Adenium

This new Adenium is new addition in my garden. The flowers are in dark red colour. Previously I had a pink Adenium which died due to prolong rain season. I was very late to bring the pot to shaded area. By the time I realize it was already having rot root. I bought another pink Adenium but it's not so healthy looking plant.

As the rain season started I bring in the pot to save it. It's happy with the location I guess that it's flowering.

Neem tree update

Neem or commonly known as Veppalai in tamil is important tree in Ayurvedic medicine. We use it very often in Indian normal remedies.

Uses ( from Wikipedia)

All parts of the tree are said to have medicinal properties (seeds, leaves, flowers and bark) and are used for preparing many different medical preparations.



The chemical constituents nimbidin and nimbin have some spermicidal activity


Neem oil is used for preparing cosmetics (soap, neem shampoo, balms and creams such as Margo soap) and many oral health products.


Besides its use in traditional Indian medicine, the neem tree is of great importance for its anti-desertification properties and possibly as a good carbon dioxide sink.
 Practitioners of traditional Indian medicine recommend that patients with chicken pox sleep on neem leaves.


Neem gum is used as a bulking agent and for the preparation of special purpose food.


Traditionally, slender neem branches have been chewed to clean one's teeth. Neem twigs are still collected and sold in markets for this use, and in India one often sees youngsters in the streets chewing on neem twigs.


Neem blossoms are used in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to prepare Ugadi pachhadi. "Bevina hoovina gojju" (a type of curry prepared with neem blossoms) is common in Karnataka throughout the year. Dried blossoms are used when fresh blossoms are not available. In Tamilnadu, a rasam (veppam poo rasam) made with neem blossoms is a culinary specialty.


A mixture of neem flowers and bella (jaggery or unrefined brown sugar) is prepared and offered to friends and relatives, symbolic of sweet and bitter events in the upcoming new year.


Extract of neem leaves is thought to be helpful as malaria prophylaxis despite the fact that no comprehensive clinical studies are yet available. In several cases, private initiatives in Senegal were successful in preventing malaria

Butterfly

To tell the truth, I seldom have the chance to snap butterfly photos! They just move very fast! Last weekend, I saw a lot of butterflies in my garden mainly on my winged beans. May be the flower's nectar is very sweet! I saw few yellow butterflies and this dotted butterflies! It's a joy to see them around even though the caterpillars are not really welcomed in my garden.....

However, I only manage to take this 2 shots...sigh.... It's moving so fast for me take a picture!

  

Sunflower - collecting seeds

Sunflowers are drying up now in my garden. I cut few of the flowers and manage to dry it despite of the rainy season.

The big flower head is totally wet by the rain yesterday after I dry it fully for the past 2 days! sigh....

Few of the seeds already given or sent to my friends and relative. It's such a joy to share own seeds actually! 

How is your sunflower doing?

Beans & CNY Wishes!

It's been very long since I have beans in the garden. Mainly because I always end up with 0% germination or the plant die very soon without any reason.  May be the weather is too hot to be planted here.

After so long I tried again sowing them.

I manage to germinate 3 green beans. I planted them in an area which is partially shaded by the Mango tree.  The price of green beans in my market today is about RM10 / kg ( about USD 3.33) . That's very expensive!

Green beans is learning to climb now. Grasshopper already tasted the leaves.

To all celebrating Lunar year of Dragon, HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR! and to the rest HAPPY HOLIDAY!

I have some problem to make comment in some blogs. I don't know why. The blog just hang when I click the 'comment' icon. Anyone facing same problem?

chillies - spicy

GBBD- January 2012

I'm late for my GBBD for month of January. Anyway I have few beauties in my garden. The rain have left and the hot scorching sun is back!

Gerbera is back flowering after so long !

 I have a lot of Sunflowers in the garden now. But I haven't sow the new seeds yet.

The daring sunflower

The shy sunflower

My favorite Hibiscus in full bloom!

Wrightia that I trim down have started flowering!

For more flowers blooming arround the world , please visit may dreams garden

Winged beans in full production



decent amount of beans



This is my first time with Winged beans. The harvest is good. Enough for us and for the neighbours and friends! Every weekend I will have a plastic bag full of them for my weekend cooking. Nor pest at the moment! That's the good news. I think this is among my best production vegetable!

the beans

The purple flowers

Pudina getting better!

I must admit that Pudina @ Mint is one of the precious plant in my garden. Once I uprooted many of them since they were everywhere......even near the compose area. But now I give them royal treat.

After so long trying to rejuvenate them, finally I see some positive development in them. They have put more growth. I hope they will be over flowing again and I promise not to uproot them! ;)

Mulberry is fruiting again!

Mulberry is fruiting again after few months. Previosly it fighting space with Zinnia. I have transplanted most of the Zinnia to flower bed. It gave Mulberry plants more space and it rewards me with some fruits!

This is what I get from CRFG website on the Mulberry culture:

Location:
Mulberries need full sun and also adequate space. The distance between trees should be at least 15 ft. The trees should not be planted near a sidewalk. The fallen fruit will not only stain the walkway, but are likely to be tracked indoors. The trees are quite wind-resistant with some cultivars used as windbreaks in the Great Plains region.



