A Garden in August

The late August rains now make daily watering of a garden less necessary and I find that done every other day, even every 2 days, is sufficient. For my little garden anyhow. But I still 'inspect' it every morning, smell the jasmines, and then sit on the garden chair to listen to the birds, and the little angklung wind chimes if there is a breeze.

A Garden at SA (CNB 2011)

After a downpour/shower, the Plumbago flowers will be soaked and bow to the ground. Thankfully they straighten up again on drying out. The pastel blue plumbago look their most beautiful in the dusk, magical even. With constant light pruning, there will be blooms always. 

(Cape) Plumbago (CNB 2010)

Jasmines, or particularly Arabian Jasmines (Melur in Malay) exude a beautiful fragrant smell when they first bloom, but lose this before they fall off. It is one of my favourite flowers, so I never forget to stop and smell the jasmines every day (because I have no roses!). Jasmines are easy to grow from cuttings and they bloom almost all the time. I obtained my first cuttings from Port Dickson and they have grown very well, multiplying into three medium sized flower pots now. (This is the national flower of the Phillippines.)

Arabian Jasmine (CNB 2011)

Another favourite flower is the Frangipani (trivia: this is also Sir Cliff Richard's favourite). It comes in a variety of colours from white to yellow, orange, pink and red; plus a combination of colours in hybrids as well. Another very easy plant to grow, my first white/yellow variety was a 'cutting' from a small plant/tree near a graveyard in Taman Keramat. So now you know why it is also known as the bunga kubur (graveyard flower). A second pink/yellow variety was from a 'mother plant' growing near a TNB installation (?) in Section 7. It has bloomed profusely and I am glad to say that when I was out at Section 7 the other day, I noticed that the 'mother plant' is doing very well too. Twice I have failed to grow the red variety, having taken cuttings from fallen plants. But I shall try and try again. Know anywhere I can buy take a cutting?

Frangipani, white & yellow (CNB 2010)

Frangipani, pink & yellow (CNB 2011)

Then there is the Torenia fournieri.  Sounds Italian, but this plant originates from Indochina. This annual plant may have followed us to Shah Alam from Pulau Pinang or it may have come from other gardens in the neighbourhood. It propagates easily by small seeds transferred by insects or water and once you have it in your garden, it will not go away. It may even become a weed! But you don't really want to 'weed' out these plants with their 'happy looking' flowers. Just transfer them to where you want them to be. Happy gardening!

Torenia in two shades of purple (CNB 2011)