Polianthes Tuberosa

The flowers are just so  pretty  .... and the fragrance is  very strong for just a couple of blooms!  Well, the Polianthes Tuberosa is one plant that is well known  in the Chinese community partly because of the popular mandarin song, "Ye Lai Xiang". I was reluctant to buy the plant at first, but the nursery lady assured me that this plant will be easy to care for.  So far I have no regrets as the plant is doing well.

I was very careful with  this plant  as it looks so fragile, not hardy.  As usual where a new plant is concerned,   initially  I try to gather as much information as I can about the care of this plant . When I bought the plant, the plant was not blooming but there was  this tall  thin stalk of buds. So after  re-potting and watching over it carefully, I was pleased to see it bloomed some days later. As expected  (forewarned from internet source) after the blooming  the mother plant died, but  soon there are many baby plants that sprouted up.  I thought better not to disturb the new plants and allow them to continue where they are.   So far the new plants seems to be doing alright and I  am waiting  to see if they will bloom.  I am worried they will be reluctant to bloom just like the Hippeastrum (post dated : 29th August).  However if they do, this time I should separate the baby plants as what was recommended.

 This plant prefers shade rather than direct sunlight. It must not be over-watered, and needs good drainage.  Okay what else....? Place it somewhere near door entrance or window to allow the fragrance to come though into the house.  The downside is the flowers only bloom in the evening  but the scent is very sweet and strong.  In the morning, the fragrance gradually lightens up.

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

YTT - Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow or Brunfelsia. I am not sure which species I have as there are many YTT around . What differentiates one species to the other, I am not sure because the flowers behaved the same way.  The flowers started of as  Purple (Yesterday), turns  pastel lilac (Today) and ends up white (Tomorrow) , so the plants will  have these three colors once it blooms.    My YTT seems like a slow grower, it has been a year since I bought it from the nursery, and it is hardly a foot tall !  The flowers exude a light fragrance that is rather pleasing.

 I did not realize this plant does not like too intense heat from the sun, since it was a tropical plant. Unfortunately I had already planted it on the ground and did not want to dig it up. for fear of killing it.  So alternatively I grew some other plants to provide it with some shade. Now after a year, I removed the other plant and the YTT  did not seem too happy being exposed to the direct sunlight. How did  I know? Well, the leaves started to turn an unhealthy yellow  instead of the lush pale green that is so pleasing to the eye.  Then the leaves will start to drop as well, even though I watered it well. So on hot afternoons, I have to provide  it with some sort of shade.  Old car shades are handy for use as cover  for the plants. 

 

 Well I guess I have to be patient with it.  As long as  the plant  stays healthy and blooms occasionally  it is  indeed a  nice plant to have in my garden, despite its slow growth.  In comparison my jasmines grow so fast!      

Carissa ( Natal Plum)

I was attracted to this plant given the unusual compactness of the ovate glossy green leaves. To my disgust it  has sharp thorns!  The plus side of this plant is the fragrant white flowers it bears. The name 'Natal Plum' is given because of the red fruit it bears. I like what I read about this plant and decided to add it to my collection of plants. I bought two plants, one with  leaves that are deep green in colour, the other with a lighter green. I am not sure whether the leaves of the  second plant will eventually turn a darker shade.  I am hoping the flowers will be different and they are different  hybrids. I got the plants from different suppliers.  I  plant ed both plants in containers as I feel they will be easier to handle. 

This plant is supposed to be pest free and grows well under direct sunlight.  It can tolerate drought conditions. Generally plants with thorns are easy to care for, just that when handling them have to be extra careful about these thorns. I noticed the carissa when damaged exude a milky sap. This sap is supposed to be toxic. In fact according to what I read, all parts of the plant is toxic, except the ripe fruit. The fruit apparently is edible and very popular for making jellies, jams, etc. 

Well having bought these two plants recently, I am waiting patiently to see the white star shaped flowers  and taste the fruit.  However,  I do not expect  these  plants to be a fast grower at the rate they are growing! 

