Monday, September 19, 2011

How is my garden growing in my absence?

While the lush greenery of Malaysia is a feast for my eyes and senses, not to mention my tummy, I am missing my garden. I am worried about the pandan and curry leaf seedings I started and wondering if those little green things that sprouted are actually Bunga Kantan seedlings or weeds. Like so many things I have neglected this year - the number of blog posting has been dismal. So I am going with the flow and taking advantage of jetlag to post a little something. In the past few weeks, I have been sporadically getting my hands into the dirt, trimming trees, making cuttings and seeding plants.

Recycled apple packaging containers 
Rose Torch Ginger 
Succulent pups being rooted


Two tiny seedlings after a month....
hoping they are Bunga Kantan seedlings
and not weeds !!
Just realised I did not upload some pictures to my laptop or I uploaded them to the laptop which I did not bring with me .... so that will be the subject of another post.

But I can share with you some pictures of plants which were fruiting just before I left on this trip




Strawberry Guava Psidium Cattleianum
This a very prolific and reliable producer of sweet, delicious, strawberry colored and strawberry like flavor fruit. Its flower is a  favorite of the hummingbirds that inhabit our garden. We enjoy them a lot eaten out of hand, in fruit salads and in Agua Fresca. I have a seedling growing in a 5 gallon container for our Temecula garden. Recently, I have been reading that the strawberry guava is now considered an invasive and destructive plant in places like Hawaii. It forms dense thickets crowding out native plants and destroying habitat of native birds and insects. I will be keeping an eye on this plant and keeping its spread in check. So far, possibly because of the low rainfall in San Diego, it has not spread in the almost 11 years we have had it. It should not be a problem in Temecula.


Passiflora 'Frederick' flower

Ripe passionfruit
Daily collection of  `eggs'
Passionfruit Lemonade - a summer time favorite
Fuyu Persimmon just getting some color. Good eating in November
2nd crop of Blueberries forming as weather cools again
Strawberries in the background

Blueberries in green, pink and blue stages of ripeness


Juicy ripe Blueberries
Blueberry Gems!
Ciku Flower


Tiny Ciku has formed - hope it will not drop but this
year we get to harvest some Ciku

Kunyit/ Turmeric flower


Fragrant leaves - calling for some Rendang or Nasi Ulam

Daun Kaduk - Nasi Ulam or Otak-otak