The Dwarf Apple Plant is a Cherry Plant after all........!

No, it is actually not a real cherry plant either .. !  After diligently surfing the internet for a week  or more to find  out more on this  'Dwarf Apple Plant" (posted  12/12/2010),  I am now convinced that this plant is actually the Malpighia Glabra ( common names  Barbados Cherry , Acerola,  West Indian Cherry).  For more information and photos  check out this article at  http://www.enotes.com/topic/Malpighia_glabra) or this article  by  Jim Conrad's Naturalist Newsletter (http://www.backyardnature.net/yucatan/barbados.htm).   I went back to take a good look at the shrub again just to compare with the photos on the articles. The shrub was flowering  but fewer fruits .   The owner must have harvested the fruits.   I am actually quite pleased  to know that the fruits are rich in Vitamin C and in fact extracts from the fruits are sold (http://www.gentcare.com/EnProductShow.asp?ID=3).

I am keeping my fingers crossed that  the baby plant I have  will  grow well.  Daily I keep checking on it and it  seems to be doing okay. 

More on the Passion Fruit.....

Somehow end of year  brings about a feeling of  nostalgia that another year will soon pass by,  but not without  an anticipation of a new beginning and experiences for the new year.   As I review the events of this year,  there is not much that I want to do differently. I am thankful for the many new lessons I learnt.   It is so true what they say  -  life is a continuous journey of learning, and  experiences continue to be our best teacher.  It would seem that as I age,  I should be wiser but yet why do I  feel sometimes there is more and more that I do not know or understand ......?   The world seems to be getting more and more complex, and complicated with new research, new technology, , globalization, innovations, .......etc.....  Yet all I want is to keep my life as simple as possible.......

The one thing that makes me happy these days is watching over my plants as they grow and reward me by staying healthy and lush.  I take great delight  whenever any of the plants bloom, bear fruits or  even a  cutting takes  root.  As I look at my increasing collection of plants, I keep saying enough is enough.  For as the plants grow they take up space and  my mini garden will run out of space !   I have been buying bigger pots recently.   I had  to repot some plants since they have outgrown their pots.  Recently with the alternate heavy rainfall and hot sunshine the plants seems to thrive and grow well.  So I have been pruning and weeding to do much of anything else!  

 I am especially most delighted with  my passion fruit. There are many buds coming up, and daily there are blooms, and of course ----- small  FRUITS! Actually I stand corrected when I mentioned that the passion fruit flowers do not produce any scent unlike my blue passion flower (posted 13th Jan 2010).  The  passion fruit flowers give off a pleasant nutty scent...! Well  here are some new shots of the plant.  About  a month back, we construct a simple structure to help the plant to climb along it.

Buds....the more the merrier !

Yesterday's bloom and a New bloom ..

A small fruit appears after about 2 or  3 days ( I did not keep track)

Hope the fruit stays .... and not drop off !

Will 2011 bring me plenty of these fruits ? 

To all readers .................. May the New Year brings you  Good Health, Joy, Luck and Success ! Happy New Year everyone !