Mum's Best-loved Plant ( Allamanda cathartica ) Is Back!

When Mum was still around, we had a few Allamanda plants ( Allamanda cathartica ) planted in our garden. Mum got the plants from one of our neighbours. The plants were always covered with plenty of beautiful, bright-yellow, trumpet-like blooms throughout the year. Mum used to smile every time she went out to the garden and sat under the Rambutan tree, facing the row of blooming Allamandas. " Look there Jade, they are so beautiful! " She used to always point at the blooming lots and say to me. Seeing Mum's contented smile at the sight of the blooms, I couldn't disagree. I nodded my head and smiled back at her every time. Though they were actually nothing more than just ordinary blooms to me then.

After Mum passed away four years ago, my eldest brother redid the whole garden. He had all the Allamanda plants ( Mum's best-loved plants ) removed. My heart couldn't help it but went with them. I missed ( and still miss ) their beautiful, happy yellow blooms. ' Only Mum ' would know how much I have missed them! They are no longer ' just ordinary blooms '. They are the most beautiful and desired blooms of all. Seeing them are as good as seeing Mum.

So, when I was given an Allamanda cutting by a very kind neighbour ( who noticed me admiring her blooming Allamandas outside her house ) recently, I was most happy. Mum's best-loved plant is back! Not back to the same old garden though. I have put it to root inside a poly bag filled with some soils. Hopefully, it would successfully root so that I could have it planted inside one of the big pot planters at my backyard the next time I go back to Ipoh.


Till then... Wish me luck!