Saturday, March 12, 2011

Green Springcleaning. I am 2 today !!


Today I'm 2 years old. Yes, all of  730 days to date since I decided to create this pastime for myself. Guess what, writing is good for through it I've found so many friends the world over. Simply this blog is to share life's precious little pleasures with you in the manner I can. Also, these tales which I relate will allow me to remember them myself, not forgetting your shared thoughts when the grey matter fails me.

Thanks for staying with me friends. Fingers crossed, I'll be blogging much longer. How does one celebrate this day - March 12, 2011? It's springcleaning time. Not only my fuzzy mind needs it, My garden too!

I need a dusun ! Out of the confines of my garden proper -  hibiscus, mango, banana, mulberry, plumbago ,herbs -  curry leaf, daun kesum, pandan, aloe vera, cinnamon.  On the other end of the perimeter wall  - ixora, brazilian firecrackers, 2 jacaranda, Pride of India , flame of the forest and a couple of plants .
I bought a Pride of India (lagerstroemia speciosa) sapling in December, can't wait to enjoy the flourish of the pink/purple flowers. The Flame of the Forest has not shown its beauty yet - more fertiliser !

A couple of medium to tall trees flank one end of the garden. The  costus curvibracteatus adds some colour sandwiched between the phyllanthus and the misai kuching on the ground.  I started with  9 weak misai kuching plants and have been faithfully cutting and multiplying them. It does not look  a great plot yet but  it will in time.


Standing tall behind are  palm trees with their berries, few eugenia plants, the handkerchief ( maniltoa) tree and the rukam. I love the handkerchief  tree when there is a flush of new leaves.  It is like a story unfolding. As they dangle in a spear like form the colour and shape changes . Finally, they appear like the rest of the mature leaves on the the tree, quite undistinguishable. As for the rukam, the birds hop over for refuge. The berries are plentiful and they are raining on my garden! What do I do with them??  

The workers were heaving the spiky trunk of the hura  onto the truck. My cinnamon tree with a nice canopy was a gift from a friend in Penang. Though  scraggy, the mulberry plant beside it has fruits appearing. 


Safe in their yellow bucket, the workers loped off the spindly branches of the neem.  It has overshadowed  the erythrina glauca and bougainvillae in my garden proper . 

How the neem has grown from a small plant given to me in a milo tin by my sis in law's mil. Her name is Mrs Selvadurai, a dear old, sweet natured lady who came for our house blessing  20 years ago. The neem  popularly known as ' Heal All' in India  is a major component in Ayurvedic medicine.  

A day when the grass cutters and the DBKL guys came calling. Reluctantly I allowed the gardener to trim the grass of this patch as during the previous cutting months ago,the earth was exposed here and there. I resurrected it and got the cover back by regular watering.

Up with the birds and clouds. After the neem, it was the turn of the hura crepitans ( sandbox tree) trees. Hura in normal  circumstances has an erect trunk witk a lovely canopy. They were looking like crooked stairway to heaven  before the cutting. White sap (toxic)  flowed quite freely from the remaining trunk . I went with my friend, Uncle Foo to Sungai Buloh to get  a few plants upon his recommendation.  During storms, the branches have fallen. They are fast growing . It's time to get them down to size.

Finally, when the job was done, it more than filled the truck. Thanks DBKL, we await the regrowth. 

24 comments:

  1. Happy 'birth' day- that is something to celebrate for sure-
    I love the images of your garden tending and lawn and tree maintenance- nothing better then Feng Shui 'ing' and organizing your nature space.

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  2. You have come a long way gurl!

    Here's wishing many more wonderful years of blogging ahead!

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  3. Happy blog anniversary! That's 2 years of cyber sunshine for your readers, me included. Glad to have found you and your blog. Wow, you have so many trees. How I wish I have enough land for a big tree.

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  4. This is scary! Yes, you need a dusun. I remember you mentioning you could take in no more plants.

    With the neem tree severed, I'm sure you'll have lots of sunshine. Yeah! More sunshine for the sunshine girl.

    I bought a neem tree and grew it across the street (with permission) so this wouldn't happen to me. But others are consuming it and even took away the much awaited fruits. Well, there will be more since it is growing very strongly.

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  5. Happy Blogversary! Lots of growing over here!

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  6. Hi Keats! Congrats!! Keep posting and commenting!!

    Matisse and Chagall: what a ticket... ;) Confirm it at Blogtrotter Two... Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

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  7. So beautifully written.You have a well manicured lawn and your garden is full.Because you have such a good heart,flowers would bloom in plenty.
    Keep on blogging.Have more flowers and spread the fragrance.

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  8. Happy Birthday! I hope the spring cleaning is going well!

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  9. Gorgeous pictures as always, and happy "birthday"! Writing really is a wonderful, soothing way to pass the time. I don't know what I would do without my art and writing! Probably just go crazy!

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  10. Happy Blog Birthday to you! After the spring cleaning, perhaps more ideas will be flooding in.
    Keep them coming dear!

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  11. Happy blogging birthday Keats! You sure have lots of big trees outside the gate, can be quite dangerous with the storms and rainy season with fallen branches etc. So after this you have more sunshine coming through!

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  12. Aw... that's wonderful! Happy second bogoversary!!!!

    I will be celebrating my first year this coming week. I love blogging, and I am thankful for the wonderful I have met, and all the learning from the the different blogs.

    Thank you for delighting us with your stories and posts, so rich of culture, color and sunshine!!!

    Doris

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  13. Congratulations on your blog's 2nd anniversary, Keats! This calls for a celebration! I will send you a message soon. Your garden must be looking all neat and tidy now. Happy Gardening!

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  14. Happy Blogversary!
    What a beautiful garden you have, cool!
    We're back from Australia and at the end of the week I'll be back at home in Helsinki, Finland. My hubby will come at the end of the month.
    End of expat life...It's nice to settle down again. In our own nest! :)

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  15. Congratulations n happy blog birthday. You've made it. Your blog inspired me n I love green.

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  16. Happy blog birthday to You!!! Congratulations!
    What A beautiful garden! Thank You very much sharing!

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  17. Looks like a lot of work to keep up all that garden. Congrats on two years of blogging. I really appreciate your blog. You bring me to a world so different from my own. We're finally seeing signs of spring around here. Green grass is still a ways away.

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  18. Happy Blogoversary, dear! What a way to celebrate. It has been my pleasure to meet your voice and mind. Wishing you even more great moments to blog about. Bless you.

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  19. Happy Blogversary! Keep those fantastic posts coming!!

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  20. Happy Birthday! Wah! You really need a dusun! Here's to another year of great blogging! Cheers!

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  21. Congrats! Keep at it... both blogging and gardening!

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  22. Hi Keats! Super full moon tonight, Spring tomorrow... What else? ;))

    OK; I know that contemporary art doesn’t take unanimous approval... But some pieces are worth seeing. Check it at Blogtrotter Two, enjoy and have a superb weekend!!

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  23. Congratulations Keats. I still remember how you introduced yourself to me as a newbie too;) Now we are veterans!

    Isn't it a good feeling after a spring cleaning? I had my trees trimmed to but I could only get the gardener and his friends to hang on the tree while cutting off the limbs and branches. Nothing professional like the DBKL team. In the future I'll try to remember to contact our Majlis's help.

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  24. Congrats... am impressed with the plants in your turf... especially the neem...

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Great to have you popping in!