The Plants that Died in my Garden

Reality bites & in this case - its more of stings and spikes. I love plants, l really do but sometimes you can't really say that it works both ways. For instance, I rescued this agave from the abandon area (right now, the whole place is sealed for demolition) Somehow, I manage to collect some of this pups but they somehow had slowly turned rotten and died.

Followed by my Rue.
Actually it was doing well until the mealybugs strike and killed the parent plant. I actually had reserve (those which I had trimmed and propagated for emergencies such as these) but I had forgotten that it was the only plant I had and I had given it to mum who had been desiring it (as to say, and herb or medicinal plants are very much coveted by the old-folks)

Then the orchids.
Both of these were actually rescued from abandoned areas, the first one somehow managed to flower continuously til it just drop dead. (I thought, orchids live forever?) Anyway, these are the last memories of what I had in my garden.

Farewell plants - I do miss you Rue, your lovely exotic fragrance but it seemed that its a little difficult for sensitive plants to survive in my hardcore garden, especially when I'm just too busy to tend the garden everyday.

A few more had already died - of which I do not even get to snap their pictures (Verbena, Water lily & Balsam) I guess they are never meant to be.

(sob, sob... "blow the nose" - OK, done)
I still got a lot of the rest of the collection which needs pruning and the weeding and the another set of re-arranging to do all over again as they all are overgrowing and turning into a jungle.

Common Rue - Ruta Graveolens

Common names: Herb of Grace, Herbygrass, Garden Rue. (Ruta graveolens)

It took me few days just to identify this plant. I only know this plant from my mom and my neighbours who often mentioned that it helps babies to sleep well when the leaves are placed inside the pillow sheets or made small pouch and string it upon the babies hands.

Its truly a fragrance that one need to acquire - for those who love it will call it a fragrance and those who don't will considered it repulsive. I just cut few leaves and brought it to my work place for identification, most my colleague recognise it but don't know its name. One of them mentioned that its used to ward off evil spirits.

I had "googled" and "googled" till I found out that this one is called Rue. Lo and behold I found out the truth about this plant, its truly a Herb Full of Grace.

Still sniffing my hands and enjoying the little fragrance of rue, time to time. How exotic...



I had brought these few leaves for identification, I just cut these this morning to take to the office. Just cutting them and the whole house was flooded with this fragrance! There is a lot of taboo or prohibition due to custom concerning this plant.

1) Not to cut this plant in the night or else this plant will die.
(I now hear this rule applied to all of the plants in the list) - I get this often from everyone but the problem is I'm only free during the night time after settling all the children and house chores.
There was even a time when I used an umbrella in the heavy rain and garden. Those moments are my zeal for gardening. How can I reason with those who do not understand?

2) Should not touch this plant during monthly period or else it will die.
This is the most common one I always hear, in fact this is the no. 1 rule. (coming from all the gardeners I know are women and they "lawfully" address this as the most important factor concerning this plant) If they do touched it.. then this plant will die...

3) There are another few of this and that (or else this plant will die) factor. This didn't really mattered to me, as I am a person who believe that supersitions are meant to be broken. In fact, I challenged most of those who believe (the don't disturb the plants in the night rule) and compared that with my garden. If what you say is true, then how did my garden thrived as I garden only at night?

Yeah I forgot to mention. These taboos are only circulated around my region. Its certainly seemed shocking and as the same time funny.... I have heard this (the don't disturb the plants in the night rule) so often especially from my relatives, only to realise that I garden in the night and they are fall dumb struck unable to reason with me as I don't believe it so.

Its very difficult to reason with people who belief superstitious and follow them religiously.
I got nothing against it, as long as they don't disturb me when I garden in the night or else... (lol)