John&Jacq~s Garden

Posted by Jacqueline on January 16th, 2012

Euphorbia bracteata (Little Bird Flower, Slipper Plant, Candelilla) An attractively beautiful shrub, Euphorbia bracteata is home to numerous quaint-looking birds when it blooms. Figuratively speaking, of course! They’re not our feathered friends, the chirpy and lively birds in the real sense but flowers that appear so similar to birds that make them as desirable to [...]

Posted by Jacqueline on September 18th, 2011

Brugmansia suaveolens (Angel’s Trumpet, Angel-star, Angel’s Tears) The exotic Brugmansia suaveolens is a small tree or large evergreen shrub that is cultivated exclusively for its dramatic floral display. A prolific bloomer that may grandly display as many as 100-200 stunningly beautiful flowers at one time under good growing conditions. Simply spectacular… as if presenting rows [...]

Posted by Jacqueline on September 4th, 2011

Hmm… we thought that we’ll run out of garden news eventually since our garden plants were greatly reduced due to health problems (i.e. John’s suffering from lumbar spondylosis that impairs his gardening activities). But it appears there are still leftovers that aren’t willing to be categorized as run-of-the-mill as yet. Some plants just want to [...]

Posted by Jacqueline on August 3rd, 2011

Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Endless Summer’ (Mophead/Bigleaf/French Hydrangea, Hortensia) – our garden star in July 2011 Feeling blue? Let the beauty of nature and the Mophead Hydrangea with its gorgeously large blooms mop away the sadness and unhappiness! The colour blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body, and strongly associated with peace, calmness and tranquility. [...]

Posted by Jacqueline on June 28th, 2011

Alternanthera ficoidea (Joseph’s Coat, Parrot Leaf, Calico Plant, Sanguinarea) Simply gorgeous! A non-stop riot of fall colours greeting us each day ever since we planted these dazzling Alternanthera ficoidea plants as ground covers in our garden beds last March! Being in tropical Malaysia, we do not have the joy of watching the autumnal turning of [...]

Posted by Jacqueline on April 18th, 2011

Hibiscus mutabilis (Confederate Rose, Cotton Rose) Floral colours change almost like colour-changing handkerchiefs in a magic show! However, unlike that magic trick, the stunningly large flowers do it very gracefully over a period of a day. They open the purest of white in the morning, then very gradually change to light pink in the afternoon [...]

Posted by Jacqueline on April 12th, 2011

Crinum asiaticum (Giant/Grand Crinum Lily, Asiatic Poison Bulb/Lily, Seashore Lily) An impressively huge lily with large leaves and large clusters of big blooms. Hence, not surprising that Crinum asiaticum goes by the common names, Giant Lily or Grand Lily that aptly describes its spectacular appearance. Hmm… everything seems gigantic! Even its bulbs underground may weigh [...]

Posted by Jacqueline on March 10th, 2011

Fuchsia species and hybrids We were definitely impressed by our first sighting of these superb flower dangles on the Fuchsia plants at the Cactus Valley in Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, home to many of Malaysia’s spectacular flower gems rarely seen elsewhere, especially in the lowlands. Numerous trusses of beautiful and vibrantly coloured blooms were seen hanging [...]