Garden Updates - March, 2018

These updates are somewhat belated. I should have got them written and posted last Thursday when I came back from my holiday home where my small backyard garden is. But having two other posts that I felt more excited about ( which I had posted HERE and HERE ), plus some handmade fabric flower orders on both my Etsy and Blog shops that needed my immediate handling, I had got no choice but to put the writing up of these updates at the bottom most of my to-do list. Forgive me for playing favourites and prioritization.

Back then ( before I came back to Kuala Lumpur last Thursday ) at my backyard.....

I had planted two Butterfly Pea ( Clitoria ternatea ) seedlings at a corner of my planter. I would make them trail up the fence when they are a little taller ( longer ). I did not grow these seedlings myself. I got them from my eldest sister's house. She has many of them in her garden as a result of split matured seed pods from her existing plants. I had pulled out two and kept them hydrated in a water-filled glass bottle on the day I traveled back. They looked fine before I transplanted them two days later. Hopefully at least one of them would thrive, if not two.

The Butterfly Pea ( Clitoria ternatea ) seedlings are kept hydrated in a water-filled glass bottle after they were pulled out from the soil.

Some Winter Melon ( Benincasa hispida ) seedlings had emerged from the soil of my planter. On further investigation, I found out that they had germinated from the clump of seeds which I had lazily and thoughtlessly, dumped onto the planter instead of the rubbish bin during my previous trip back in February. Usually I am very careful with seeds disposal. As I do not fancy removing any of their young ones as weeds later. Somehow, because of my thoughtlessness back then, I had got many seedlings to deal with, which caught me in a dilemma. Winter melons or no winter melons? ( Decision to be made the next time I go back... )

The winter melon seedlings

My previous green and red Amaranths ( Amaranthus sp. ) had self-seeded on my planter before I harvested them in February. Some of them had germinated. Again, I am undecided as to just thin them out or remove them altogether as weeds. Either way, I feel cruel for depriving them of their chance to live on.

The Green and Red Amaranth ( Amaranthus sp. ) seedlings

The replanted sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas ) cuttings had established and were doing quite well. Judging by the look of them, I am almost sure they would provide me with lots of  tasty vegetables the next time I go back. Hurray!

The sweet potato plants which I had grown from cuttings sometime back in February.

The Gynura bicolor plants had progressed rather slowly with few new leaves growth after the harvest back in February. Perhaps it was because the weather had been a bit dry with little rainfall. Also it could have been that these shade-loving plants found it too sunny during this time of the year at my northwest facing backyard when the sun tend to settle in for a longer time everyday.

The Gynura bicolor plant.

The Basil Leaf plants ( Ocimum basilicum ) were doing quite well. There were quite a lot for harvest when I went back two weeks back. Like always, I harvested only the top parts and left the bottom parts to continue growing. These plants have always been great contributors to my flavour herb needs. They never disappoint.

The Ocimum basilicum plants.

The Madeira Vines were going to flower profusely soon. There were lots of flower buds everywhere on the vines with some cute, little white flowers already in bloom. It looked like they had used up all their energy in producing the flower buds as there were generally little leaves produced. 

The Madeira Vines.

Meanwhile at my front yard....

Having harvested the most delicious though cracked pumpkin, I had thought of removing the whole plant to give way to the sweet potato and turmeric plants to grow better. But, with so many flower buds appearing everywhere on the vines, I eventually decided to abort my intention to get rid of it. On the second last day of my stay there, I called myself lucky to chance upon a male and a female flower blooming on the same day. I jumped at the chance and did my first ever hand-pollination on the female flower. Hopefully, it would be a successful one. ( My previously harvested pumpkin was a blessed,  generous gift from nature ) 

A pretty, blooming pumpkin flower and some flower buds.

Lush pumpkin vines and sweet potato shoots

Again, my poor turmerics plants ( Cucurma longa ) ( I have at least ten of them ) would have to wait for their chance to enjoy the space and full sun. Their growths had already seemed somewhat stunted. I wonder if they could ever make it till their chance come. I feel extremely sorry for them. Forgive me plants! ( If only someone would adopt them, they would definitely be able to enjoy full space and direct sunlight... )

My poor turmeric plants have neither enjoyed direct sunlight nor grown any taller since they first emerged from the soil three months back.

 All for now. Till next entry... CHEER UP!