7th October 2010 : Update on progress.......

Below are pictures of the carissa flower  that bloomed recently. So far there is only single blooms on the plant, so I guess it is still a long wait to see the fruit. !

The blooms are so white in contrast to the dark glossy green leaves. The fragrance from the flower is teasing as it is very mild....but lovely anyway!  The other pot has yet to bloom.

Jasmines

Any tropical garden would have at least one type of jasmine plant.  Aside from the wrightia religiosa (water jasmine) - these are what I have in my garden. Top of the list is the murraya paniculata (aka lakeview jasmine, orange jasmine), followed by the angel-wing jasmine and the jasmine sambac. I have three types of the jasmine sambac - "Grand Duke of Tuscany", "Maid of Orleans" and "Mysore Mulli".  I collect these jasmines for their wonderful scent and lovely white flowers. Like most tropical plants however, these flowers bloomed only for a day.

According to most people, the murraya produces the strongest scent especially since the flowers  can bloom in clusters. One day the plant is  bursting with flowers, giving off the most loveliest scent....but by  the next day sadly the floor is covered by the fallen white petals.....So far my  murraya is pest free.  Propagation by cuttings is not so easy, but with some root hormones  I get lucky.  The new leaves are light green and the plant is so attractive with the older dark green leaves and the new growth in a pleasant light green.

The flowers of the angel-wing are so delicate looking,. They  givie off a light fragrance, but by the end of the day the petals are all withered. This plant needs heavy pruning to keep it neat looking,  The plant is very easy to propagate by cutting. The dark green foliage is very attractive.

The " Duke of Tuscany"  looks very much like a white rose, doesn't it? It is definitely a beauty to behold.

 The 'Mysore Mulli ' is just as lovely - its petals are not as compact as  the Duke.  Comparatively, the Duke is easier to care for than the 'Mysore'. The Mysore leaves are  lighter green and the plant is not as robust as the Duke somehow.

The 'Maid of Orleans' is the most prolific bloomer  compared to the other two sambacs, and grows easily. The flowers are also the most fragrant.  These jasmine sambac are very susceptible to some kind of green bug that eats ferociously at  the young shoots and buds. So unless these plants are frequently sprayed with an insecticide, it is hard to get nice perfect blooms.  Since I am hesitant about using chemicals on the plants, I have to keep trimming the damaged leaves and removing the damaged buds. 

Jasmines are wonderful to have in the garden because of their nice scent. The setback is they are all white.....! 

Gardenias

These couple of months, my gardenias are blooming continuously - not sure if there is a season for them!  So these few nights  I enjoy standing or just walking outside the house especially after dinner just to enjoy  the fragrance the flowers exude.

I have my gardenias for about three years now,  I used to have them in pots. When we moved to this house I planted them on the ground, and  they have flourished and  grown much taller.  I have three small bushes  which are the variegated type, and one bush that has the normal deep green leaves.  I like the variegated gardenias as their leaves are strikingly attractive, but the setback is the flowers being white as well tends to get lost sometimes amongst the leaves. Sometimes I detect the scent even before I can see the flower !

The gardenia blooms only for  a day, then it turns slightly yellow, however the fragrance still lingers on. I prefer to cut off the faded blooms. 

Gardenias are actually easy to propagate. They can be propagated by cuttings. However these plants are slow growers so don't feel disappointed. The beautiful blooms are worth the waiting for. Gardenias are easy to care for, they are not fussy at all....but watch out for caterpillars!  Below is an example of culprits which like to eat the leaves and buds......! Overnight, they can practically eat up the whole plant, leaving the evidence of  unsightly damaged buds and leaves.....

The little fellow with the long legs also seems rather fascinated by the gardenia as well.

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Michelia Champaca

    The Joy Perfume Tree.....and yes, the scent of the flowers  makes one feel good indeed . Just one flower, and the scent is so amazingly strong and intoxicating. I love to pick the flowers and bring them into the house. Place it anywhere in the house and that place really smells good.  I left a couple of the flowers in the bathroom and it was good  for two days. After that the flowers turned brown and unsightly. Pour away the water in the container, but the container still bears the perfume from the flowers. Interesting.

