The White Connection - Update

These are my White Collection plants planted in the pot. They have been doing very well in a dense cramped area and I feeling good about it. Occasionally one plant or the other become leggy and unattractive, I managed to trim and replant some but for the zigzag plant I'm not sure whether to do it or not.

If you notice(the zigzag plant) , the lower leaves are smaller than the top ones. For now, they look authentic in a way, you cannot expect a perfect garden. I like to have some imperfection just here & there. For me - that means its being realistic.

My garden is slowly evolving to a white garden, or I would consider its following the season of winter (or a pseudo-winter kind of way) Somehow I find that colours makes an impact in my small space garden, or rather my container garden.

Talking about colours - I realise then in gardening green seemed to be a monochrome colour to me.

Something like in the scale :-
(0 = common, 10 = difficult)

0 = Green (ferns & fragrant plant foliage)
1 = White (as shown in these pictures, Bleeding Hearts)
2 = Brown (Begonias, Flame violets)
3 = Red (Joyweed, Coleus)
4 = Yellow (Hanii, Coleus)
5 = Pink (Coleus, Moss Rose, Periwinkle)
6 = Orange (Blackberry lily)
7 = Grey (Red Flame Ivy)
8 = Violet (rare - wishbone flower)
9 = Blue (rare - verbena, orchid)
10 = Black (none)

I'm hoping that I get to "paint" all these colours in my garden in a long term basis. In a way, these colours stay in a long term basis (especially foliage colours) rather than one time bloom and gone and to wait for months & years for these colours.

Thank God for Periwinkle, Bleeding Heart Vine, Blackberry Lily & Flame Violets for their constant continuous blooms that add colour to my garden, if not - then its the varigated coloured foliage that makes up for that difference.

Again, it may sound that I'm becoming obsessive with these colours and all, somehow satisfaction & contentment comes after putting a lot of thought & work.

Do share your thoughts on colours in the garden.
About these colour factors and how you feel about them.
When my garden look good, I feel good too.

I'm sure each gardener have a feel of their own,
would love to hear your thoughts on the matter,
whether it really matters to you have a coloured garden?

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.

Garden Update - August 2009

This is my overall garden tending during this season (August 2009) I'm thinking of closing my garden development and just maintain in watering and light care till end of this year. I already exhausted my of the garden space with many potted plants. I still got a few more to sort and set which I have no idea where to place them.

As for now, I would consider this the final thing. Hopefully, no inspiration strike me and make me to re-design the whole thing.




This side consist of my water garden, the water lily plant and water lettuce. The waterlily plant have settle in being a dormant plant. I was thinking of trimming off all the damaged, semi-dried leaves and put fertiliser for the next bloom. May only do that, after sorting all the mess that is not shown at the other side of the garden.


My tiny fish is surviving in those pool, thanks to them, there is no mosquito infestation. The green background is something I'm still considering whether to change it or not. But to remove and relocate it requires space which I do not have. Its a pity to give it away as I have yet to enjoy the hibiscus & the water jasmine flowers or fragrance.

Plants that can be noted:

a) Spanish Moss - they look so beautiful in the morning, so much like a weeping willow type of scenerio.



Plants:
a) Those in small pots & blue containers - Hanni.
b) The white & green - Varigated Bougainvilla

My central portion of the garden is slowly getting crowded. I'm feeling good about it as it gives the explosion of colours and that is a good sign. What is troublesome is unpredictability. Not sure what is going to outgrow next or die first, especially coleus - they are very short term, may only thrive in 3-4 months period time.

And too much of anything can kill them (water, sun or fertiliser)

My planter box had reached the glorious moment, it was not like that when I first started it, they look all exposed earth (brown) and gaps here and there. Now the coleus reigns.

a) Balsam (not yet flowered)

b) 3 different types of painted Nettle (Coleus)

c) top right corner - Dumbcane varigated.

d) lower right corner - Purple Queen

The side face of the garden, here begonia rules.

Cane begonia and the curled leaf begonia give colour together with the hanni (drawf looking mother of tongue plant) I had placed a periwinkle in the midst, they give me a pee-a-boo effect when they bloom in these foliage.

The hanging flame violet are very grand now, hopefully they continue as I'm concerned that they are reaching their maturity stage where the whole plant dies. Still hoping that it last as long as it can support the weight and its collection of tendrils and floral.

Here is a pocket of plants which I'm still working on

a) Green Tradescantia - centre below

b) 2 pots of Pandan plant

c) a small bird nest fern plant - passed by my office mate (she often weeds these out and passed to others)

d) Back - Maiden Hair Fern.

This is the story of Wormwood marrying the Lucky bamboo (varigated type)

Dracaena sanderiana, known as Ribbon Dracaena, Lucky Bamboo, Belgian Evergreen or sometimes Ribbon Plant. It is also can be artificially made into spirals - often sold for decorations.

I did mention before that they are doing fine and all. I still admire the mix, noticed this morning some of the bamboo leaves are drying up. Need to prune them in these few days time.

My sad story of crown rot (ground orchid/palm orchid) because of over fertilising, I manage to salvage what is left over of the damage. Like a half burnt coconut tree. Somehow, they survived and I'm feeling grateful that I didn't loose the whole plant because of my mistake.

I have temporarily place these cattleya orchids here, may need to reposition them for their optimum light and wellness, that is once I settle the rest.

This is the outside part of my garden, I didn't realise how messy it looked now. With all the small containers and pots for little plants, they have found a place to grow and bloom. I guess its time to stop planting new plants and maintain what I have now.

Ohh.. I wished I have more space to garden.

The challenge now is to make them look neat and tidy.

Finally at the side gate:
a) Top left : Squirrel foot fern

b) bottom stretch: Petticoat fern & Boston fern

c) Centre: Madagascar Periwinkle

d) Top right: Reed orchid