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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

New Year Blooms



Perhaps I have been working too much in my garden and that had caused me to see my garden as a chore and not so much as a source of beauty and wonder. Of course, all these are blooming right in front of my face but lets face it.

There is too much to prune, repot, replant, re..re.. re.. and water that time passes by just giving enough time for maintenance. And the day goes by from morning till night that I can only summon some extra time just to breathe the freshly watered garden during weekends.

And in this case for my Hibiscus, having a nice fresh flower for snack and enjoying the pollen. Thanks for Autumn Belle, I can enjoy my hibiscus without caution. You can read more about it here in her blog about Hibiscus.

Let me walk you through my currently garden blooms.


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I got this Angelonia from my mum. She passed a pot to me as she was clearing her stock.
I'm amazed at this beauty, I never really paid much attention to it. I guess I need to propagate this one more as it has beautiful flower which continuously blooms.
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What I really wonder is, why is this one known as angel flower or angel face. I have been figuring that out, what I really notice is that it look more like a skull.
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I wished I got more varieties of colours from this species, seemed to be very hardy compared to other short-term flowering plants.
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Garden Balsam (Impatiens balsamina)
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I guess it seed got escaped from my mother's garden as I don't fancy growing this plant.
Not that I don't favour this, its because this plant need good amount of sunlight which I really lack. I had another balsam plant which did grow furiously but never flowered.
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Regardless, this one did manage to bloom (Its been very hot these few weeks) and the blooms are very lovely just like a rose floral.
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False Heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia)
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Its been said that this plant is quite hardy but somehow I had many failed attempt with this one. I guess its hardiness is based on draught resistance whereas my environment is very much shady and moist. (Over watering can kill the plant)
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Rescued from abandon area, together with Ixora which I'm still waiting for its bloom to appear.
You can notice the small leathery leaves which both are growing together in a planter box.
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I have also placed my Dianthus cuttings here and they have just recently bloomed, the blooms lasted few days. I realise that I have few of the cuttings stashed in some other few pots sharing with flame violets & begonias. It happened when I urgently need to transplant them before the whole plant dies.
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I never expect to see my Dumbcane to bloom. Sad to see when most of the leaves and even the flower had not been spared by slugs and snails. This one was taken just I was doing my cleaning & remodeling.
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There is something mystically about this rose, it does mesmerise me whenever I see this one as it greets me by the entrance gate. I found the best time to take white coloured flowers are during early morning just before sunrise as it shows all the tones in the right places. Too bright and the whole flower turn paper white.
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I heard that roses are edible but somehow I don't have the heart or the stomach to eat this one.
Its just too beautiful.
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Additional Update:
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Sorry for the lack of description on the Angelonia. I would like to show you what I see in the Angelonia flower.
Do click my earlier posting when I first saw it in my mum's garden:
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12 comments:

Chloe m said...

I love Balsam...used to grow very well in Nebraska. Since moving to Colorado I haven't tried it yet...too tender? It is a lovely plant. You always have wonderful photographs on your blog. Good job, James!

Wendy said...

I like that garden balsam. It's very pretty. You're right, there are a lot of re re re's aren't there...Your current bloomers are beautiful though! It's nice to just stop and enjoy, right?

Anonymous said...

Hi James~~ I've been growing Angelonia for a few summers now. It's not frost hardy so I treat it as an annual. Always in bloom, great plant. Your other plants are splendid too.

J.C. said...

I didn't know that Dumbcane has bloom too! That's enlightening. I wish mine will produce bloom too.

And the Angelonia blooms are so beautiful. The plant looks like orchid.

Don't let the chore bogs you down. Take it easy and your time in taking care of the garden will be rewarded with beautiful blooms like the one I see in this posting, James! Keep up the good work!

James David said...

Thank you Rosey. Peter, wendy, Grace & J.c. for your encouraging comments. Appreciate it very much.

Stephanie said...

The balsam is beautiful! But your white Rose is always my favaourite. Congrats on the Dumbcane flower. It is amazing to see such flower blossom. Also, it is good to know that Angelonia is a easy plant. Thanks for sharing all these wonderful blooms!

Andrea said...

James, i replied to you and Autumn Belle's comment in my site. I laughed really at your description of your angel flower looking like a skull. I am not familiar with it too so i took lots of time looking at it, but cannot also see the skull. lol.

You said your area is not so sunny, so maybe your orchid is not receiving lots of it. I dont know what orchid you are referring to, so we can speculate on its needs and culture, or make some remedies. Don't worry too much, rest like a baby this weekend, and you will be fully recharged by Monday!

Tatyana said...

The first image is my favorite here: it holds a promise and is ready to surprise us.

Barry Parker said...

So ,interesting to see Dieffenbachia in bloom. I didn't realize it was an aroid (i.e. in the family Araceae) . The bloom is typical of that genus.

I'm enjoying visiting your and other S. Asian sites. Maybe I need to be there for a month next winter??

Autumn Belle said...

James, thank you very much for your kind mention today. Shall we have hibiscus salad as apetizer today?
I saw Angelonia in The Secret Garden. I think it is a pretty flower but I can't imagine how it look like an angel or a skull. Your balsom is the double flower type. It's not easy to find balsam seeds nowadays. My most fave thing to do while growing balsam is to press the balsam seed pods to see the seeds bursting out. I bought a dumbcane when it was blooming but thereafter no more blooms. How to make it bloom? Your white rose is gorgeous. How I envy you. Are you giving these roses to your wife this Valentine's Day?

James David said...

Hi all, Please do click on the link on addition update on Angelonia concerning the "skull appearance" or what appeared to be what I notice when I see it.


Thank you Stephanie, Tatyana, Barry for your lovely comments.

Andrea - Yes I guess the sun do play a part in the blooming factor, For that reason, I had placed my orchid plants outside the house fastened by the gateside where it does receive maximum morning & afternoon sunlight. Still keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that they will manage to bloom this year.

Autumn Belle - I actually enjoy every hibiscus that blooms in my garden - or at least try not to miss any (lol). The balsam had not fruit yet. May collect them & keep it for next sowing.
I guess my wife prefer to enjoy these flowers in the garden rather than placed in a vase. By the time I cut this flower, the petals would have all fell down. (They are so fragile)

Jacqueline said...

Lovely blooms, James! Just in case you don't know your flowering Dumb Cane is known botanically as Dieffenbachia bowmannii 'Carriere'. We grow quite a number of dumbcanes but this is the only one that flowers repeatedly for us...blooms almost every other month or after every set of 4 new leaves. Amazing...it's currently flowering for us too!

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My Malaysian Tropical Garden mainly focused on unique and colorful plants ranging from rare to common plants all around the tropical belt across the world. Ideal for inspiration for challenging areas in the garden space - indoor gardening, balcony gardening and small green spaces especially for ariods, bromeliads, begonias, edibles, cascading & vertical garden plants, succulents & cacti, orchids, together with both shade and sun loving plants.

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