September 2009 joy in our tropical garden

Posted by Jacqueline on September 30th, 2009 in Our Garden

Our September 2009 garden delights at the frontyardGardening is truly food for the soul and its rewards are endless, a tonic for stress and a sight for sore eyes!

We’re absolutely delighted to be maintaining a garden blog here that gives us the opportunity to share online the many treasures seen in our tropical urban garden. They may look very ordinary to some viewers, but every one of our garden ‘babies’ is adorable, special and extraordinary in their own way, and collectively, they provide us our daily dose of abundant joy and serenity.

Let our garden photos speak their thousand words to showcase the beauty and tranquility in our little garden corner with colour and flamboyance. Enjoy!

Orangy-red Euphorbia milii (Crown of Thorns) Our tropical garden delights - combination of foliage and flowering plants, Sept 22 2009
The focal point of our frontyard to the right of the short driveway is the rectangular garden bed. Grown therein, to name a few, are flowering annuals and perennials such as Dwarf Red Ixora, Blue Daze, Torenias, Dwarf Heliconia and Caladiums as groundcovers and shrubs like Calliandra emarginata ‘Red’, Hydrangeas and Mussaenda philippica ‘Aurorae’. We can’t grow tall shrubs that may block the view of the right entrance to our home and harbour potential robbers. Hence, Mussaenda erythrophylla (Red Mussaenda) that once graced this plot had to be sacrificed after a recent house break-in attempt and we’ve replaced it with a pot of Dwarf Powder Puff which won’t be so bushy.
Flanked at both ends are container plants such as the Euphorbia millii, Podocarpus macrophyllus ‘Maki’ and Dracaena marginata ‘Tricolor’ on the left and on the right, a pot of Blue Plumbago, Hydrangea, Croton and Hibiscus.
Foliage plants that need shade like the Maidenhair Fern, Peace Lilies, Tree Philodendron, Rhapis excelsa, Golden Pothos, etc. are sited at the porch in the background. A row of potted Dendrobium orchids and some Spider Plants are hung below the roof’s eave.
Our September 2009 tropical garden delights at the frontyard Our September 2009 tropical garden delights at the frontyard
Another section of the frontyard with the outer garden bed filled with low-growing plants, such as the dwarf Sansevierias ‘Golden Hahnii’ and ‘Silver Hahnii’, Ruellia brittoniana ‘Katie’, Cuphea hyssopifolia, Guzmania ‘Orange Star’, Catharanthus roseus, Bachelor’s Button, Torenias and a Brunfelsia calycina shrub.
Other potted plants that adorn our frontyard at this outer half section include the Ponytail Plant, Palms, Bougainvillea, Purple Daisies and many others, while the Durantas, Heliconias, Australian Golden Vine, Cyperus alternifolius (Umbrella Plant), Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ and Norfolk Pine are located along the fence.
Hydrangea macrophylla 'Endless Summer' (Bigleaf/Mophead Hydrangea)
Bigleaf/Mophead Hydrangea that blooms endlessly year round…such bliss!		 Glorious flower clusters of Ixora coccinea 'Dwarf Red'
Sun-loving Ixora coccinea ‘Dwarf Red’ that flowers year round too in our tropical clime
Torenia fournieri (Wishbone Flower, Bluewings), in our garden
Torenia fournieri, forever self-seeding and decorating every nook and corner		 Wrightia antidysenterica (Snowflake, Milky Way, Arctic Snow) in our garden
Wrightia antidysenterica (Snowflake), another plant that flowers all year through.
Tradescantia spathacea 'Hawaiian Dwarf' and behind is T. spathacea or Rhoea Discolor (Oyster Plant, Wandering Jew, Moses-in-the-basket)
The variegated cultivar, Tradescantia spathacea ‘Hawaiian Dwarf’, and Tradescantia/Rhoeo spathacea. Amazing to observe that some of the variegated plants have returned to their original form with dark green leaves and dark purple undersides, plants as seen in the background of this photo.		 Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ‘Burgundy’ or ‘Sizzling Pink’ (Chinese Witch Hazel, Pink Chinese Loropetalum)
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ‘Burgundy’ simply loves a regular haircut…will always reward with abundant flowering within 10 days after a prune!

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2 Responses to “September 2009 joy in our tropical garden”

  1. Carla Branch Says:
    February 28th, 2010 at 3:02 pm

    Was researching some info about plants we just bought and found your website. What a wonderful fountain of information you are and you put it all so eloquently as well. Then you pick up all this technical computer information also. There is no end to your knowledge. Congratulations. I will revisit frequently. Re. the Pony Palm. I was told that it will flower if planted in soil , not a pot. My son did and his flowered with superb spikes and when that finished, he trimmed it and now has multiple growth on the top. We have recently put ours in the garden but have not had a flower spike as yet. May be it is too old because ours is at least 30 year old and has moved from house to house many times.

  2. Jacqueline Says:
    March 1st, 2010 at 5:00 pm

    Thank you so much for such kind words, Carla! It’s such fun learning and sharing, it keeps my grey matter active and happy. We look forward to more visits from you and hope you won’t be disappointed.
    Really wish you well re your 30 year-old Pony Palm…may it smile for you one day soon. Hmm…looks like John and I won’t have that pleasure as our 8.5 year-old plant is destined to stay put in a pot.
    Happy gardening and have a lovely week ahead!

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