Nature Walk

I wanted to collect some nice coloured plants and thought of doing some rescuing from the abandon areas. This is one of the areas near my office. Sometimes I notice new plants emerged and some older ones gone (either matured and died or taken by others)

Its a sad thing, that abandon areas are often riddled with garbage. People don't seemed to be responsible about their waste management, just throw wherever they please.

This is the flower of the Goosefoot plant. (Syngonium podophyllum) This one got wild and was trailing of a tree trunk. Someone pulled it out from the mango tree while harvesting its fruit. I was not sure whether to take it or not as its so common here and often grow wild.

Nevertheless, it has a beautiful flower to offer, similar to Dumbcane, Allocasia and Peace lily.

I manage to find the Ixora plant again this time and it look very beautiful. I took few cuttings and passed it to my friends and planted a few in a nice small pot. It has a elegant small firm leaves.

Truly beautiful to look at.

I continue my walk and found these plants on the planter box. This is a bougainvillea.

I love these flower but they are a bit challenging when coming to propagation. I have tried many times taking cuttings and planting them in pots but all of them with failed results. I ended up buying one variegated type which I currently have and happy with that.

As you can see, all of it are overgrown and left to die, it would have been beautiful if these plants are pruned, I guess the original shape was more of a border boxed type. The 2 Agave plant have grown huge. I wished there was few plantlets but I have found none.

I wonder whether if you can take a leaf cutting and plant it for the plantlets to come, like the Mother in law tongue plant or Hanni.

This one is known as Joyweed. (Alternanthera dentata 'Purple Knight') It doesn't have any border colours or any variegated colours on it. Just plain burgundy with a slight green at the crown. I have seen another type which is the variegated one, may do a write-up on it after some observation.

My favourite collection so far. Infact I had collected this twice (Thurs & Friday) as most of my office mates are so excited with them and I have given most of my collection to them.

These are Black Nightshade fruit (Solanum Nigrum) also known as Sunberry or Wondercherry is a species in the Solanum genus.

I know this one as a vegetable as I had seen it sold in wet market. (but have not eaten them)

I had taken the berries for planting in case the cuttings didn't survive. I had this plant growing very long time ago from one of the pots and often admire those blackberries - so much like miniature tomatoes.

These are the cuttings which I had collected - all sorted and waiting to be planted for the weekend.

I didn't realise that there was a heavy "weed seeds" hooked all over my pants, I manage to take out most of them. Well, I guess its part & parcel of gardening. Receive everything and give everything for the benefit of plants and people.

Garden Rearrangment

It all started with the idea of making my side corner garden area beautiful. That is something nicer than this heavy looking Heliconia plant with its leaves falling all over.

I started removing the mess and guess what?
More mess.

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Before scrolling down;

Please Be Warned.

Before A Well Organised Garden takes place, there is always a MESSY GARDEN.

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Well you know what, there is no such thing as a well organised garden. Garden are garden, no matter how and what one may plan & plant..

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They will somehow find their wild side and shock you....

(As it was the earlier case with my Heliconia)

And all the mess from one side invaded the other side as you see below....

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(together with my on the spot replanting which I manage to settle for the Ferns, Purple Queen, Cane Begonia, Roses, Ixora and Night Blooming Jasmine)

Finally, one by one are sorted and settled in my best thought areas: Night blooming Jasmine and Yellow Ixora which I got them from my mum.

I got this Maiden Hair Fern also from my mum (seemed like she is the supplier of most of my plants) She wanted to clear her mess and passed this one to me.

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I got another few tiles which I stacked up. They need washing as I just notice the dirt now in this picture.

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(planning to place some nice pots to make a statement kind of effect.. still thinking about it)

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She passed all the big version of the Maiden Hair Ferns. So I thought of alternating the small and the big in a row, after doing so - they seemed to look nice. I manage to snap a picture just the ferns together with the creeping fig... they really give that cascading look.