The Michelia Champaca is easy to care for. I first bought it almost a year ago. It was just one stalk then with some leaves. After planting it, I notice it grew very fast. We were thinking of buying a tree that would provide shade for the kitchen.  We could have planted a fruit tree or something. My husband wanted the Red Tip plant, but I thought a tree with scented flowers will be better.  Now that the plant has grown so much within the year and blooming now, I really love it.  The tree is still too small  to provide adequate shade, but  given more time, when the branches spread more,  it will be really  nice. Even parts of the plant smells nice. As new leaves spring out, it leaves behind a thin layer of some sort brown bark. Crush it and the scent is nice as well. 

A house down from my block has a white champaca.  I  was tempted to buy a white champaca as well, but then the flowers of my jasmines and gardenia are white.  The nursery told me the white champaca  can be potted and still blooms but the yellow champaca needs will grow too big for the pot.

 

Dwarf Ylang Ylang Plant.........Odorata Cananga var fruticosa

  There is much said about this plant because of  the Chanel 5 perfume.

    From what I  gathered, most growers are not too satisfied with the scent from the flowers, some even claiming they cannot detect any scent at all.   Perhaps the dwarf ylang ylang produces a different scent from the Ylang Ylang Tree that grows very tall in the wild or even the vine.

    I bought this plant about a month back. I find that the scent is spicy and intense, not as pleasant as the scent of the gardenia or jasmine.  So far it is doing well in the flower pot placed outside the house. It is not getting any direct sunlight as I thought to leave it to adjust first and recover from the stress of  being potted. Also I understand from the nursery that the plant had just arrived, the day I visited the nursery.  I noticed some of the leaves seemed a bit damaged, perhaps during the handling and transportation  to the nursery.  Eventually  I will  move it to where it will  receive direct sunlight as this seems to be the recommendation.  Since I took  the plant back, it has been growing  new leaves and the flowers buds that were already present have bloomed, with more new buds appearing. I  like the plant as it looks so pretty, with the ornamental looking flowers, the ends are so curly. I find it quite unique that the flowers started so green and gradually turned yellow. When the flower  is most yellow and also most fragrant,  the petals start to drop away.  Perhaps 'pretty' is not quite appropriate, but somehow the plant is like a little girl wearing  dangling earrings looking cute and adorable....!

   This is the plant when I first took it home from the nursery where I bought it for RM15. Below is how it looks like now. 

 The plant looks healthy and perfectly contented that I hesitate to move  it elsewhere.

Quisqualis Indica ... Rangoon Creeper

 

   Now this creeper is a real beauty and never fails to attract attention with its clusters of  heavy blooms.  The burst of white, pink and red  flowers against a mass of green foliage is just so spectacular to behold!  My younger brother was so fascinated by this plant that he bought me two plants.   I planted them along the fence. To our astonishment within  hardly 2 months the two plants had flourished and started blooming profusely !  The creepers grew so rapidly that it reminded me of  Jack and his beanstalk!  Overnight the two creepers seemed to  sprout new growth, and they  are so considerate in taking turns to bloom!  When evening comes , the gorgeous blooms exude a  gentle and soothing fragrance that teases the senses . In the morning  fragrance lingers on but by the afternoon it is gone, only to return in the evening.   

Both of  my creepers are the "double".  I have seen the "single" but  they are less attractive but no less appealing.  The flowers bloomed in pure white, then  gradually turn light pink  and finally blood red,  within 2 to 3 days.  The clusters of  blooms  would normally   last for about 2 weeks or more. The  blooms as they wilt and die will stain the walls or floors they fall on.  So it was a good thing I planted them along the fence. Once the flowers have dropped completely , I  prefer to  trim it off. to allow new growth. Being a creeper, the rangoon creeper seems rather robust and do not need much care. It seems to be happy growing and blooming......! One of its common name is "Drunken Sailor", I have yet to find out  how the name comes about.