Joys of a Garden and Gardening ...

I hear there is a movie with the same name as my blog, and the movie is said to have adult content.  Oh no!  Ah well ...

I have not updated my blog for various reasons ... mainly just basking in the joy of  tending my garden aside from the other activities happening around. I wanted  to blog on my ipad, a birthday gift from my son....but somehow to an old dog, learning new tricks is not at a touch on the screen ...lol! I have not given up, though. Will try again when I am more familiar with features on this new constant companion that is following  me everywhere, even "to you know where"!

A garden which an amateur like myself started off with nothing but enthusiasm, requires plenty "rough trimmings"around the edge as I found out. Okay, it keeps me busy as I pruned, trimmed and even relocate plants. To reduce the overgrowth, I had to remove a few plants ... yes to my distress!  I  pondered and pondered, debated with myself  for a long time ... but  finally  braced myself to the act of removing the said plants ! Of course as my plants established themselves, I did some beautification (touch up here and there, growing border plants and introduced a plant here and there to add more color)....but whatever I do, my garden will never acquire the posh, sophistication of a proper landscaped garden established by professionals. The main satisfaction I get is enjoying the healthy, lush green of my plants...., of course also the few flowers that bloom now, given off fragrance to the garden (natural air freshener as a visitor puts it); now and then harvesting a few fruits and the few herbs to improve flavor of my cooking. 

I am trying my best to compost my cuttings. My compost bins have increase in population, and the compost heap had grown taller. Sometimes I 'cheat', I bundled the cuttings into a rubbish bag and leave it with the domestic waste out of desperation when I run out of space ....if only cuttings will rot as fast as the plants grow, sigh..... So I cut back on the use of fertilizers. Nowadays I bury organic waste (from cleaning fish, prawns, chicken, etc..) in any spot I can find in the garden.

My mango tree (supposedly Harum Manis species) suddenly sprouted up the last two months, from a stagnant condition for the last three years. It is.a joy to behold, so when can I taste the fruits ? I am pleased I did not remove the small plant it was when my husband asked me to.  It was just sitting there .... no signs of growth at all, looking very pitiful! So one never knows about plants maybe it is my ignorance dealing with them. Learn as I go along.

To continue on some updates - 

1.  Michelia Figo

To my joy and delight, this plant that my friend gave me a year ago produced its first bloom....! From buds to bloom it took many months. Some buds turned out to be new shoots....so I kept checking anxiously.  Finally it bloomed - there is it, a beautiful perfect bloom giving off the most intriguing scent .. bananna essence ? Well it is not called the banana shrub for no reason!

2. Amazon Lily - Eucharis grandiflora (Thailand - they called it the Mahachok bulb plants)

 Well check out this plant that is about to bloom....Fragrant, delicate and shy ......!

3. Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Night Blooming Cereus )

It is interesting to note that this night blooming cereus only blooms at midnight ! Yes, better luck next time in catching it in full bloom and also to find out if the scent is as strong as claimed....!  

Yes.... more next time on new plants that had bloomed recently in my garden ... !