Yellow Ixora flower - still blooming when I was doing this sorting, also Night Blooming Jasmine.

(probably will do another write on both of them later)

This is the over-all view of the near finish work area.

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I may need to rearrange and sort it time to time as time goes, but as for now, this is more like the final work done. Flame violets hanging with Coleus and Begonias at the background.

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Actually the mix of colours really make the place look nice even though they look strong with clashing colours.

I also managed to rearrange this area. Not much of a difference from the earlier arrangement but its much more better compared to before. I had removed the palm orchid and placed it back where it was originally and sorting this one with a reverse arranged from tall to short.

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(so far, nothing died from my earlier planting except for ants invasion and mealy bugs farmed by these ants....urrrggghhhh!!!!)

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As for now, this will have to do until I get some bright ideas.

I still got few more plants waiting for me to plant:

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Few species of Coleus which I manage to take from my mum, a bunch of Wormwood plant and Black Velvet Begonia which really need some pruning and replanting

Batu Caves Hills

This is my everyday view in my place.
The problem is I have to rush to work every morning (to prepare the children to be send to the baby sitter) and rush to send my wife to work and then get to my office by 9 am.

And by the time work is over on a regular basis, leaving by 6pm (not exactly but about there)
and then go to fetch my wife's from her workplace..
then to the baby sitters place to get my children..
And its almost night.. (then what's there to snap..its already dark)

Ahh.. rushing & rushing & rushing....
right from the morning and getting home..
another ordeal.. of preparing chores and taking care of this & that..
by the time all is done and over.. its about 11pm...
(and what is there to garden.. except the emergency watering...)
or get too tired and tell myself that I will do it in the morning..

Then, that particular morning, I end up getting late for work..
and the cycle begins again..
Thank God for the random rain.. its a savior for my plants...
for the days which Im unable to water...

Or one of my begonia or coleus or ferns will start to wither
and the emergency rescue is needed to revive the dying plant..
So much so..
I have to do away with most of the sensitive plants
But somehow, they will find their way into my garden
(either my mum will insist that I should learn to take care of it
or the seeds sprouts somehow from the last bloom - velvet begonia & wishbone flower)

But as for now, it rains and I have time to breathe
and enjoy my garden and my evening views...



Talking about evening view..
This picture is taken when I was waiting for my wife to buy milk from a grocery store.
Which waiting, I thought why not have this one taken..
(Pls note, that is not my house)

Somehow, the view is just enthralling,
enough to give me another boost to push myself for another week or so..
or that one day, I may go and seek this nature quest
to the hillside and enjoy the nature and wildlife
Escapade...

Well, when there is even a slightest tingle of a rainbow,

there is always hope...

(again, just before the sun set at the last second...)

before I can take another shot for a better view.. its gone..

Elephant Ear Valley - Part 2

Finally I got a better pictures this time visiting the Elephant Ear Valley.
These are the flowers (better zoom for good viewing) from my camera.


I noticed new blooms today
compared to the ones yesterday which I found none.

I stepping inside (there was a railing around this perimeter) and found the ground is soft and slipping. I took few quick ones and dashed out. Don't want to feel helpless drowned in this sea of alocasia.. probably its a swamp inside & I certainly don't want to get myself dirty or wet.

These are the close shots where the dumb canes are found

The whole place is dumbcane sharing in the sea of alocasia.

More alocasia..this part is totally conquered by them.

This is the top part of the valley

This is the outside rim from the road where the whole slope contained all the alocasia & dumbcane. This is what I call the Elephant Ears Valley.

From the top, by the streetside you can't notice much until you go down.

I felt uncomfortable while snapping these pictures when I noticed someone was watching me.

Probably he thought I was from the press or some dept. during article or survey.

I guess that was the reason so few a pictures were taken.

And also on my way back to take all the sliced/cut ivy which I found on the streetside

(before they wither under the hot climate)