! (that is, if nothing else distracts me again)

Carnivores Galore

2012-03-24T07:39:00.001-07:00

I've been quite busy again these few weeks with school, so I was unable to blog. My education do have to come first after all. Fortunately, I was able to clear up most of my work so I finally have some time to update my rather inconsistent blog. I appreciate your views and comments a lot.

It's been scorching hot these few days, so I had to water my plants daily instead of the regular 2 days interval. My plants can go from fresh to wilting by midday, though they recover rather rapidly after a generous spraying with the garden hose. Carnivorous plants generally enjoy bright sunlight so the weather have been quite conducive for their growth, though they require constantly wet environment as they hate getting dried out. That means extra work and care on my part, though when it's rewarding when I see them thrive.

My minibog has been growing nicely and rather vigorously, relative to the general rate of growth for carnivorous plants. The drosera and nepenthes are the most vigorous plants, in comparison with the other carnivores (pinguicula, dionaea, sarracenia, utricularia). Here are some pictures to share.

A plugged-up pot filled with more carnivorous plants and water.

One of hardiest, though a bit slow, nepenthes hybrids ever, N. x dyeriana growing beautifully in my backyard.

Introducing a rare jewel into my collection, a heliamphora (Marsh Pitcher Plant) together with some sarracenias. Though it has a reputation of being one of the most difficult pitcher plant species (second only to Darlingtonia and Ultra-highland nepenthes), I have hope that it will survive here since a few people has got it to grow in lowland conditions. Do ignore the messy background; I still don't have time to rearrange and weed things out.

The Garden Behind

2012-03-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

Though I have quite a large garden, my dad does not give me the freedom to landscape and plant stuff as I want to. He prefers foliage plants and a formal look, while I prefer flowers and a natural look. Fortunately, I have the 'balcony' (really an extension with a flat roof) at the back of my house to grow plants as I like. Here are some photos of it. I still don't have much time to weed and rearrange stuff so it looks kinda messy hehe.

Most of my carnivorous plants, including my minibog is located there. There's plenty of sunlight for these sun-loving plants for photosynthesis.

My attempts at growing vegetables organically. This is pak choy.

More random plants.

Contrast

2012-03-09T07:36:00.000-08:00

My current examinations have finally ended and a one week break has started (just what I needed). Though I still have my art project and some competitions, I hope to be able to spend some relaxing time and releasing stress in the garden and through blogging.

Sometimes one just have to appreciate the little details and niceties found all around us. A walk through the garden can be an interesting experience if one looks carefully enough. The many different colours, textures and patterns of nature all around us can produce a harmonious effect and an aesthetically-pleasing sight. This is especially evident in foliage plants through the the variegation of leaves, but some flowers exhibit fantastic patterns too with contrasting colours.

The intriguing shape and arrangement of tillandsia leaves have always gave me the impression of exotic bromeliads from the steamy tropical jungles. The blooms are often very bright and clear as the colours contrast drastically with the leaves. Here is my Tillandsia funckiana in the process of flowering. Notice the bright red buds against the pale greyish-green leaves?

This is not an everyday occurrence as my white hibiscus has produced a pink blossom! I'm not sure whether it's a dormant grafted branch that suddenly turned active or a weird mutation in the pigmentation of the flowers, but it's certainly gorgeous when the pink contrasts against the other white blossoms. There's some white pigment on the exterior side of the petals though, and it has the same dark red center, so I think it's a mutation, but can it mutate so drastically?

One of the hardiest and easiest plants in my garden, the angelonias are ever-blooming with their cluster of indigo blossoms. Angelonia always seems to be covered in powder or pollen as you can see from the photo.

I just love the sight of aristolochia. I think the heart-shaped leaves are cute, but the flowers are certainly a sight to behold! It's obvious how it got its common name, Dutchman's Pipe. Though I'm sure you certainly don't want the flower anywhere near you face as the scent somehow reminds me of dirty socks. I love the interior of the petals which are covered in countless fine hairs, looking so fuzzy! The rich maroon veins on the flower petals are also quite unique.

And last but not least are the foliage plants. Variegation produces such interesting patterns on otherwise dull green leaves. This produce great contrast between the green and white pigments, and therefore produce aesthetically spectacular results. And the patterns are also not constant and fixed, but always vary from leaf to leaf, so each leaf is unique and special.

When It Rains, It Pours

2012-03-01T08:04:00.000-08:00

The first exam of the first semester is about to start, so I have to start studying now. Hopefully it will be over in a flash so that I can concentrate on my piano lessons, art project and most of all, gardening and blogging.

On a side note, the rainstorms have been increasingly harsh and thunderous. Luckily my plants are still thriving, except my little butterwort that got splashed too much. Here are some after-rain photos.

The carnivorous plants are enjoying the constant showers, though I'm worried about the rain triggering the flytrap's traps (such a waste of plant energy).

The flowering plants are growing robust and flourishing, especially the constantly flowering hibiscus.

More random plants drenched in rain drops.

But my Aristolochia deserves special mention, as it has finally produced blooms for me after almost a year. Still waiting for a chance to smell it.

Big Appetites

2012-02-28T06:34:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not updating for quite some time. It's been an incredibly busy and stressful month for me, and I don't think this hectic period is going to end so quickly. Anyway, I may still update my blog periodically if I have the time since education has to be my highest priority right now. My garden is doing quite fine now, because of the constant rain so I do not have to worry about watering them when I'm busy.

Here are some photos of my carnivorous mini-bog after the heavy downpour just now.

Heatwave

2012-02-10T21:56:00.000-08:00

It's been HOT here for 3 days in a row. Even my plants are feeling scorched and parched. Fortunately, my time management skills have greatly improved and I'm able to take care of myself, my schoolwork and my plants without sacrificing anything. I'm still exhausted though and hope for some nice, heavy rain to end this blazing heat. The sight of my garden flourishing is certainly a relaxing and exciting sight, though!

A nice show of red and pink from my garden.

The carnivorous plants are growing nicely in my garden.

Back To My Roots

2012-01-31T06:28:00.000-08:00

Way back in 2009, I started blogging after my ICT teacher instructed us to create a blog. Back then, growing carnivorous plants was my passion and focus and therefore my blog was all about them. Looking back now, who'd knew how my life would have turned out. I branched out into growing more varieties of plants, instead of just carnivorous plants. Flowering vines, hibiscus, roses, and bulbs. Then came my period of neglect as I was caught up in my busy school life. My garden suffered as a result and my carnivorous plants collection dwindled. However, now I'm feeling nostalgic and want to grow these unique plants again.

This is my latest nepenthes, N. x dyeriana

I've also created a mini-bog to accommodate the new plants I've ordered and here's the result:

New Year, New Growth

2012-01-15T04:09:00.000-08:00

It won't be too long before the Chinese New Year celebrations, and there'll be loads and loads of chores and preparations for it. Things are going out of control in my final year of high school as teachers are giving tons of homework to prepare us for the very important examination in November (aiming to get straight A+ in every subject). However, I still have some free time for my passion for gardening. Here are just some photos to share.

A New Year

2012-01-05T06:51:00.000-08:00

So a new year has begun (and that means school too!). This year will be my final year in high school and I'll be taking a major examination this November so I guess I have to start working hard from now. I'll also be taking my Grade 8 piano examinations so I definitely feel under pressure. However, I hope my hobbies could vent out all that stress. Anyway, here are some photos to celebrate my first blog post of 2012.