New Additionals from Sg.Buloh Nurseries

I felt the need to add more variety in my current collection and visited the famous nursery nearby my place. I manage to get them 3 for RM10.00 which is a very good price.
Earlier where they were sold for 5 for RM20.00.

I had manage to reset and plant them in all the pots only to find them that they had totally absorbed into those nook, creaks and corners.
Hopefully there are no dead plants like the last time I faced with the aloes.

Succulent Garden - Updates

Its a good thing to know that the plants survived the initial setting.
I had added more colour for the top pots using Moses Boat plant
to give the purple underleaf sides as a visual effect.
The 1st rows are the Zigzag and the leafless plant which I can't really recall its name.

The second row are decked with Agaves and Aloes..
The 3rd with Senecio and Haworthias - they are slow in growth but surviving nevertheless.

In the midst of the leafy plants are the ZZ plant.
Not succulent but able to withstand any kind of pressure.
And for the argument sake - it does appear to be like a succulent for its stalk.

2nd picture:
A Caladium decided to show up suddenly.

3rd picture:
A collection of all the cacti and succulents in a waterlily pot.

4th:
I wanted to try and see whether Indian Borage
can handle the same watering regime with the succulents.
So far - successful.

5th:
Plants on the roof.
Still experimenting on the process.
Matter of time - I might get the right plant that are roof hardy.

Vertical Garden - Succulent & Cacti - The After

I like this very much.
There is a lot to say but
perhaps I would allow you to enjoy the view without much of my words.
The finish product of putting the right plant in the right place
in giving a cool and neat look.
Do let me know what you think about these.

Vertical Garden - Succulent & Cacti - Before Factor

My greatest challenge was watering them.
Sand and soil wash down and in the midst of struggling myself to fit my hands between them, I often end up pricked. Rearranging them was the only practical alternative. Some had totally collapse under the heavy weight and some been overshadowed by their huge cascading plant.

The gaps between them didn't really help too.
It created a sore eye reflecting me having a unorganised garden
(that is purely my point of view - me being critical)

The plus point are the plants are healthy.
That gave me an edge where I understood what can withstand the abuse of this gardening condition.
To be able to survive and grow with limited water space - or more like an environment of which plants can thrive here.

Space had suddenly became a big issue.
Eventhough they all are hooked up on the wall.
More plants found on the ground and the boarding wall where the rest of them sit.

I thought I would save more space if I plant them in planter boxes and it would look neat and tidy.
That what I initially thought.
Giving a neater look - I bought planter boxes from Giant Supermarket costing RM4.00 which of course a big deal.
(my mistake - I didn't check all the planters and found one already had cracked)

It took awhile for me to reset and arrange all of them actually to my liking.
It may not look full to its potential - but something of a big improvement from the current stage it was.

This is the BEFORE FACTOR.

The after - is the next post.

2nd Trial - Short Leaved Aloe

This time I make sure I removed all the soil.
Mixed it with sand as it would be fast draining.
I had left it to totally dry for almost a week before repoting.
Its a pity the plant survived almost 2 weeks and then started to rot.
The pups eventually rotted too a week later.

I had posted this pictures and asked what when wrong:
These are what I had learned:

1) They need total direct hot sun
 - not shaded as even that may not work well for these types.

2) The soil composition is important
- it should be the best fast draining type - too much water kills.

3) Another factor could be the climate
- due to high humidity and rain almost everyday - an added stress

4) Finally - it could be having some external matters
- like a virus infection.
I also found lots of earwigs around the plant
- so that could contributed to the death of this plant.

Anyway,
I'm taking a break from this Aloe.
Probably I stick to more of the hardy type rather than the highly difficult ones.
Especially the ones that dies like this if you make a watering mistake.

Latest in my collection - Succulents

These are the gifts for my friend from Australia.
I'm so amazed that friendship can span across the continents
where one is willing to share garden plants with me.
I'm so touched.

The fact is these are not available here in my region.
(not that I have seen so far)
I had temporarily placed them here for these cuttings to root.
And that planning to transplant them to my balcony collection.

My wife recently bought these from IKEA for RM8.90 each.
I was so glad that she found all these for me
and not taking any risk I had reset them so that they get hardy.

So far - after few weeks - they are still doing fine.

Succulents & Cacti Collection - 2014

I had found some works out so well for years in my balcony garden where watering is very much controlled like once a week with shaded bright sun.
Some seemed to worked out well and some remained dormant.

After looking at these collection - I'm pretty sure they are nothing to shout about.
The only thing that is in my mind is to increase of these collection to give them more riot of shapes and colour.

The other factor I need to consider is their availability.
Not many succulents are hardy.

I find that few types of succulents seemed to thrive better in my garden.
Kalanchoe (mother of thousand species)
Senecio species and Sanseveria species (mother in law tongue) seemed to do well.

Whereas the Enheveria & Aeonium types proves difficult but management except for
Sempervivum sp. (hens and chicken) is a total wreck - they need winter to thrive.
( I had not seen Aeonium sold in any nurseries so far)

I also find that sedum species are still ok.
The only challenge is finding them in the nurseries - there are only few varieties available.

Haworthias and Aloes are new in my collection.
So are Crassula.
I'm slowly adding them bit by bit.
Getting the right watering regime and making them hardy in my garden space.
I've been very careful as not to kill anyone of these so far.
And that is good news.

If you have any which you think would be successful that I should try.
Do suggest to me.