The Queen of the Night

After seemed like ages, they decided to bloom.
And often - I had missed the blooms as it blooms almost midnight..
When I fast asleep and it always..always rains when they decide to bloom.

Sadly
I will find out the spend flowers after they had finished blooming.
Ouch!

This time
I was lucky.
It was an elusive flower to be hold.
The filaments are so elegant that they danced when I held them.
Indeed - she is definitely a Queen.

Orchid Cactus

I haven't really seen the flowers bloomed.
The ones that suppose to bloom in the midnight and apparently close by dawn.
Nope.
I did see a tiny little bud and it got fallen off due bad weather.
(When it rained continuously until the flower bud stressed out)

There is something unique though apart from the flower.
Its leaves.
It was more like a leather belt than a leaf.
If you notice - its more like spear channeling through the foliages.
Indeed like a belt cascading along with other plants.
It is considered as a succulent plant.
A Epiphyllum species.

Yep!
My favourite plant.

Cactus Garden - Update

Cactus fascinates me.

Regardless those intimidating thorns and spikes,
one must say the plant literally screaming out,
"LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

But yet, somehow many had drawn into this siren only to kill them by over-watering.
These I must say that they should be cared with utmost neglect
in order for them to thrive.
(neglect in a sense not to put them outdoors if you get rain frequently out in the open)

Again - even with that,
I had killed many with my silly mistakes.
Something that I had learned a lot of lessons a long the way.

One thing that I realise that I dare say:
people tend to have short-term relationship with cactus.
I often find them dumped and thrown away at burning sites.
Some barely surviving in that neglected spot - all torn and mis-handled.

Perhaps its because cactus are sold cheap.
You can easily get 3 for RM10.
And they are often neatly arranged in a bigger pot with coloured pebbles,
adorning coffee tables or office work station.
And the time ticking away when they are not build for indoor environment.
One after the other will start falling due to root rot.
(Ah.. I remember - the slimy rottenness when the whole plant gets squashy)
I guess that's what put these newbies off from starting another cactus experience.

Most of these cactus,
needlessly I must say were picked up, rescued or received as give-aways.
(Gardeners who no longer want to have cactus in their plant list)
It must be the thorns that might had put people off that they got thrown off.

I still wonder why people buy them at the first place
and later decide to get rid off them.
Many were placed directly at open weather,
few survive the ordeal of daily watering of tropical rain.
I guess the gardener thought that direct sun was good for them
forgetting about the heavy rain part.
And those that manage to survive somehow had well adapted to the tropical zone.
Only to adapt together with the terrible spiky dragon look
intimidating & terrifying all those who comes through the door
(nor not)
I guess, I might feel that way:
Seeing some with huge thorns and spikes that
I wonder whether the owner was trying to keep everyone at bay.

In some cultures - planting cactus at the entrance or in the garden is considered a bad omen..
Thorny, spiky or poking plant spells as a keeps away good luck
rather than a welcoming warm spirit.
(again - I wonder why roses don't fall into this category -
I got bruised, poked and stabbed by these darned roses in my garden)

Anyway, I have yet to make a beautiful arrangement with my cactus garden.
Until I get a nice beautiful collection, guess I have to be content with these.

My Cactus/Succulent Plant Garden in my balcony.
I water them once a week.

Let me know what you think of them.

The Messy Garden - The 5th Series

If you had followed through my constant experiments of my Messy Garden Series, you would totally understand my predicament of this constant never ending change that take place in this section of my garden going wild & messy.

Well, I guess these things happen. One of the hangers of this flower pot had snapped and the plant left dangling. Apart from the rest of the plants spraying itself forth here and there. This time I totally lost the idea that they will ever do well for the next coming 3 months.

Hope this last till Christmas as I really need to concentrate on other areas as they need attention.
Will keep posted on the updates.

And so this what happened:

I had removed the Joyweed and installed only the Spider plants together attached with it Trailing Water Melon Begonias as the front-liners.

The bottom:
Costus were once they were in pots now were nicely tucked within the brick space and they are growing taller and the flowers more richer compared to the previous installations.

Succulents

The beautiful thing about succulents are that they are very exotic & unique looking. They just create an extra-ordinary feel in the garden space. 

Together with the uniqueness comes with a hidden agenda that is dangerously awaiting.
These touch me nots are ruthless in their care regiment. 
One mistake can proof fatal as many gardeners can confess that this is not for beginners to start with.

Envious as anyone can be.
I would dare say that I have to keep them out of reach from others less they might tempt to touch it and the leaf breaks crumbling down after. 
I did manage to propagate them using the broken leaves but they really test one patience and I certainly gave up and prefer to propagate them using their hanging stem. (sounds more promising even if it is 50% success rate)

Even slight movement can be another disaster
 (to my eyes perhaps)
Ohh.. those poor little leaves..

Together in this collection:
Donkey's Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Ghost Plant (Graptopetalum paraguayense)

I find this succulent very easy to handle. 
Even the leaf can sprout of babies 
(discount the patience in waiting) 
though it might take glacier speed to get them to size up. 

Unless you have the intention to put them up in the balcony and water them once a week - I would truly recommend this one.

It was truly a challenge to get their name. 
I first thought it was Echeveria species. 
I had few of those type which also eventually died.

Thanks for the garden group friends in FB
 - someone manage to identify them for me.
Finally this Ghost Plant had revealed its name to me.

This is Mother of Millions. (Bryophyllum Daigremontianum)

Another invasive succulent plant which many gardens swears that they are not easy to rid off. 
I would love this one invade my garden as I find they are quite rare. I guess they cannot handle extreme watering which proof to kill them.
(Not many succulents can withstand daily watering - which eventually succumb to root rot)  

Orchid Cactus growing together with my orchid plant.

A friend passed to me a small cutting of this hanging cactus.
It does however do not have any thorns or anything sharp to pierce upon.
I still haven't found its name yet. 

Another type of Mother of Thousands.
Notice the babies hanging on the leaf sections?

Unlike others - this one needs good watering. 
Lack of daily watering seemed to make this plant look sickly.