The Green Connection - Part 1

Sometimes Green is just not enough.
I'm pretty sure those who goes hunting looking for variegated plants
will testify that colours truly makes all the difference in landscaping.
The challenge however it keeping them all together.
It is something like keeping all the fish in an aquarium
making sure one doesn't eat the other.
Likewise - some plants just can't handle another strong plant overshadowing them.

The secret is constantly checking and adjusting and changing them
according to their need.
Once established - they are quite stable.

In this collection:

1) Red Flame Ivy
2) Joyweed
3) Devil's Ivy.
4) Chinese Croton
and some of which I had yet to discover their species names.

Garden Centre - Foilage Collection (part 2)

These are the plants sold in the supermarket very near to my place. I often check out & see what new arrivals that had been sold here. Somehow I noticed that they seemed to be selling so good hardy plants with a good price and some rare interesting ones with an expensive price tag.

I have been eyeing for this one, it had red leaf borders, I thought it is a dumbcane but its actually a Aglaonema genes. It is selling for RM17.00 - for me its quite expensive for it (unless a few of us share the plant RM5.00 - would be reasonable)

Still in my thoughts - this red one.

Those below are the various dumbcane (Dieffenbachia) species, interesting but not so attractive to me. Currently I have 3 types of dumbcane species and I think it is good to just maintain just that (as these species are just of the same colour but have different pattern/shape on the leaves)

This one is interesting. At close inspection - I found that there is white spots on the leaves.

These devil ivy or pothos do not have yellow/white streaks on them. And the one below have a big leaf to be trailed on a potbound. Usually I see these trailing on treetrunks freely growing wild for this size.

An interesting miniature Ti plant.

I have not seen this one (top) I guess its a new cultivar.
These Painted Nettle (coleus) are sold for RM3 - considered a very good price. If one can propagate and make these many, it would be worth it to share among friends.

This one is known as (Spotted Dracaena) Dracaena surculosa. The more common green one is so much easier to propagate and grow. (just cut the branch and stick it in the soil) I had many of those and had got bored with it. Infact, they even root in water but I found that the more complex the variegation, the difficult for it to grow or propagate.

This is the lucky bamboo (the varigated type)

This one is known as a spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) I had this one before but it died due to wet soggy soil and lack of sun. I just got it again and may have to be a little more watchful (happens when plants taken for granted and they die)

It often found that this is one of the coveted plants, rarely have I found that this is been propagated or passed around as they are expensive.

My mum have this plant, I understand it must be an easy plant to take care but too much care (overwatering, feeding or soggy soil) may cause crown rot.

(took me sometime to google and find its name: ZZ plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia)

Also found that this is considered a beginner's plant as it can take a lot of neglect but a terrible slow growing plant.

I found this interesting mother in law tongue plant with flowers. (its rare to find them flower unless the soil had been in conditioned with fertiliser that makes them bloom)

These are some of the collection of cactus plants. Not so much favour these as often times they don't grow fast or may die for some strange reason. Somehow, they look cute with all the coloured fine gravel that been decorated at the base of the pots.

Devil's Ivy - Epipremnum aureum

I was intending to get another good sets of the pictures
from the Elephant Ear Valley and found this on the roadside.

Someone had cut all of them from the top and these are fallen piece.
I had taken all the small pieces and had distributed all of them to my office mates.
(all gone in few seconds as each took about 3 - 4 shoots)
Its truly a classic money plant as many people here admire & love this plant.

Its easy to take care as it has low maintenance.
Very good for beginners who want to venture into gardening.


These are the shots taken above me

Some information from wikipedia:
Epipremnum aureum, also known as the Pothos
(once classified under the genus Pothos),
Silver Vine, Money Plant, Centipede tongavine,
Devil's Ivy and Solomon Islands' Ivy,
is an aroid native to southeastern Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia) and New Guinea.

It is sometimes mistakenly labeled as a Philodendron in plant stores.

It is a liana growing to 20 m tall, with stems up to 4 cm diameter,
climbing by means of aerial roots which hook over tree branches.
The leaves are evergreen, alternate, heart-shaped, entire on juvenile plants,
but irregularly pinnatifid on mature plants, up to 100 cm long and 45 cm broad
(juvenile leaves much smaller, typically under 20 cm long).


Said to have flowers but I not yet seen one.
I guess the philodendron types are the ones with the flowers.
If these vines do not have yellow or white spots it may
considered as Parlor Ivy or Heartleaf philodendron.


Marble Queen Pothos are very much sought after
(they have white shades/spots on the leaves)
its not easy to grow this ivy as it very slow compared to the gold ones.
And they can easy die without any reason whatsoever.

the Bird nest fern is visible - growing together with this Gold pothos.

I notice some weeping fig growing from the retaining wall.

May write about it soon.