Soil:
Mulberries like a warm, well-drained soil, preferably a deep loam. Shallow soils such as those frequently found on chalk or gravel are not recommended.


Irrigation:
Although somewhat drought-resistant, mulberries need to be watered in dry seasons. If the roots become too dry during drought, the fruit is likely to drop before it has fully ripened.


Fertilization:
Mulberries generally thrive with minimal fertilization. An annual application of a balanced fertilizer such as 10:10:10 NPK will maintain satisfactory growth. In California mulberries usually need only nitrogen.






Pruning:
No special pruning techniques are needed after the branches have been trained to a sturdy framework, except to remove dead or overcrowded wood. A mulberry tree can be kept to a tidy form by developing a set of main branches, and then pruning laterals to 6 leaves in July in order to develop spurs near the main branches. It is not advisable to prune the trees heavily since the plant is inclined to bleed at the cuts. Cuts of more than two inches in diameter generally do not heal and should be avoided at all cost. The bleeding will be less severe if the tree is pruned while it is dormant.




Propagation:
Mulberries can be grown from seed, although the plants can take 10 years or more to bear. Seed should be sown as soon as extracted from the fruit, although white mulberry seeds germinate better after stratifying one to three months before planting.

Sprig budding is the most common method for grafting mulberries. A T-cut is made in the rootstock and a smooth, sloping cut is made on the lower end of the scion. The scion is then inserted into the T and wrapped and sealed. Other types of grafts are also usually successful, although there may be incompatibility between white and black mulberries. Hardwood, softwood and root cuttings also are suitable methods for propagating mulberries. Softwood cuttings of white mulberries root easily when taken in midsummer and treated with rooting hormone. Red mulberries are less easily rooted. Black mulberries are also somewhat difficult to propagate since they tend to bleed a lot.


Pests and Diseases:
Mulberries are generally free of pests and diseases, although cankers and dieback can occur. In some areas "popcorn disease" is an occasional problem, in which fruits swell to resemble popped corn. M. alba/M. rubra hybrids are particularly prone to this condition. The disease carries on from one season to the next, so collecting and burning infected fruits help control it. The ripe fruit is very attractive to birds, but there is usually enough fruit left over for harvesting.


Harvest:
White and red mulberry fruits (and hybrid fruits) are ready for harvest in late spring. The fruit of black mulberries ripen in summer to late summer. The fruits of white mulberries are often harvested by spreading a sheet on the ground and shaking the limbs. A surprising quantity can be gathered from a comparatively small and young tree. Black mulberry fruits are more difficult to pick. As the berries are squeezed to pull them loose, they tend to collapse, staining the hands (and clothing) with blood red juice. Unwashed the berries will keep several days in a refrigerator in a covered container. The ripe fruits of the black mulberry contain about 9% sugar with malic and citric acid. The berries can be eaten out of hand or used in any way that other berries are used, such as in pies, tarts, puddings or sweetened and pureed as a sauce. Slightly unripe fruits are best for making pies and tarts. Mulberries blend well with other fruits, especially pears and apples. They can also be made into wine and make an excellent dried fruit, especially the black varieties.

New Flower

Last weekend while in the nursery i saw this beautiful plant. The flowers are all in purple. I don't know the name but it was so irresistible that I bought one pot home!

Do you know the plant name and how to take care?

Ginger

This year I have embark into planting more rhizome kind of plants.

I have planted few gingers. It's growing slowly. Most of them look well for now! I was worried about the the rain season but all of sudden since last week it's really hot here! I can't see a single drop of rain and plants are all curl by the end of the day! I wish for rain now....sigh......

Turmeric

First let me update on roselle seeds, I have few bloggers who request for the Roselle seeds! I will sent them soon! I don't know if US allow seeds postage but i will sent them! ;)

OK back to the topic.

Turmeric either in powder form or the Rhizome form is a must in most of Indian cooking. It's a ancient Ayurvedic herbs used by Indians in many treatment. Other than that Turmeric is considered auspicious and used in every Indian wedding and prayers.

The leaves

The old rhizome

I remember while I was young and naughty, my Mother use to grind the turmeric rhizome for all my bruises and cut. It cure the wound quiet fast!

Knowing the goodness of Turmeric, I welcome this plant in my garden! I have wrote before how I got this plant. Now the whole place have been cleaned for Turmeric healthy growth!

Zinnia

Zinnia are colourful and cheerful flowers to have in the garden. They self seeds easily and become like weeds sometimes. Opps..... I better don't tell the word "weeds" on my plants. Every time I tell a plant grow like weeds....soon they perish or become unhealthy in my garden....May be plant do have some kind of feeling or understanding from our reaction! ;)

Maroon

Yellow

Red

They new bed with Balsam and Vinca

The seeds

Currently I have few colours in my garden. The old plants are drying up and and new babies are taking their place to cheer up my front garden!

Seeds give away!

Hope everyone had a good holiday for New Year!

Let me start this 2012 new year post with seeds give away. I have a lot of Roselle seeds in my garden now! Roselle juice is really tasty and the leaves are used in indian cooking! If anyone would like to have some seeds, e-mail me at [email protected] for your address!