Happy Dong Zi

It has been a long while since I posted on my blog. As it is Winter Solstice (Dong Zi) celebration today, I would like to take the opportunity to wish everyone Happy Dong Zi. May you have a joyous reunion with family & friends. My eldest sister has made a big pot of Lemon Grass & Sweet Potatoes 'Tang Yuan' (dumplings) that my nieces & nephews rolled out last night. This is a tradition whereby Chinese family members from near & far would return home and gather to make this round glutinous rice dumplings. The word round is 'yuan' in Mandarin & the word sounds like reunion (which is also 'yuan'). It is very similar to Thanksgiving celebration. The photo above shows a bowl of Tang Yuan. I have placed it in front of a pot of my mom's blossoming red balsam plants. Wish all of you have a wonderful gathering on Dong Zi day, just like me.

 

Bunga Kerak Nasi

Sweet fragrance of Bunga Kerak Nasi permeates my backyard now.  My plant now has 6 clusters of blooms. This is my first time having so many blooms at one time.

We didn't transfer our Bunga Kerak Nasi from our old place when we moved 2 years ago.  I craved to grow Bunga Kerak Nasi, commonly used in making 'bunga rampai' (potpourri) in my hometown, Melaka.  Eventually I got us another pot of plant from a nursery in Sg. Buluh.

The plant grows better on the ground than in a pot. I trimmed it often to control it from creeping messily.  I am not certain if the regular trimming actually helped to make the plant bloom profusely.  But I am very happy looking at those blooms and enjoying the perfume fragrance in my backyard.

Happy Earth Day 2012

Today I had a delightful time visiting a nursery in Sg. Buluh with some of my neighbourhood friends. It was always nice to visit nurseries and I grabbed lots of photos of beautiful blooms and foliar plants there.  Here is a compilation of some of the beautiful shots. Let's hope this beautiful plants will remind us to care and love our nature well so that we can continue to enjoy them and so can our future generations!  Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Under the Peach Blooms

I was under the spell of the peach blossoms!  They were in bloom!! A glorious display of pink blooms!!  Under the thousands of blooms, I became heady!  Ha ha...heady with the festive spirit that these peach blossoms bring.  The peach blossoms were part of the Pavillion Mall's Chinese New Year decoration!  Let us walk together and fall under the spell of these beautiful blooms!!

In case you wonder, these peach blossoms are artificial flowers.  Our weather in Malaysia is too warm to grow peach trees. Isn't it great that we can get the trees to bloom beautifully in time for the Chinese New Year celebration! Ha ha ha....

Kalanchoe, the Preference

A friend posted these words on his Facebook and I think it is an appropriate quote for gardening enthusiasts like us:

A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil;
but it needs a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents
every so often - just to save it from drying out completely.

-Pam Brown-

------------------------------------------------

Continuing my posting of decorative plants for Chinese New Year, here is a combination of flowering red Kalanchoe and foliage plants in various green and patterns making this attractive spot for shoppers to feast their eyes as they rush through the festive shopping.

I notice that Kalanchoe is often used in Chinese New Year decorations as its bright, colourful blooms that come in clusters are very attractive. Now I wish I have some Kalanchoe in my garden.

What are the plants in your garden that you usually use to decorate your home during festive season?

If you are familiar with the foliage plants in the photos above, please leave me a message. If I am not mistaken, the one right in the centre is the Dumb Cane. I do not know the name of the plants on both sides of the Kalanchoe. Please enlighten me if you do. Thanks ahead!