Friday, December 31, 2010

Blooming Friday

Year 2010 is divided into two phases, before Putrajaya and after Putrajaya. Putrajaya has been our home for almost three years. With 2 months left in year 2010 I have to say goodbye to Putrajaya, and slowly get my hands and feet into Tanah Merah, Kelantan. The obsession with gardening never fades....


Basil has been very central to our container gardening, quietly letting out  slightly purplish   little flowers and puts up pagoda like structure reaching for the sky. The leaves had gone into Kakdah's menu for aromatic taste many times.

The plant goes by many names; bunga bakawali in Malaysia, wijaya kusuma in Indonesia, Queen of the night, Night-blooming Cereus, Dutchman's Pipe, Gul-e-Bakavali  in Hindi, Kadupul in Sinhala. Bunga Bakawali is in fact a cactus. It has been with us since April 2010. Now the plant is letting a bud..., and God knows when it is going to open. It has been reported that the blooming stage starts off around 9.00pm, fully opens around midnight and closes around 3.00am. It opens only for one night. The famous Arabian Nights mentioned about the Rose of Bakawali, There is mystic behind this flower at least in this part of the world. I am not going to miss the rare and one-night-only-bloom.
 


Oxalis Triangularis:  The plant never stop flowering. Now that the weather is so wet, the flowers stay closed and heavy.


The slight purplish colour is so pleasing.

 luffa offers nocturnal insects nectar
in return for pollination for future generation.

 On the other hand bittergourd
prefers daylight to display it's yellow five petaled flowers.


bangchik and kakdah.
bunga, kebun sayur dalam taman
tanah merah kelantan

14 comments:

  1. Very pretty pictures. I hope you post a picture of the bunga bakawali when it does finally flower because I am excited to see what it will look like. One of my very first plants was a similar night-flowering cactus, which unfortunately I had to leave behind in a move.

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  2. Your photos are beautiful...years ago my aunt gave me a night blooming cereus and when it bloomed the fragrance and the bloom were magnificent...I look forward to hearing about and seeing yours when it blooms!

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  3. A night flowering cactus sounds so mysterious - I am quite jealous of the occassion. Enjoy my friend. Happy New Year and I promise I shall be back into the blogging world more we are settled in our new home - love C xx

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  4. If I read correctly, you are now at Tanah Merah, Kelantan?

    I still remember we had a few plants of bunga bakawali when my family stayed in a kampong during my childhood time.

    The flowers only appeared at night. We had a reporter friend, thus the flowers appeared in the daylight too, but in newspaper.

    Happy New Year.

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  5. Happy New Year 2011 to Bangchik, Kakdah and family. May you have an exciting, joyful, happy and healthy year ahead!

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  6. My father's old friend is in Tanah Merah, Kelantan. We visited him in very early 80s. As I remember it, it was very lush. Regardless, I trust you shall green the earth, no matter where you are.

    The blooms are pleasing indeed. Happy New Year, Bangchik and Kakdah.

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  7. Beautiful photos! I am sure the bloom will be beautiful, it must be great to see such a rare event.

    Happy new year!

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  8. I'm so interested in your bunga bakawali, i hope you won't miss the bloom and can post a pic to show us the flower. Meanwhile, i go 'google'.

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  9. Beautiful post!

    Happy New Year my garden-friend

    XX Tyra

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  10. Thanks everyone...... Bakawali will rank high the next few days. I have to check regular on its readiness to burst open... I guess 2011 will be a sweet year, as exciting as the intoxicating fragrance of Bakawali.

    HAPPY NEW YEAR

    Cheers ~bangchik and kakdah

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  11. Always amazing to see flowers when we're in the midst of such cold weather. Thanks for the pictures!

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  12. our neighbor has that cactus, and has been waiting for it to bloom, however my weekend visits to our place in the province did not coincide with its blooming. Till now i havent seen them, they said the scent is overwhelming through the night.

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  13. Kim and Victoria
    Andrea

    The bud is getting bigger... just a matter of time now.

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  14. Bangchik ,Kakdah & family I hope you have a wondeful New Year in your new home & garden.

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